By Bruce Meadows
Hold on a minute . . .
We recently heard from Oakmont GM and head pro Greg Anderson about what he thought was a record 18-hole round on the East Course by Tom Anderson, a junior at Maria Carrillo High.
Greg said he was pretty sure this was a record but wasn’t absolutely certain. But as is often the case when a “record” is reported — in golf and just about anything — a correction was quickly registered.
It came from Jess Stimack, Bennett Valley assistant pro and Montgomery High golf coach, who tells us while Anderson’s 6-under-par 57 was an outstanding round, he had toured the 18-hole executive course in 55 strokes.
“I think it was in 2009 when I shot the 55,” recalls Jess, who was playing in a “casual round” with Zach Christ and Danny and Brian Macler. “I let the East pro shop guy know about it but he apparently didn’t follow up.
“We all had Mondays off so we played a lot of golf together. There was a great group of other local pros –Jason Schmuhl, Tim Bogue, Jonathan Carlson, Adam Lewis, Jeff Pace, Andrew Hoffer — and we would get together at different courses on a Monday or Tuesday and tee it up.
“It was three or four years after college. Wish I still had the scorecard, but I did chip in for birdie on 18,” recalled Jess, adding he had the Fountaingrove record (66) for a while until Windsor’s Schmuhl shot a 65.
“But as far as course records go, I think Tim Bogue’s 59 at Oakmont West is really safe.”
Piner Cup Tournament . . .
The Piner Cup Tournament is Sunday, June 2, at Windsor Golf Club .
Entry fee is $125 per player, which includes golf, cart, range balls and food after the tournament .
All proceeds go to the Piner High School golf program. Information at Piner High School or by emailing Rich Gregus , Piner golf coach at sandypar@att.net
At Bennett Valley . . .
Sirs #17 & #76 – Play Monday mornings year around. For more information call 707-823-9718.
Bennett Valley Womens’ Golf Club – Thursday mornings (18 and over). For more information call 707-539-9478.
Bennett Valley Junior Club – Plays on the weekday afternoons from late spring to early fall. All Junior Club members must successfully complete the online Youth on Course Program (YOC) offered through the Northern California Golf Association.
Contact the Golf Shop at 707 528-3673 for more information. In addition to participating in the North Bay Junior League BV will be hosting Nike Golf Camps as well as a series of clinics run by Jim Knego and his staff this summer.
Ladies’ Sunset League – Mondays from April through September. Tee times are between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. For more information call 707-579-5491.
Santa Rosa City Championships – 2019 Individual Championships will be held Oct. 26-27. The 2019 4-Ball Championships will be held June 22-23 Applications available at BV web site 8 weeks prior to events.
Earth Day at Little River Inn . . .
Little River Inn Golf Course is again hosting its annual free event in honor of Earth Day on Saturday April 27, from 9-11 a.m.in the Abalone Hall at Little River Inn, 7901 North Highway One in Little River.
This year the topic is Birds of Prey such as hawks, falcons, etc. Featured speaker will be Larry Broderick, coordinator of West County Hawkwatch in Sonoma County. He has been researching raptors for over 25 years and is a leading authority on the subject.
“His powerpoint presentation is dynamic and fascinating, covering species ID, habitat preferences, preferred prey and behaviors,” says Little River’s Terry Stratton. ” The talk will be culminated by a short hike on Little River Inn’s Audubon International certified sanctuary golf course to hopefully observe some specimens in their natural habitat. Light healthy snacks will be served. All ages are welcome.”
For additional information, call 707-962-2183.
At Rooster Run . . .
Rooster Run PGA pro Dave Johnson has announced his summer junior golf camp schedule. His camps are in their 15th year.
Half- and full-day camps are being offered June 10-14, June 24-28, July 15-18 and Aug. 5-9.
Cost is $295 for half-day 9-noon) camps, which include nine holes of golf; full-day camps (9-4) are $425 and also include nine holes of golf.
For more information or to sign up, call 707-484-0467 or go to davejohnsongolf72@yahoo.com
More golf tips . . .
Hope you are enjoying – and taking advantage of – golf tips sent to GOLF 707 from local instructors and amateurs.
If you’d like to share some of your secrets, please send them to me.
One of the latest:
Val Verhunce, Sonoma State golf coach, PGA instructor
Missing those short putts? You know those putts you should be making from four feet and in.
Chances are that your thoughts are to complicated. I want you to try this little experiment.
Take your putter and a golf ball and make your way to the putting green. Place the ball about six inches away from the hole and take dead aim. I want to make sure your focus is on the direction. Now, knock the putt in. Start moving the ball six inches back at a time, be sure to focus on your aim and knock the putt in.
Once you have reached 3- 4 feet from the hole, I want you to ask yourself the question, was I thinking of the speed of my putt? Chances are that the speed of your putt is something that won’t be at the forefront of your mind. But too often, we complicate these short putts by over thinking the speed as well as the direction.
Most short putts are missed by direction issues not speed issues. So, if you are going to spend the extra time to survey these short putts, put direction at the top of the priority list when you are on the course next time and knock it in!
*** If these tips are helping you, let us know, or the person who made the tips. And is there a part of your game that needs help??? Tell us know and we will try to find some answers.
Oakmont summer camps . . .
Summer camp registration is now open at Oakmont GC. Camp #1 is June 10-14; Camp #2 July 8-12, Camp #3 July 29-Aug. 2.
Half-day (9-noon) sessions are coeducational, ages 7-13. All abilities welcome, with small-group instruction. Cost includes mid-morning snack. Full-day (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) for ages 7-17. All abilities welcome; small-group instruction followed by daily instruction on course; cost includes mid-morning snack and lunch.
To get $25 off registration, use code EMAILLIST at check out. Early registration available, but code is valid until April 30. Costs from $250.
Participants should make sure to have both health insurance info and phone numbers available when registering.
For details, contact Rebecka Heimert, at rebeckaheinmert@mac.com
Napa Valley Golf and Wine experience . . .
The two-day Napa Valley Golf and Wine Experience is scheduled May 14-15 at Chardonnay GC in Napa.
Pros 2 Golf instruction on practice facilities at Chardonnay. Offer includes lunch at The View Bar & Grill; golf at Chardonnay each day after lunch; personalized Cobra Golf club fitting using Trackman launch monitor; $500 retail value of Cobra credit towards your custom-fitted order; private wine tasting at nearby Falcor Winery on Tuesday evening. Cost $1,495 per person; minimum group size 4, maximum 12.
Pros 2 Go instructors are David Knox, PGA, and Susan Briske, LPGA. For more information, call David at 916-533-4108 or go to pros2golf.com
Trip to Bandon Dunes . . .
Derek Felciano’s annual trek to play Bandon Dunes GC in Oregon is scheduled Nov. 24-27 this year.
This is the 20th anniversary for the Bandon golf complex and the 19th time a Santa Rosa-based group is making the trip. The first six teams that register will receive a dozen ProV1 20th anniversary golf balls.
The trip includes three nights’ lodging; three rounds of golf on Bandon’s championship links; three full breakfasts; two Bandon Choice Buffet dinners; unlimited use of driving range; shuttle to and from resort; Punch Bowl putting course; Shorty’s Par-3 Course, as well as various group and individuals competitions.
Lodging costs vary so check with Derek for details and credit card authorization. Transactions can be handle via mail or cash at Santa Rosa G&CC. Go to Derek’s web site, djf711@icloud.com for information.
Let’s hear from you . . .
Thanks for your comments, questions and suggestions. I love to get them and would really like to get more.
If you have information about anything golf-related, including upcoming activities, please let me know. And if you have questions, complaints or compliments about golf in our area, I’d love to hear them.
If you have a golfer you know who you think would be an interesting story. Tell me about it. Having 
trouble with your game? Let me know what it is and I’ll try to get a sensible answer for you from a local pro.
And we would be proud to include you as one of our sponsors – thanks to Bill Carson at Wine Country Golf for his continued support – so if you care to get some details about being a sponsor of GOLF 707, email me at bmeadows4sports@aol.com