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Spring season's demise in past

By TIMES STAFF WRITER
Published June 16, 2006

HERNANDO - From September to June, the women of Citrus County participate in a series of intercounty tournaments at local courses.

The final event of this season was set for Citrus Hills Golf & Country Club on Monday, but thanks to Tropical Storm Alberto, the season ended inauspiciously with a rainout.

According to senior delegate Becky Holland, the organization's bylaws do not include precautions for weather postponements, so no makeup date will be announced.

"We just got together on Monday, had lunch with each other and went home," she said. "Now we all can move our focus to the ladies' county summer league."

That league is the Ramblers Traveling Summer League. Tournaments take place for these Citrus County women throughout the summer, and the players include golfers from 10 county clubs.

Holland was the senior delegate for the Intercounty League throughout last season, but she is resigning that post next season to relax and focus on her play on the course.

Because of this week's rainout, the tournament at Lakeside Country Club in Inverness on May 9 turned out to be the season finale.

In that event, Peg Crowley of Citrus Hills finished with the top 18-hole score with 89 while Barbara Lawson, also of Citrus Hills, was behind her with 90.

Each tournament featured awards given to the low round and the low handicap round. The low handicap from last month went to Donna Lynch of Lakeside who ended up with 67 minus her handicap.

NSJGA TOURNAMENT CANCELED: With Tropical Storm Alberto bearing down on the area, North Suncoast Junior Golf Association coordinator Kathy Brown also announced the postponement of the organization's most recent scheduled event, this past Monday's tournament at Southern Hills in Brooksville.

While the tournament could be rescheduled, Brown does not believe that's likely.

"We will attempt to reschedule Monday's tournament at Southern Hills," she said. "However, it does not look likely since our schedule is full."

Young participants from Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties will move their focus to the next event, the tournament at Silverthorn Country Club on Monday.

The last NSJGA tournament was at Plantation Inn Golf & Country Club in Crystal River on June 5. Rick Kittelstad of Lutz, 16, took first overall for the boys, shooting 76 over 18 holes. Briana Carlson of Inverness, 15, led all girls, totalling 78 strokes over the course of her round.

CITRUS YOUTH FOOTBALL: Citrus County Youth Football is holding a fundraiser at El Diablo Golf & Country Club in Citrus Springs.

The event is Saturday with a scheduled 8 a.m. shotgun start. The format is a four-man golf scramble where each individual entry fee is $50 per person and $100 hole sponsorships.

The outpouring of support has surprised the organization with 28 of the available 30 foursome spots already filled.

"The feedback has been fantastic," said Dan Baldner, one of the fundraiser organizers. "We'd been kicking around ideas for this for some time, so to see it working out like this is a real thrill."

The fundraiser is being organized by Mike Downing, a volunteer for the Inverness Storm chapter, and Baldner, the commissioner of the Crystal River Sharks chapter.

Downing was formerly the commissioner with the Storm, so Baldner and his relationship grew from there. While talking about the diminished rivalry between the Storm and Sharks, the organizers felt that a joint fund-raising event may put a spark back in that relationship.

The event has even received some special attention from baseball's Atlanta Braves, thanks to Crystal River High School alumnus Mike Hampton.

Hampton recently sent Baldner a package full of prizes that will be awarded this weekend, everything from signed John Smoltz baseballs to a signed Jeff Francouer bat.

The contact number for additional information and registration before the round is (352) 302-9603.

[Last modified June 16, 2006, 06:45:50]