HAVING PLAYED ALL the North Olympic Peninsula courses and having grown up here, I’ve yet to hear of any golf-related ghost stories from our area courses.
Frankly, I’m a bit disappointed.
We have the oldest public golf course in the state, Discovery Bay Golf Club in Port Townsend, which is no spring chicken, and some other courses with their own lengthy histories.
Truthfully, although I like ghouls and zombies and all manner of creepy things, I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat .
And if I were to see a ghostly apparition moving toward me out of the mist of a morning round, I would probably run the other way as fast as possible or at least put the peddle to the medal on the golf cart.
I’ll have some information on some other courses that do have a haunted history at the end of my column.
Clubhouse to come
SkyRidge Golf Course’s Jim Pedersen wrote in with a tidbit of information to pass along.
Actually, it’s much more than a tidbit. The course has broken ground on a brand-new clubhouse, set to be complete in spring.
Construction has started, with the foundation poured and framing starting soon.
The start of building marks a six-year process to get a clubhouse up and running at the nine-hole links style course in Sequim’s Dungeness Valley.
“Our new digs will have a complete pro shop along with a cozy cafe with a variety of breakfast and lunch items,” Pedersen said.
“An outside deck overlooking the golf course will be available for those sunny Sequim days of spring and summer.”
All of this is very good for golf on the North Olympic Peninsula.
You add this project to Port Townsend’s smaller addition of its new Hidden Rock Cafe and you have two courses outlaying significant capital during a tough economic period.
That’s a real good omen for the health of the game around here.
I’ll miss the “Tin Cup” like setting of the old clubhouse trailer at SkyRidge but in this case bigger is definitely better.
I’ll have more on this as opening day draws nearer.
Rick Kaps on tap
The Rick Kaps Memorial Scholarship Scramble will give golfers a chance to work off some of that delicious Thanksgiving Day dinner.
The tournament will be held at SkyRidge starting at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 26.
A good chunk of the proceeds from the tournament provide scholarship money for Sequim High School seniors.
The four-person scramble tourney is $220 in advance or $240 the day of the event if spots remain.
The first 20 teams signed up are guaranteed a spot.
Tournament entry includes a gourmet meal, T-shirt, KP prizes, range balls and a scholarship donation.
Demo day at Cedars
Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course, 1965 Woodcock Road in Sequim, will host Adams Golf factory representatives for a demonstration day event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.
The reps will be out on the driving range providing one-on-one fittings of the entire Adams Golf 2011 product line.
Club pros Jeff Lindsey, Bill Shea and Garrett Smithson will be on hand as well.
For more information, phone 360-683-6344.
SunLand rates
SunLand Golf & Country Club of Sequim will switch to its winter rate schedule beginning Monday and running through March 31.
Golfers can play 18 holes for $25 or 18 holes with a cart for $38.75.
Nine holes are $20.75 with a cart and $14 without.
Taxes aren’t included, so prices will be bumped up a little bit.
Tee times can be made by phoning 360-683-6800, ext. 13.
Hilltop Open
Port Townsend Golf Club’s annual Hilltop Open will be held on Saturday, Nov. 6.
The two-person scramble has a limited field but as long as slots exist any golfer with a handicap is welcome to play.
Best part of this tournament? The lasagna feed featuring “Judy’s Award-Winning Lasagna” and fellowship following play up at the Hilltop Tavern in Port Townsend.
The Hilltop is located at 2510 W. Sims Way.
Get in the game by phoning the course at 360-385-4547.
The Cedars at Dungeness Lady Golfers 18-hole League met recently to elect officers and honor award winners.
Officers for the upcoming season are captain Bonney Benson; vice captain Marlene Erickson; secretary Lilli Gomes; treasurer Nancy Schoessler; tournament chairwomen Betty Kettel and Carolyn Gill; and Days of Whine & Roses chairwoman Pat Conway.
Pat Schumacher claimed the gross club championship and Lilli Gomes won the net championship.
Other awards are located on Page B2.
Classic club collection
A golfer from Port Townsend wrote me last week about trying to find some takers for his classic club collection.
I didn’t have any response last week so I thought I’d give his collection one more run in my column.
He’s collected classic golf clubs for many years but is losing his interest in them and wanted to know if I knew of any collectors on the North Olympic Peninsula who might be interested.
His collection consists of about 80 classic clubs, most crafted by MacGregor, and about 50 putters of various makes and models.
If you are interested, contact me at the e-mail and phone number at the end of my column with your contact information and I will steer you to the collector.
Act fast, deal ending
Discovery Bay Golf Course aerated its greens earlier this month.
In recognition of the brief disturbance to normal play, the course is offering 50 percent off greens fees through the rest of October.
Discovery Bay also hosts a Saturday Skins Game from open to close each Saturday.
Players pay $10 to the money pot and must submit a signed and dated scorecard to the front desk before closing.
A Sunday Skins Game also tees off at 8:30 a.m.
For more information on the happenings at Discovery Bay, phone 360-385-0704.
A good rundown of some of the “scariest golf courses in the world can be found at http://tinyurl.com/347d6t7.
If that’s not enough to whet your appetite, check out “Haunted Golf: Spirited Tales From The Rough” by Anthony Pioppi and Chris Gonsalves.
You can purchase it at http://tinyurl.com/2ucebvy.
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Michael Carman is the golf columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. He can be reached at 360-417-3527 or at pdngolf@gmail.com.