MICHAEL CARMAN’S GOLF COLUMN: Winter Eclectic contest set for Discovery Bay Golf Club

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, January 4, 2012

WATCHING THE ROSE Bowl game complete with all the overhead shots of the gorgeous scene, I was reminded of my own time at Brookside Golf Club, the 36-hole course that rings much of the stadium.

I’ll finish my column with more information on my day at Brookside and the Rose Bowl but first there are local golf events to cover.

Disco Bay fun

Discovery Bay Golf Club’s Randy White checked in with information on the Port Townsend course’s two-fer specials and its Winter Eclectic contest.

Two golfers can play all day with a cart for $48, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays players can get two rounds of golf for the price of one regular round.

The club’s Winter Eclectic started on New Year’s Day and will continue to March 31.

A $20 entry fee will get you into the game.

Eclectics work this way: Each golfer plays X number of rounds, and each golfer compares his scores on each hole per round.

The lowest score made on each hole is recorded, producing an 18-hole score.

White also passed along that carts are still allowed on the fairways at Discovery Bay due to December’s dry start.

Take advantage now!

Cedars hosts tourneys

Act fast if you want to play in Saturday’s New Year’s Invitational at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim.

There are still entries available but today is the deadline to sign up for the tourney that couples a two-person shamble on the front nine with a two-person best ball game on the back nine.

Tee time is 9:30 a.m. and the event is $60 for non-members and $40 for Cedars members.

Greens fees include a boxed lunch, cart fees, range use, KPs and $1,500 in comp prizes (based on full field).

A $20 team honey pot for gross and net scores will be available.

Cedars also will host its 19th annual Polar Bear Championship on Feb. 4-5.

This is a 36-hole stroke play format with three amateur divisions and one professional division.

Entry fees are $140 and include three rounds of golf (including a practice round on Friday), range balls on Saturday and Sunday, a tee prize and lunch on Sunday, and $5,500 in prizes (based on full field).

Amateurs must have USGA handicap of 27 or lower.

Carts are an extra $16 per day.

Entry deadline for this tourney is Monday, Jan. 30.

For more information, phone Cedars at 360-683-6344, ext. 1.

Midwinter Open event

SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim will host its annual Midwinter Open Three-Person Scramble on Saturday, Jan. 14.

The tourney has a frost-free start at 9:30 a.m. and each team must have a total handicap index of 15 or higher.

Cost is $90 per team and includes 18 holes of golf, range balls, two KPs, a long putt and a late afternoon lunch.

Carts are $12 per seat with some heaters available for $10.

There’s also an optional $60 honey pot per team.

Call soon, sign-ups are limited to 24 teams.

To register, phone SkyRidge at 360-683-3673.

Event wrap-up/entries

Port Townsend Golf Club hosted a solid field for its Holiday Blues New Year’s Eve Scramble.

The three-man scramble was won by Greg Miller, Al West and Scott Ramey with a net 49.4, followed by Don Moody, Bob Gooch and George Cave at 51.0.

Ross Jerabek and Jim Fultz played together as the event’s only two-man team and won the Closest to the Pin contest on hole No. 16.

The team of Woody Woodley, Pat Lundgren and Pat Moore had the long putt on hole No. 9.

Port Townsend is accepting entries for its annual Arctic Open Tournament on Feb. 11-12 (with a practice round on Feb. 10).

Register for the two-person, two-day best ball event by phoning the course at 360-385-4547.

Ryan shoots his age

Paul Ryan shot his age (78) just before Christmas at Cedars at Dungeness.

It was the 11th time Ryan has shot his age in his golfing career.

Ryan was playing with golf partners Wayne Pinger and Don Walker

Thanks to Dick Thompson for passing along the note.

Back to the Roses

Much like the Washington State football team that didn’t come to the Rose bowl ready to play the football game, I didn’t set foot on Brookside on that sublime Jan. 1, 2003 day ready to play 18.

I was there to tailgate since the course serves as the main parking lot on game days for Rose Bowl events, and the Cougars’ athletic department was hosting its official pregame outside of the clubhouse.

Watching the Rose Bowl has long been an honored tradition in my life and getting a chance to watch your team play a game there and experience what television can only provide glimpses of was a highlight as a fan.

Apparently, the course survives the wear and tear of thousands of vehicles and pedestrians quite well.

A team of workers scours the course for refuse post-game, and the grounds crew gets things ready for play the next day.

That’s right, tee times were available Tuesday on both Brookside 18s just hours after the final horn sounded on Monday night.

For more information, check out this post written by a Brookside member on the course’s status as the primary Rose Bowl parking lot at tinyurl.com/RoseBowlCourse.

And finally, congratulations Duck fans!

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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or at pdngolf@gmail.com.