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SMGA plays Bennett Valley, SVGC tees twice at Eagle Vines; benefit tourneys

Golf notes

After a two-week break, the Sonoma Men’s Golf Association was back out on the fairways and greens, this time traveling to the Bennett Valley Golf Club in Santa Rosa on Sept. 9. In preparation for the real thing later this month, the format was a modified Ryder Cup – the first nine holes being an alternate-shot format, and the back nine being a scramble format. 

Leading the way in the combined scoring was the team of Myron Donesky and John Bogardus, who carded a very fine net 64 for first-place. Ian Tervet and Nate Reynes were one-shot back in second-place with their 65, while Woody Von Lackum and Mike Lucas combined for a 69 and third, followed by Al Rappoport and good friend Ron Sharek grabbing fourth with a 70, and Tate Pardue and John Ervin rounded out the top-five with their 72. 

Closest-to-the-pin action saw Karl Mayer fire his shot on the downhill sixth-hole to 13 feet, 5 inches, while Mike Lucas really conquered the difficult eighth with a shot to a mere 2 feet. 

The 11th saw Martin Bajuk step into the winners circle with his shot to 5-7, while Donesky showed why he was at the top of the leader-board with his shot to 11 feet on the 15th hole. 

The SMGA returns to action on Sunday, Oct. 7, at Bodega Harbour Golf Links on the Sonoma County coast.

        

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The Sonoma Valley Golf Club has also been busy tearing up the links of late, ending August with a round at their home course of Eagle Vines in Napa. This event saw players play as a foursome, counting the total score for the group. 

Leading the way was the team of Don Richards, Kit Wood, Dale Charles and Tom Reynolds, who fired a combined 26-under-par. This total was two-shots better than Dick Moore, Al Marty, Bob Leal and El Delagnes, who had a 24-under-par total.

In the second division, Marc Sylvester, Gary Routt, Dan Stites and Ross Martin played well together and finished with a 16-under-par total, which happened to match Gerry Orme, Bill Seim, Ron Macaluso and Roger Sloss, but Orme and friend’s lost in a scorecard playoff. 

A special award went to the foursome of Matt Marioni, Dan Marioni, Conny Gustafsson and Charles Avery, who had more than one player teeing off from the white tees and had a 14-under-par total. 

In the closest-to-the-pin competitions, hole No. 6 saw Marty (r-red) hit it to 5 feet, 5 inches, Bill Rosa (g-gold) finish 11-1 from the hole, and Mac Bautista’s (w-white) putt from 10-11 away.

The eighth hole proved to be friendly to John Fanucchi (r) with a shot to 7-2, while Leal (g) hit the shot of the day with an iron shot to 4-7, and Ed Cebula (w) getting in on the action with a shot to just 1-foot. 

Marty (r) doubled up with a laser-like shot on the 12th hole to just 2-4, while Dave Voepel (g) had his own impressive shot to 7-2, and John Riley (w) didn’t get left out, as he took dead aim and had his shot stop just 4-5 away. 

The 15th hole proved to be “third-time’s-a-charm” for Marty (r), as he picked up his third closest-to win of the day with a shot to 32-2, while Sloss’ (g) shot to 22-10 was also good enough for a win. Meanwhile, no one from the white tees managed to hit the green.  This past Tuesday, the group returned to Eagle Vines and this time played straight golf. 

In the First Flight, playing from the white tees, Cony Gustafsson fired a 71, which narrowly edged out Jim Schnabel’s 72 for first-place, with third-place going to John Pettibone and Bill Seim with a 74 each. 

The Second Flight, played from the gold tees, saw Dick Moore have a solid round of 65, three-shots clear of second-place John Muncy, while Harry Tistle and Jim Honeywell matched cards with 69 and shared third-place. 

The Third Flight saw Kit Wood take home top honors with a fantastic round of 64, while Gerry Orme and Wayne Coronel took second and third with rounds of 65 and 66, respectively. 

Thom Culligan (w) found the sixth hole to his liking in the closest-to-the-pin contest, with his shot stopping 18 feet, 2 inches from the hole, while Al Marty (g) continued his flag hunting, hitting his shot to 5-9, while Bob Morgan (r) found his ball 11-6 from the hole.

On the eighth hole, 35 feet was good enough for John Pettibone (w), but Mike Lipson’s (g) shot to 22-4 was good enough, while a shot to 48 feet was the best by Wood (r). 

Southpaw Schnabel (w) nestled his tee shot on the 12th to 4-10, while Lipson (g) did just a little better, his ball finishing 4-8 from the hole, and Coronel (r) getting in on the act with his shot to 8-9.

Pettibone (w) picked up his second-win of the day on the 15th with a shot to 22-1, but Russ Hurley (g) had to be excited as his shot stopped just 2-11 away.

Meanwhile, Bob Ford (r) joined the party with his shot to 24 feet.

 

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Hanna Boys Center, celebrating its 20th annual Golf and Tennis Classic, is holding the tennis tournament today at the Silverado Country Club in Napa, with the popular golf tourney being held on Monday, Sept. 24, at the Sonoma Golf Club.

The golf tourney entry fee is $275 a player and includes green fees, cart, privileges on the driving range, refreshments on the golf course, tee-prizes and the awards ceremony.

Check-in starts at 9:30 a.m. and includes a brunch at the Hanna campus, with a shuttle provided to and from the golf course, and the tourney gets underway with an 11:30 a.m. shotgun start. The festivities afterward begin with a hosted cocktail hour at 5 p.m.

Anyone interested can sign-up or get more information at the Hanna Boys Center site at hannacenter.org or by contacting Tamara Stanley at 933-2504.

        

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Murphy’s Irish Pub’s 16th annual Bottomfeeders Open will take place Friday, Oct. 12, at Oakmont Golf Club’s West Course. For more information, stop by the pub or go to www.vintagehouse.org.