It’s been fast times at Birch Ridge high as the summer tournament schedule winds down. The Pink Ribbon Rally was held this past Sunday to the joy of 84 ladies in attendance. The gals do such a fantastic job of raising money for local breast cancer care and treatment. Well over $100,000 has been raised through the Pink Ribbon Rally golf tournament since its inception. Wow! Birch Ridge is honored to play host to such an incredible group of women and this event.

The Kenai Peninsula Open is set for this Saturday and Sunday. We’re excited to have a great field this year, including the top professionals in Alaska. We’re also happy to have Rose Pelletier from Fishhook Golf Course come down to participate. Rose is the current Alaska Women’s Amateur State Champion. With a great field, food, and prizes we’re certain the 4th Kenai Peninsula Open will be a great one.

I’d like to thank Jim Bennett and Kathy Gensel for all their hard work helping put this event together and their efforts toward raising money for local prostate cancer care. Another big thank you goes to Peninsula Radiation Oncology for being the title sponsor of the 2014 Kenai Peninsula Open. Peninsula Radiation Oncology does so many wonderful things, supporting this golf tournament and Central Peninsula Health Foundation fundraiser is just another example of their many positive contributions in the community.

Old Folks Golf

The old guys were back in action this past Monday. John “The last DJ” Davis turned the volume up on his bewildered opponents with a dominant net 28. Jim “Sideways” Bennett paired with Wayne Anderson to capture closest-to glory at the sixth and eighth, respectively. Mr. Ed Robinson rolled the longest putt at the ninth to the amazement of his fellow competitors.

Tuesday Morning Ladies League

The ladies lit Birch Ridge on fire Tuesday morning with a dazzling combination of good looks and golfing talent. Diane Simmons, Chiya Bazan and Beth Roseberry teamed for a first place finish to delight of a throng of spectators. This week’s golf achievement award goes to Denise Cox for her birdie two at the sixth. Sally Tachick had the fewest putts, which is odd. Diane hit the closest shot at the eighth.

Thursday Night Couples

The love simmered last Thursday but the fun came to a boil! Birch Ridge hosted a one-time Burgers and Beer Scramble in place of couples night to the delight of all in attendance. The Alaskan Brewing Co. keg trailer was in town for last weekend’s beer fest and golfers took advantage of the opportunity by taste-testing the beer on Thursday.

Golfers played a two-person net scramble skins game before devouring delicious chunks of cow following play. Sue and George Stein paired for low gross to take a skin. Lee Frey watched his playing partner Greg Stein make a gross two at the first, which held up for a fantastic skin.

Scott Sundberg and his mighty-mite son Shane had a net two at the second for a skin. Duane “Master Mechanic” Tachick begged Trevor Baldwin to play with him and for reasons unknown Trevor accepted the invitation. It proved to be a wise decision as the duo took a skin at the seventh with a net 2. Earlier, I mentioned the Burgers and Beer Scramble was a one-time event, I lied. We’ll do it again soon!

Golf Joke of the Week

An alien spaceship hovered over a golf course and two aliens watched a solitary golfer in amazement.

The golfer duffed his tee shot, shanked his second into the rough, took three to get out of the rough onto the fairway, sliced the next shot into the bushes, and then took a putter to get it out on the fairway again.

Meanwhile, one alien told the other that he must be playing some sort of weird game and they continued to observe the golfer.

The golfer then skulled a shot into a bunker by the green. He then took several shots to get out of the bunker and finally on to the green.

He putted several times until he finally rolled his ball into the hole.

At this point, the other alien told his partner, “Wow, now he’s in serious trouble!”