HUNTER S. THOMPSON’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas provided me with some advice on golf shoes during last week’s snowstorm.
Thompson’s protagonist, Raoul Duke, expressed an interest in acquiring them early on in his trip to Sin City.
“Order some golf shoes,” Duke whispered. “Otherwise, we’ll never get out of this place alive.”
I’m a beastly, bear-like man who lacks coordination.
On my best days there are balance issues, and when snow and especially ice is added to the situation, the pratfalls commence.
Thankfully, golf shoes, my own pair of Adidas AdiComfort 2’s in fact, were pressed into service as my “snow boots” as I traversed the walking portion of my commute to the Peninsula Daily News in an attempt to get to and from “alive.”
The rubber cleats really helped my traction all week long, and the waterproofing kept my feet dry.
Crabby at Cedars
I made a mistake in my column last week, writing that Sequim’s Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course’s signature “Crabby” hole was the course’s second hole,
Of course, it is the layout’s third hole. I suppose I duffed that one because every time I’ve played the course I start thinking about Crabby midway through the first hole, skipping over No. 2 because I’m preoccupied with the meddlesome fairway bunker and Crabby guarding the front of the green on hole No. 3.
My apologies. Let’s start fresh.
No. 3 at Cedars is a par-5 that checks in at 490 yards from the tips.
That fairway bunker I described comes into play right off the tee along the right-hand side of the hole.
“I think that it is a great par 5 because it gives players the risk/reward opportunity of hitting the green in two,” said Cedars Director of Golf/General Manager Bill Shea.
“When the hole was first designed, it was a lot easier as the trees along the right-hand side of the hole were way smaller. Now players can’t cut off the angle, and have to play the first shot straight.”
And you have to keep it inside the white stakes. Out of bounds lurks on both sides of the hole and straight through if you are a big hitter.
The Crabby bunker itself is visually striking with cedar red volcanic cinders from Bend, Ore., brought in to add effect.
It’s a nice, personalized touch that adds to the course.
What I believe to be a yellow willow tree guards the back right of the green, which slopes back to front.
“Interestingly, the guy who did the actual excavating 40 years ago on the crab bunker, was here last week,” Shea said.
“We have hired his son to make some alterations to the course, including a redesign of No. 10 green, and fairway bunkering on No. 12 fairway.”
WSGA Kickoff set
The Washington State Golf Association’s Winter Series Kickoff tourney will be held at Port Ludlow Golf Club on Friday.
The Stableford format event, with a 10 a.m. shotgun start, is open to men and women amateurs who are in good standing with a WSGA member club, and have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 36.4 for men and 40.4 for women.
Interested players should call the WSGA office at 206-526-8605 and register with Kris Jungquist in the Championship Department.
Discovery Bay events
Discovery Bay Golf Club in Port Townsend will hold its Winter Challenge Chapman Series with a 9:30 a.m. tee off on Saturday.
The two-person event was wiped out by snow last week.
Discovery Bay staffers are asking golfers to arrive an hour or so before, so they can sort out pairings.
Cost is $20 with 75 percent paid out on Saturday and 25 percent going to the overall points leader at the end of the series.
On Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, Discovery Bay will offer $5 golf up until kickoff, and an optional $20 Tailgate Scramble, which includes lunch.
The scramble will tee off at 9:30 a.m. (barring frost) and should wrap well before kickoff as the game starts after 3 p.m.
For more information, visit www.discoverybaygolfcourse.com or phone 360-385-0704.
Memorial scramble set
Peninsula Golf Club of Port Angeles will host the Dick Brown Memorial Scramble on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5.
Don’t worry, it tees off well in advance of the big game at 9 a.m.
It’s a two-person scramble, eight-stroke differential tourney with 30 percent of the team’s combined handicap factored in.
Entry fees are $90 per team and include KP and long-drive prizes, a square on the Super Bowl football board, hosted appetizers and beverages, a cash team honeypot payout and merchandise awards.
The course will take $20 from each entry to fund a scholarship in Brown’s name.
It is open to Peninsula members and guests.
Phone Peninsula at 360-457-6501.
Polar Bear tourney
Cedars also will host its 19th annual Polar Bear Championship on Feb. 4-5.
This is a 36-hole stroke play format with three amateur divisions and one professional division.
Entry fees are $140 and include three rounds of golf (including a practice round Friday), range balls Saturday and Sunday, a tee prize and lunch Sunday, and $5,500 in prizes (based on full field).
Amateurs must have USGA handicap of 27 or lower.
Carts are an extra $16 per day.
Entry deadline for this tourney is Monday.
For more information, phone Cedars at 360-683-6344, ext. 1.
Arctic Open sign-ups
Golfers had a great chance over the weekend to practice for Port Townsend Golf Club’s 26th annual “Coors Light Arctic Open,” sponsored by Marine View Beverages.
Port Townsend assistant pro Gabriel Tonan reported that the course reopened Saturday, and said he believes Port Townsend was the first course within an hour’s drive to get things going after the storm.
He rolled the greens on Sunday and was surprised how dry things were after six or so inches of snow melted in such a rapid period.
The Arctic Open tournament is a 36-hole two-person best-ball, and will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 11-12, and includes a practice round on Feb. 10.
Entry is $210 per team and includes the three rounds of golf, lunch served on the course each day, special hole-in-one prizes and closest to pin in all divisions each day.
The tourney is limited to the first 72 players.
Sign up for Port Townsend events at 360-385-4547.
Tonan also reported that he wanted to thank the cross country skiers and sledders who used the course’s hillsides for merrymaking but were considerate and stayed off the course’s greens.
SkyRidge moves tourney
SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim’s 27-hole Winter Links Open will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11.
The event has an 8:30 a.m. start.
Teams of four will divide themselves into two two-person teams for a scramble nine holes, then switch partners and play nine holes of two-person better ball, and finally switch to your final partner and play alternating shot for the last nine holes.
Each team will end up with a 54-hole score after 27 holes of golf.
Card the two scramble scores, the two better ball scores and the two alternating shot scores, then combine for a 54-hole total.
Cost is $160. Phone SkyRidge at 360-683-3673.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or at pdngolf@gmail.com.