Last October, DCC made some significant changes in its bunkers, eliminating some, reshaping some, installing new ones and refurbishing all of the others with new sand.
The work was done by the golf course maintenance staff under the direction of green superintendent Ryan D’Autremont. Tom Topp of Kettering, noted for his skill with a bulldozer, did the shaping.
Here is some of what WWGA president Kim Schriver of Wilmette, Ill., tournament chairperson Barbara Vollmer of Cincinnati and three other committee members saw when they were given a tour by DCC general manager Jeffrey Grant and club pro Rob Karnes.
• Hole No. 1 has new approach, the downhill par-3 second hole has a hidden (from the tee) pot bunker right of the green and two sand bunkers where grass bunkers had been.
• A huge sycamore tree that knocked down many shots to the sixth green has been taken down, but three fairway bunkers have been installed near the landing area.
• Three fairway bunkers also were added at the left side of the fairway on the par-4 seventh and the par-4 eighth has new greenside bunkers on both sides.
• Two bunkers were installed left of the green at the par-3 10th, and a bunker behind the green at No. 11 was removed.
• There were significant changes near the elevated green at the par-3 16th. Three bunkers were removed and an apron was installed to permit run-up approaches.
• The huge bunker at the left of the 18th green was elevated, making bunker shots easier on the par-3 hole. Two pot bunkers on the hillside right of the green were eliminated.
Grant, who was DCC’s general manager when the WWGA tournament was here in 2013, said the club is “excited to have the event returning” in 2016. Karnes, who was not at DCC in 2013, is no stranger to the WWGA. He was head pro at Monroe (Mich.) Golf & Country Club when it hosted the WWGA championship.
Fogt makes a pitch at Busch Stadium
Vandalia native Brian Fogt had a big thrill last month when he threw the ceremonial first pitch at a St. Louis Cardinals game. Fogt, a teaching professional at Bellerive Country Club near St. Louis, has been a lifelong Cardinals fan.
Some of the former Cardinals, including Bob Gibson and Ozzie Smith, attended a fund-raiser at Bellerive during which there was a silent auction for tickets to a game and the right to throw the first pitch. One of the club members won it and gave the prize to Fogt.
Two more courses close
It’s sad to see so many golf courses closing. Hawthorne Hills at Lima and Weatherwax at Middletown were added to the list last week.
Weatherwax opened in the early 1970s. For several years senior golfers from Dayton flocked to Weatherwax, claiming that its courses were in much better condition than Dayton’s municipal courses. At the time they were correct. Now Weatherwax will be just a memory.
Hall of Fame induction today at Kittyhawk
Michael Castleforte, Larry Hayes, Emma Jandel, Greg Lawrence and Mike Suttman will be inducted in the Dayton Amateur Golf Hall of Fame today at Kittyhawk Golf Course.
If you want to attend and haven’t made reservations for the 4 p.m. dinner, you can show up at 5 p.m. for the ceremony. I’m told that pro golfer Emma Jandel’s award will be accepted by her father.
Pin Winners crown to Miami Valley team
Three weeks ago, Lori Schroeder broke the women’s scoring record at Miami Valley Golf Club twice, shooting 68 on Sept. 3 and 65 on Sept. 6.
Last weekend she posted a 2-over-par 73 at Miami Valley to spark the host club to victory in the annual DDWGA Pin Winners event. Other members of the team were Kathy Ingersoll, Karen Myers and Sue Seitz.
In the Pin Winners category, Cathy Jefferson won the individual gross prize with a 79 and Sharon Boerger was the net winner with a 74.
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