MERCHANTS LEAGUES ARE forming at golf courses across the North Olympic Peninsula.
I’ll start in Clallam County and work my way eastward to Jefferson.
■ Cedars at Dugneness: Cedars in Sequim is forming teams now, with commitments secured from about 10 teams but with room for 16 in total.
The league plays at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday nights from May 3 through September.
It’s a nine-hole league, with golfers playing the front nine three times and the back nine once a month.
Weekly competitions are held in two handicap divisions for gross, net, closest to the pin and optional skins games.
Players with no handicap will establish one during their first week of play, and the handicapping system is based solely on league play scoring average.
Cedars has a playoff system to keep all teams involved through the season, and teams finishing 1-10 are typically paid in merchandise credits.
Post-play merchandise drawings are held in Stymies Bar after scores and awards are announced.
A season-ending banquet for all teams wraps the season.
Cost to sponsor a team is $100.
Weekly greens and competition fees total $25 per player, with free use of the range before play.
Power carts are $10 per person.
Individuals are welcome to contact Cedars because often there are teams needing additional players.
Anyone interested should contact either Garrett Smithson or Barry Tuteur at the pro shop, 360-683-6344, option 1, or email ggsmithson
@7cedarsresort.com or btuteur@7cedarsresort.com
■ Peninsula Golf Club: The Port Angeles course will begin its golf league on Wednesday, April 25 and conclude with a field day on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
A permanent tee time will be established after the first week of play.
Sponsorship cost is $40 per 8-person team and will be used for team payouts and awards.
Greens fees are $16 plus $2 in competition fees or if you are designated as one of four “counters” per week it is $4 in comp fees and $16 in greens fees.
Four designated player’s net scores will count each week with low total team net score winning the highest point total for that week.
April 11 and 18 will serve as preseason practice days open to all league players.
No team competition will be held but an individual contest will start at 3 p.m. both days.
Handicaps will be based on a par 36 and will be figured each week.
After Week Four, there will be no additions or substitutions to the eight-man roster, so sign up soon and get in the game!
Phone the Peninsula Golf Shop at 360-457-6501.
■ SkyRidge Golf Course: The Sequim-Dungeness Valley links-style course’s Merchant’s League will start toward the end of July.
Play is held on Tuesday nights with a shotgun start about 4:30 p.m.
Four members from each team play individual 9-hole match play against four members of another team.
The regular season lasts a couple of months, followed by two or three weeks of playoffs.
Sponsorship is $100 per team, with green fees $12 plus a $3 competition fee.
Handicaps are helpful but will be sorted out after the first week of play.
Course staffers say that you can submit your name to the pro shop if you are a single but they can’t guarantee a spot.
Its tough to be a substitute player here too, because most teams have extra players.
For more information, phone 360-683-3673.
■ Discovery Bay: Commercial League play for this course near Port Townsend will run from Thursday, April 12 to Aug. 23.
A preseason team meeting and scramble will be held on Thursday, April 5.
The league is split into two nine-week seasons with a midseason scramble held between the season starts.
On the last week, an end of season cross country barbecue and KP shootout will be held with each team given 12 shots at a KP (max of three per player.)
Entry fee per team is $300.
Special green fees for league are $12 (tax included) per week.
Teams will compete for payouts.
Each week Discovery Bay will have an optional honey pot (cash payout) $3 net and $3 KP.
Handicaps will be based on a player’s current GHIN handicap. If no GHIN, then the golf pro will set the players first match handicap.
From then on the handicap for all players will be based on Commercial League scores.
To get in on the Commercial League, phone 360-385-0704.
■ Port Townsend Golf Club: Merchant League play starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 3.
Weekly individual gross and net competition with ongoing league season team standings and a team payout at the end of the season.
All players are welcome.
To sponsor a team, or if you are an individual looking for a team, phone 360-385-4547.
St. Patty’s Day Shootout
Cedars at Dungeness will host a par-3 St. Patty’s Day Shootout with tee times running from noon to 2 p.m. on Thursday.
Cost is $53 and includes KPs on every hole, greens fees, competition fees, range balls, an Irish dinner and drink tickets after the round.
Wear green or it’s a two-stroke penalty.
There will be prizes for winners.
To play, phone 360-683-6344.
Sponsor/play in event
A benefit tournament to support the Sequim High School class of 2012’s safe and sober Grad Night Party will be held at SunLand Golf & Country Club on Saturday, April 21.
Three levels of sponsorship are available: Gold for $500, Silver for $250 and Bronze for a flat donation.
Make checks payable to: Sequim Education Foundation in care of Jo Anne Estes, P.O. Box 1813, Sequim, WA 98382.
I’ll have more details on the tournament in the coming weeks.
PT St. Patrick’s tourney
Port Townsend Golf Club will host a St. Patrick’s Two-Person, Best-Ball Tournament on Saturday.
Cost is $35 per player and $10 greens fees for nonmembers.
Tournament fee includes closest to the pin, long putt, prize fund and an incredible corned beef all-you-can-eat feast.
To sign up, phone 360-385-4547.
Gutbuster on tap
SkyRidge’s signature tournament, the Gut Buster, will be held on Saturday, March 24.
The event will include the unveiling of the course’s new tee boxes.
The format is individual medal play, and the entry is $65 per player.
Included in the fee are golf, lunch, range balls, honey pot and KP prizes.
There will be two divisions with gross and net winners in each.
Players in the tournament also will have one free practice round available on Thursday or Friday preceding the tournament.
To get in on the Shamrock Scramble or the Gut Buster, phone SkyRidge at 360-683-3673.
Discovery Bay events
Discovery Bay Golf Club will let players do what many wish they could — namely have the option to play a mulligan on every hole — during its One-Man Scramble on St. Patrick’s Day this Saturday.
The event is $10 plus greens fees, and players get a level of freedom typically afforded only to those who cheat — the chance to hit it over again.
Discovery Bay is offering its all-day $48 special for two players with a cart through March.
Phone Discovery Bay at 360-385-0704.
Ryan at it again
Richard Thompson checked in with a note on Paul Ryan. Ryan recently shot a 73, 5-under his age of 78, while playing with John Johnson, Ron Quigley and Clay Truman at Cedars at Dungeness.
Thompson wrote “That round was one the ‘old guys’ only dream of achieving.”
I’m a steadily getting-older guy, and I dream of achieving something like that!
Hearty golf claps to Mr. Ryan.
Most handsome prince
Even before my Washington State Cougar ties cemented my status as a cat person, I fancied kitties over dogs as pets.
With that admission, it’s tough to pass up this Whiskas cat food commercial, which combines a snuggling kitty, its owner and the game of golf.
It’s impossible to describe the commercial without ruining the “reveal” of the ad’s joke, so I will refrain but please visit
tinyurl.com/HandsomePrince.
The spot is a few years old, about the same amount of time it takes me to quit laughing whenever I watch it.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or at pdngolf@gmail.com.