I was in Cortez on Monday to play a round of golf with my brother-in-law and could not help but be encouraged by the number of junior golfers on the driving range at Conquistador Golf Course.
It must have been a junior clinic because some of the young golfers were no taller than knee high to a grasshopper. They all were decked out in their golf clothes and hauling around a handful of clubs as they progressed from the range to the putting green and then on to the chipping green. The instructor had all the juniors rally around him as they listened intently to every word he said.
On the flip side, the main putting green was awash with the opposite side of the spectrum – those of us who call ourselves senior golfers. There may be a generation gap, but the proof that golf is a life-long sport vividly is portrayed in the Four Corners.
Before I recap some recent events, let’s look ahead to upcoming tournaments on the calendar:
The Durango Dermatology “Skins” Game and Progressive Best Ball will be played Saturday at Hillcrest Golf Club. There is $500 in added prize purse and an entry fee of $35 per person. Pick your own 4-person team. There also will be a special event Friday. Check with Hillcrest PGA head professional John Vickers for the details.
The Dalton Ranch Golf Club Junior Club Championship will be played Tuesday, with tee times beginning at 10 a.m. And the DRGC Men’s Club Championship will be held Aug. 17-18, so hone those skills and be ready.
The Medicine Horse Masters Tournament will be held at the South Forty Course in Cortez on Saturday. For more info log on to www.medicinehorsecenter.org/eventsnew.
The tournaments
The United Way/Durango High Noon Rotary 18th Annual Charity Golf Classic, July 19:
1. Justin Osborne, Ryan Siggins, Bob Barnhardt and Matt Berry, 46.4.
2. Brian Rose, Robert Gooding, Gavin Lyons and Wade Slingerland, 50.4.
3. Mark Gaughan, Larry Gaughan, John Betka and Mike Biery, 53.9.
The Dave Person Memorial Hillcrest Junior Club Championship, July 29-30:
Championship Flight
1. Cory Gillespie, 147.
2. Bo Ward, 150.
3. Trevor Bogus, 158.
Boys 13-17
1. Kyle Pritchard, 175.
Boys 10-12
1. Caleb Newman, 94.
2. Dimitry Walcott, 129.
Boys and Girls 5-9
1. Calan Barnhardt, 114.
2. Natasha Walcott finished second at 141.
The Dalton Ranch Golf Club Ladies Day “Trash Game,” July 31:
1. Rita Davis, Claudia Patterson and Sheri Teeter, 4.
2. Deborah Wright, Dolly Turner, Sandy Elliott and Amy Brunvand, 3.
The Hillcrest Women’s Golf Association “Pink Ball,” July 30:
1. Nancy Barr, Pam Pepper, Rita Davis and Marilyn Fiala, 129.
2. Jan Smith, Karen Spickard, Carol Woodward and “Blind Draw,” 130.
3. Daphne D’Agostino, Vicki Hagler, Macky Headrick and Nancy Schamadan, 132.
9-hole
1. Marna Burnett, Arlene Millich and Diane Skinner, 66.
Dave Bray has covered the local golf scene for 32 years. He can be reached at dbray3751@gmail.com.
