Larry Miller

Journalist Larry Miller visits Botswana to understand how USAID contract cuts are affecting one of its most well-known NGOs, Stepping Stones International.

Butch Cartstedt has done it again. Last Wednesday, June 3rd, playing with the Stableford format, ninety-three-year-old Butch shot an 87, six strokes under his age. Wow! That is impressive. Butch has probably shot under his age more than any other local golfer. It has been a while since Butch has done so, but there he is again, in the limelight. He also won first place, individually and in partners, in the Stableford format. Butch left the course with a smile on his face. Another gentleman, local golfer Tim McLauglin, recently reported a first. Playing on the Healdsburg course, Tim shot a sixty-seven. The Healdsburg course is called the Healdsburg Golf Club at Tayman Park. Like Little River, it is a nine-hole course that can be played twice for eighteen holes. Tim's 67 awarded him the distinction of shooting 2 strokes under his age for the first time. Tim had one birdie, seven pars, and a bogey on the front and three birdies and six pars on the back nine. It was an exciting day for Tim, who also left the course with a smile. Nice round, Butch and Tim. You guys are inspirational.

Golf Notes is coming to you from Studio 6, San Luis Obispo. My granddaughter, Alexa Miller, graduated from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, June 13. I was driven to the graduation by Alexa's parents, Danielle and Oscar. The ceremony began at 8:30 a.m. The previous evening, my grandson, Kyden Miller, graduated from Mendocino High School. His graduation ended around 6:30 p.m., and we immediately jumped into Danielle's car and set out for Cal Poly. After a four-hour nap in a motel around the San Francisco airport, we continued the journey in plenty of time to find seating in the outdoor venue, the Cal Poly soccer field. Alexa's graduating class had more than 2,000 graduates. Kyden's graduating class had a few more than 30. Congratulations to my grandkids and to all their graduating classmates. Graduation is a special and memorable event and the beginning of a new life.

In the recent Women's Club-sponsored Taco Tuesday event, 40 golfers signed up and were, by the Women's Club, distributed into 10 four-person teams. The tournament was nine holes, the back nine, shotgun start, beginning at 4:30 p.m. The novel and fun format was called a Vegas Scramble. Each team was given one die. Numbers were assigned to each team player, one to four.

Lots of birds were flying around the Little River Golf Course last Friday, June 26. Playing in the Stableford format, Dave Coddington flew his second shot into the 18th hole for an eagle, 8 Stableford points. Jim Ellis flew his second shot into the 15th hole also for an eagle, 8 Stableford points. Dave birdied the sixth hole and finished the round with 44 Stableford points, propelled by the wings of eagles and birdies. Jim Ellis birdied the third hole on the front nine, giving him a wing-assisted Stableford total of 43 points. The Golf Notes writer birdied the 15th hole, but even with this wing-assisted hole he finished the round with only 23 Stableford points. Playing with his Stableford group, Chuck Allegrini birdied Hole No. 5 but didn't fly the rest of his holes, resulting in a total of 31 Stableford points. Neil Blaney, playing in Chuck's group, birdied Hole Nos. 9 and 15. Neil flew in with a total of 44 Stableford points. Yes, the birds were flying last Friday, six birdies and two eagles for the Stableford group. Dave Coddington and Phil Dunn, Phil had no birdies, combined for first place in Stableford. Neil Blaney and Dave Sroaf combined scores placed them in second place in Stableford.

Lindy Peters, Scott Dietz, David Coddington and the Golf Notes writer, Larry Miller, journeyed down last Sunday to Poppy Hills Golf Course, located in the Monterey area, to play in the NCGA North Valley Zone Championship on Monday. These four players won the opportunity to play in the championship by winning the local Little River qualifying round. The format for the event was that the two best scores were recorded for each team on every hole. A percentage of your handicap was in play. David and Lindy played with two players from the Grass Valley area, and Scott and Larry did likewise. At round's end, the scorecards were examined to determine the winners for the first day of the event.

“And Lindy Peters is on the tee.” At the recent NCGA North Valley Zone Championship played at Poppy Hills and Del Monte golf courses, your name was announced on the first tee, signaling it was your turn to tee off. A retired Air Force officer, dressed in a sporty sports jacket, clipboard in hand, was the NCGA official starter. “And Scott Deitz is on the tee.” The other waiting players would clap as the announced golfer approached the tee. “And David Coddington is on the tee.” Even if the previous group was down the fairway, out of sight, your group had to wait until the starter's clock clicked to your official, designated starting time.

“And Lindy Peters is on the tee.” At the recent NCGA North Valley Zone Championship played at Poppy Hills and Del Monte golf courses, your name was announced on the first tee, signaling it was your turn to tee off. A retired Air Force off…

In the 11th year, the manufacturing and engineering night at Fluor Field gives Upstate students a chance to 'see, touch and experience' technology.

Last Tuesday, July 14, another fun Taco Tuesday golf event took place. The Little River Women's Club sponsors and organizes the Taco Tuesday events. The July 14 tournament format was called Red, White and Blue. Four-person groups were randomly created by the Women's Club, and it was not a team event. You were on your own. Individual scores were recorded, and handicaps were in play. The Red, White and Blue format demanded that on the first hole golfers tee off from the red tees, on the second hole the white tees and on the third hole the blue tees. Then they repeated the pattern throughout the course: red, white and blue.