Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club’s popular Thursday men’s league wrapped up its season with a bang last week with a banquet and prize giveaway — plus an opportunity for some of the talented big dogs to strut their stuff.
Pro shop manager Darren Smith introduced skills competitions this year, showcasing some of the heavy hitters and short-game sharpshooters among the league’s 172 participants.
Twenty-four-year-old Nick Elia proved to be the long drive champ in the open division, clobbering a massive 288-yard tee shot on the first hole. He was 14 yards better than Smith, the runner-up.
That effort earned Elia not only bragging rights but $200 in prize money. All participants kicked in $20 for three chances off the tee and the winner scooped all the cash.
Elia, who has 9.9 handicap index and has been playing since age 10, credited his new Titleist TSR3 driver for his stellar performance, but noted the wind and 11C temperatures could have cost him a few yards.
He said his booming drives generally max out at 300 to 310 yards, but that he reached the green on the 320-yard first hole a few times this summer.
In the senior division — age 55 and up — the luck of the Irish might have been with Patrick Craig, whose tee shot travelled 244 yards, edging out Dan Regan by just three feet. Craig also earned $200 for his effort.
In the closest to the pin contest, hitting from about 105 yards out, a couple of lefties dominated.
Jim McMacken showed why he is always dangerous around the green, crafting a shot to just two feet nine inches from the hole.
That shot was worth $260.
Mike Clarke, another lefty, was close behind at five feet three inches and won $155, while Smith was third at six feet two inches, winning $105.
In the putting contest, the first person to knock it in from about 33 feet won the whole prize pot.
Cal Cochrane was the eighth to try and by making the putt he took home $280.
Winners in the season-long match play competitions also were honoured during the evening’s festivities.
Stephen Jenkins and Ricky Watson were crowned champs in the Goldup pairs category, Devon Neudorf won the President’s Cup, Regan took the Carmichael Cup, Bill Smethurst was Wettlaufer Cup champ and Stephen Warboys won the Jim Brown Cup.
