News from Shelter Island’s Goat Hill, June 25, 2024
“When you come away from an old golf course that looks much as it did at the turn of the century [the 20th] when it was laid out with hope and care, you start to begin wondering about the values of the game as it used to be played and as it was originally thought about. Actually you begin to see golf in it simplest form …” So said Emil Johnson, manager and superintendent of the Shelter Island Country Club circa 1979.
It’s 1956, and you can almost visualize a couple of 8-year-olds wandering onto the dusty second fairway with a putter and a golf ball that they forgot to return at Mr. Johnston’s Miniature Golf the week before. Is this the genesis of today’s Three Clubs and a Putter Tournament? It wouldn’t surprise me.
On June 13, 2024 the SICC held its own Three Clubs and a Putter Tournament. The equipment used today is a little bit better, and the players a bit older, but the enthusiasm, the spirit, and the love of the game is the same in today’s players as it was in those 8-year-olds.
Congratulations to Rick Stiek, winner of low gross with 41. And congratulations to Bruce Taplin in second place with 43 on a tiebreaker. Winner of low net score is Lyndy Edwards with 31, and in second place, Linda Springer with a 32 also on a tiebreaker.
A tiebreaker is the best score on the hardest hole.
Congratulations, ladies. Very well played.
CLUB HAPPENINGS AT SICC
BY GINNY GIBBS
On Wednesday, June 19, the SICC Ladies hosted the Sag Harbor Country Club Ladies in a “Hot Ball” Two-person Step Aside Scramble.
Eleven ladies represented the SICC with 17 ladies from Sag Harbor crossing the bay to join them for a fun morning of golf. The seven foursomes all had “birdie” names ranging from the Ospreys and Hawks to the Terns and Sandpipers.
The Seagulls foursome consisting of Mary Fran Gleason and Maria Razza from Shelter Island and Susanne Wesnofske and Dorothy Clarke of Sag Harbor, finished in first place with an average gross score of 50. Coming in second with an average gross score of 51 were the Falcons, consisting of Lisa Benincasa, Linda Beck, and Naree Dokjan of Sag Harbor and Kathy Gooding of Shelter Island.
The Longest Drive competition on the 2nd hole was won by Beth O’Sullivan of Sag Harbor and the Closest to the Pin competition on the 5th was won by Virginia Bennett, also from Sag Harbor.
The “Hot Ball” competition was won by the team of Michelle Cottrell and Mary French of Sag Harbor. To be eligible to win this competition, each two-person team needed to return at the end of the nine holes with the bright green, pink, or orange ball that they were given at the beginning of the tournament. That ball was used for all drives except for holes 2 and 5.
The scores of all players from the SICC were averaged for a Shelter Island average gross score of 53.3. The same process was repeated for all Sag Harbor players which resulted in an average gross score of 53, proving that the two clubs were basically playing at the same level.
After an enjoyable lunch at The 1901 Grill, all of the ladies agreed that this tradition should be continued. The SICC and Sag Harbor ladies are looking forward to playing each other again at Sag Harbor in the fall.
On Thursday, June 20, Club President Linda Springer presented the 2024 Betty Kontje Memorial Scholarship to two very deserving senior class members at the Shelter Island School’s Scholarship Awards Night.
The Betty Kontje Memorial Scholarship is given to golfers from the Senior Class who demonstrate etiquette, sportsmanship, and leadership both on and off the course. This year’s recipients exhibit these qualities, not only on the golf course but also in their daily lives.
Congratulations to Leo Dougherty and Kaitlyn Gulluscio on receiving this year’s award.
Tuesday, June 25, is the start of the Topsy Turvy Tuesday Twosomes League at 5 p.m. Further details and the league sig- up sheet are at the pro shop if you’re interested in joining this summer fun group. The league meets every Tuesday through August at 5 p.m.
Thursday, June 27, is the start of the 2024 Junior Golf Program at the SICC. The beginner group (ages 7-10) will meet from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., and the older group (ages 11-16) will meet from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. under the leadership of Junior Golf Coordinator and Club President Linda Springer, PGA Pro and Lead Instructor Bob DeStefano, as well as several fantastic volunteers. This amazing opportunity for our young Shelter Island golfers has more than doubled in attendance since its first year in the summer of 2022.
Our Gruesome Twosome Tournament will be held on Thursday, June 27 at 5 p.m. This annual event is a variation of a two-person “step aside scramble” with the added twist of your opponents picking which tee shot you will start from. Once again, call or visit the pro shop for further details or to sign up for any of our tournaments.
Hope to see you on the course!
