A RECORD NUMBER of participants will tee it up over the weekend in the 2020 Clallam County Amateur Championship at Peninsula Golf Club in Port Angeles and Sunland Golf & Country Club and Cedars at Dungeness in Sequim.
But thanks to our trying circumstances, some alterations have been made to help ensure that large group doesn’t intermingle.
“We have been trying to get this event over 80 players for the last seven years,” Cedars head golf pro Garrett Smithson said. “This year we are at 111. … Due to these interesting times, we have to make sure you all are safe and that our staff members are safe. Thank you in advance for following the below guidelines.
A scheduled 9 a.m. shotgun start for Sunday’s final round at Cedars has been shifted as tee times are now in place at all three host courses.
“We must create social distancing by using tee times,” Smithson said. “The first tee time Sunday will be 8:30 a.m.”
Sunday pairings will be determined by gross score within all four flights of players. The highest scores of Flight 4 will go first, with the tournament leaders taking the final tee time.
Golfers are not required to wear a face mask while playing the course, but should mask up while on other areas of the property.
“We ask that all players wear a face covering in the pro shops/clubhouses,” Smithson said. “We also don’t want you showing up any earlier that 45 minutes prior to your tee time to check in for the event. This will keep congestion down at the practice areas and the pro shops. Forty-five minutes should give you enough time to hit a small bucket and chip and putt.”
Those wishing to dine before the final round should arrive earlier.
Other precautions for the event have become standard by now.
“There will be no rakes in the bunkers,” Smithson said. “You will be able to play preferred lies in the bunkers at all three courses. This means you will be allowed to place the ball. To take relief with no penalty, you must keep the ball in the bunker and place the ball no closer to the hole. Please try to smooth out your hitting area with your feet when you leave the bunker.
“We will ask that the flagstick stays in the hole at all times. Each course has something in the hole that will allow your ball to fall. The ball will not fall all the way to the bottom of the hole. For the ball to be holed, it must stay in the hole. If it goes in and comes out, the ball is not considered holed.”
An award ceremony and lunch previously scheduled after the final round has been canceled. Instead, players will receive a $10 food credit good at Cedars’ snack shack, Stymies Bar and Grill or the Double Eagle Steakhouse.
The tournament’s Big Raffle will still be held with Cedars staffers drawing tickets while players are out on the course Sunday. Players will be able to check to see if they have won prizes after their rounds.
Tournament results and pairings will be available each day through the GolfGenius app using code GTZWJV (Apple, Google Play).
Smithson asked all players to make sure they had paid in advance before the tournament begins.
“The last thing we want to do is chase players around looking for payment,” Smithson said.
For more information on the event, call the Cedars pro shop at 360-582-4900.
Songer cards ace
Smithson passed along word that Glenn Songer of Port Angeles notched his second hole-in-one at Cedars at Dungeness on June 25.
Songer used a pitching wedge and a TaylorMade TP5 golf ball to sink the shot on the 107-yard 11th hole.
Sean Butcher, Paul Langdon and Richard Strickland witnessed Songer’s ace.
Songer, Langdon and Butcher will play together in the first and second rounds of the Clallam Amateur on Friday and Saturday. Good luck to all.
Coulter holes out
Sunland Golf & Country Club member Cheryl Coulter picked up her third career hole-in-one while playing the Sequim course last Thursday. Coulter aced the par-3 17th hole from 95 yards out while using her 8-iron.
Bob Cup coming up
The fifth annual Bob Cup Golf Tournament fundraiser is set for Saturday, July 25, at Cedars at Dungeness.
Created in memory of longtime Sequim resident Bob Duncan, proceeds from the tourney benefit Clallam Mosaic and the creation of a permanent location for Mosaic services.
Tournament organizers say the funding gap created by the COVID-19 pandemic will, more than usual, directly benefit Mosiac’s core operating activities, having an immediate impact on the lives of individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Clallam County.
Registration is $120 per player. The registration fee includes greens fee, cart, raffle ticket and a complimentary barbecue lunch.
Registration forms are available at ClallamMosaic.org/BobCup.
Pre-payment and donations can securely be made through Mosaic’s Square page.
Event check-in is 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and the tourney begins at 9 a.m., final start format to be determined. If tee times will be assigned, due to COVID-19 restrictions, golfers will be notified by email.
Teams should show up no sooner than one hour prior to the start.
The barbecue begins at 2:30 p.m., and nonplayers may join the lunch for $22 in advance. Health and safety considerations may change the format and presentation of the barbecue.
Organizers also are asking that tournament teams be made up of spouses, children or coworkers that players come into contact with on a regular basis. In other words, keep your circle small, even on course.
There will be a silent auction featuring many local surprises, and, courtesy of Alaskan Airlines, two round-trip airline tickets, to anywhere Alaskan Airline flies (except Cuba).
Player protocol is subject to change based on COVID-19 regulations. Please visit ClallamMosaic.org/BobCup for the latest information.
Golfers may also check the Cedars at Dungeness website for course specific COVID-19 protocols and updates.
For more information, call Mary Jane Duncan at 360-775-1197 or Clallam Mosaic at 360-681-8642, or email bobcup@clallammosaic.org.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-406-0674 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
