The Shelter Island Goat Open and The Bridge Golf Club
Last Tuesday was the 18th annual “Goat Open,” a competitive 18-hole tournament held by The Bridge Golf Club of Bridgehampton.
Director of Golf at The Bridge Jeff Warne explained, “The Goat Open is a full day of events for our staff. The morning starts with breakfast at my house, followed by a 2-hour cruise on one of our members’ yachts, where we draft the teams. Then, we make our way up to Goat Hill to compete.”
The participants are all teaching professionals and staff members from The Bridge and are some of the most talented golfers the Shelter Island Country Club sees all season. “The format of the event is 18 holes of stroke play, followed by a 3-hole shootout,” Jeff told us.
However, other opportunities are presented to score, such as the better ball of a two-man team score, two better balls of a four-man team, moneyballs, and the closest to the pin on every hole.
Jeff Warne and Erik Easton both shot two over par for the 18 holes. Erik also finished 5th in last week’s Metropolitan PGA Assistants Championship, shooting 71-67 at Bethpage Red. After the playoffs, Erik clinched the win, which was his 6th Goat Hill Open championship.
It’s always a pleasure for the Shelter Island Country Club to host an event like this, and we look forward to seeing Jeff and his staff again next year.
First Annual Member-Guest Tournament
It was a perfect day for golf last Sunday when 23 member-guest teams competed to raise money for the club. Starting with a 10 a.m. shotgun, the golfers played in a 9-hole scramble.
“Driving around the course, it was clear everyone was having a good time,” Club Pro Bob DeStefano explained. “Whether someone hit a bad shot or the shot of the day, there was a smile on their face. It was a great day because it was all about the Island. Other courses out here struggle to keep their players local. Clubs nowadays are flooded with non-residents. It was so nice to see so many guests, all residents of the Island.”
After the 9 holes, gross and net scores were calculated, and five duos from each division were sent out to the 6th hole, to compete for a winner. Instead of a scramble, the duos played the best ball off the tee, and alternated shots until making it in the hole.
After each hole, the duo with the highest score was eliminated. As many of the duos tied, a chip-off was held at a designated point. Whoever put the ball nearest to the pin moved on to the next hole. Following along on every hole, the eliminated golfers watched from the sidelines, and they filled the clubhouse to watch the 9th-hole championship.
In the Gross, Gordon Cantley and Scott Cahill won after their opponents lipped out a close put. In the Net, Arthur Springer and Sean Springer won after Sean chipped the ball to 2 feet from the rough.
After the championship, delicious food was provided by the 1901 Grill, and other fundraising activities took place. The Member-Guest Tournament was a full day of good-spirited competition and will return next season.
We look forward to seeing you there.
