A field of 120 golfers competed in the annual Kings Creek Country Club Ladies Invitational tournament Oct. 3. Twenty foursomes from 18 clubs joined 10 foursomes of Kings Creek members in a 2-1-1 gross and net format challenge that included two gimme putts per team.
Keven Lawson, Bernie Weed, Shelly Pinkerton and Arlene Zamora (Chesapeake Bay GC) won first-place gross. Karyn Osmundson, Val Brothwood, Laura Ford and Jane Sassaman (DuPont CC) finished second gross.
Third gross went to Lisa Schofield, Deborah Ward, Lisa Powell and Diane Herndon (Kings Creek CC). Penny O’Linger, Nancy Romagnuolo, Jessica Abel and Nancy Pivec (Glen Riddle GC) took fourth gross. Fifth gross went to Rosemarie Pellegrino, Michelle Boutcher, Susan LaMotte and Diane Braver (Hog Neck GC).
Dawn Dupre, Megan Dupre, Lynn Sweeney and Jean Chlastawa (Kings Creek) won first-place net. Robyn Disabatino, Christine Press, Lynne Dellis and Deene Koontz (Back Creek GC) finished second net.
Third net went to Judy Wetzel, Ruth Lauver, Ann Reed and Linda Kauffman (Mulligan’s Pointe). Jacqueline Everett, Erin Reid, Lisa Lekawa and Lori Guitson (Kings Creek) took fourth net.
Barbara Derue, Barbara Kulbara, Linda Irwin and Peggy Bundek (Rookery GC and Ocean City GC) finished fifth net. Sixth net went to Cynthia Robinson, Kim Leonard, Kit Bradshaw and Gayle Collins (River Marsh GC). Sally McGovern, Vickie Walling, Anne Farley and Diane Knizer (Kings Creek CC) took seventh net.
Shelly Conaway, Jodi Foster, Kelly Sabol and Susan Shollenberger (Rookery, Baywood Greens, and USGA/GAP) finished eighth net. The ninth net spot went to Carol Stratton, Kelly Barber, Sandra Oropel and Linda Frese (Rookery and Baywood Greens).
The perfect fall golf accessory
The unofficial leaf rule handles an infuriating situation at Cape Region golf courses every autumn.
A ball lands among fallen leaves and disappears. Rather than lose a stroke, golfers invoke the rule. They drop a new ball near the pile and keep playing.
Avid Michigan golfer Randy Kuckuck developed a better way to deal with the problem. His new Zoom Broom lightweight leaf blower ($179) was an unexpected and big hit at the 2024 PGA Show.
The device is 45 inches long, but the golf version is only 3 inches wide. Powered by a lithium battery in the handle, the wand’s fan has enough power to move leaves and debris but not enough to move a golf ball.
The charge should last for 30 minutes, which should be plenty unless you are a genius at hitting into leaf piles on every hole. A USB-C charger is included.
Kuckuck said the patented device took five years to bring to market.
He said buyers also discovered the device can sweep patios. “A regular leaf blower weighs a lot more,” he said. “We came up with a home version that includes a handle. It’s now our biggest seller.”
The broom slides into place on a small vertical cage for storage. Screw-in clips make it simple to hang on a wall. Kuckuck said he’s in discussions with a golf cart company to create a Broom holder for the carts.
I asked about the crowd reaction to the Zoom Broom. “They basically say two things: I normally use a towel, and why didn’t I think of that?” he said.
The devices are available at Amazon.com, Hammacher-Schlecher, the Sharper Image and the company’s own website.
Whoever said the Rules of Golf stifle creativity?
American Fit
The 2024 PGA Show marked the second year for an American Fit booth in the busy apparel section. The former private label apparel company, based in Santa Fe, Argentina, decided to test the market with its own sports and lifestyle lines for men and women.
I met Joseph White, the company’s U.S. sales representative, to discuss their newest collections. He said they rely significantly on Argentinian pima cotton, a well-regarded fabric choice, as well as the polyester performance fabrics common to nearly all golf apparel companies.
White said they keep much of the process in-house. The design work is performed in New York City’s fashion district but manufactured at their plants in Santa Fe. “We offer full embroidery options [for club logos] and do all our shipping. We can do direct ship in three days, faster than our competitors,” he said.
The pricing reflects the cost savings without sacrificing appeal, with a wide range of prints, stripes, and jacquard patterns for men, women, and junior golfers.
For the Fall/Winter 2024 collection, for example, the knit jacquard Chain style for men in the Retro group retails for $86. The blue camouflage print polo for juniors retails for $54. Among women’s options, the sharp-looking sleeveless mandarin collar dress, a polyester/elastane design, sells for $86.
White said the company started a line of products for the growing pickleball market. The Points and Lines collection for spring and summer 2024 hopes to attract more women to American Fit with brightly colored tops, skorts, and sleeveless dresses.
The company does direct-to-consumer sales through its website. It also sells quarter-zip outerwear, half-zips, headwear and hoodies. White said they are expanding their reach into green grass shops, using the show and other options to grow their market.
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Fritz Schranck has been writing about the Cape Region's golf community since 1999. Snippets, stories and anecdotes from his columns are included in his new book, "Hole By Hole: Golf Stories from Delaware's Cape Region and Beyond," which is available at the Cape Gazette offices, Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Biblion Books in Lewes, and local golf courses. His columns and book reviews are available at HoleByHole.com.
Contact Fritz by emailing fschranck@holebyhole.com.
