Local Golf Report: It's time to say goodbye, again

The weather is still beautiful. I just shot my best 18-hole score of my life on Sunday and I'm sure many of you still have plenty of great golf rounds left in you this year.

Never-the-less, it's time for me to bid a fond farewell to golf writing for another season. After all, it's bowling season now and the Ten Pin Chatter column will have to replace this one for the long, cold, snowy winter ahead.

So this will be the last From the Fringe for 2012, but please, if there's golf news out there, feel free to send it in and I will make sure it gets in the paper in a timely fashion.

Two more championships were crowned this past week at area golf courses.

Last Thursday night at Prairie Farms Golf Course, the ladies crowned a champion as Havre Heating & AC defeated D.A. Davidson in a chip-off. Both teams scored 18 points in the final match, forcing a chip-off to determine a winner. The championship team is composed of Kim Evans, Karan Evans, Janice Fisher and Jennifer Kinsella. Stockman Bank defeated Patrick Construction in the consolation match to wrap up the ladies' league season.

Last Thursday night also saw a champion crowned in men's league at Beaver Creek Golf Course. Pj's Poker defeated Stone Child College in the championship match, while Waddell & Reed beat Beaver Creek for the third place. The championship PJ's team is composed of Nick Turner, Tony Lawson, Ron Cooper and Justin Hawley. Stone Child is made up of Frank Henry, Steve Galbavy, Neal Rossette Jr. and Jeff Henry.

Congratulations to all the winners in golf league this season, as well as all those who get out and play in leagues. Without every golfer who participates, Havre wouldn't have the great leagues that we do.

Speaking of great things, the Havre women's league at Prairie Farms does a lot more than just play good golf. They also give back. At last week's final women's league meeting, the Ladies Golf Association presented Jan Nelson, founder of Hi-Line Women Against Breast Cancer, with a check for over $14,505. This is money the association raised during the 8th annual Havre Women Fighting Breast Cancer Tournament in June.

Jan founded her non-profit organization 12 years ago as a way to help women along the Hi-Line who have breast cancer pay for treatment, mammograms, etc. Her organization has helped women from Cut Bank to Shelby to Chester to Chinook.

In the 12 years, Hi-Line Women Against Breast Cancer has donated over $400,000 to area breast cancer patients. Of this amount, Havre's Ladies Golf Association has donated over $115,000 with money raised solely from the annual golf tourney.

Well done ladies.

There's also one last tournament on the slate at Prairie Farms Golf Course. Tha annual Birdy-Birdie event is coming up and is one of the more unique golf events on the Hi-Line each year.

And don't forget to support Havre High golf this weekend. The Blue Ponies host the annual Havre Invitational at Beaver Creek Golf Course on Saturday morning.

So this is it, another golf season in the books, or at least in the paper anyway. It's been a great year, and not just because my Havre Ford team won the men's league championship. It's been fun, it's been hot and it's been challenging.

And until next spring, keep swinging.