Club championship tees off Saturday

Golf commonly is referred to as a good walk ruined. But there will be plenty of good times shared at this weekend’s Kitchen Creek club championship.
While the competitive spirit won’t be completely absent from the annual event, Kitchen Creek head pro Steve Wood said the two-day tournament is geared more towards recreational greens enthusiasts.
“Some people hear the word ‘tournament’ and they automatically get a little nervous,” said Wood. “But in this tournament, you play in the same group with people with similar handicaps.
“It’s a good chance for people to play with people they’ve never played with before, and helps the new members get out and meet some people.
“Sure, the competitiveness is still there with the more talented players. But overall, it’s more of a fun weekend,” he added.
The men’s open division will feature defending champ Brian Beers along with past champion Greg Ward. But Wood predicted it will be no easy task for either one to win the title again.
“There’s a bunch of guys who could take it on any given day,” he remarked.
Along with the men’s and women’s open divisions (ages 19-49), titles will be up for grabs in the junior girls’ and boys’ categories (18 and under), senior women and men (50-64), and masters women and men (65 and up).
An extra component of the tournament will be the exhibition sudden-death shutout after Saturday’s round is completed.
The top finishers for the day in the women’s and men’s open groups, along with the first-place junior, senior, and masters competitors and the next five best scores will take part in a nine-hole showdown.
“The golfer with the worst score will be dropped from each hole until there’s only one left,” explained Wood. “If there’s a tie on a hole, we’ll have a chip-off to determine who misses the cut.”
Last year, about 110 local golfers swung into action at the club championship and Wood is hoping for even better numbers this time around.
“I’d like to see upwards of 200 players sign up,” he said. “The more people we have, the better the prizes will be.”
Entry fee is $50, which includes a dinner Saturday night and a breakfast Sunday morning. The tournament is open to club members only.