After many tournament delays, the two finalists for the Senior Club Championship, Clayton Giggey and Stan Wade, came together for the final match on Columbus Day.
After a downpour in the morning, the two set forth on a soggy course and a crisp fall day.
This had to be one of the latest championship rounds ever played on the old course. Wade had even expressed wonderment as to whether the final match might possibly delay his turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.
Wade, a three-time winner of this championship, took an early lead with a two under par 33 on the first nine.
He birdied the third, seventh and eighth holes. It was beginning to look like a fourth and third consecutive win for him, but Giggey was staying close with a one over 35, and was only two holes down.
On the short 10th hole, both birdied. He probably didn’t realize it at the time, but on that hole Giggey was beginning to make his move.
For the next six holes he demonstrated his well-known consistency with pars on every hole. Wade on the other hand was starting to slip with four straight bogies.
By the time they reached the 17th, Giggey was two up. His drive on this par three landed inches from the hole for a tap-in birdie, and then it was all over with Giggey winning three up with one hole to go.
He finished with an excellent round of a two under par 68, while Wade was only one over with a 71. This was some excellent golf for a couple of senior golfers who were playing like youngsters the whole day. Congratulations to Giggey, who now has a Senior Club Championship to go with his three Wawenock Club Championships.
If there was one utterance heard over and over this season it had to be something like, “This course is looking better and playing better than ever!”
General Manager Paul Richmond, and his grounds crew did a great job of getting the old course in this kind of shape; the tees were improved by softening and enriching the turf, and several bunkers were edged to bring them back to their original size and configuration. (According to Richmond, bunkers can grow smaller by six to eight inches a year, if they are not routinely edged.)
More drainage was added to holes one, five, and seven, and the condition of the roughs on several holes was greatly improved.
A fine bunker sand, the kind that is used for top dressing greens, has been acquired for the course and will soon be added to the traps around the first hole.
Richmond will be looking for feedback from members on how they like the playability of these bunkers once the sand has been added. (Most of us are going to try hard to avoid the playability test)
Richmond also mentioned that membership rates will have to be increased next year to keep pace with increasing costs. Members and interested new members will have an opportunity to “lock in” 2008 rates for their 2009 memberships by paying before the end of the year.
Special thanks from Richmond go to Doug Merrick, Bill Fogg, and Jan Piper for their volunteer work on the clubhouse and course this season.
One great thing about the new Union Station Fairway Restaurant this season was part owner, Sharlene Feltis, who maintained a very pleasant and positive outlook for her restaurant throughout our very rainy and wet summer. (Radio station WGAN reported last week that this was the rainiest summer for Maine since they started recording these statistics.)
“The season went well for us; our menu was well accepted by the members and visitors. We really didn’t have a clue as to how things would work, but our treatment by the members was excellent,” she said.
She went on to say that the members of the men’s and ladies’ leagues were especially supportive and the baked stuffed scallops and baked haddock were the most popular of all the menu items.
For next season she and her husband, Dale, hope to acquire an oven for baking or a pizza oven. Either will be a welcome addition.
They also will tweak the menu a little by dropping a few items and then adding a few new ones. She had to chuckle, as I did, about the differences she saw between the men and women golfers.
“The meat and potatoes guys were very focused on the menu offering lots of advice, while the ladies were more interested in making their suggestions on the decor.” The Fairway Restaurant is now closed until spring, but their good food can still be enjoyed at the Reunion Station Restaurant on Rt. 1 east of downtown Damariscotta. Feltis wishes to “give many thanks to everyone for their support during the 2008 season.”
This report is a little late, but here are the results of the tournament played over a week ago. The team of Len Hatch, Jacob Hatch, R. J. Ochs, and Tristan Durgin won with a low gross total of 58.
Second gross went to the team of Mark Houghton, Luke Houghton, Paul Kelsey, and Chris McKinney with 65.
First net winners were Ryan Carter, Andrew Feltis, K. J. Anastasio, and Jess Bagley, 53.
Second net was achieved by Mike Prentice, Dickie McKinney, Mike Hall, and Bill Whitney with a team score of 56.
I just learned that former Wawenock Head Pro and avid golfer, John Shaughnessey passed away very recently. He had been at Miles Coves Edge for several years. I remember clearly my first visit to Wawenock as a new member in the spring of 1990. Shaughnessey, as Pro, made every effort to make me feel at home by introducing me to everyone around, and then arranged for me to play my first round with his brother.
Later that week he made a point of personally showing me the course during an 18-hole round. I had not played the game for a while, so a few of his tips and reminders were also helpful. If there’s a course in heaven, John is certain to be playing it. The funeral will take place at St. Patricks Church this coming Saturday, at 1 p.m.
This will be our last column for the 2008 season. The purpose of the Chipmunk Chatter is to give recognition to those who perform well on the course, and, hopefully, in a small way stimulate interest in golf at Wawenock.
Thanks to Carol Lindquist and Trudi Snediker for contributing articles on the ladies leagues. Thanks also to Paul Richmond, and Stephanie Russell for their information, news items and ideas. And finally, thanks to Bud Elwin for his Wawenock photography.
