Tournament participants eager for a delicious Italian dinner!
Event committee
Melissa D’Onofrio
On Feb. 9, two major golf tournaments were occurring simultaneously in the Valley of the Sun. One was the opening round of the WM Phoenix Open, and the other was the Italian American Club’s 5th Annual Putt and Eat Event, and although not quite as large, our tournament was every bit as exciting. Seventy-two club members putted their way through, around, and over Valentine “hazards” that had been strategically placed throughout the green. This year’s theme was That’s Amore, so the 18-hole green was decked out with hearts, flowers, and a tunnel of love for those brave enough to try to navigate their way through!
We began the day’s fun with a putting clinic taught by Dennis Downs, Director of Instruction for PebbleCreek’s Golf Program. He provided tips and tricks that transformed us all into instant putting experts! Our putting contest began after Dennis’ lesson, and it wasn’t long before the competitive juices began to flow between foursomes with intimidating names such as Bows and Arrows, Raging Romantics, and Passionate Putters.
After the tournament, we enjoyed cocktails and a delicious Italian buffet in the Chianti Room where the winners were announced and presented with their coveted prizes:
* First Place: Cupid’s Crushers—Brian Rosenbloom, Pat Doland, and Lois Olson
* Second Place: Love Strikers—Dave Flynn, Sharon Freemire, Maggi Maas, and Harry Thacker
* Third Place: Kissers & Missers—Tom Dobbin, Mary Ann Evans, Peggy Lemmo, and John Vizzi
Congratulations to all of our winners, and many thanks to all of our participants. We were especially pleased to see so many new golfers who were brave enough to take on the challenges of putting under the difficult conditions of a Valentine-themed obstacle course. It was also good to see the more experienced golfers coaching and supporting our less experienced members. We hope to see all of you again next year!
We are so appreciative of all the hard work and time put in by Event Planner Mary Flynn and her team—Sheryl Dobbin, Janice Goodwin, and Melissa D’Onofrio—to make this event a huge success.