T

he 10th season of the weekly B’nai B’rith 
Golf League is in the books.
So is the 27th season of the weekly 
Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball 
League.
Champions have been crowned.
The race for the golf league team title among the 
dozen two-man teams in the nine-hole league at the 
Links of Novi was decided by a single point.
Kerry Chaben and Mike Klinger scored 182 
points. They went wire-to-wire on top of the lead-
er board to win their first team championship. 
Runners-up Gary Klinger and Dale Taub had 181 
points.
There was no sorrow for Gary Klinger in the 
league’s individual standings.
He finished in first place with 93 points, four 
more than Taub (89), and won his 
second straight individual title.
Points are awarded based on holes 
won and tied and matches won and 
tied.
Gary Klinger is the golf league’s 
founder and organizer.
“I love this league, love the breth-
ren and will keep working hard to make this a 
great, fun and enjoyable league,
” he said.
“We’re losing a team next year, but 
I already have inquiries to fill the 
spot, so I expect us to remain at 12 
teams.
”
The league has played at the Links 
of Novi for nine years, and probably 
will return there next year.
There were 14 teams in the soft-
ball league’s three divisions this 
season.
The double-elimination playoffs 
ended with the three division champions each 
going undefeated in the post-season, winning all 
three of their playoff games.

SOFTBALL CHAMPS
The softball league champions are Temple Beth El 
No. 1 in the Greenberg Division, Temple Israel No. 
1 in the Koufax Division and Congregation Beth 
Ahm in the Rosen Division.

In the playoff championship games played at 
Keith Sports Park in West Bloomfield, Beth El No. 1 
defeated Temple Israel No. 5 14-8 in the Greenberg 
Division, Temple Israel No. 1 defeated Temple Israel 
No. 3 9-3 in the Koufax Division, and Beth Ahm 
squeaked past Temple Shir Shalom No. 3 14-13 in 
the Rosen Division.
The end of the season also marked the end of an 
era for the softball league.
Longtime league co-director Steve Achtman, who 
shared those responsibilities with Michael Betman 
and Mitch Kline, stepped away from the league 
after the playoff championship games, saying his 
decision to resign as co-director and 
stop playing was made with a heavy 
heart.
He said he plans to spend more 
time with family and make use of his 
new free time on Sunday mornings.
“There are many things that go on 
behind the scenes to run a league,
” 
Achtman said. “Michael, Mitch and 
I have been handling those duties. 
We start working on the next season 
right after a season ends.
“I’ve made many friends in the league. I hope we 
can stay in contact,
” he said.
Achtman said Kline will take over the responsi-
bility of running the league’s fall league. Achtman 
created the fall league several years ago and has run 
it since then. 

Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

Golf Stats

Gary Klinger puts 
together a detailed 
B’nai B’rith Golf League 
season review each 
year. Here are some 
stats and facts from his 
2022 review:
• Perfect attendance: 
Mike Klinger, Marc 
Ruskin, Larry Shapiro, 
Ryan Stone and Stu 
Zorn each played all 16 
rounds.
• Most birdies: Aaron 
Herskovic and Ryan 
Stone each had seven 
birdies. Herskovic 
played just seven of the 
16 rounds. Stone played 
all 16 rounds.
• Most pars: Ryan 
Vieder had 39 pars.
• Most bogeys: Stone 
had 62 bogeys.
• Zero: Vieder finished 
in the middle of the 
pack in the team and 
individual standings 
despite not making a 
single birdie all season.
• Consistent: The team 
of Lyle Schaefer and 
Stone had a streaky 
season. They won 
three matches, lost 
three matches, won 
three matches, lost two 
matches, won three 
matches and lost two 
matches.
• Month of wins: The 
teams of Gary Klinger 
and Dale Taub and 
Bob and Larry Shapiro 
each won five straight 
matches, the longest 
team winning streak of 
the season.
• Most improved golfer: 
Stone. His 2021 season 
average was 47.47. His 
2022 season average 
was 45.81. That was 
a 1.65-stroke drop, or 
3.48%. His 2020 season 
average was 48.06.

46 | SEPTEMBER 29 • 2022 
 
 
 
 

They’re the Champions

It was a summer of success for these B’nai B’rith golfers 
and Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer 
Softball League teams.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

B’nai B’rith Golf League team champions Mike Klinger 
and Kerry Chaben.

SPORTS

Gary 
Klinger

GARY KLINGER

GARY KLINGER

