Local Golf Report: It pays to pay for the deuce pot

This week marks a big week for a lot of golfers in and around Havre.

For one, this week marks the start of Havre High’s 2017 golf season, with practices beginning Thursday at Prairie Farms Golf Course. The Blue Ponies, under head coach Brett Gilman, will get their season started quickly, too, as they head to the season-opening Great Falls Invitational Monday and Tuesday, before coming right back to Prairie Farms to host the Havre Invitational Aug. 17.

Best of luck to all the Pony golfers this season, and we’ll have much more on you with our season preview next Monday.

It’s also a big week for league golf around the Havre area.

At Prairie Farms, the ladies are already into the semifinals of their annual playoffs. Last week, D.A. Davidson beat Havre Heating & AC via a tiebreaker as the two teams split their match 18-18. Northern Montana Hospital also bested Scharfe, Kato & Co. 21-15, Patrick Construction beat Prairie Farms 18.5-17.5 and Independence Bank knocked off Double R 21-15. Ali Ward, Tammy Boles, Kelsey Ward and Haley Kline all shot 41 for low gross, while Alysia Pedraza was low net with a 28.5

The ladies will continue their playoffs with the semifinals Thursday night. Havre Heating & AC takes on NMH, while Patrick Construction battles Independence Bank.

Also at Prairie Farms, the men’s league is down to its final regular season week, starting tonight. Bing-N-Bob’s is in the lead in the Tuesday standings, while Master Sports is in front in the Wednesday standings. The top four teams from each night, that haven’t already qualified for the playoffs, are in next week’s playoff field.

Last Tuesday saw Patrick Construction, composed of Ken Wagner, Tom and Brett Patrick and Dave Clauson, and Stockman Bank, made up of Chuck Wimmer, Kaare Engebretson, Ryan Mapes and Dave Herman, tie for high-team honors with 22 points. Jeremy Jensen was low gross with a 38, while Chad Spangler was low net with a 30.

On Wednesday night, Michelob Light was high team with 22.5 points. The team was made up of Jim Kato, Tom Adams, Tommy Baker III and Spangler. Dr. Kevin Harada was low gross with a 1-under par 35, while Spangler was again low net with a 30.

Last Thursday night at BCGC, in men’s league, Nalivka’s earned high-team honors with a whopping 24.5 points. Tanner Veis, Jordan Brough, Matt Jensen and Paul Jensen made up the team. Roman Surber shot an even-par 36 to take low gross, while Tim Sapieka was low net with a 27.

As golf leagues begin to wind down for the season, just a reminder to all league secrataries to send us final results and winning team photos if possible. All results and photos must be emailed to me at [email protected], no later than the Monday before From Tee to Green is published each week. The column will run through Sept. 21.

The local tourney scene is also winding down. But last Saturday, there were two big ones in Havre. At Prairie Farms Golf Course, the annual Northern Montana Health Care Foundation Scramble was held. The team of Kyle Sheppard, Dr. Kevin Harada and Chad and Sarah Spangler took first place. At Beaver Creek Golf Course, the Roasting Sticks Tournament was also held. Low gross went to the team of Frank Henry, Adam Demontiney, Daryl Wayne Talks About and Joe Jarvis. Low net was the team of George Heavy Runner, Roland Kennerly, Summer Kennerly and Trae Kennerly.

And lastly, here’s a little golfing advice, and it comes from a lesson learned. As club, or amateur golfers, we probably don’t have the utmost confidence in our games from night to night, round to round, or even shot to shot. But in the grand scheme of things, a lack of confidence is kind of stupid in our golfing world considering what’s really on the line — fun, a hobby, a few bucks in league or a tournament. Let’s face it, it’s not life or death.

So when there’s fun things like the “deuce pot” in league golf, don’t let a lack of confidence deter you from taking a chance at it because you never know when that really good shot or putt is right around the corner. Take a lesson from this guy I know that didn’t think he was going to make a birdie the other night on either of Prairie Farms’ tough par 3’s, so he didn’t pay for the “deuce pot,” and then proceeded to have the only deuce of the entire night. Don’t be that guy. Oh yeah, and carry cash, too!

Prairie Farms Men's Golf League Standings

Tuesday Night

Bing-N-Bob's 124

Korb Construction 121.5

Northern Edge 118.5

BKD Law 113.5

Hole 19 112

Patrick Construction 110.5

Wagner Plumbing 109

Stockman Bank 107.5

Vic's Place 102.5

Cowan & Son 100

Rock Solid 100

Milk River Engineering 97.5

Havre Ford 94

Tilleman Motors 93

Wednesday Night

Master Sports 118.5

BPCU 116

Michelob Light 114.5

Valley Furniture 114

D.A. Davidson 113

Gallery Lounge 105

Mariani Insurance 104.5

Havre Ford 103.5

Independence Bank 94

Chvilicek Farms 70.5

BCGC Men's League

Valley Furniture - 141

Grip It n Sip It - 140.5

S&M Construction - 139

CS&S Labs - 138.5

Droppin A Deuce - 137

Vine 19 - 133.5

Nalivkas' - 131.5

New Concept Lawn - 135

Grams Ice Cream - 127.5

Hi-Line Gold Casino - 126

Triangle Communications - 122

Frontier Lawn - 122

Border Dogs - 117

Independence Bank - 108

Office Equipment - 99.5

Beaver Creek Golf - 93.5

Baldwin Insurance - 90