Sometimes longevity does have its rewards, which I found out last week during a gathering of many of my friends and relatives to celebrate my 90th birthday at Butte Creek Country Club. Through the efforts of my dear friend, John MacTavish, the Ed Anderson “Tee to Green” Charitable Fund was established in my honor.
MacTavish, who spearheaded this endeavor, encouraged many members of our local golf community to contribute in order to create this fund in my name through the North Valley Community Foundation. Some of those who helped him with this endeavor were the El Rancho Chico Golf Club, through its president, Pat Goodwin; The Bidwell Women’s Golf Club; Canyon Oaks Country Club members, with help from its PGA Professional, Tom Pyeatt; Butte Creek Country Club members with the help of PGA professional Derrick Schultz; and members Bob Leckinger and Greg Martin, along with PGA Professional Mike Mattingly, to contribute to the start of a charitable fund in my name through the North Valley Community Foundation.
The purpose of the fund is to support 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations as well as charitable projects and programs within the scope of Code Section 170(c)(1) or (2)(B) that are consistent with the exempt purposes of the foundation. I am truly honored and at the same time humbled by this special tribute. Once the fund is sufficiently established and continuing to grow, I will enlist the help and input from our local golf clubs and others to find special projects, and in particular junior golf programs and junior players who could use financial support to further their goals. Thank you to all who helped make this become a reality and to those of you who contribute in the future. I am lucky to have been raised and live in such a generous community as Chico!
Bidwell Park Golf Course
The El Rancho Chico Golf Club held a 4-Man Money Ball Tournament last Sunday, wherein the score of each team members was counted on their designated holes along with the best ball of the other three team members. The field was divided into three flights White Tee flight: 1, Dan Evaro, Andy Godsill, Barry Woolf and Josh Woolf, 130; 2, Brian Buckham, Jason Pezzetti, John Williams and Jordan Williams, 135; 3, Tony Allspaugh, Ed Anderson, Ben Heerema and Jeff Nedved, 136, card-off; 4, Matt Ferguson, Todd Martin, Miles Tegarden and Duke Warren, 136, card-off; Losing the three-way card-off and settling for the fifth spot was the team of Randy Cook, Lloyd Hightower, Tod Kimmelshue and Rob Sylvester.
Yellow tee flight: 1, Art Gausemel, Pat Goodwin, Phil Jones and Rich Lash, 133; 2, Jim Barrett, Scott Donahoo, Darrell Hands and Gary Pederson, 138; 3, Craig Fellner, Craig Herman, Vic Mitchell and Dan White, 146.
Closest to the pin, white tee flight: No. 2, Jordan Williams; No. 4, Sylvester; No. 7, Rio Gates; No. 9, Landon Williams; No. 12, Jason Roberts; No. 16, John Williams. Yellow tee flight: No. 2, White; No. 4, Allspaugh; No. 7, Goodwin; No. 9, Pederson; No. 12, Kimmelshue; No. 16, Lash.
Canyon Oaks Country Club
The week before last I forgot to include the results of the Canyon Oaks Women’s Golf Club weekly tournament, which was a game called “Mary, Jane and Susie,” The scores were counted on all 4 par 3 holes, the best par 4 score on the front and back nine and likewise on the par 5 holes. Evie Spring and Cynthia Paulo tied for overall low gross at 97. Spring was also overall low net, at even par 72. Game; 1, Linda Arellano, 21; 2, tie, Emily Mellon and Spring 23. Closest to pin on hole number 6: 1, Melinda Self; 2, Lynne Beyers; 3, Paulo.
Table Mountain Golf Course
The Table Mountain Women’s Golf Club played a game called “2-5-2” for its weekly outing. Players recorded their best score on two of the par 3’s, five of the par 4’s and two of the par 5’s for the game score. Sally Stemen was overall low gross with a score of 93. Liz Hofeling claimed low net at 75. Game: 1, JoAnne Jircitano, 33.5; 2, Dana Blanton, 34.5; 3, Deb Lerner, 36, card-off; 4, Christl Yates, 36. Closest to the pin on No. 7, Blanton.
Butte Creek Country Club
The game for the Butte Creek Women’s Golf Club tournament last week was a 3-Woman Scramble, net scores. Taking first was the team of Paula Kokal, Katie Leach and Jeannie Stone at 67; 2, Karen Beckman, Jayne Bunting and Karla Dreiss, 9; Rounding out the payout for third place was the team of Vicki Ellcessor, Irma Jenkins and JoAnne Rutledge, 70.
Junior golf
Chico has some great junior golf programs provided by the local golf courses, including the Skyway Golf Park and the recently completed Bill Rich Golf Beyond Chico pitching course adjacent to CARD’s DeGarmo Park, and the results are evident. Several local junior players who participate in the US Kids Sacramento Tour and Central Valley Tour are: 9-year-old Alex Baca, 9-year-old Livy Woodward and 7-year-old Asher Boone. Woodward recently played in tournaments at Bing Maloney and at Wildhawk in Sacramento finishing third and second respectively. Boone finished third at a tournament at Bartley Cavanaugh, followed that up with a first place victory at Wildhawk and a tie for second place at the Haggin Oaks Complex, Arcade course in the Tour Championship tournament last Sunday. The tour point total had not been posted at press time, but with those statistics mentioned above Boone is definitely in line to take the title in the 7-year-old boys division.
Spectacular shots
Gerry Levin found his trusty 9-iron to be to his liking last week at Bidwell. Levin, playing with Elliot Levin and George Kremenliff, hit a perfect 136-yard, 9-iron tee shot into the cup on the par 3, 16th hole for his third career hole-in-one.
The 7th hole at Bidwell also gave up a hole-in-one last week. Ethan Mayer recorded his first career ace hitting a perfect 143-yard pitching wedge into the hole as witnessed by his playing companions, Keith (didn’t get his last name) and Nick Dunwoody. A 143-yard pitching wedge, wow!
Ed Anderson’s local golf column appears Tuesdays. He can be reached at edanderson1936@gmail.com.