Devotees of Mission Trails Golf Course can rejoice. The dastardly 11th hole – the par-4 most likely to ruin your good round – has been tamed. At least for a few months.
Last week, the 11th was shortened to a 153-yard par-3 from the blues (142, whites) because the San Diego County Water Authority is relining an aqueduct that runs under the original tee box and down to nearby Lake Murray.
The work is expected to take at least eight months, after which the hole will be restored as a slightly longer par-4 with a new and improved tee box. A mound on the fairway's right side also will be leveled to make the hole more playable.
Some Mission Trails regulars have voiced strong displeasure with the project, General Manager Dennis Stankovic said. But course operator American Golf had little choice in the matter. The work is being conducted and paid for by the water authority.
“The county needs water,” Stankovic said. “As a golf course, it would be bad for us to not care about water needs.”
Stankovic has managed the change admirably. Instead of just throwing down tee markers on a shaved fairway, a new tee box was built. New scorecards were made with the updated yardage, and the SCGA will be re-rating the course, which is now a par-70 that is 5,739 yards from the blues, 5,319 from the whites.
There are few more daunting tee shots in the county than the 11th when it's played as an uphill par-4 with a blind tee shot. The left side has a cliff and the right has houses in the driving zone. Par is a nice score there and doubles and triples are plentiful.
Some of us aren't about to gripe about the temporary change, which now has the back nine opening with consecutive par-3s. In a round last week, they put us off the back nine first, and a buddy, en route to a personal record of 81, opened 3-3. I asked him when was the last time he'd done that.
“Family Fun Center,” he said, and I believe he was serious.
Local juniors honored
The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) last week announced its 2008 HP Scholastic Junior All-Americans, and five of the 24 honorees hail from the San Diego area.
Katie Sylvan of San Diego, Julia Thead of Poway, Danielle Frasier of Encinitas, and Rachel Morris and Steven Kearney of Carlsbad were recognized for their performances on the course and in the classroom. Sylvan was the national HP Scholastic Essay Award winner and also was the recipient of the USGA/AJGA President's Youth Leadership Award.
The golfers will be honored at the Rolex Junior All-America Awards Banquet on Nov. 23 at Ginn Reunion Resort in Reunion, Fla.
By being named to the team, each player also is eligible to compete in the Polo Golf Junior Classic, one of the most prestigious events in junior golf, taking place Nov. 22-28 at the same resort.
Buick Am qualifier
Entries are still open for golfers with a 0 or better handicap to compete in the 18-hole Buick Invitational Amateur Qualifying event on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Torrey Pines South.
The entry fee is $125 per player, which also includes two season passes to the 2009 Buick (Feb. 5-8). The entry deadline is Friday. This is the 25th year the Century Club of San Diego has held this event, which enables one amateur to compete against 155 professional players in the Buick at Torrey Pines.
Registration is available online at www.centuryclubofsandiego.org or by calling (619) 281-4653.
Century Club Matches
The teams have been named for the 37th SAIC Century Club Matches, pitting local teaching professionals against top amateurs at The Farms Golf Club on Nov. 7-9.
The Amateurs, captained by Wayne Bell and Pete Sanchez, are: Brian Bazzel, Dane Chapin, Pat Duncan, Mark Etue, John Hoffman, Jeff Hunter, Tom Isaak, Don O'Connor, Geoff Park, Pete Roberts, Jim Robyn and Mark Stuart.
The Pros, captained by John Mason and Greg Prudham, are: Greg Casagranda, Jason Edmiston, Matt Gibbons, Justin Hicks, Barry Mahlberg, Scott Mahlberg, Ross Marcano, Chuck Minerd, Bruce Nakamura, Mike Nokes, Tim Parun and Steve Vaughn.
Instructors honored
Tom Wischmeyer of Stadium Golf and
Sheri Hayes of the Carlsbad Golf Center have been named among
Golf Range Magazine's Top 50 instructors for 2008. The magazine annually rates the top teachers who work at golf ranges (learning centers, indoor facilities and domes) and short courses (par-3 and executive).
Torrey video hot
The Torrey Pines U.S. Open is producing more records for the U.S. Golf Association.
In only two months, the 2008 U.S. Open highlights of Tiger Woods'playoff win over Rocco Mediate – called “Duel for the Ages” – has become the hottest-selling DVD sold by the USGA and is on pace to break the sales mark set by the DVD featuring Woods' 2002 U.S. Open win at Bethpage Black.
“We are thrilled that so many golf fans have continued to show their interest in watching one of the most incredible championships we've ever conducted,” Mary Lopuszynski, the USGA's director of licensing and U.S. Open merchandising, said on the USGA Web site.
The DVD is $19.95, plus tax and shipping, with a $3 discount afforded USGA members. It's available at www.usgapubs.com or by calling (800) 336-4446.
Bethpage tickets
For those who caught the U.S. Open bug at Torrey and want to see another championship live, there are still tickets available for next June's 109th Open at Bethpage in New York. The USGA says a limited number of practice-round ($40) tickets and Thursday ($100) tickets remain and can be purchased at
www.usga.org/tickets.
Joh plays for U.S.
Rancho Bernardo High alum
Tiffany Joh tied for 19th and her three-woman U.S. team finished third last week in the World Amateur Team Championships in Adelaide, Australia.
Sweden had the top two scorers and won the tournament by a record 12 shots over Spain and 14 over the U.S. American Alison Walshe tied for sixth and Amanda Blumenhurst tied for 11th.
Rancho Santa Fe's Jamie Lovemark is on the American men's team that begins play on Thursday in Adelaide.
New Carlsbad City Am
The city of Carlsbad and KemperSports will hold the first City of Carlsbad Amateur Golf Championship on Nov. 15-16 at The Crossings at Carlsbad. There will be multiple flights, and divisions for seniors, ladies, low gross and low net. Participants must be a resident of Carlsbad and have a verifiable SCGA handicap. The field will be limited to 100 golfers. The entry fee is $225 and the deadline to register is Nov. 5. For information, call (760) 444-1800, ext. 2, or visit
www.thecrossingsatcarlsbad.com.
Tod Leonard: (619) 293-1858; tod.leonard@uniontrib.com
