IT’S TIME TO talk turkey.
Winter rates are in play at North Olympic Peninsula golf courses, and a handful of Turkey-themed tournaments are on the rapidly dwindling 2013 calendar.
Thanksgiving is the greatest of all holidays in my humble estimation: There’s plenty of food, football, family and friends.
It’s easy to break the alliteration pattern of that last sentence and add ‘g’ to that list with golf.
Turkey tourneys are planned for Port Ludlow (Friday, Nov. 22); Port Townsend (Saturday, Nov. 23) and SkyRidge in Sequim (Saturday, Nov. 29).
Ludlow Turkey Shoot
Port Ludlow hosts its annual Turkey Shoot Tournament, a two-person shotgun start event with six holes of best ball, six holes of scramble play and six of alternate shot.
Cost is $100 per team and includes competition, range balls, cart and a dinner of open-faced turkey sandwiches with gravy, garlic mashed potatoes, salad and pumpkin bread.
There will be KPs on every hole, and KP winners will receive a turkey.
Gross and net division winners also will receive a turkey.
If you and a partner want in on the Turkey Shoot, phone the Port Ludlow Pro Shop at 360-437-0272.
Golf benefits guild
Port Ludlow director of golf Vito DeSantis and PGA assistant pros Darren Posey and Adam Barrows teamed recently on a marathon 400-hole golf benefit to raise funds for the Port Ludlow Guild of Seattle Children’s Hospital.
“The event went great. We are going to raise more than $7,500 for the Seattle Children’s Hospital,” Posey said.
The three pros played a combined 402 holes, with DeSantis playing 128 holes, and Barrows and Posey reaching 137 holes apiece.
“We started at 5 a.m. in the dark and played the first 14 holes with flashlights and glow balls and were on the golf course for 13.5 hours,” Posey added.
A big spaghetti meal followed play, and I am sure some ice packs and Tylenol followed back at home.
Asbell with the ace
Port Ludlow Men’s Golf Association member Bob Asbell picked up his third career ace on Thursday, Oct. 17.
Asbell knocked it home on the 109-yard Tide No. 6 hole.
Ludlow’s rates set
Port Ludlow’s current rates are valid through Dec. 31.
Eighteen holes are $30 Monday through Thursday, and $35 Friday through Sunday.
Carts are an additional $16 per person.
Port Townsend events
Port Townsend Golf Club has switched to winter rates with nine holes for $13.50 and 18 holes for $18.
The course has been mulching fallen leaves and putting them out along San Juan Avenue. The public can stop by and pick up some leaf mulch (just be aware and watch out for golf balls).
Port Townsend’s weekly skins games continue all day long on Thursday and Saturday.
Thursday skins are nine holes and Saturday’s game is 18 holes.
The games are $10 plus green fees for nonmembers.
Port Townsend Golf Club’s Turkey Shoot is set for Saturday, Nov. 23. I’ll have more details in a following column.
A Toys for Tots benefit tournament is on the books for Saturday, Dec. 14.
Discovery Bay rates
Fall rates are in effect at Discovery Bay Golf Club near Port Townsend with a daily rate of 18 holes for $22; $18 for ages 60 and older and $10 for juniors.
Nine holes are $15, $12 and $6.
Phone Discovery Bay at 360-385-0704.
SkyRidge happenings
SkyRidge switched to winter rates Monday. The course offers nine holes of golf for $16 and 18 holes for $22 every day.
No twilight or senior rates are offered during the winter.
SkyRidge and Soren’s Cafe have new hours of operation: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with later hours available for special events.
Phone the course at 360-683-3673.
Post-Turkey Day event
SkyRidge will hold a Post-Turkey Day two-person scramble and better ball event on Friday, Nov. 29.
The front-nine portion will be played from the green tees and will have a scramble format with a minimum of three drives per player.
The back nine is a better-ball format played from the green tees.
A 9 a.m. shotgun start is planned, barring frost.
Cost is $60 per team, with a $20 per team honey pot available
Gross and net prizes are planned along with KPs and lunch after play.
Carts are $15 per seat.
An optional six-hole Horserace Scramble is planned after the tournament for $5 per team.
Cedars winter rates
Winter rates for 18 holes at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim are $29 for adults Monday through Thursday and $12 for juniors any day.
This changes to $30 for adults Friday through Sunday and holidays.
Twilight rates are $20, Super Twilight is $15, and players can play all day for $44.
Nine holes are $17 for adults Monday through Thursday and $18 on weekends and holidays, and $8 for juniors any day.
All-day play is $44 for Monday through Thursday, and $45 for Fridays through Sundays and holidays.
Phone Cedars at 360-683-6344.
SunLand weekends
The public can play SunLand Golf & Country Club in Sequim on Saturdays and Sundays.
Winter rates through April are $27 for adults and $14 for juniors (18 and younger) for 18 holes, and $14 and $8 for nine holes.
Carts are $15 per seat for 18 holes and $7.50 per seat for nine holes.
Tee time reservations are available seven days in advance by phoning 360-683-6800, ext. 13.
Peninsula Golf Club
The public can play Peninsula Golf Club in Port Angeles starting at 11 a.m. on Monday and Friday and at noon on Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
Rates are $26 for 18 holes and $13 for nine holes. Juniors play for $16 and $10.
Stop by and wish Peninsula pro/general manager Chris Repass well before he heads to Walla Walla.
For more information, phone 360-457-6501.
Salish Cliffs ranked
Salish Cliffs Golf Club, the amenity course of Little Creek Casino Resort, near Shelton has been ranked by Golfweek as a “Best Resort Course” for a second straight year, moving up 11 spots to No. 55 on the annual top-100 list.
Golfweek deploys hundreds of experienced evaluators to rate courses each year based on 10 criteria, including design, conditioning, variety and memorability.
Salish Cliffs is the lone Washington course on the list, and just one of four courses that opened in 2011 or later to be so highly rated.
Past accolades for the Gene Bates-designed course include earning the No. 3 spot in Golfweek’s 2013 “America’s Best Courses You Can Play” in Washington and top-10 status in Golf Digest’s biennial “2013-14 America’s Greatest Courses” by state and Golfweek’s “Top-50 Best Casino Courses.”
Preview Chambers Bay
Chambers Bay, host of the 2015 U.S. Open, is offering a 2014 membership special for $249 plus tax.
This membership opportunity allows players to acquaint themselves with the course and area before attending the U.S. Open as a fan or watching at home in June of 2015.
Players will get a round of golf each month through February (Sunday through Thursday) and preferred rates for all other rounds played at the Tacoma-area course through Dec. 31, 2014.
You will also receive a 2014 Washington State Golf Association membership and GHIN handicap services; sunset rates an hour before the public; invites to a minimum of eight golf club events per year including the Fall/Member Guest and Match Play Classic; a limited edition U.S. Open commemorative gift and more.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or pdngolf@gmail.com.
