Denise Cashmore
If you thought the beach was only for tanning and umbrella drinks, think again. On Aug. 19 more than 60 sun-loving golfers from MountainView/Preserve and SaddleBrooke Ranch Women’s Golf Associations played in this year’s Beach Bums Tournament, organized by Judy Grow. With a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start at the beautiful Preserve Golf Course, players teed off from the red/yellow combo boxes, ready to test their skills—and their sense of humor.
The format for the day put a whole new spin on “hitting the beach,” with four-person ABCD teams counting the two best nets per hole (using a blind draw for teams with only three players). Tee boxes were decked out with colorful beach balls, while green side bunkers on holes 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, and 18 were transformed into mini beach scenes—marked with red flags and buckets. Players knew they were in for a treat (or a trap). If a ball landed in one of the designated sandy escapes, it was considered holed out and scored. Scoring for each hole was the total of best net “beach” shot and best net “normal” hole. While the format may sound simple on paper, navigating beach bunkers on purpose takes more finesse than expected.
The day wrapped up in style at the MountainView ballroom where players swapped sandy stories over a delicious lunch. In addition to MPWGA cash prizes, our generous sponsor Wildfire Wings & Grill turned up the heat with gift cards for Closest to the Pin on all four par 3 holes. Spoiler alert: Those wings are worth winning for!
Below are final results, with tie breakers (*) determined by USGA recommendation (last 9, 6, 3, 1 holes). But the real win of the day was the camaraderie. New friendships formed and club connections deepened across our communities!
Sandpipers Flight
1st Place (96): Cheszek, Erickson, Berg, Baker
2nd Place (tie) (102*): Clausen, Cox, Rodgers, Simonds/Martin, Dresch, Buonargio, Valverde
4th Place: Dalton, Smyth, Cain, Maslowski
Pelicans Flight
1st Place (98): Salmeri, Garcia, Ross, Fox
2nd Place (98*): Ricard, Grow, Kaplan, Pettijohn
3rd Place (99): Kline, Van Sickel, Mollenkopf, Thompson
4th Place (100): Quesnell, Drake, Gray, Minard
Closest to the Pin Winners
Hole 4: Jean Cheszek
Hole 6: Jackie Kline
Hole 11: Jean Cheszek
Hole 14: Janey Clausen
Please check MPWGA.com for full results and upcoming events.