North and South reach tie on California’s Pacific Grove

The Pacific Grove Golf Links

   The 2015 North-South went off without a hitch. Social festivities started things off on Friday night at Kris and Sylvia Surano’s Victorian Pacific Grove home. Terrific snack and drinks were on hand, along with great company. A special thank you to Erik Beer for bringing some home-brewed “Stiff Hickory” beer to the event.

   Saturday morning dawned with overcast skies for the front 9 at Pacific Grove Golf Links, but turned to wonderful blue skies over the picturesque sand dunes and Pacific Ocean for the back 9. Twenty-seven players from seven different states took part in this annual event. Fourteen players on the North team took on 13 of South California’s finest hickory players. The two-man team matches were close throughout, so much so that the results were a tie – 10 ½ points to 10 ½ points.

   Following the matches, closest-to-the-pin and Bogey Awards were presented. Not long after, everyone was out and ready for the trunk trade show. Some good clubs changed hands, and a great small headed smooth-faced niblick from Los Angeles found a new and happy owner. The full day of golf festivities came to a close with the annual Hot Dog BBQ at Lover’s Point Park right at the beach. Fun company and interesting stories from the day made for a great evening of day one.

   Sunday morning’s weather continued with perfect conditions. Good play, good scores, and just plain enjoyable golf. With the matches over, hickory players would concentrate more on their personal scores for a two-day total. There were 13 players in each division, placed according to handicaps, for a chance to be top dog in the Walter Hagen (5-14 hdcp) and Bobby Jones (15-32 hdcp) divisions. Congrats to Michael Scott, Dan Vordale, and John Sweeney in the Bobby Jones Division; and Steve Henneuse, John Boyd, and John Quickstad in the Walter Hagen Division. 

   Closest to the pin winners were Larry Sonnenberg, Michael Scott, Dana Niehaus, Doug Richards. Dan Vordale took home the Bogey Award.

   We are having such great fun with this outing that we can’t help but invite all of you, all of our hickory friends, to take part in one of the finest events that hickory golf in California can provide. You can’t beat the great company, or the cool summer weather.

The Saturday Match Results

The Final North/South Scoreboard

The players for the 2015 California North/South.

Hickory toughs.

Making it look soooo easy.