Jones Cup takes successful first steps

BRYCE ALDERTON

As with any new venture, last week’s retooled, team-oriented Jones

Cup carried a degree of uncertainty with it to Newport Beach Country

Club.

Would the four golfers per country club take to the two best-ball

format? Would each of the four clubs still have a chance to claim the

title as teams made the turn? Would players fire for pins in

difficult placements on the greens, knowing they had three teammates

to back them up at any time?

After walking 18 holes and speaking with participants in the

dwindling sunlight on the patio following the final putt, I could

answer “yes” to all the above questions.

This was a great Jones Cup, with all the pageantry of a Ryder Cup.

Each of the four private clubs in Newport-Mesa (Santa Ana Country

Club, Mesa Verde Country Club, Newport Beach Country Club and Big

Canyon Country Club) arrived at Newport Beach with an official shirt

color, signifying their commitment and enthusiasm for this event.

Before Newport Beach Country Club pulled away with four birdies on

the final four holes to finish 5-under-par 66, sealing a three-shot

victory over both Big Canyon and Santa Ana country clubs, all four

clubs hovered within two shots of the lead after the 14th hole.

For awhile, making pars were as good as birdies on greens that

would have made Champions Tour players think twice about their next

putt, thus providing the intrigue that engulfs team golf.

Several players said the revamped format, where each club counted

the two best balls per hole, added another dimension never

encountered in related golf events in this community.

“It brought four members of the team together, it was definitely

more fun,” said Newport Beach Country Club head pro Paul Hahn, part

of the foursome that logged seven birdies and two bogeys. “You had to

be more strategic in whose turn it is to hit and what shots to hit.

If two players were close, you could shoot for the pins.”

Santa Ana Country Club head professional Geoff Cochrane also

praised the format even though he said he and teammates Boyd Martin,

Bill Welch and Marianne Towersey struggled for much of the round to

secure birdie chances.

“We did OK to shoot 2-under,” Cochrane said. “I’m not sure we had

a hole where multiple players had a good look at birdie.”

Birdies overall were hard to come by -- there were only 21 logged

among the four groups.

If the format remains, as it should, Mesa Verde Country Club head

professional Tom Sargent expects the winning score to enter double

digits.

“After you get comfortable with the format, [a team] will shoot

10- or 12-under,” Sargent said. “If you play something for the first

time, people don’t know what to expect. Once there is a level of

understanding, you play better. But this is much more fun. This

represents the clubs better.”

In this case, four players are better than one or two.