What goes up may not come down–not right away, at least
August 6, 2010
I joined two other past presidents of Shawnee Country Club on the first tee July 31, for the first 18 holes of the two-day Presidents Cup Tournament.
The event format is blessedly simple—single player, best net score, two rounds combined.
For as simple as the competition is, the tournament seems to make some of its players far more agitated than usual. Perhaps it is because a single triple bogey can take a competitor right out of contention. Perhaps it is because other players somehow find themselves able to play far better than their handicaps would indicate, for two days running.
I’m not bitter about that–just occasionally observant.
I didn’t really appreciate how upset some players can become during the Presidents’ Cup, until our group prepared to tee off on the 157-yard par-3 16th hole.
This hole is a challenge. It’s slightly uphill, and plays about a half-club longer than you might think. In addition, the green is narrow from left to right, but long from front to back, with five sand traps bordering the sides. Depending on the wind and hole placement, most golfers will choose among one of three clubs for a demanding tee shot.
Just as John Chadderdon was about to take his swing, Devon Peterson, Shawnee’s golf professional, drove toward us in his golf cart, with a long ladder strapped to the back of it.
We asked him what was going on, and his explanation was simple: “There’s a golf club up in a tree, and I’m going to try to bring it down.”
He sat by quietly as Norm Hamstead and I made our tee shots, and then we all followed the pro to a tree about twenty yards closer to the hole than the forward tee markers.
Peterson set up his ladder, and pulled out all of the segments of a ball retriever to its full length.
He climbed up the ladder, with Chadderdon holding it in place, as Peterson slowly maneuvered the long metal pole toward a golf club whose head was caught in a tiny V-shaped joint high up in the tree.
After a few gentle whacks, the club slowly started to move out of the joint, and then suddenly began falling to the ground.
Using what he described as his “catlike” reflexes, Peterson just missed being beaned in the head by the golf club he rescued.
I picked up the club off the ground, looking for an I.D. tag, but there was none. Peterson said he wouldn’t tell me who had tossed the club up there. I understood his use of professional discretion.
As the three of us walked to the green to finish the hole, however, I think we all knew how that hapless golfer probably felt.
It’s bad enough to lose your temper on the golf course enough to make you throw your club.
It’s even worse if you need help to recover from your tantrum.
Local Club Tournament Results
The Kings Creek Country Club Ladies Member-Guest Tournament held July 23 enjoyed a good turnout of 92 women. Prizes were awarded in three flights and up to three places each.
Overall gross winners were Stefanie Herndon, Carol Ann Medd, Diane Herndon, and Joan Heiss. Overall net winners were Sue Eisenbrey, Cathy Cannatelli, Ellen Purple and Sharon Emerson.
The Sussex Pines 9-Hole Golf Ladies played on the front nine on July 27. Linda Stigile won the putting contest with 13 putts. She also came in first place in Flight 1 with the lowest gross; Lynn Sullivan came in 2nd. Carol Farrell came in first in Flight 2, with Kathleen Pederson in second. The net winners in Flight 1 were Martha Fleetwood and Ellen Sobieski, while Linda Lewis and Cass Hall won Flight 2.
The Sussex Pines CC Friday Night Mixer group held a scramble July 30, with fourteen teams participating. First place honors went to the team of Scott Lanham, Sarah Jane Beckwith, Dave Waelde, and Kathleen Pedersen.
Three teams tied for second place: Jack McCarthy, John Pedersen, Retta Rose Frampton, and JoAnn Zorb; Gary Allison, Dom Scaglione, Carol Love and Helen Marrama; and Ron Scales, Mike Burkhart, Marie LaRocca and Jenifer Hagy.
Seventh Annual Trinity Foundation Golf Tournament
The Seventh Annual Trinity Foundation Golf Tournament will be held August 28th at Heritage Shores Golf Club in Bridgeville. The tournament is a charity event to raise money for the Trinity Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2005 by the employees of Trinity Transport, Inc.
In 2009, the golf tournament succeeded in raising over $22,000 despite the bad weather. Special thanks go out to the top sponsors so far for 2010, including Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, Trinity Transport, Inc., ARM Transportation, Bank of America, Archer & Greiner Attorneys at Law, and the Banning Foundation, with more expected to follow.
The Foundation uses the annual pool of funds to focus donations to three main causes. These are DYLA (Delaware Youth Leadership Academy), the American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association. Other community support is provided to other worthy community causes such as the DE Teen Challenge, Down Syndrome Guild, DE Humane Society, and Muscular Dystrophy.
Registration begins at 7:30 am and the shotgun start is at 8:30 am. The Foundation’s 2010 goal is to host 120 golfers, and find generous sponsors to collectively meet a fundraising goal of $20,000. The cost to play in the tournament is $100.00 per player and sponsorships begin at $125.
Players will receive a gift bag, round of golf, and a chance to win a car along with several other prizes. There will also be food followed by awards. Those interested in either playing with a team of four, or sponsoring the event, should visit www.ttifoundation.org or email foundation@trinitytransport.com.