HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE — Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course certainly learned from its mistake.
One year after requiring the Coastal Mountain Conference South golfers to pay to play during a high school match, a decision that turned into a public relations fiasco for proprietors of Lake County”s only 18-hole course, Hidden Valley Lake rolled out the red carpet Monday for the seven teams that make up the South.
“They were very good to us,” Kelseyville coach John Berry said. “Just like all the other years we”ve played here except the last one.”
Hidden Valley even provided carts to the golfers on a number of holes that are challenging to walk, especially on the course”s hilly back nine.
“They were great,” Berry said.
Kelseyville (17-1) won its second straight South match to move in front of St. Vincent (16-2) in the conference standings. The Knights finished with 429 to St. Vincent”s 455. Rincon Valley Christian was third with 465, host Middletown was next at 519, St. Helena had 525, Calistoga 588, and Tomales was incomplete.
The next two South matches — Wednesday at Meadowwood in St. Helena and April 2 at Adobe Creek in Petaluma — could very well decide the South race, according to Berry.
“It”s the most difficult part of the schedule for Kelseyville,” Berry said. “Our kids don”t like Meadowwood because it”s a tight and short course.”
And Adobe Creek is St. Vincent”s home course.
“After Adobe Creek the schedule works to our favor,” Berry said. “A lot will be determined in the next two matches.”
Jonathan Bridges of Kelseyville and Ty Cazet of Rincon Valley Christian tied for the low round Wednesday at 5-over-par 77. Hipolito Perez Jr. of Kelseyville also cracked 80, shooting a 79. Blaine Ruggio and Lisa Copeland of Middletown were next at 81 and Kelseyville”s Nick Schaefer and St. Vincent”s Vinnie Magliulo carded rounds of 84.
Bridges and Perez each had two birdies during their rounds and another Kelseyville golfer, Tyler Drake, eagled No. 9, hitting a 5-wood and a pitching wedge.
“The ball took a couple of hops and rolled into the cup,” Berry said.
Notes: Hidden Valley eventually refunded the money it charged the teams at last year”s match there although no one admitted responsibility for the decision to charge the golfers.
