FROM TEE TO CUP
Sagebrush Golf Event Boasts 35-Mile Hole
By BRUCE BROWN
(Sun-Telegram Night Sports Editor)
Interest in this year’s Hesperia Open Golf Tournament is sure to be bolstered by an ambitious “out of this world” promotion cooked up by Hesperia’s Lorn Pratt and Ken Bonser, president of the Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Dubbed the Pioneer Pass Golf Challenge, the unique 37 hole event will unfold Oct. 2, 3 and 4, the weekend before the start of the $20,000 Hesperia Open.
Entrants and they are being sought throughout the county, will shoot 18 holes in Yucca Valley the first day and a final 18 at the Moonridge course in Big Bear Lake.
In between, on the second day, the golfers will tackle a 35-mile-long 19th “hole” from Yucca Valley to Big Bear, up a new high gear Pioneer Pass road. Certain to take honors as the longest hole in the world. It presents a number of problems.
Although details are still incomplete, it is planned to have the golfers ride in station wagons between shots, with white-helmeted Marines helping to spot the balls for the golfers.
A search is also under way for a “Golf Girl” to reign over the Pioneer Pass and Hesperia Open events, according to Bonser. Letters have been sent to 80-90 golf courses and chambers of commerce throughout the desert area, asking them to enter a girl in the contest.
Communities or organizations wishing to enter one or more candidates are asked to send snapshots of candidates, married or single, with no age limit, to Pioneer Pass Golf Challenge, Pioneertown, by Sept. 1.
Seven finalists will be chosen from the photographs, with the winner to be selected just before the opening of the Pioneer Pass event.
We’ll have further details of this unique promotion in future golf columns.
El Rancho Verde Country Club will present it’s San Bernardino County Amateur Invitational Tournament Sept. 5, 6, and 7, with closing date for entries Sept. 2.
Entrants are limited to members of the Southern California Gold Assn.
Defending champion is Tony Marimon of the Cochran Ranch, with Frank Nixon of South Hill CC the runnerup.
A Mercedes-Benz will be presented to the first golfer making a hole-in-one on the 18th hole of the 54-hole event.
There will be four flights. The championship flight of the medal play tourney will be for handicaps from 0-5, Kaiser fight 6-10, Rialto flight 11-15 and San Bernardino flight 16-up.
Two more matches have been played in the first round of the 1959 Father and Son tournament at Arrowhead Country Club, leaving only one to be played.
Gail and Dave Stockton defeated Bill and Bruce Robertson, 5 and 3, and Paul and Gordon Fritz eliminated Tom and Dick Delaney, 9 and 8.
Mrs. A. J. Casey won first women’s club champion tournament held at the Double R Ranch Golf Course in San Bernardino, defeating Mrs. Ken Cozine in finals.
In the consolation bracket, Mrs. Hal Simon defeated Mrs. Carl Farrell.
The Double R has just joined the Southern California short course Golf Assn. and any golfers who enjoy playing short courses are invited to participate with the club, according to Lew Gilliam.
