Golf Notes is being written on December 28, 2025, and what is that color in the sky? It’s blue. The sky is blue. Oh my, what a beautiful site. The sky is blue, but if you live on Albion Ridge and, I’m sure, lots of other locations, you are still living without electricity. Hopefully, by the time this week’s paper hits the streets, we’ll have our power back on. A good thing about golf is that electricity isn’t needed. Last Wednesday, there was a little lull in the downpour, so Chuck Alegrinni and I showed up for the Stableford format and were the only Stableford golfers who did. The Little River Inn’s generator was humming joyfully in the background, keeping the Inn juiced. There were a few other golfers on the course, but very few. The course maintenance crew was busy effectively tidying up the course, which was littered with fallen branches. Primarily, the crew was focusing on clearing the greens of debris, so your putt didn’t have to navigate through branches, needles, and pinecones.
Earlier in the year, the course, wisely, removed many of the dead trees, which would indeed have posed a potential hazard to the fairways and greens. And now, later in the day, Albion Ridge has its power restored. On the ridge today, more service trucks were focusing on different areas than I have ever seen in the 50-odd years I have lived on the ridge. Thank you! Thank you! Fifty years on the ridge and you don’t have a generator? Mmm? And my golfing buddy Jim Ellis, who has generously loaned me a generator in the past, would say, “Larry, you still don’t have a generator?” “I don’t.”
Sunday, December 28th, was a clear, chilly day, and the golf course was fully operational. Ten local golfers joined forces to form a Stableford format. Dave Coddington joined forces with Butch Carlsedt for a partner’s combined 70 Stableford points. However, Scott Dietz paired up with Dave Swensen also for a combined 70 points, causing a first-place tie. So, the first-place teams split the winnings. Scott and Butch each rounded up 37 Stableford points, resulting in a first-place individual tie, so they were also required to share the bounty. David Sroaf, with 36 points, and Larry England, with 31 points, placed second, partnering with a combined 67 points.
An interesting conversation was had with Bill Gibney while hanging out at the Pro Shop last Sunday. Bill, a local, who, historically, may have played more rounds than any other local golfer has five hole-in-ones under his belt. He also revealed that, over the years, he has scored two under par on every hole of the Little River Course at least once. An eagle on every hole. Very nice, Bill.
