FALL HAS MOST certainly arrived on the North Olympic Peninsula.
What tipped me off: The leaves turning brilliant shades of crimson, orange and yellow? The shorter days? Chimneys puffing white smoke? Or the enormous pumpkin featured in a recent PDN article?
Nope, it was having to take my heavier winter coat out of the closet for my early morning walks to the bus stop and the office.
It’s brisk out there at 7:30 a.m., so if you schedule an early morning tee time, make sure that you pack that extra fleece jacket or pullover sweater.
The early portion of fall, with the colors in the trees, the first snows of the season dotting the Olympics and the absence of summer visitors, is prime time for hitting the links on the Peninsula.
I would argue that while summer delivers more visitors and pumps more fuel into our tourist-driven economy, the fall is when things feel more “back to normal,” relaxed and cozy.
Open tee times abound at local courses and as it stands on Tuesday morning, there is a stretch of sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 50s to the lower 60s forecasted for the next 10 days.
Get out on the course and enjoy it, then come home, build a roaring fire and settle in for the night.
Friday night golf slated
Discovery Bay Golf Course’s Randy White checked in to report that “fall has been good at Discovery Bay Golf Club. Greens have healed up from aeration and the fall colors are spectacular.”
I second this, the colors at the course near Port Townsend are a sight to see.
Discovery Bay has started its Friday Night Golf events, with play occurring at 7 p.m. each Friday until the wind and wet come in earnest.
Cost is $10 for the golf and $5 for night golf supplies (glow in the dark golf balls cost extra, or golfers can bring their own).
Discovery Bay is also running a Sunday morning competition each week, perfect to play in before coming home and watching a Seahawks home game.
Phone the Discovery Bay pro shop at 360-385-0704 for details on that game or anything else related to the course.
Sequim school tourney
Dave Shreffler reported that the fifth annual Citizens for Sequim Schools Golf Tournament at Cedars at Dungeness was “an overwhelming success.”
More than $6,000 was raised at last Saturday’s event. The funds will go toward a continued effort to support strong schools in Sequim.
Morning rain and wind gave way to sunshine as 23 teams (92 golfers) teed off, including seven teams composed of teachers, staff and administrators from the Sequim School District.
According to event organizers, this year’s event was the largest of the five tournaments Citizens for Sequim Schools has hosted.
The winning team in the Non-Excessive Use of Mulligans Division was sponsored by McMenamin & McMenamin.
Team McMenamin donated its $240 first-place prize back to support local schools.
Tourney sponsors included Angeles Plumbing, Seven Cedars, Eagle Home Mortgage, McMenamin & McMenamin, RE/MAX Fifth Avenue, High Energy Metals, Price Ford, Blake Sand and Gravel and DA Davidson.
JeffCo bar tourney
Port Townsend Golf Course recently hosted the first Jefferson County Bar Association Golf Tournament, raising money scholarships for graduating high school students in Jefferson County.
Assistant pro Gabriel Tonan said the four-person scramble event was a huge success.
No word on the total amount raised, but some solid students will surely get some assistance paying for their college studies as a result.
In the gross division, a trio of Lux’s ruled the day as Mike Lux, Brian Lux and Doug Lux teamed with Warren Enfield on a 59.
They were followed by the father/son duo of Roger and Scott Ramey and Chris Holloway and Scott Nelson with 62.
On the net side, Doug Collins, Gene Yantz, Pat Moore and Bob Erb partnered for a 52.9.
Mark Ajax, Jack Meadows, Doug Ceehorne and Doug Ceehorne Jr. were second with a 54.7, and Bill Schmitt, George Cave, Dan Owen, and Fred Heywood were third with a 54.8
In the Callaway division, Jack McMenamin, Alex McMenamin, Mary Murdock and Sally Welson fired a 62.
PT events on tap
The Port Townsend Golf Club men’s club’s Blind Scramble is set for this Saturday.
The event gets started at 10 a.m. and is $25 per player, plus $10 green fees for nonmembers.
Signups are also underway for the Hilltop Tavern Fall Classic on Saturday, Nov. 2.
The “Last Major” of the season is a two-person scramble with the tantalizing lure of Judy Lundgren’s famous lasagna calling to players at the post-round party at the Hilltop Tavern.
Good times, good (and some bad) golf and great lasagna.
For more information on Port Townsend Golf Club events, phone the clubhouse at 360-385-4547.
Hole-in-one roundup
I have some hole-in-one notifications to report, some date back to summer play.
Apologies for the delay.
■ Phil Walker, a member at SunLand Golf & Country Club in Sequim, recently holed out on his third career hole-in-one.
Walker notched the ace on the par-3 140-yard 15th hole at SunLand on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
He used an 8-iron on the shot.
■ Christy Brown earned her first-ever hole-in-one on the 121-yard 14th hole at Peninsula Golf Club in Port Angeles on Aug. 4.
Brown used a 7-iron on the shot, which was witnessed by George Peabody, Rena Peabody, Mike Ruttan and Chuck Burkhardt.
■ Allen Wirz of Sequim aced the 155-yard par-3 17th hole at Cedars at Dungeness on Aug. 4.
Wirz used his 7-iron and a Bridgestone E6 golf ball on the shot. Witnesses were Patricia Wirz, Russ Lodge and Micki Lodge.
■ Darren R. Stephens of Sequim carded his first hole-in-one on the 131-yard par-3 11th hole at Cedars at Dungeness on Aug. 18.
Stephens used his 9-iron and a Titleist ball on the shot. Witnesses were Andy Borchers and Kristi Borchers.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or pdngolf@gmail.com.