Coyote Classic competitors gathering after the hunt (photo courtesy of Andrea Gray)
Ann Lange
The classic coyote is foxy; mostly nocturnal, but often active in the early morning; travels in packs; symbolizes playfulness, good luck, and supernatural qualities; and makes 11 different noises, including greeting songs, high-pitched yelps, yips, growls, howls, huffs, and whines. Well, doesn’t that just sound exactly like a pack of 52 MPWGA female canines loading their wily woods, wedges, and weaponry whatnots into their roadrunners, making tracks to their assigned shotgun tee? Twenty-six teams of two played a Combined Stableford game at The Preserve on May 17, and one Best Net Score from each twosome at MountainView on May 18.
Hot, thirsty, and dog-tired, the competitors made a dog-leg turn off the 18th green to the MountainView Ballroom for an awards luncheon featuring tortilla tacos with all the fixings, followed by ice cream sundaes to cool off. A hearty thanks to the banquet and kitchen staff for their excellent service, work ethic, and loyalty. Assistant Golf Pro Mike Karpe gave the coyote cohorts a greeting song and separated the winners from the whiners in each of the four flights. Our local dingo dog is pretty much considered woman’s best friend by the MPWGA.
First-place winners from each flight, starting with the Combined Stableford score at The Preserve on day one, followed by Best Net Score of the two-canine companion team at MountainView on day two, we have:
Wile E. Flight: Gail Campbell and Kim Cox winning both days with 70 and 62 net; RoadRunner Flight: Holly Lyon and Paula Michels winning both days with 70 and 66 net; Golden Jackal Flight: Connie Plapinger and Andrea Gray with 75; Mary Kay Nordhill and Claire Baragona with 63 net; Night Howler Flight: Jenni Farquhar and Debbie Ogle with 64; Lan Nguyen and Mary Hoover with 64 net.
The cunning, canny ladies who howled loudest to establish their territory closest to the can were, at The Preserve, Dianne Anderson, Jean Cheszek, Deb Hammar, and Jeana Hodges. At MountainView, Janey Clausen, Kim Cox, Holly Lyon, and Jackie Kline. Hopefully, these closest to the pin (KP) winners refrained from yipping during their birdie putts. Forty players took coyote credit winnings back to their dens, either by KP or scoring up to third place in their flights.
Yip, yip, hooray to our very generous and loyal sponsors Coyote Golf Cars and Pride Mechanical. Coyote kudos to Paul Hallock and his team for great course conditions during the transition to Bermudagrass, while still trying to train the coyotes to use the 90-degree rule, and the roadrunners to stop foraging the fairway if they don’t find what they’re looking for within three minutes. A long and loud Aaah-wooooooooh to our friends in the Golf Shop for their support and contributions to our fun events. Extra credit to creative and crafty Kim Cox for her display of homebred hybrid roadrunners made from feathers and golf paraphernalia, fully trained not to chase coyotes. Heavenly, harmonious evening howls to our classy, clever coyote co-chairs Linda DeWitt and Connie Sherman and the rest of the planning pack, Janey Clausen, Kim Cox, Judy Grow, Linda Schauer, Donna Yon, Lori Stegink, Ann Van Sickel, and Susan Dell. They are the moon and the stars.
We are here in SaddleBrooke for the wildlife, and for the wild life we create and enjoy. Whether desert dwellers roam on two legs or four, all respectfully share this wilderness wonderland where there are always golfers, coyotes, and roadrunners on the loose. Fore!