Short irons, wedges get a workout
Golfers play a little small ball as junior tour opens on par-57 course
CCR enjoyed a revival when the Niagara District Junior Golf Tour teed off Monday at Brock Golf Course.
Chart-toppers from the U.S. rock band’s heyday in the early 1970s weren’t blaring over the loudspeakers at the par-57 executive course in Fonthill.
But Up Around the Bend was playing loud enough in Adam Scott’s head to drown on traffic noise from Merrittville Highway, which runs along a few holes.
“I hit one of my best shots on one of those holes,” the 17-year-old said after shooting a 2-over-par 57 to top the leaderboard in the boys under-19 flight.
When the Port Colborne Country Club plays golf, he tunes out distractions, such as traffic, with “my own kind of music playing in my head.”
“I just focus on that.”
Up Around the Bend, released in 1970, nearly four decades before the Lakeshore Catholic High School student was born, just happened to be on the playlist on the first of what is hoped to be as many as 10 stops on the summer-long tour.
In addition to maintaining physical distancing and tee times instead of shotgun starts, COVID-19 protocols have resulted in the removal of all rakes from sand traps. Flags must also stay in place, with foam inserts making it unnecessary for players to retrieve balls from holes.
Not being able to use rakes in a sand trip wasn’t a problem for Scott, who attributed his first tour victory to “good wedge play.”
“I wasn’t in the sand at all today so I didn’t have to worry about that, but the pool noodles in the holes were a little odd,” he said. “When you’re putting, if it hits the pool noodle it doesn’t count as in unless it settles in.”
That happened to him once on his way to a two-stroke victory over Matthew Martel and Adam Scarlett, who finished tied for second.
“I was able to tap it in for par. No big deal.”
Scott prepared for the opening stop on this year’s tour by practising with his short irons and wedges. While he prepared himself to focus on “playing out of the fairway all day,” he still needed time to adjust to the shorter course.
“It was a little odd because you’re used to hitting driver, a long swing,” Scott said. “But all day you’re just hitting cut-offs and short shots, just getting in that mindset of getting the ball on the green and getting your two-putt par and getting out.”
Payton Bennett, a 17-year-old St. John Henry Newman Catholic Secondary School student from Grimsby, carded a 1-over 58 for the victory in the girls under-19 division.
“It was great. It was a good warmup to start the season, especially since it’s my first tournament of the year,” the four-time winner of last year’s tour said.
“I enjoyed being able to hit the wedges into holes and that kind of thing.
With Niagara Region under a heat warning and with temperatures exceeding 30 C, Bennett found the weather “pretty brutal.”
“I just tried to stay in the shade as much as I could in between shots and just drink as much water as I could.”
Bennett, who intends to play as many stops on this year’s tour as she can, was most impressed with how quickly she reached the greens on most of the holes.
“I was either on the greens or super close to them. That made it for supereasy pars, and that’s really all you needed on the course today,” she said.
“As long as you were in and around the green, you were good.”
Michael Martel won under-15 boys flight finishing the day with 61, four over par. Kian Oelofse topped the boys under-13 division.
Rather than using scoreboards, players were encouraged to use their cellphones to keep track of scores and submit them electronically. Scores were confirmed either verbally or through text.
To maintain physical distancing, handshakes and high-fives are being discouraged. Tour organizers instead recommend friendly nods, a tip of a cap or simple waves as alternatives forms of greetings and sportsmanship.
So far, eights stops have been confirmed on this year’s tour in addition to the tour opener at Brock Golf Course: Monday, July 13, Rolling Meadows Golf & Country Club, Niagara Falls; Monday, July 20, Bridgewater Country Club, Fort Erie; Tuesday, July 21, Legends on the Niagara, Battlefield layout, Niagara Falls; Friday, July 24, Willodell Golf Club, Niagara Falls; Tuesday, Aug. 11, Grand Niagara Golf Course, Niagara Falls; Wednesday, Aug, 12, Sawmill Golf Course, Fenwick; Monday, Aug. 24, Beechwood Golf & Social House, Niagara Falls.