Golf: Billy the Kid

Richard Dunn

COSTA MESA - When 13-year-old Billy Olsen gets together with his

usual Saturday morning playing partners at Costa Mesa Golf & Country

Club, the skins are worth but a shoulder to burden the load.

Olsen, you see, plays with the big boys on the Los Lagos course and is

too young to put up any dough. So, while those in his foursome play for

skins, the result is not monetary, but to carry one’s golf bag for as

many holes as it takes.

Ned Bondie of Costa Mesa, a longtime Los Lagos player who operates a

small, close-knit “mini tour” called the Dukie Tour, has been playing

with Olsen for 1 1/2 years.

“We play from the blue tees (6,542 yards) and he’ll drive right up

with the rest of us,” said Bondie, an 11-handicap golfer who can drive in

the neighborhood of 250 to 260 yards.

Bondie has also been stuck carrying Olsen’s bag. “Many times,” Bondie

quipped.

Before turning 13, Olsen, who lives in Fountain Valley and attends

Mariners Christian private school in Costa Mesa, won the 11-12 age

division of the Golf Channel’s The Golf Channel Drive, Chip & Putt Junior

Golf Skills’ Competition, hosted at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando,

Fla.”All aspects of his game are very good,” Bondie said of the youth

phenom, with whom he plays every weekend.

“We were short a guy one Saturday and they put Billy with us and,

quite honestly, he was a lot more fun than most guys who (groan) and moan

and throw their clubs, so we just kept inviting him back and now he’s on

the Dukie Tour.”

Along with Bondie, 58, are Dukie Tour regulars Tom Johnson, Richard

Wong, Sean Hardwick, Jim Long and Louie Leon.

“Billy’s even got a Dukie Tour golf bag,” Bondie said with a laugh.

“It was on The Golf Channel, too.”