Lots of birds were flying around the Little River Golf Course last Friday, June 26. Playing in the Stableford format, Dave Coddington flew his second shot into the 18th hole for an eagle, 8 Stableford points. Jim Ellis flew his second shot into the 15th hole also for an eagle, 8 Stableford points. Dave birdied the sixth hole and finished the round with 44 Stableford points, propelled by the wings of eagles and birdies. Jim Ellis birdied the third hole on the front nine, giving him a wing-assisted Stableford total of 43 points. The Golf Notes writer birdied the 15th hole, but even with this wing-assisted hole he finished the round with only 23 Stableford points. Playing with his Stableford group, Chuck Allegrini birdied Hole No. 5 but didn’t fly the rest of his holes, resulting in a total of 31 Stableford points. Neil Blaney, playing in Chuck’s group, birdied Hole Nos. 9 and 15. Neil flew in with a total of 44 Stableford points. Yes, the birds were flying last Friday, six birdies and two eagles for the Stableford group. Dave Coddington and Phil Dunn, Phil had no birdies, combined for first place in Stableford. Neil Blaney and Dave Sroaf combined scores placed them in second place in Stableford.
Sunday, June 28, the Little River Men’s Club Senior Four-Ball Qualifier was played. Players signed up as two-person teams. The two best teams will move on to play at Poppy Hills Golf Course on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1. Moving on will be the team of Jim Corsar and Jim Ellis, scoring a team 8-under-par 63, and the team of Lindy Peters and David Coddington, shooting a team 2-under-par 69. Good luck, guys. Lindy and David are headed for Poppy Hills next Sunday with Scott Deitz and Larry Miller to play in the NCGA North Valley Championship. All the best to you guys, too.
Where were you last Wednesday, June 24? Earthquake day. I was standing by my sink looking out the kitchen window when everything began to shake, rattle and roll. Later I picked up my son, Oscar, and my grandson, Kyden, for a little golf excursion to Brooktrails just north of Willits. Brooktrails is a redwood-surrounded, three-par, nine-hole course, and Willits was close to the epicenter of the earthquake. There was no electricity anywhere in Willits when we arrived. There was also no electricity at the golf course nor anyone in the pro shop; it was closed. Have you ever played golf without electricity? Yeah, me either, but we shouldered the load and played the course despite no electricity. Brooktrails is also a disc golf venue, so you see golf balls flying through the trees as well as discs. To successfully play Brooktrails, the challenge is to hit your drive straight. Many drives are with irons or high-lofted woods with little side-to-side forgiveness. My last thought on the Brooktrails course is, “It is different.”