Birch Ridge report: Tourney season in full swing

  • By Nolan Rose
  • Thursday, August 14, 2014 11:24pm
  • Sports

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!”

More in Sports

Sophomore Abby Ostrom seeks to pass the ball to senior Keagan Niebuhr during the varsity game against Grace Christian on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, during the annual Winter Carnival basketball tournament in the Alice Witte Gymnasium at Homer High School in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Homer takes 2nd, 3rd place in Winter Carnival tournament

Homer High School hosted the annual Winter Carnival basketball tournament last weekend.

Ninilchik’s Austin White puts down a two-handed dunk against the Aniak Halfbreeds Wednesday at the Class 1A state basketball tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Sports briefs

Basketball The Soldotna High School boys basketball team won two conference games… Continue reading

The Homer Mariners cross country ski team gathers for a photo at the Region III Championships, held Feb. 6-7 at Government Peak in Palmer, Alaska. Photo courtesy Jessie Goodrich
Homer Nordic ski wins Division II regional championships

The Mariner boys were named Region III champions and the girls team finished second overall.

Costumed skiers participate in the 20th annual Ski for Women on Sunday<ins>, Feb. 8, 2026,</ins> at Tsalteshi Trails in Soldotna<ins>, Alaska</ins>.
70 ski for women

About 70 skiers participated in the 20th annual 5-kilometer Ski for Women… Continue reading

ski tease
Kenai sweeps Tsalteshi ski meet

The Kenai Central High boys and girls teams both placed first last Friday.

tease
Homer boys basketball tops Nikiski

Homer will host the annual Winter Carnival basketball tournament this weekend, starting Thursday.

Flanked by JDHS freshmen Manu Adams, left, and Paxton Willoughby, right, Homer junior Berend Pearson looks for a pass from a teammate. The Crimson Bears and the Mariners faced off at the Treadwell Arena in Juneau following the Bears’ senior night ceremony on Friday, Jan. 23.<ins>, 2026</ins>
Juneau hockey celebrates senior night with sweeping victory over Homer

The Crimson Bears saw an 8-2 victory over the Mariners Friday night.

Ninilchik's Austin White puts down a two-handed dunk against the Aniak Halfbreeds Wednesday at the Class 1A state basketball tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center in Anchorage. (Photo by Joey Klecka/Peninsula Clarion)
Sports briefs: SoHi boys top Kenai, Eagle River in shootout

The Soldotna varsity boys came out 2-1 in the Al Howard Shootout last weekend.

tease
Homer boys, Soldotna girls place 1st in ski invitational

Soldotna’s Tania Boonstra took first place for the girls’ division, leading her team to victory at the meet. The Homer girls’ varsity team placed second overall.

Senior Mason Bock exclaims after winning the state title during the ASAA Division I state championships in Anchorage, Alaska on Dec. 20, 2025. Bock beat No. 2 seed Isaiah Schultz of Colony High School in the final, securing his victory in the 135-pound title as the No. 4 seed. Bock said standing on the podium was the best moment of his life, telling the Clarion that since he had lost to Schultz once earlier in the season, he was “focused and determined to have a different outcome” during the final match. Photo courtesy of Andie Bock/Andie’s Alaskan Adventures Photography
SoHi girls 3-peat at state wrestling championships

The boys team placed second and saw five wrestlers win state titles in the Division I tournament.

Seward’s Atlin Ryan wrestles against a Mountain City Christian Academy athlete during the regional Kachemak Conference Wrestling Championships on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025, at Homer High School in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Homer girls wrestling team named regional champions

Kenai boys, girls both placed third overall in the Kachemak Conference Wrestling Championships on Saturday.

The Soldotna High School wrestling team is pictured after the Northern Lights regional conference in Wasilla, Alaska, on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. SoHi sent 33 boys and 11 girls to regionals. 22 boys and nine girls will compete in the state tournament at the Alaska Airlines Center this weekend. Photo courtesy of Soldotna High School Athletics
SoHi wrestling wins regional title; 31 wrestlers advance to state

22 boys and nine girls will compete in the state tournament this weekend.