THEY’VE DONE THE legwork. Now it’s up to players from the North Olympic Peninsula to attend the event.
Cedars at Dungeness’ May Men’s Club home-and-home match was postponed but local linksmen Bill Berry and Craig Hagstrom have lined up a feast of golf for players from all Peninsula courses at Kingston’s White Horse Golf Club starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 20.
While it won’t be the typical home-and-home competition, White Horse will furnish some members of its newly formed Men’s Club to tee it up with the players from the Peninsula.
In its present form, White Horse is a stiff test but at $35 for 18 holes and $10 more for a cart, you will receive a lot for relatively little.
I prefer to walk courses for pace but White Horse has many hills, a few swales, some bumps and a few lumps that makes it difficult for pace.
White Horse doesn’t have a clubhouse yet, so there’s no restaurant, but the course will provide gourmet box lunches for $12 from its cousin property, the Clearwater Casino.
Those interested can contact Bill Berry at 360-683-5782 or twocrabs@olypen.com or phone White Horse scheduler Joy Erickson at 360-297-2566 or 360-297-4468 by Monday afternoon to reserve a spot.
Asmundson to help
The Suquamish tribe now owns the course and has contracted with golf course-management firm Touchstone Golf to run the show.
Having already cut the price of a round to $35 during the week and $49 on weekends, changes to soften the course for the average player are now being sought.
Discovery Bay Golf Club designer, owner and manager Mike Asmundson has been asked along with Chambers Bay designer Robert Trent Jones Jr. and two other course architects to weigh in with their recommendations.
Rhody Classic
Trike races, the carnival, pet parade, kiddie parade, the big daddy on Saturday and the run for the rhodys on Sunday are all part of the Rhody Classic.
Born and raised in Port Townsend, The Rhododendron Festival — which started on Sunday and includes a two-event golf tournament this weekend, is always one of my favorite times of year.
Port Townsend Golf Club will host the Jim Caldwell Memorial Rhody Classic during the 75th annual Rhododendron Festival on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday’s format is an individual gross and net tournament.
Cost is $35 for members and $45 for nonmembers with prizes, KPs and LPs included.
Tee time is 8 a.m. so that folks can finish their round and head up to the grand parade that starts at 1 p.m.
Sunday’s format is a two-person best-ball gross and net tournament with a 9 a.m. tee time.
Entries are $25 for members and $37 for nonmembers.
The tournament raises money for the Rhododendron Festival.
Men’s Club match play also will start soon at the course. Play will continue through the summer.
For more information on either event, call the pro shop at 360-385-4547.
My mistake
Oops. Sorry folks, my mention last week of the Golf for Graduates golf tournament listed an incorrect phone number.
You would think I would have all of the course phone numbers committed to memory by now, but I am a victim of the age of the mobile device.
I keep the numbers in there so I don’t have to keep them up here (taps brain).
The info on the tournament with the correct phone number follows.
Golf for Grads
Nine-hole links style course SkyRidge will once again play host to the Golf for Graduates Tournament.
This year’s event will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 29.
Proceeds from the tournament go toward providing a safe, drug-and-alcohol-free graduation night party for the 2010 Sequim High School class.
The format is a four-person scramble with a twist.
Members of the Sequim High School boys and girls golf teams will be auctioned off before the tourney Saturday morning to add a fifth player to your team.
Players can check in for the event at 8 a.m., purchase their “ringer” and tee off at 9 a.m.
The tournament is $50 per person or $200 for a four-person team.
Entry includes a round of golf, a gourmet lunch of blackened salmon, range balls, awards and prizes.
The tournament has space for 18 teams, so early sign-ups are suggested.
For more information, or to reserve a spot, call SkyRidge at 360-683-3673.
If you can’t play but would still like to give to this worthy cause, contact Alan Kowitz at askalan@olypen.com or Paul Boucher at paulgordonboucher@hotmail.com.
The donations are tax-deductible through the Sequim Education Foundation.
Sponsors will receive signage on the course during the golf event.
Clinics and lessons
Those looking for a quick tip should take advantage of SunLand Golf & Country Club professional Tyler Sweet’s series of free lessons.
Sweet will offer free 10-minute lessons at the driving range in Sequim on Thursday; Friday, May 21; and Monday, May 24.
He will also host a series of free clinics covering the short, mid and long game at noon on Friday, May 21 and 28, and Tuesday, May 25.
To reserve a spot in the clinic or a specific time for a free lesson, call the golf shop at 360-683-6800, ext. 13.
Through May, SunLand has a special deal for the public on weekends .
For just $39, participants will receive a round of golf and lunch.
SunLand also is conducting a drawing for a new TaylorMade R9 SuperTri driver, free rounds of golf and free golf balls.
Those interested can enter the drawing at www.sunlandgolf.com.
Remember to enter the word “contest” into the comments box.
SunLand will draw the winners on June 1.
Save the date
Cedars at Dungeness will host the fifth annual Claws & Paws Golf Tournament — a benefit for the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society — on June 26.
The event features two divisions: handicap and Callaway.
Entries are limited to the first 100 players.
The $100 entry fee includes cart, range balls, tee prizes, longest drive prizes, KPs, raffle tickets, luncheon and a prize field of $1,500 (based on 100 players).
Tickets for the luncheon are $15.
All proceeds go to the Olympic Peninsula Humane Society, and all donations are tax deductible.
For more information or to register, call Garrett Smithson at 360-477-2718, or Andy Anderson at 360-809-0144.
Tournament directors are also seeking sponsors.
For more information about becoming a sponsor, call Kandace Schmidt at 360-461-2810 or Marsha Robin at 206-650-5431.
For more information on golfing at Cedars, call the pro shop at 360-683-6344, ext. 1.
Peninsula Cup news
The second annual Peninsula Cup is set for SunLand on Saturday, May 22.
Ninety-six players from six of the seven golf courses on the North Olympic Peninsula will compete this year, an increase from the 60 players who competed last year.
Some of the clubs are conducting their own tournaments to field the best possible team for the competition.
Scoring will come from the 13 best scores: the three best net and 10 best gross from each team.
The public is invited to come out and support their friends, co-workers and club members.
For more information, e-mail tourney chair Ray DeJong at dejong2263@aol.com.
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Michael Carman is the golf columnist for the Peninsula Daily News. His column appears on Wednesdays. He can be reached at 360-417-3527 or pdngolf@gmail.com.