If you’re on the links, watch out for that flying soot

BRYCE ALDERTON

The rash of wildfires plaguing several areas of Southern California

have sent ashes and smoke west toward Newport-Mesa, causing cart

sales at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club to decline, said Sean

Collins, a teaching professional at the course.

“People don’t want to ride in a cart and have soot get in their

faces,” Collins said. “I didn’t anticipate [the decline in cart

sales]..”

Collins said play in the morning at the popular public course has

remained steady, but has seen less players teeing off in the

afternoon.

But there could be another reason for the afternoon decrease

besides the poor air quality: Less daylight with Sunday’s time

change.

Twilight rounds are down about half, from 30 to 40 to 15 or 20,

Collins said.

“On Tuesday there were five twilight players,” he said.

Collins added that people might be helping relatives or friends

caught by the fires.

As for the others who are going outside?

“People are not enjoying this health-wise,” Collins said “We have

a handful of seniors who have been affected by this.”

Newport Beach Country Club President Jerry Anderson agreed.

“The only detrimental impact I know of is how people feel about

[the fires],” Anderson said. “It has been a downer for everyone to

see all those houses destroyed. I don’t think we’ve seen a decline in

play.”

*

Construction on the third and seventh holes at Santa Ana Country

Club is almost complete.

The seventh hole opened Saturday and the club’s Director of Golf,

Mike Reehl, hopes No. 3 will be ready by Nov. 8.

The driving range, closed since Aug. 18, should be ready for

practice by mid-November, Reehl added.

“We are just waiting for the grass to grow in a bit more,” Reehl

said of the range.

The back tees on Nos. 3 and 7 were moved back roughly 10 yards.

The two left fairway bunkers on No. 7 were removed and a sand trap on

the right side was added. A fairway bunker on the right side of No. 3

was moved slightly to the right.

The Nov. 8 deadline would come in perfect time for the men’s

senior gross championship, a 36-hole event with no handicaps used for

players 50 and older. Boyd Martin, a six-time Santa Ana men’s club

champion, is the defending champion.

Bud Clark, 72, shot a 70 to edge Larry Bonus in the final of the

Old Crow flight of the club’s senior match play championships.

John Abraham and Dan Rogers will play in the final of the

Renaissance flight (ages 60-69) this weekend while Morse Travers and

Bill Watson meet for the championship in the Ponce de Leon (ages

50-59) flight.

*

Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club will conduct the second session of

its after-school junior golf program from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The session will continue Nov. 11, Nov. 18 and Nov. 25 at the same

time.

Golfers will receive instruction on grip, set up and swing along

with principles of the short game that include chipping, pitching,

sand play and putting.

Knowledge of the rules, etiquette and golf vocabulary will also be

taught by PGA professionals.

Golfers should wear comfortable clothing with either tennis or

golf shoes. Instructors will provide clubs to golfers if needed.

For more information or to obtain an entry form, call Doug Booth

at (714) 540-7500, ext. 151. The course is located at 1701 Golf

Course Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

*

Dennis Harwood (Big Canyon Country Club) was re-elected to a

one-year term on the Southern California Golf Association’s board of

directors at its annual meeting Tuesday in Universal City.

Howard Denghausen, a Costa Mesa resident and a popular member of

the Rating and Rules & Competitions committee, was given a lifetime

membership award at the meeting.