Bruce Hulbert
On February 22, PCM9GA hosted our annual Member Guest Tournament. It turned out to be both Member/Guest and Member/Member with nearly 200 participants, and which was by all standards of measurement perhaps the most successful PCM9GA event ever!
We played on all the Tuscany courses with six separate flights. We had two flights of nine hole Scramble format on the Falls course in what was called the “Past President’s” event which was designed to meet one of our most important goals of encouraging the higher handicap players to play and enjoy the same prizes as the others. As a result, Flight E had three foursomes tie for first place with a score of 33 and Flight F with a tie between two foursomes for first place with a score of 31. Collectively these winners are Skip Gault, Jim LePore, Mike Strong, Steve Lookabaugh, John Peele, Keith Constable, Dick Rippe, Berry Elfstrom, Joe Armbruster, Bob Rottman, Dave Wattenberg, Roger Werthmann, Don Clark, Tom Clark, Duffy Heinle, Joey Romero, Bob Schrader, Grant McNeil, Jeff Harper and Jim Mitchell.
Flights A-D played on the Lakes and Palms courses in a nine-hole two low net format. Flight A on the Lakes Course was won by Ray Clements, Mike Carlson, Gary Lord and Mike Guillaume with a score of 58. Flight B on the Lakes course with a 59 were first place winners Gary Hauser, Jim Thompson, Bill Wagner Jr. and Bob Keithcart. On the Palms Course, Flight C winnings were shared among two foursomes of John Ward, Neil Hart, Bill Fenster, John Sandifer, Steve and Don Shaver, Ted Milo and Jim Shyzyk with remarkable 51s. On the Palms Flight D with 55 were winners Clint Alston, Jim Sheard, Marion Hilton and Howard Shannon.
The course golf events were preceded by a putting and chipping skills challenge with nine putting holes and a forty-foot chip. The two-man flight winners were A-Bill Hill and Steve Craig tied by Chris Mucha and David Dermanual; B-Gary Havens and Jim Thompson; C-John Mumme and Ron Ellison; D-John P. Brown and Terry Cullwell; E-Skip Butler and Gerry Rehkemper and F-Nick Isenhart and Don Gillfillan.
We were blessed with many individuals and corporate sponsors, including Robson Corp., which allowed us to maximize the value of prizes which went to all first and second place skills challenge winners and all first through third place winners in the golf course events which took the form of PebbleCreek gift cards, which are useful for any PebbleCreek offerings. A very successful raffle contest benefitted twelve lucky winners with significant awards! Each participant received a gift bag containing sleeves of golf balls, an embroidered towel, magnetic clips with engraved ball marker as well as many assorted small gifts. Over 2000 golf balls were awarded to participants!
The morning was topped off with an incredible lunch provided by our Food and Beverage Team, with plenty of liquid refreshment.
Special kudos are deserved by the Lady Nine Hole Ladies and other lady volunteers who were out at 7:00 a.m. on a frosty morning to assist: Jason Whitehurst, PC Director of Golf, and the PCM9GA Member/Guest Management Team of Ray Clements, Pat Moore, Gary Lord, Clint Alston, Bob Caldwell and Rob Risden whose pre-planning efforts as well as hands on efforts at the event kept things moving smoothly and on-time despite an hour and a half frost delay!
The bar was set very high for next year’s event management team!