Ken Whitney
Early September found the PebbleCreek Men’s Nine-Hole Golf Association (PCM9GA) experiencing the joys of “Goofy Golf.” The format limited players to just four clubs in the bag, and a host of other surprises on the Tuscany Falls East Front Nine awaited the four-man teams.
The Par 5 Number 5 required golfers to start on the Blue Tees and did not allow the use of any woods or hybrids. No putters were allowed to be used on Number 6, a short Par 4. At the Par 3 Number 8, a beer-tasting table offered the possibility of a reduction of one stroke if the players correctly guessed the name of the brew they tasted.
Throughout the course each team had a five-foot “Putt Gimmie String” that granted a “Gimmie” to finish a hole. The string was not everlasting, though, since the length of the string was reduced by the distance of the ball from the hole for each use. Finally, each player could make one throw from anywhere on the course with no penalty.
Fifteen foursomes competed in the Goofy Golf event, with two low-net scoring. The top prize went to the group of Eric Letzler, Donald Burrows, Ray Bender, and Mike Hurst. On the irons only Par 5 from the Blue Tees, an amazing five players—Dave Savage, Jerry Ratigan, Bill Priebe, Randy Vlcek, and Terry Worwa—were each net -1 for the hole.
It wasn’t all Goofy Golf, however. A donation of a canned good or $5 awarded a player with a Mulligan, with the proceeds going to the St. Vincent de Paul meals program. The PCM9GA collected $190 and over 90 individual cans and non-perishable food items. Special thanks to Cliff and Nancy Crooks for organizing the food drive.
Thanks also to Pauline Beaulieu, Laurie Eichkorn, and Dale Ellis for handling the beer-tasting duties.
The final “Summer Citizens Event” of the year was held on Sept. 28. The Back Nine of Tuscany Falls East was the site of an Arizona Shuffle Tournament. Sixteen four-man teams competed, scoring one low net on Par 3s, two low nets on Par 4s, and three low nets on Par 5s.
The foursome of Robert Newell, Robert Risden, Frank Chop, and Jeff Horan, took top honors, with Tom Booth, Gregory Ray, Loius Beaulieu, and Bill Gray close behind in second place.