History of the Wisconsin Department
of Transportation Golf League
As Remembered
By
Jim Machnik
LEAGUE HISTORY
I started my employment with the Wisconsin Highway Commission in 1960 as a member of a survey crew. At that time I was a couple of years out of high school. A number of years passed before a few employees of the Maintenance Group, of District 9 (the Milwaukee Office), located at Jefferson & Wells, the old State Industrial Building, formed our golf league. It was operated by Bob Kaul with the help of John Shaffer.
As I recall, the league started with four teams, made up of 4 golfers, included a substitute system and played at the Milwaukee County golf courses. At that time Milwaukee County Parks had a golf league program that favored the larger golf leagues. Northwestern Mutual had the largest league and always received the best starting times for play. With only four teams, our league always got the late shift.
Sometime in the sixties we moved to a new office building at the north west corner of 6th and Wells in the City of Milwaukee and the freeway system in our area was in full swing. Although our district was limited to freeway and the state trunk highway system projects located in Milwaukee County, the number of employees grew significantly. More employees, more golf teams. The league grew to 6 teams.
I forget how many weeks we played but it was less than we play now, which is 18.At the end of each season we would hold a golf event on a Saturday and any employee of the Department could participate. We would play golf, partake in food and drinks at the park where the golf event took place and it may have been a place outside of the Milwaukee County Park System. I can recall when I held the year end party at my former Greendale residence.
When the office paved all of Milwaukee County in asphalt and concrete and there were no more bridges to build, our office and District 2, which included all of the counties abutting Milwaukee County including Fond du Lac and Walworth Counties merged. More employees, more teams. At that point in time we grew to 8 four man teams.
When in Waukesha, there came a time our season was expanded to 18 weeks and we were left out in the cold when it came to finishing in the light at the end of the golf season because of the starting time allotted by Milwaukee County Parks. The following season an arrangement was made with Muskego Lakes Country Club to move our league. One of the provisions negotiated with the Club was that the league would alter nines from season to season.
When the second season came around, the Club reneged on letting us play the back nine and we finished the season on the front nine, which most of our members found to be very boring. Back to Milwaukee County Group Golf. When we returned to Group Golf, the time slot selection Milwaukee County Parks applied was on a first come first play basis. As it turned out Group Golf lost a lot of leagues because of their old system of allotting time slots.
Jim Pikulik informed me he arranged the first scramble event for the league in 2004. Harry Lutz managed the second cash event that is now handled by Dave Schutz. A split season was added along the way and as DOT employees lost interest in the league, many friends, brothers, sons and other then DOT staff had joined and played in the league over the years. Did you know that at one time a woman was a member of the league. Her name is Sheri Schmit. Sheri left the league when she started her family and is, if not retired by now, a member of the Southeast region of the WISDOT. I can remember when a golf prize was a single golf ball and when a sub won most of the single golf ball prizes, a rule was put in place stating no golfer can win more than one hole prize. During all my years in the league, I can remember only one hole in one event. That honor belonged to Dave Wagner, a DOT employee. I forget the course that took place at.
In 2022 I resigned from a position that Harry Lutz called the league dictator. Out with the old and in with the new. A new golf league, a new golf league name, made up of old and new members with a variety of work skill backgrounds.
I am proud to have led this league for so many years and am looking forward to playing in the new league, enjoying old and new friendships, having fun and watching the league grow and prosper. The end of this story is not the end of the league. It is under new management, with new ideas and new energy. Again, I look forward to playing in the coming golf season.
EDITORIAL COMMENTARY: The league was re-named as "Milwaukee Drivers" in 2023. This name has a dual meaning. First, obviously we are a golf league in Milwaukee and one of the clubs used in golf is a Driver. Secondly, one of the key aspects that makes this league unique is the fact that we play multiple courses throughout the Milwaukee area. League members drive to all of these courses. This name was chosen to reflect the history of using the road systems to effectively travel to our recreational activity.