The Old and the Little
The exciting 2020 Little River Men’s Club Championships, scratch and handicap, are now history. Congratulations again to Bill Brekhus, the scratch champion, and David Coddington, the handicap champion. Rumor has it that the two have been invited to Buckingham Palace for a personal audience with Queen Elizabeth and then on to the French Riviera for a week’s relaxation. From there, they are off to Scotland to play some traditional Scottish golf courses.
Starting at the Old Course at St. Andrews Links, they will also play Castle Stuart Links and the Strathtyrum course.
Before leaving they will play Carnoustie Golf Links and finally the Royal Dornoch Championship Course. The Old Course at St. Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world and despite its grand status, the course is open to the public. Green fees at the Old Course are 180 pounds or $250.
Our champions won’t have to worry; everything is taken care of. Did I get this right, Bill and David? Scotland is the home of 550 golf courses; the most courses per capita than any other country in the world. Before the trip, it might be a good idea to consult with local golfer James Corsar who grew up in Scotland. (Are you sure I have this right, guys?)
Last Saturday, Sept. 19, right here on the Old Course at Little River, Chong Mejias birdied hole number one chipping in from 67 yards. That is a feather in the cap. I can’t remember the last time I birdied the first hole, if in fact, I ever have.
Hole number one is 380 yards from themen’s tees and 362 yards from the women’s tees. It is a four par and the third-ranked handicap hole on the course. Chong finished the front nine shooting an admiral 41, a course record for her.
Going back to Scotland, just for comparison, the Little River Course is 5,409 yards long from the men’s tees and 5,049 yards from the ladies’ tees and is a par 71. The Old Course in Scotland is 7,305 yards long and a par 72. The Old Course has a slope of 132 and a rating of 73.1. The Little River course has a slope of 120 and course rating of 68.2.
The higher the numbers the more difficult the course. The rating is based on what the average scratch golfer shoots on the course and as we see at the Old Course it is 1.1 stroke above par and at Little River it is 2.8 strokes below par.
Conclusion: The Old Course is a bitmore difficult than Little River. Let us know what you guys think about the Old Course, Bill and David. One more time: Are you sure I have this right?