With the approval of course designer Gene Bates, Centerville chose to reduce the number of sand bunkers on the course to lower the maintenance cost.
“We have four acres of sand out here,” course superintendent Terry Taylor pointed out. “After a rain storm we’ll be three to four days getting those bunkers in good shape.”
With 27 holes available ever since the nine-hole Vintage course was opened in 2001, Yankee Trace sees itself as having three nine-hole courses – The Heritage, The Legend and The Vintage – instead of the original 18.
No significant changes have been made to the bunkers on the Heritage (original front nine) to date, but several bunkers have been removed on the Legend (back) side.
At the former 10th, 14th and 16th holes, one or two bunkers not guarding the green have been removed.
Some bunkers are being eliminated on the Vintage (newest) nine as well, but that work has not been completed. All in all, golfers probably welcome the changes.
Grabeman in USGA event
Kevin Grabeman, the former Ohio State University golfer from Springboro, will be teeing it up in the United States Mid-Amateur Championship Sept. 6-11 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa.
Grabeman, who now lives in Columbus, shot 74 in an 18-hole qualifier at The Heritage Club on July 30. That put him in a three-way tie for second place with Robert Gerwin and Alex Rodgers of Cincinnati.
When the three had a playoff for two spots, Grabeman finished third and was classed as an alternate. Last week he received word from the USGA that a position became available and he will be in the Mid-Am after all.
Strong senior field
Seventy-one players have entered the 36-hole Miami Valley Senior Metropolitan Championship that will be played Thursday and Friday at Miami Valley Golf Club and 16 have signed up for the Miami Valley Golf Association’s first Mid-Amateur Championship that will run alongside the senior event.
Five former champions are among the 46 in the ages 50-64 category. They include: Bob Eardley (2008), Bob Jones (2008-09-10), Tim Sorrows (2011), Tal Selby (2012) and Dave Larger (2013).
The Mid-Amateur (25-and-over) group includes former Metro champions Pete Samborsky and Jeff Scohy.
A Memorial tournament
Golf professional Jim Rue, who has been teaching youth golfers at Rollandia for the last 10 years, and his daugther, Cristina, are hoping to recruit golfers to participate in a fund-raising tournament Sept. 19 at PipeStone Golf Club in Miamisburg.
The Carlos Alberto Memorial Tournament will be played in honor of Cristina’s half-brother, who died of mitochondrial disease at the age of 9 last Dec. 19 in Caracus, Venezuela. Mitochondrial disease is a serious breakdown of cells that can occur anywhere in the body.
Rue lived in Caracas for 22 years before coming to Dayton in 2001, and Carlos was his ex-wife’s son. Cristina, a graduate of Miami and George Washington universities, lives in D.C.
Proceeds from the two-man scramble will go to the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. The shotgun event begins at 1:30 p.m., and the fee is $95 per player. Dinner will follow. If interested, call Jim Rue at 937-287-8715.
Chip Shots
Tim Krapfel, former head professional at Country Club of the North and a resident of Centerville, won the Southern Ohio PGA Seniors Championship Wednesday with a 1-under-par score of 143 (69-74) at Sycamore Creek Country Club.
Host pro Bob Stephens (77-70) and Steve Jurick (74-73), executive director of the Miami Valley Golf Association, tied for fourth at 147. All qualified for the Senior PGA National Championship.
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