THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: A chance to come together again, at least for one night

They wondered if anyone would show up for this.

After all, it had never been done before.

And hopefully, it will never happen again — at least for this reason.

But, as sunset took effect on Friday night, cars began to pull in to the parking lot at Post Falls High, the occupants arriving early, wanting to pay tribute to this year’s high school seniors, who have had the end of their final year of high school all but taken away from them, as the world comes to grips with the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 20 minutes later, at 8:20 p.m., when the lights were turned on at Trojan Stadium for 20 minutes, the parade of hundreds of cars started, through the parking lot, past the football stadium, continuing out behind the school, exiting onto Poleline Avenue through the east parking lot.

Cars had their headlights on, and horns blaring.

Some hung out the windows of their decorated cars, much like a homecoming parade.

Many of the cars circled back and drove through the parking lot again.

Somebody said cars were backed all the way to Idaho Street, several blocks away and near Prairie Falls Golf Club.

From all the photos posted online, looks like it was like this at the other schools as well.

#BeTheLight was a great idea, with schools throughout Idaho and in many other states participating.

It won’t replace the spring sports season and the other missed spring activities, like prom.

But hopefully the event put a smile on the faces of the seniors, their families and other supporters.

And at least for one night, much like sports, a community event brought us together again.

Even if most of us had to remain in our own cars.

THE MASTERS is high on the bucket list of many sports fans, particularly golfers.

Brent Walsh, general manager at the Coeur d’Alene Golf Club, was supposed to be in Augusta, Ga., this week.

Today would have been the final round.

As a member of the PGA, he would get in free anyway, but what’s the fun of going it alone?

Last winter, he heard from some friends that were going, and he was invited to join them — all he had to do was get there.

For many folks in the golf course business, it’s not always easy to get away once your golf course opens.

But this was the Masters.

“My wife’s like, ‘You need to go,’” Walsh said.

His friend said they had a four-bedroom house rented — but they already had four people confirmed, not counting Walsh.

“I don’t (care),” he told his friend. “I’ll sleep in a bathtub, if I get to go to the Masters.”

Then the coronavirus pandemic postponed many major sporting events, including The Masters at Augusta National.

Alas, the Masters was rescheduled for Nov. 12-15 — when most local golf courses are closed for the winter — and Walsh plans to check that box on his bucket list then, provided travel and housing arrangements can be made for those new dates.

What Augusta National looks like in November, compared to early April, will be interesting to see.

Especially in person.

THE GOLF Alliance of Washington, which represents more than 275 courses and 350,000 golfers in the state, has sent a letter to Washington Governor Jay Inslee, asking him to allow that state’s golf courses to re-open in early May.

“We request that when we reach the deadline of the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order on May 4, that golf be included among those activities that are allowable, like our neighbors in Oregon and Idaho, beginning on May 5,” the letter reads in part.

When Inslee ordered “non-essential” businesses closed in late March, golf courses (and state parks) were considered “non-essential.”

So Washington golfers, particularly those in eastern Washington, flocked over the border into Idaho, where governor Brad Little has allowed golf courses (and state parks) to remain open — provided they follow a lengthy list of precautions which include social distancing requirements, keeping equipment sterilized, etc.

Many of the golf courses in North Idaho which have chosen to remain open (a few have decided to remain closed for the time being) have been booked solid, with the number of golfers playing their courses from Washington significantly higher than in past years.

GROWING UP, I had an Al Kaline-signature Louisville Slugger wood bat.

Still have it.

This must have been the days before aluminum bats in Little League, and we must have needed to bring our own bats for the league I played in.

(I don’t remember for sure — it was over 50 years ago!)

Anyway, I probably was a fan of Al Kaline, a right fielder for Detroit, in those days, because I had his bat — though I did root for the A’s to beat his Tigers in the 1972 American League Championship Series.

Then, when I first saw commercials for alkaline batteries on TV, I thought that was pretty cool — Al Kaline had a battery named after him.

Wait, what?

Oh well.

Still, given the choice, I usually find myself buying alkaline batteries over the “other” brand.

I thought of the man, and the bat — and the batteries — earlier this week, when Kaline died Monday at age 85.

And speaking of weird childhood memories, I still have another wood bat — skinnier, but longer — that I swear was a Norm Cash signature bat. But most of the writing is worn off of it, so I can’t confirm it.

But he was a lefty hitting first baseman for the Tigers at the time, and I do remember that I would only use that bat (only in pickup games) when I was batting left-handed, like Norm.

That 1968 World Series must have made a heckuva impression on me, growing up.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.