MICHAEL CARMAN’S GOLF COLUMN: Peninsula Cup set to tee off this weekend

SATURDAY’S PENINSULA CUP at SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim will match the top eight golfers from each North Olympic Peninsula course in a bid for bragging rights, a good time and a blackened salmon lunch after the round.

The event is open to the public and begins with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.

SkyRidge is a walkable course, and I urge spectators to come out and root for their friends/family/golf club.

As of 10 a.m. Tuesday morning, the forecast for Saturday is perfect, sunny and 70 degrees.

SkyRidge’s back deck will be a great spot to watch the scores roll in early Saturday afternoon.

Last week I listed the rosters for three of the teams — Peninsula Golf Club, Port Ludlow Golf Club and Discovery Bay Golf Course.

This week I have the SkyRidge team roster comprised of Scott Mackay, Adam Mackay, Jerry Pedersen, Evan Still, Shane Price, Richard Fisher, Lance Gardner and Jeff Pedersen.

Peninsula Golf Club member Paul Reed checked in with the club’s roster for the cup.

Peninsula is the defending champions and their recent “Beat the Pro” competition doubled as a cup qualifier.

This year’s Peninsula Golf Club team is comprised of Mike Dupuis, Gary Thorne, Crispin Lowder, Tyler Crowe, Perry Isaacson, Rick Hoover, Mike Sorenson and Greg Senf.

Staying at SkyRidge

SkyRidge will punch and sand its greens, starting on Sunday afternoon and continuing through Monday.

Accordingly, the course and Soren’s Cafe will be closed all day on Monday.

SkyRidge will host a rescheduled Ping Demo Day from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 16.

Ping rep George Houlihan will be on the range with SkyRidge PGA pro Kelly O’Mera and the latest in Ping Golf equipment available to demo.

Kelly is a past regional fitter of the year and has been fitting Ping golf clubs for more than 25 years.

Soren’s Cafe will be open for lunch and cold beverages, so if you haven’t checked out the new clubhouse at SkyRidge, this is a great opportunity.

PT Golf Club events

Mark Ajax had an extra pair of eyes on him as he teed up the first hole-in-one of his life last week on the 135-yard par-3 No. 2 hole at Port Townsend Golf Course.

Ajax’s playing partner Doug Ceehorne Sr. was there on the tee box with Johnathan Fulton waiting on the course’s greens mower just off the putting surface.

Nice shot, Mark.

Port Townsend Golf Course hosted the annual Men’s Club Spring Fling last Saturday, a blind-draw scramble that attracted a full field of players.

Tourney winners in the all-net event were Mike Lux, Bret Roberts, George Cave and Justin Bishop with a score of 51.05 (15 percent of the total combined team handicap).

Up next is the two-event 2013 Rhody Open Jim Caldwell Memorial Golf Classic on Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19.

Players can choose to play in both events, or just one, as the two tourneys are each separate, stand-alone events.

The Saturday event is an individual gross and net tourney, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start to make sure players can make it in time for the 1 p.m. Rhododendron Parade.

Entry is $35 plus $10 green fees for nonmembers.

Sunday’s event is a two-person best-ball gross and net tournament with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.

The fee is $30 per player, plus $10 green fees for nonmembers.

Remember, two separate tournaments, one name.

Port Townsend Golf Course is also starting up its Thursday (nine-hole) and Saturday (18-hole) skins games.

Entry is $10, plus reduced greens fees for nonmembers. Play when you want, but submit your score before closing time.

The course’s Merchant League tees off Tuesdays at 5 p.m. If you want to substitute for an absent player, show up and let folks know you can play.

For more, phone 360-385-4547 or stop by and get signed up.

Memorial Scramble

The Dungeness Lady Niners hosted their second annual Memorial Scramble, a benefit for Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County, held in memoriam of dearly departed ladies golfers.

A good-sized group of 27 ladies from all four Clallam County golf courses played in the event, raising more than $900 to support hospice.

Funds from the event help provide supportive nursing services, pain management, equipment and follow-up care for families in their bereavement.

A luncheon followed play, with hospice director of patient care Bette Wood and office manager Lyn Gilbert in attendance.

The pair presented a brief background of the role Volunteer Hospice provides in our community.

After lunch, raffle items recipients were drawn and awards for golfing accomplishments presented.

The winning team with a low gross score of 36 on the front nine was Lisa Ballantyne, Lillian Gomes and Venice Quigley.

Marlene Erickson, Dona Scarci and Sandy Deckman were second with 39.

All winners donated their purse back to Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County.

Quigley also distinguished herself by generating the highest amount of raffle ticket sales.

Jan Boyungs was praised for organizing the affair and working long and hard to make it such a success.

Cedars 18-hole group

Bonney Benson checked in with a report on the 18-hole group at The Cedars at Dungeness.

Benson said the group is growing in numbers, with several new members joining in recent weeks, including Gail Savage, Marine Hirschfeld, Wanda Synnestvedt, Cathy Grant and Lindsay Busch.

The ladies show up between 7:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. for a 8:30 a.m. tee time on Tuesdays.

Group members will play almost every Tuesday through October.

In September, the group hosts its annual Day of Whine and Roses Tournament, with golf, food, wine, fun and laughs.

The group is always looking for new members.

For more, phone the Cedars Pro Shop at 360-683-6344 or Pat Conway at 206-498-2064.

Peninsula ladies golf

Sandy Granger has details from the Peninsula Golf Club ladies golf season opener last Wednesday.

Members started with breakfast, followed by a nine-hole scramble played with the snow-capped Olympics as one backdrop and the sun-speckled Strait of Juan de Fuca as another.

The five team scores in the event were separated by just two strokes, with the team of Dolly Burnett, Ruth Thomson and Sue Barber earning the lowest score.

After play, the first club meeting of the season was held.

Reports were given on the completion of the updating of the ladies lounge over the winter, the ladies club’s Port Angeles High School scholarship award for a 2013 graduate and lady golf activities around the area.

Granger thanked 18-hole captain Shery Henderson for planning the kickoff event.

May’s contest is the annual Gray Cup, requiring three 18-hole rounds during the month of May.

The ladies welcome members and visitors to golf on Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m.

For more, phone Henderson, at 360-457-4295 or Ruth Thomson at 360-457-5888.

PT Ladies golf

Port Townsend Golf Club’s ladies group meets for play every Tuesday.

Players should arrive by 9 a.m. for team and game selection with tee-off set for 9:30 a.m. This schedule will continue through the golf season.

Last week the ladies had good luck with the weather and played the game Math 303, counting holes 1-3 and 7-9 and subtracting half of one’s handicap.

Starla Audette was first with a net 17.5, Linda Deal was second with 20, Joanie Albiso and Lynn Pierle tied for third with 21.5.

For more, phone the PT clubhouse at 360-385-4547 or Barb Aldrich at 360-385-5465.

Port Ludlow WGA set

Port Ludlow Women’s Golf Association is planning their annual Spring Fling Tournament, a two-day event on Monday and Tuesday.

This event is open to all members of the PLWGA.

Port Ludlow’s first couples event is scheduled for Friday, May 19, and is open to all Port Ludlow Golf Association members.

The sign up sheet is located in the women’s locker room.

The WGA played a Blind Nine game last week, with Barb Cason finishing first in Flight I with a 35, and Suzy Lee second with 36.5.

Sue Carlson bested Beth Weaver for first place in Flight II, with a score of 29.5 to Weaver’s 33.5.

June DeMeers took first in Flight III with a 36, followed by Bets Cragoe with a 38.

Birdies were carded on Tide No. 6 by Sally Grything, Suzy Lee and Sue Carlson. Carlson also birdied Timber No. 2.

Darlene Mjoen notched a birdie on Timber No. 8.

Sunday golf league

Last week, I wrote about Mark Ostroot’s plans for a Sunday morning league at SunLand Golf & Country Club.

Rounds would start between 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., beginning Sunday, May 26.

The league would last 10 weeks and team registration would be $100.

Rounds would be $35 per person each week, with SunLand members paying $5, and reciprocal club members paying $20 (with cart, green fees and entry factored in).

Teams can have as many players as they like, but the score of four team members will count each week, and a minimum of four players must play.

Captains will be responsible for having four team members present for the round.

This should allow team members to golf as much or as little as you like.

A prize pool will be made up of the $100 registration fee, and $5 from all green fees will go into the prize pool for closest to the pin prizes each week.

For more information, phone Ostroot at 360-461-7688.

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

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