A BLEND OF crafty veterans and current and former Port Townsend High School golfers teamed to help Port Townsend Golf Club take home the Peninsula Cup for the first time.
Under sunny spring skies, 84 North Olympic Peninsula golfers representing the area’s seven courses, gathered at Cedars at Dungeness to compete in the seventh annual Peninsula Cup.
“Scoring was outstanding as the conditions were perfect and the course was at its best,” event director Tom Jones said.
Team scoring was determined by counting two gross and eight net scores from each 12-person team.
Port Townsend came through with an eight-stroke victory. Cedars was second after posting a 697, Peninsula and Port Ludlow tied for third at 699, SunLand Golf & Country Club and SkyRidge Golf Course tied for fifth at 711 and Discovery Bay came in seventh at 739.
Port Angeles High School boys golf coach Mark Mitrovich turned in the round of the day, a scorching 9-under-par 63 in which the Peninsula Golf Club member total seven birdies and an eagle.
John Harter of the Port Ludlow team shot an impressive 5-under-par 67.
Jones said that 33 of the 84 players shot rounds in the 70s on the day.
To further prove that these players are the cream of the North Olympic Peninsula crop, the 17th hole yielded two aces.
SunLand member Bill Dickin sank the first hole-in-one on the 17th, the hole also known as “Happy Valley.”
Minutes later, Discovery Bay’s Bob Hicks avoided the water on the left side and dialed in his tee shot from the elevated tee box for the day’s second hole-in-one.
Les Schwab Tires, which sponsored the event’s closest-to-the-pin competitions, graciously rewarded each golfer with a well-earned prize.
This year’s Peninsula Cup added a new twist: a post-round skins game between area golf professionals.
The professionals competed for donations for the youth golf charity or high school golf program of their choice.
Port Ludlow head pro Vito DeSantis earned the biggest share, taking $625 of the purse after winning skins at the second and seventh holes.
Gabriel Tonan of Port Townsend took $350, earning a skin on the ninth hole after a skin carried over from hole No. 8.
SunLand’s Tyler Sweet, who kept canceling other skins with a rash of birdies, picked up a skin at the par-3 fourth hole to bring in $100.
Cedars’ Garrett Smithson, host pro for this year’s event, birdied the par-5 third hole for $100.
“The intention of the skins game is for the pro to play for a local charity that is involved with golf for our Peninsula kids,” Jones said.
DeSantis said his winnings will purchase needed new equipment for the Chimacum High School golf team, starting with new team bags.
The Cowboys use Port Ludlow as their home course during golf season.
Tonan, in his 16th season as Port Townsend High School’s golf coach, plans to spend the funds on golf equipment for the Redhawks.
Sweet will use the funds for the PGA Junior League overseen by SunLand.
Smithson plans to utilize the money for Cedars’ PGA Junior League program.
“All agreed that this is a most worthy event and look forward to expanding funds for next year to facilitate youth golf on the Peninsula,” Jones said.
Jones also had kind words for the Cedars employees and event sponsors which helped make the Cup a continued success.
“Enough cannot be said about the staff at Cedars who did everything imaginable to make this year’s event a model for years to come,” Jones said.
“Our sponsors, 7 Cedars Resort, Sound Community Bank, Les Schwab Tires and the Peninsula Daily News, have been with this tournament since its inception and are the reason we can do what we do today.”
Anniversary deal
Port Ludlow Golf Club is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month with $40 green fees (including cart) available every day this month.
The course also has two demo days on the schedule.
Port Ludlow will host representatives from Ping, Cleveland and Callaway from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 20.
Callaway, Titleist and Nike will be on hand for another demo day from noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 3.
The course will offer a free hot coffee and $4 beers to those attending the demo days.
Free golf for mom
Mothers will golf for free with a paying customer this Sunday, Mother’s Day, at Cedars at Dungeness.
To schedule a tee time, phone 360-683-6344.
Peninsula ladies club
The Peninsula Golf Club Ladies Golf members celebrated the opening of their 2015 golf season April 29 with a breakfast at the clubhouse, followed by a nine-hole scramble.
President Cindy Schlaffman presented prizes to the teams after the scramble.
The first-place team was Cindy Schlaffman, Marie Murata, Chris Anderson and Linda Bruch.
The second-place team was Doris Sparks, Ruth Thomson, Helen Arnold and Donna Willenberg, and third place was claimed by Sherry Henderson, Gloria Andrus and Barb Thompson.
Club members are looking forward to starting their monthly competitions, starting with the May Commemorative tournament.
Each player must complete three rounds during the month, and a total net score from the three rounds will determine the winner.
The Peninsula Ladies golf Wednesday mornings at 9 a.m., and guests are welcome.
“Come and join our group and experience the mountain view on one side and the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the other,” club secretary Sandy Granger said.
“You can’t beat the view, and we’ll make the golf enjoyable as well.”
For more information, phone Schlaffman at 360-460-1375.
________
Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or pdngolf@gmail.com.
