LW Men’s Golf League

It was a misty and cold morning in Huntington Beach on Dec. 22 when 16 golfers from the LW Men’s Golf League were greeted with dense fog and significant dampness at the 5,600-yard par 71 Meadowlark Golf Course. Temperatures were in the low 50s with barely 75-yard visibility at the 7:30 a.m. tee time. This lasted for several hours with the fog intensity varying from hole to hole. Getting proper distances for approach shots was a major issue as laser range finders were useless in the fog and players couldn’t see most greens until they were on top of them.

Fortunately, this course is always in decent condition, which limited the playing issues caused by the wetness and poor visibility. Greens were in good shape, although it seemed that even though wet, they were very fast, possibly because they had been mowed short the day before. With the conditions, six of the 16 players shot net at or under par but with six birdies – two by Steve Earl and one each by Gary Stivers, Larry Hillhouse, Fujio Norihiro and Jae Choi.

Closest to the pin on the 140-yard par 3 seventh hole was Dave LaCascia, and Kyle Van was closest on the 150-yard 16th hole. Stivers and Norihiro tied for fewest putts for the A flight, and Mike Jimenez had fewest in the B.

Net score equals gross minus handicap. A flight winners: Earl, 5 under, first place; Van, 4 under par, second; Norihiro and LaCascia, even par, third; Jim Goltra, fourth; Sam Choi and Jae Choi, fifth; Clay Fisher, Hillhouse and Stivers, sixth.

B flight winners: Tom Ross, 4 under, first place; Dom Bautista, even par, second; Bruno Santillo, third; Bob Munn and Mike Jimenez, fourth; Keiko Sekino, fifth.

The golf league plays at four local courses, all within 15-20 minutes of Leisure World. Advance league reservations are required with a sign-up sheet available at each round. Next year there will be no Friday golf league, just Monday league.

There is a prize pool for each round that players are not obligated to enter. Rewards are given for low net in each flight, birdies, closest to the pin on two par threes, and for the lowest number of putts in each flight. Holes-in-one and eagles (two under par), are generously rewarded. Those interested in playing can contact Gary Stivers at 714-313-3697 or Dave LaCascia at 801-674-5975.

—Dave LaCascia