HIDEAWAY QUOTA SKINS GAME: WEEK 3

Additional photos may be viewed here

 

Ok, ok, so my info wasn’t so hot regarding last week’s top performer. Scott LoVecchio expressed his appreciation for the credit he didn’t really deserve (although he did get a skin), but the big winner really was Dan Hoffacker. My apologies Dan, and I hope that didn’t have anything to do with your not coming out this week!

This week I have no doubt that the info 

Jeff Ashby

I have is good, as it comes directly from the man himself: Jeff Ashby. The Hideaway’s Thursday Night Quota Skins Game is definitely the thing to do on Thursday nights if you enjoy getting on and off the golf course in two hours, having a few wet ones, and playing some fun golf that can also put a few greenbacks in your pocket.

Gregg watches T. A. miss yet another

Thirty-three players teed it up this Thursday (5/8/14) and just 33% of the group finished in the money. I think this outing may have been the first time that I finished below quota…and I didn’t play all that horribly. Putting was a struggle though. Just couldn’t score.
 

Chris Capps on way to +6

My cart partner, Chris Capps, had no struggles until the final two holes, andI’m pretty sure he was thinking about the fact that he could finish under par at The Hideaway for the first time, as he headed into No.4 (our 8th hole) at -1.

After smoking a 3-wood off the tee on 

No.4, Chris hit a 9-iron into the greenside bunker, was on in three and 2-putted for a bogey. No big deal; still even-par going into the last hole, the simple, 120-yard par-3, right? 

Here’s how it happened in his own 

words: “I short sided myself short of the green, hardly moved the ball on the first chip. Nuked the second. Followed by an awesome two putt for a double bogey.” So after all that, he still finished 2-over par and plus-6 for his quota.

It turns out that plus-6 was the best 

Archie Copeland all smiles

quota ratio of the day, but Archie Copeland and Leon Hall both posted nice plus-5 ratios as well. Holes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8 yielded birdies, but 5 and 8 didn’t fly. Game Master Jeff Ashby claimed the bird on No.1, Chris Capps had his birdie on 8 nulled and voided, but his bird on No.2 held up.

Chet Ballard had a nice day, going plus-2 on his quota and picking up the skin 

Chet Ballard collecting his cash from Jeff

on No.6. Game Host Sean Balliet went minus-2 on his quota, but managed to slip the birdie putt in the cup on No.3.

Greg Price making his quota

Hideaway club member Greg Price joined the group for the first time and finished plus-2. Newbie Tom Dougherty came in at plus-4 and first-timer Bob Strait broke even. Well, I’m way behind on my projects so I’m gonna get this thing out as is.

Oh! Brief reminder before I go: The Hideaway’s Sunday Morning Quota 

Sean Balliet contemplating birdie

Skins Game debuts this coming Sunday the 18th at 8:30am. For $35 greenbacks you get 18 holes of golf, for double the Thursday fun, and as always there will be cash to be won. Just get to the course before 8:15am, hand Jeff your $35 and you are in like Flynn.

"The reason the pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can't see him laughing." ~Phyllis Diller

CYPRESS LAKE WELL DRESSED FOR CHICO'S PATTY BERG MEMORIAL

Cheyenne Woods at Patty Berg on Sunday

When I followed a Woods around the golf course today, it had been years, in fact more than a decade and a half I’d say, since I followed a Woods around a golf course. Back then, it was Tiger in Phoenix at the Phoenix Open. Today it was Cheyenne in Fort Myers at the Inaugural Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, a brand new stop on the Symetra Tour. 

For the uninitiated, the Symetra Tour is billed as the “Road to the LPGA,” as in LPGA Tour, in the same vein as the Web.com Tour for the PGA Tour. 

Cypress Lakes No.12 (No.3 for event)

Cypress Lake Country Club put its best foot forward in hosting the event, as 68 was the best anyone could post over the three-day event. Only Sara Bay in Sarasota, where the Guardian was held, played tougher than Cypress in the six tournaments played thus far. 

Michelle Shin

While Cheyenne Woods might have been the biggest name in the draw by virtue of her connection to “Uncle Eldrick,” the most popular golfer at Cypress Lake Country Club, host of the event, was surely Michelle Shin. Michelle is a product of Cape Coral,

a graduate of Canterbury School in Fort

Michelle Shin

Myers, and still names the Verandah Club (which I played that same afternoon) her home course. So it was no surprise that she had one of the largest galleries on the final day of the event.

Naturally Steph and I followed Michelle’s group for a few holes, and she rewarded us with a

Fist bumping Michelle after birdie on No.3

birdie on No.3 to get to -1, just four shots off the lead. That -1 would have been good enough for a tie for 5th had it held up, but Michelle slipped to +3 by day’s end. That score was good enough for a tie for 22nd and a decent paycheck.

Yueer Cindy Feng

As much as I wanted to hang with Michelle’s group, there were others to follow as well. Tour Leader Cindy Feng, was playing in a group with Kendall Dye (No.3 on the money list) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc (No.9), so that seemed like an inspirational group for me to follow prior to playing my own round later that afternoon.

Kendall Dye

Feng was all right when we followed her group...meaning almost all of her shots were heading right. However, you could see her working it out on those first few holes, and by the time the final round was over, she had finished one under for the day, and in a tie for 3rd with Demi Runas at -2. Runas’ 69 was one of just three rounds in the 60s on the final day.

Kendall Wright 
Photo courtesy of Symetratour.com

Kendall Wright had the round of the day, shooting 68 to finish the tourney at even par and a tie for 7th. Lindy Duncan, who finished in a tie for 13^th at +1, shot a 69 as well to close out the sub-70 scoring.

Min Seo Kwak with Cinny Murray,  & Liz Hodges of Chico'sPhoto courtesy of Symetratour.com

Min Seo Kwak proved to be no lame-duck leader, as she went into the final round at -5, with just a one-stroke lead over Jean Reynolds and two

Jean Reynolds
Photo courtesy of Symetratour.com

over Brittany Altomare, her playing partners. Both Reynolds and Altomare faded, the former dropping four shots to par, the other losing three, to finish in a six-way tie for 7^th. 

Min Seo Kwak
Photo courtesy of Symetratour.com

Kwak, however, despite dropping a shot early, rebounded to finish two under on the day, and -7 for the tournament to claim the Inaugural Patty Berg Memorial. 

Stephanie Na
Photo courtesy of Symetratour.com

Kwak was one of just two players who managed to shoot under par all three days at Cypress Lake, the other being steady Stephanie Na, who had rounds of 2, 1, and 1 under on successive days. Her consistency earned her second place alone, behind the going away, three-shot victory Kwak posted.

Cindy Feng

Kwak vaulted 33 spots up the Money List with her victory, and now sits in 4th. Na’s leap up the Money List was even more impressive as she moved from No.108 to No.13 with that second-place finish. Feng’s 3^rd-place finish was enough to keep her solidly atop the Tour standings, as she leads second-place Marissa Steen by more than $10k. 

Michelle Shin

And our local girl? Well, Michelle springboarded 45 slots from No.138 to No.93 on the Money List. Given her No.10 ranking for driving accuracy, and her No.68 standing on greens in regulation, I suspect that some putting improvement (she’s No.129 in putting average) would vault her into the upper echelon of players seeking a spot on the LPGA Tour.

Jean Chua about to tee off on final day

As I think about that last paragraph, it brings to mind my own condition. If I had showed some putting improvement last Sunday, I might have bettered my best round ever at Verandah’s Old Orange. Instead, I merely tied my best score, which I hadn’t shot there since 2010. Thanks for the inspiration ladies, and I wish you all the best in the Volvik Race for the Card!

General Manager Ed Rogers, Head Superintendent
Bryce Koch & Head Golf Professional Dan Pontes
check things out from the balcony

Thanks to staff and volunteers at Cypress Lake for the awesome job they did hosting the event, to Chico’s for bringing us the event, and to all who showed up to support the ladies doing all they can to live the dream. Until next, “Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course — the distance between your ears” (Bobby Jones).

Additional photos may be viewed here

HIDEAWAY QUOTA SKINS GAME WEEK 2

Nobody did much the first Thursday Night QSG of the season, but that was not the case this past Thursday, as

Scott LoVecchio

Scott LoVecchio was plus-7 on his round (what did he have to get Jeff; 3 points? wink) AND snagged a skin with his birdie on No.17. 

Showing his winning technique

Now, Scott can’t retire on his winnings, but hey, pocketing $92 for nine holes ($42 for 

plus-7 on his quota and $50 for the skin) on a Thursday afternoon after work ain’t half bad…especially with just a $20 entry. Scott was both a good golfer and a stand-up guy last Thursday, buying a round for the house in celebration.

An unhappy T. A.

I wasn’t very optimistic when we started on Thursday. In fact, I was downright pessimistic; so much so that I had Chris Hill fix me up a Bloody Mary before we started. I almost never touch the stuff before or during a round if I’m serious about playing golf.

Chris Capps 

That pessimism was based upon my performance during the practice holes that Chris Capps and I played on the front-9 prior to the QSG teeing off on the back. Let’s just way it wasn’t pretty, and I was feeling the five scorching hours of lessons I had given earlier that day, and didn’t think there’s was anyway I would do anything good on the course that evening.

Sean Roberts and Sean Balliet 

Of course, that would be the day that I would have the privilege of playing with Sean Balliet, our Director of Golf at The Hideaway, 

Sean Roberts

Sean Roberts, a local rep with golfnow.com and Golf Channel, and my g-bud (usual golf buddy) Chris. Chris has seen me at my worst, so I’m not worried about him watching me play lousy golf, but the other two? Well, that’s different.

I wonder whose ball they're looking for? Wasn't mine!

So we proceed to Hole 17 to fire off our salvos in the shotgun start. A too-long 3-wood (which I thought was a good shot), a 7-iron right of the green, and a totally unwarranted 3-putt, and I’m sitting on a double bogey. 

Admiring Sean's swing

Geez! Right off the bat? I don’t remember what the other guys had, and it didn’t even matter. It looked like a self-fulfilling prophecy was in the making.

I managed to bogey 18 from the middle of the fairway (lucky bounce off the rocks!), because, well, simply because I can’t bleepin’ hit my irons!!! As a writer, I know about writer’s block. 

Now, as a golfer, when it comes to putting second shots on the green, I have golfer’s block. I better figure something out before it’s time to head to Myrtle Beach for the World Am in August! 

That said, somehow I managed to hit three of the next four greens, notch three pars on holes 10 through 12, and, miracles never cease, I dropped a birdie on No.13. 

Tree trouble? No problem

I’m proud of that bird because, because after I hit what I thought was a nice drive, I ended up with a tad bit of hanging-branch trouble right at the corner of the dogleg. I punched a low 9-iron to about eight feet and sank the birdie putt. But wouldn’t you know it? I finally get a birdie in the QSG and it doesn’t hold up when it was time to pay up.

But hey, although I didn’t do anything worthwhile the rest of the way, I posted a six-over-40 on the back-9, which is certainly the best I have done at The Hideaway this season... 

Chris Hill making the rounds

and certainly more than I would expect after two Bloody Marys. Oh, I also got one more point than my quota of 12 for the day (Yeah, Chris came by in the beverage cart and took care of me. He’s cool that way).

Sean driving with the hips

Sean B wasn’t too thrilled with his performance for most of the nine, but he closed with a birdie on 16 that picked his spirits up a bit. I think he may have even scored a point above his quota. Chris posted 13, one above his quota as well, and Sean R? 

Jeff dishing out the loot

Well, given his stellar performance during Week 1, I’m guessing he may have fallen a tad short this time around. I’m sure he’ll be back with a vengeance next week.

Chet and his pals enjoy a cold one

That’s the thing about The Hideaway’s Thursday Night QSG: even if you don’t make a nickel, it’s still a blast! 

Dave Bartoe & his Stogie

The guys who come out are guys who just love the game, the course is in great shape, and although Chris is no honey of a cart girl or anything, he gets the job done with the refreshments before, during and after the game (That popcorn is da bomb!).

Steph getting some pre-game shots

I'm sure that having the sweetest photographer in town doesn't hurt any. Sure makes my Thursday Night more enjoyable. What do you guys think? Speaking of photography, click here for additional photos of The Hideaway’s Thursday Night QSG on 5/1. 

CHICO'S BRINGS LADIES PRO GOLF TO CYPRESS LAKES

I'm Confoosed!

Far too often I run into a bit of information that makes me say, “Why in the “bleep” didn’t I know that?” I had one of those moments today when I finally tuned into what a couple of people have been hinting at for a couple of days.

Terry Jo Myers

A few days ago, on the putting green at The Hideaway Country Club, Glenn Myers had mentioned that his Sister Terry Jo had been around the club (The Hideaway) getting ready for her participation in an event at Cypress Lake Country Club. Did I pay that much attention? Nope.

Nolan Henke- Photo courtesy of Kevin Cox/Getty Images

Yesterday, before we started our tennis lesson, Nolan Henke’s wife Michelle mentioned that 

Blair O'Neal

her husband was going to be playing with Blair O’Neal at Cypress Lake, and, yes, that was a big deal. If you don’t know who Blair O’Neal is, she shows up on all the “hot golfer” lists and is a legitimate model.

T. A. & Chris 

So did I get a clue that something golf-special was going on around town? Not a chance! Clueless, obtuse, dense, or just plain “duhhh” would all be adequate descriptors for me. Finally, after golf buddy Chris Capps prodded me a bit, I decided to investigate further.

Holy hole in one Batman; there’s a real live women’s professional event in town, and it’s only 10 minutes away from me! 

Ginger Howard at Sara Bay

Maybe I should listen to the radio, watch the TV, or something along those lines, huh? For those who don’t know and perhaps haven’t cared until this very moment, the Symetra Tour is billed as “The road to the LPGA,” and functions like the Web.com Tour for the PGA Tour.

Patty Berg, 1st LPGA President

In any event, the Inaugural Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial, a new Symetra Tour stop, that debuted at Cypress Lake this Friday, May 2^nd. Somewhere in the annals of my quickly dissipating mind there’s some knowledge of Patty Berg, one of the founding members of the LPGA, but there was absolutely no knowledge that Cypress Lake was her home club. Oh, by the way, Patty Berg still holds the record for the most majors in LPGA history (15)!

Cypress Lake Country Club

Kudos to Chico's for sponsoring a tour stop and bring the Symetra Tour to Fort Myers! Props to Cypress Lake Country Club for hosting the event, to Century Link for providing free admission to the event, and to Edison College for the free parking! Proceeds from the Chico's Patty Berg Memorial will benefit the American Cancer Society's ovarian cancer research efforts.

I didn’t get down there after my lessons today, but I will be sure to get down to Cypress Lakes tomorrow (Saturday, May 3^rd) to pay my respects and check out some future LPGA stars. Before I go, tell me Michelle, did Nolan have a good time today (wink)? Grip it and rip it...T. A.