Welcome, Four Corners golfers, as I begin my 32nd season bringing you news, tournaments and results in the Clubhouse Porch.
What a way to begin the season after the dramatic sudden-death victory by Australia’s Adam Scott in last weekend’s Masters at Augusta National in Augusta, Ga. Despite rainy conditions, the golfers always seem to persevere.
The one puzzling aspect of the CBS Sports coverage is the fact that the birds always sound the same year in and year out. Do they fly these birds in (no pun intended) for an off-camera, cameo appearance, and do they make scale? Just wondering.
There are some exciting developments concerning the master plan for Hillcrest Golf Club. These plans have a timetable of anywhere from six to 10 years.I have looked at the proposed course layout, and as a casual golfer, I feel these moves will energize an already spectacular mesa-top course right in our backyards. One obvious challenge will be the first three holes, each pegged as par fives. Realignment of the starting hole, where No. 10 currently exists, and bringing the finishing hole into clear view of the clubhouse is brilliant, especially during the Navajo Trail Open. Development on these plans, as previously mentioned, will take some time as tree maintenance is the focus for the current season. Stay tuned for continued developments.
Can we say jump start to the hole-in-one season!
Before we talk about a recent “ace,” I want to congratulate Sharon White for her hole-in-one at Hillcrest last fall after this column was put to bed. Sharon rolled in that “one” on the par-3 15th Oct. 18, 2012. Now, fast forwarding to 2013: Jim Cross recently “aced” the par-3 ninth hole at Hillcrest, which is not an easy task with that undulating green. Way to go, Jim!Even though it is a few weeks away, we need to mention the Hillcrest Women’s Golf Association Opening Night Dinner on May 6. This is a great kick-off get-together as rules, regulations and Tuesday Ladies Day events will be discussed. The cost of the dinner is $9, and you must RSVP no later than May 4. The Dalton Ranch Golf Club opened its 2013 tournament season Saturday with the annual Hopin’ We’re Open event. This marks the opening for the close of a long and remarkable run for longtime DRGC pro Fal Wood, who will be stepping aside after this season and turning the reins over to longtime assistant Pier Nielson.
Hopin’ We’re Open
1. Dave Lafferty and John Mower, 59.
2. Ryan Siggins and Gavin Lyons, 59.8.
3. Boyd Hodges and Jon Kuchin, 62.3.
4. Mark Gaughan and Patrick Gaughan, 62.6.
5. Dave Ganevsky and Mark Hill, 63.4.
Dave Bray has been covering our local golf scene for 32 years. He can be reached at dbray3751@gmail.com.
