HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE — Maybe the golfers of the Coastal Mountain Conference South would have been better off staying at Bodega Harbour Golf Links, site of last week”s contest.
Known for its windy conditions, Bodega Harbour may have been preferable to the site of Tuesday”s contest at Hidden Valley Lake, where the wind was howling and the golfers were scrambling to locate their shots, which were traveling left, right and every which way, pushed by the wind.
“Brutal winds, worse than Bodega,” Kelseyville coach John Berry said of the wind-driven weather that made it an adventure on the scenic par-72 course, especially on the back nine.
“Shots were being altered by 40 yards,” Berry said of the course”s trademark 15th hole, where golfers tee off from a higher elevation and can only see part of the landing area. “I”m pleased they all hung in there,” Berry added of his Kelseyville golfers, who carried the day.
Kelseyville, now undefeated through the first three South meets, finished with 432 (the combined score of the team”s five low individual rounds), easily beating St. Vincent (474) and host Middletown (481). Other scores had St. Helena at 505, Tomales at 536, Rincon Valley Christian at 566 and Calistoga incomplete (fewer than five golfers).
The conditions were so difficult that the day”s best round was a 9-over-par 81 by Middletown”s top golfer, Doug Quinones. Only a handful of other golfers broke 90, including four-fifths of Kelseyville”s scorers led by Brent Hamilton”s 82. Schuyler Bloom had 85, Darrin Sullivan finished with 86 and Hipolito Perez had 89, including a team-best three birdies. Sullivan had two.
Also breaking 90 were Rincon Valley Christian”s Ty Cazet at 87 and St. Helena”s Peter Larson at 89.
After Quinones, Middletown”s low scorers were Mitch D”Amico with 91 and Lisa Copeland with 94.
The CMC South golfers travel to Adobe Creek in Petaluma on Thursday.
