DRIVE IN STYLE starting Saturday at Discovery Bay Golf Club.
Discovery Bay head pro Jeff Kent said that the club’s brand-new fleet of 20 Yamaha golf cars will make its debut for Saturday’s rounds.
“These are new, gas-powered, EFI [electronic fuel injection] quiet tech golf cars,” Kent said.
“They are white [or Glacier in corporate speak]. And we have four covered cars that we can use in the wintertime or on less-than-ideal summer days that have doors and coverings.”
Kent said the course did its due diligence in selecting the new rides.
“We compared Yamaha with E-Z-Go carts,” Kent said.
“I even called [Bremerton’s] Gold Mountain Golf Club. They have a large fleet of newer Yamaha’s and they told me they use almost half the gas [as their former E-Z-Go fleet].
“So we are bringing in some fuel efficient, environmentally friendly machines.”
Thursday night golf
Kent had some more details on Discovery Bay’s Thursday Night League, which is currently accepting registrations.
The league will begin with a meeting and preseason scramble Thursday, May 4. League details will be ironed out at that meeting, including whether or not the start time will be 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. each week.
For May 4, golfers should arrive by 5:30 p.m.
The league will be comprised of four-person teams, and Kent said it’s a good idea to have a substitute player or two on each squad.
The price is $300 per team and includes first and second-half payouts, an end-of-year barbecue and more.
Players also will be responsible for a nine-hole green fee each week that will be $11 at the start and $12 once the course switches to summer fares.
An optional contest will be held each week for $5.
Players will switch nine each week and the league is expected to run through the end of August.
I’ve always enjoyed playing Discovery Bay in twilight hours. The course is nicely shaded from the sun setting over the bay and really provides a calm, relaxing experience.
Unless you are chunking iron shots into the woods, then the blood pressure starts to rise.
“The course is drying nicely and the greens are fast and true,” Kent said.
“We should have the 90-degree rule for carts in effect any day now with cooperating weather.”
Ludlow golf clinics
Port Ludlow assistant pro Chis Holloway is offering Saturday morning clinics at the course every other Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
The next session is Saturday, April 22, and the clinics will run through June 10.
The clinics are open to all, with no worries about skill level. Each session will focus on a different aspect of golf ranging from course strategy to putting to long game.
The sessions are $10 per person and limited to six players.
For more information, phone the pro shop at 360-437-0272.
Cedars Best Ball
Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim will host its 35th annual Best Ball tournament Saturday and Sunday, April 22-23.
The 36-hole four-ball stroke play (best ball) event is $350 per team.
This includes a practice round of golf Friday, April 21, range balls, the two competition rounds, dinner on Saturday, lunch on Sunday and a tee prize.
An optional horse race is $40 per team, open to the first 30 teams.
The maximum handicap index is 34.0, and 90 percent of each player’s handicap will be used during the competition.
A putting championship will precede Saturday’s dinner.
Lunch and awards will follow Sunday’s play.
To get in the game, phone Cedars at 360-683-6344.
Congrats, Sergio
Sergio Garcia completed the most unlikely of storylines Sunday by claiming his first major, the Masters at that, after 73 starts.
Unfortunately, due to a malfunctioning DVR I missed my chance at watching the back nine duel between Garcia and Justin Rose.
I awoke from an afternoon snooze as Garcia was making his way to sign his scorecard. Drama denied.
But that nap was championship caliber.
To read Alan Shipnuck’s Sports Illustrated cover story on the breakthrough victory, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-SIMasters.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.