MPWGA team (left to right): Jeana Hodges, Connie Simonds, Claire Baragona, Cookie Kaplan, Jenni Long, Ann Martin, Ann Cahill, Ellen Victor, Mary Kay Nordhill, Anne Cole, and Karen Erickson; not shown: Aleta Rosenthal.
MPWGA member Anne Cole, low gross winner with a 79!
Ann Lange
The MountainView/Preserve Women’s Golf Association (MPWGA) hosted the 18th annual Robson Challenge Nov. 13 at the MountainView Golf Club. On a beautiful SaddleBrooke, Arizona day, the MPWGA and seven other Robson community women’s golf leagues warmed up on the range preparing to get their best game on for a little inter-community camaraderie and congenial competition around the course. All Robson communities are invited to play in the challenge, and this year SaddleBrooke Ranch, SaddleBrooke One, Tuscany Falls, Eagle’s Nest, Quail Creek, Oakwood, and PebbleCreek made the road trip to our domain in the desert. Each league brought 12 players whose combined handicaps fell within the required range of 225-270. The women played in foursomes of similar handicaps, mingling players from different clubs.
Shortly before the 8:30 a.m. shotgun, a 48-cart caravan carrying 96 women, and hopefully no more than 1,344 golf clubs, headed out to their assigned starting holes to begin the fight of the flights. The footloose and fancy-free fun around the fairways included aiming in, out, and around an abundance of tame deer; resisting the urge to indulge in a pre-nineteenth hole drink in three inviting, sparkling watering holes; and avoiding the opportunity to have a blast in 38 strategically placed, but fairly user-friendly bunkers. After enjoying 18 gorgeous fairways in a stunning natural desertscape viewing the cragged Catalina Mountain Range, we had our winners!
Each community’s team score was determined by adding the best ten of their 12 net scores. The MPWGA came up swinging, winning with a low net team score of 720, followed by Tuscany Falls with 725, and SaddleBrooke Ranch with 735. The MPWGA had three players with net scores in the net 60s: Anne Cole with 67, Karen Erickson with 68, and Cookie Kaplan with 69. The lowest gross score, 79, was shot by MPWGA member of one and a half years, Anne Cole. Staying out of trouble, and racking up multiple birdies put $50 cold hard cash in her pocket. Each of our 12 MPWGA team members walked away with $25 in cool cash. The KP ball whisperers and flight winners were also in the money. The MPWGA golf team, on their own turf, gave it their all and went for broke, and ended up rolling in the dough.
A little rivalry was rousted up amongst four visiting golf pros as well. John McCahan from PebbleCreek won with a low score of 73, followed by a three-way tie of 74 by Jay Wilson from Robson Ranch, Eddy Renio from Oakwood Country Club, and Joel Jarress from Quail Creek. As for our hard-working pros, Matt Hudson, Head Pro, and Director of Golf Operations, and Mike Karpe, Assistant Pro, the great debate is whether they prefer work over golf, or whether golf is just too much work for them. However, there is no such thing as a hard day at the golf office preparing the score board when all indications show that the leading ladies are your own home team.
This was the 18th Robson Challenge, and the MPWGA’s first win. There’s just something magic about the number 18 when it comes to golf, but even better is the number 19. At the end of the 18-hole loop, the sweet spot swingers congregated at the MountainView Ballroom for the 19th Hole celebration with a scrumptious lunch, a little ball banter, and the awards ceremony with Emcee Mike Karpe.
Eighteen years of cheers for Ann Martin, Ad Hoc Chair of this event, for her countless hours in coordinating and organizing such a glorious day of golf gamboling. We thank her committee for their part in making this day register off the charts on the Fun-Meter sending ripples of laugh-quakes across the course. Our victory will be commemorated by the Robson Challenge trophy, proudly on display in the MountainView Pro Shop for an entire year for 120 MPWGA members to marvel at. Our story of glory made a little slice of golf history, and the rest of the story will be continued next year on Nov. 18 at Quail Creek.