FOR A CHILDLESS fellow, I have a soft spot in my heart for big-eyed, fat-cheeked babies.
Maybe it’s because my own cherubic features bear a resemblance, or it might be a deeply ingrained biological impulse native to all humans, but babies — at least the quiet ones — are A-OK in my book.
Where am I going with this? Well, golfers around the Peninsula have a chance Friday to help a newborn baby who was born a bit prematurely.
Bruce Thomson, the son of Eric and Andi Thomson of Port Angeles, was born Aug. 20.
Doctors at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle felt Bruce needed to stay put for a while to gain some weight and more strength before coming home.
In-patient hospital stays are spendy, and the Thomsons are seeking some help with the extra costs associated with the longer stay.
Many folks in little Bruce’s family, including his grandfather Andy Rose and grandparents Gordon and Ruth Thomson, are avid golfers, so they decided to put on a benefit tournament.
The four-person tournament will tee off Friday at noon.
The tournament format will be a four-person scramble where the three best scores for each hole are counted, and each player must count at least three holes.
Prizes for team play, best gross and best net.
Cost is $75 per person.
Time is short, so sign up soon by phoning Joe Cammack at 360-460-0210, Brian Shirley at 360-461-0423 or visiting Peninsula Golf Course.
Help Blue Heron sports
The first annual Townsend Redskins Boosters/Team Port Townsend Sports fundraiser golf tournament will be held Sunday at Port Townsend Golf club.
Check-in for the four-person best ball scramble starts at 8 a.m., and the shotgun start is set for 9 a.m.
Proceeds will go to support the athletic programs at Blue Heron Middle School in Port Townsend.
Middle school athletics returned this year after vigorous community fundraising was matched with school district funding.
Continued community fundraising is needed to keep the teams on the fields, courts and mats next year and beyond.
Cost is $40 for this event for members, $50 for nonmembers.
For more information on helping out, phone Mark Grant at 360-301-4340 or Kelli Parcher at 360-301-3551.
Port Townsend will also host the return of the Three Club Open on Saturday, Oct. 20.
This event lets players choose any three clubs in their bag.
Finally, Port Townsend also will host the annual Hilltop Open two-person scramble on Saturday, Nov. 3.
Judy Lundgren will serve up her world-famous lasagna at the Hilltop Tavern after play.
For more information on any of these events, phone 360-385-4547.
Driving in the Dark
Last Saturday’s annual Rotary “Driving in the Dark” glow ball tournament was a huge success according to Port Townsend assistant pro Gabe Tonan.
Players enjoyed a wonderful early fall weather, including a balmy evening for the tourney, which is typically played on the final Saturday of September.
Close to 400 glow sticks illuminated the course and Tonan added, “It really is amazing how far away you can see your ball.”
A score of 57 tied for low gross honors, with a team comprised of Mike Lux, Doug Lux, Brian Lux, Ben Krabill and Kyle Resser finishing square with Will Peoples, Jane Peoples, Emily Cook, Andy Benedict and Gabriel Tonan.
Third place went to the team of Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson, Jim Fultz, Job Hathaway and Jake Hathaway with a score of 62.
Greens not punched
Tonan passed along the news that Port Townsend Golf Course has not punched their greens yet.
So if you’re looking for some golf on non-punched greens, head out to Port Townsend for a round or two.
Help Sequim students
The fourth annual Citizens for Sequim School Golf Tournament will be held at Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course on Saturday, Oct. 13.
The four-person scramble will tee off with a 1:30 p.m. shotgun start.
Foursomes are $240 or $70 for individual players, with dinner included.
Additional contests include KP’s, longest drive, a putting contest and a chance to win a car donated by Price Ford.
Mulligans can be purchased, as well.
Players will also get refreshments in the form of four pony kegs of Port Townsend Brewery’s finest ales.
For more information phone E. Michael McAleer at 360-460-2839 or the Cedars pro shop at 360-683-6344.
Family Scramble set
SkyRidge Golf Course will hold a Family Scramble golf tournament in Sequim on Saturday, Oct. 20.
Teams should be related by blood or marriage.
The two-person scramble is limited to the first 36 teams and will have a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
Cost is $90 per team and includes a honey pot for gross and net divisions, plus lunch, KP’s, a team long putt and range balls.
There will be a $5 skins game for the gross division.
Carts are $15 per seat.
First place ties will be broken by a sudden-death playoff for gross and net only.
There’s no need for a GHIN handicap to play in this one.
To sign up, phone SkyRidge at 360-683-3673.
Ryder Cup rehash
Those crafty Europeans rallied to retain the Ryder Cup on Sunday, going from a 10-4 deficit early on Saturday afternoon to outright 14½-13½ winners over our U.S. squad after Sunday’s 12 singles matches.
Did the U.S. team collapse or did the Europeans earn their comeback?
I’ll side with pessimism and say Team U.S.A. flat-out failed on Sunday.
Six of the 12 matches were decided on the 18th hole and U.S.A. managed just one win.
Webb Simpson did his best impression of me on the driving range with a shank on the No. 8 tee, the greatest golfer of my lifetime couldn’t win a match and Davis Love III’s captains picks of Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Steve Stricker brought nothing to the table.
Ah, hindsight — nothing is clearer.
Congratulations to the Europeans; from what I read some of our fans displayed some boorish behavior towards them, and they never, ever quit competing.
I’ll be rooting for a U.S. win on Scottish soil at Gleneagles in 2014.
______
Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or pdngolf@gmail.com.