NOT EVERYONE CHOOSES to go camping or halibut fishing on Memorial Day Weekend.
Some decide to stay close to home and play a little golf.
The season is in full swing, as a quick glance at the numerous opportunities coming soon to the North Olympic Peninsula golf courses proves.
SkyRidge blind draw
A Memorial Day Weekend two-day, blind draw, two-person better ball tourney is planned Sunday and Monday at SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim.
Tee times will begin on holes No. 1 and No. 7 at 8 a.m. both days, and play will be from the course’s green tees.
Players are responsible for finding a partner for the first day.
Play 18 holes of stroke play with your group, then at the end of play, the names will be put into a hat and drawn to determine the partners for the second day.
Players will not have the same partner for both days.
Green fees are $40 for both days, with a $20 honey pot available and $10 for Monday’s lunch.
Total regular fees are $70 for both days.
Annual member and employee fees are $30.
Pirate golf tournament
Spaces are filling fast for the Peninsula College Pirate Athletic Association’s Pirate Athletic Golf Tournament at Cedars at Dungeness on Friday, May 29.
The four-person scramble event has a noon shotgun start.
Cost is $100 which includes lunch, drinks, hole prizes, and a chance to win $10,000 or a brand new car from Ruddell Auto for a hole-in-one.
Proceeds support student-athletes at Peninsula College.
A $20 “extras” package provides two mulligans, two throws and two raffle tickets.
The raffle will provide a 50/50 cash split at the end of the tournament.
To sign up, search for “Pirate Golf Tournament” at www.brownpapertickets.com, or contact Peninsula men’s basketball coach Mitch Freeman at 360-471-6467 mfreeman@pencol.edu.
Sequim football benefit
A benefit tournament for the Sequim High School football team is set for SkyRidge on Saturday, June 6.
The four-person scramble tournament is sponsored by the Sequim Football Booster Club and will tee off with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
Cost is $50 per person and includes 18 holes of golf, range balls and lunch.
A $20 card granting players two mulligans, a throw and a kick also will be available.
Proceeds will send players to football camp, help with the team’s conditioning programs and provide equipment.
Golf carts are an additional $15 per seat.
Players can form teams or phone SkyRidge at 360-683-3673 and the course will add you to a team.
For more information, phone Karen Thayer at 360-452-2030, or email bkthayer@olypen.com.
CASA golf tourney
Henry Meyer sent word that registration is underway for the third Court Appointed Special Advocates Golf Tournament at SunLand Golf & Country Club on Saturday, June 6.
The event’s proceeds benefit children who have been removed from their families due to abuse or neglect.
More than 235 children in Clallam County have been placed in foster care for their safety.
The tournament is a four-person scramble open to players of all abilities.
Golfers can sign up individually or as teams.
Entry is $50 per player, $25 for Sunland members, and $40 for Peninsula Golf Club members (cart fee included for Peninsula members).
Carts for nonmembers are $15 and can be reserved through the SunLand pro shop.
The entry fee includes green fees, tee prizes, hot dogs at the turn, prizes and more.
There are prizes for best teams, longest drive and closest to the hole on all par-3 holes.
“If you haven’t played SunLand, or haven’t played it recently, you are in for a treat, [as] this charming course is in great shape,” Meyer said.
“Collars are wider, the rough is shorter, and the greens are in great shape.”
Last year’s tourney raised more than $7,300 for the program.
For more information, contact Meyer at 360-683-4783; Val Brooks of CASA at 360-565-2644; or the SunLand Pro-shop at 360-683-6800, ext 13.
Cedars ladies
Bonney Benson checked in to say the ladies 18-hole golf group at Cedars are out on the course every week for play and their numbers are growing, not the strokes they are recording, but in terms of members.
“We want to welcome our new member from Utah, Beth Corliss,” Benson said.
Club members also witnessed what’s beginning to be a yearly tradition: a member knocking in a hole-in-one during competition.
“Congratulations to Marine Hirschfeld on her first hole-in-one [on No. 17], using her 7-wood,” Benson said.
“The ball she used that day just would not give up. She thought it was lost on [holes] 11 and 14, but lo and behold, it would show up in the darnedest places. Anyway, it finally did its job and found its way to the hole on 17.”
Benson added that Elaine Frederickson earned a hole-in-one in 2013 and Lori Wyngaert did it in 2014.
Those interested in joining the group can phone Cedars at 360-683-6344, ext. 1.
Aces aplenty
In addition to Hirschfeld’s ace, singles have been plentiful at area courses.
Peninsula Golf Club in Port Angeles offered up at least three in recent months.
Erick Blume holed out on the 156-yard 17th hole using his 4-hybrid club Saturday, April 18.
It was the first single of Blume’s golfing career and was witnessed by Briten Doran and Chris Hoare.
Port Townsend High School golf coach and Port Townsend Golf Club head pro/general manager Gabriel Tonan aced the same hole as part of the coaches group during the annual Duke Streeter Invitational on Friday, May 1.
Greg Thomas earned his third career hole-in-one on Peninsula’s 172-yard 14th hole.
Thomas used his 6-iron to record the single.
The shot was witnessed by Gerald Petersen, Gary Reidel and Carl Cadwell.
Anniversary deal
Port Ludlow Golf Club is celebrating its 40th anniversary with $40 green fees (including cart) available every day this month.
Port Ludlow also will host representatives from Ping, Cleveland and Callaway from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday.
A scoring clinic, “The Secrets of Scoring from 125 Yards and In” with Cleveland Golf’s Scott Nelson and Port Ludlow assistant pro Darren Posey, follows at 4 p.m.
Cost is $150, and players will receive a Cleveland 588 RTX Wedge for participating.
For more information, phone Port Ludlow at 800-455-0272.
Callaway, Titleist and Nike will be on hand for a demo day from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 3.
The course will offer a free hot coffee and $4 beers to those attending the demo days.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or pdngolf@gmail.com.
