ANNUAL GOLFING CHALLENGE STARTS FRIDAY ON DESERT
YUCCA VALLEY – The limit of entries is nearly complete for the third annual Pioneer Pass Golf Challenge. The golfing event, featuring the 28-mile “World’s Longest and Only 19th Hole” connecting the Hi-Desert of Yucca Valley with the mountain country of Bear Valley, will start Friday and be completed Saturday.
The two days will he crammed with exciting and restive occasions including a 19th Tee Kickoff Dinner, a 19th Hole Buffet, a Victory Dinner and the climaxing 19th Hole Trophy Party.
To keep the PPGC moving at a brisk clip along the Pioneer Pass road between Yucca Valley and Big Bear Lake the famed amateur radio SOCAL 6 Net from Los Angeles with 10 mobile units each day will handle all communications along the hazardous mountain and canyon fairway.
Many Volunteers
Participating will be 30 Marines acting as “spotters” for players who this year are limited to 30. Another 30 judges will accompany the players to see that score cards are official. A chuck wagon will keep the hungry gallery and contestants supplied with coffee and sandwiches.
At 7:30 Friday evening the Kickoff Dinner moves into gear at Callahan’s in Yucca Valley. Master of ceremonies will be Al fisher, president of PPGC. Color slides of the 19th Hole will be featured with dancing to follow.
On Saturday morning, the Glen Restaurant will open doors at 5:45 a.m. for “ham ’n eggs” to get contestants, spotters and judges started off on the 19th Hole golfing trail. Play gets under way at 7 a m. with tee off at the Yucca Valley Country Club for nine holes of regulation golf.
By 9 a m. the first player is scheduled to face the 19th Hole tee at the west end of Mane St. in Pioneertown and take off to Big Bear.
First day’s play will probably terminate somewhere between the famous Rose Mine at the end of Rattlesnake Canyon, and the Par, 2 Hole at the Arrastre Creek check point. Entertainment and dancing will be provided throughout the evening at the Golden Stallion, the Red Dog, Callahan’s, the Sky Room and the Glen.
19th Hole Finale
On Sunday play will resume where it left off. At the Peter Pan Lodge in Big Bear City, where the 19th Hole cup is located, a sumptuous Bullet will await the arrival of the weary golfers from across Baldwin Lake. Mobile unit of SOCAL 6 Net will broad cast up to the minute scores.
With all players holed out at Peter Pan, the contestants and gallery finish the Challenge with nine holes of regulation play at the Moonridge Golf course at Big Bear Lake. Following this the evening’s PPGC Victory events get under way.
The Victory Dinner will be a: 6:30 at the Moonridge Club house and at Snow Summit Lodge where the presentation of Trophies will take place at 9 p.m. followed by dancing, singing and the telling of the “tallest 19th Hole tale ” Reservations to all events may be made by contacting Callahan’s at Yucca Valley, and either Moonridge Country Club or Snow Summit Lodge in Big Bear Lake.
