I think it is safe to say a great time was had by all. I know I sit here with every ounce of my soul and my liver completely exhausted. As for next year, it was pretty unanimous that we go to Apache Stronghold - great course, not that tough to get to, great prices. But the tradition is that SoCal "hosts" next year so the final decision is up to them... that is, up to whoever takes this ball and runs with it!
But yes, all hail and glory and laud to the "victors", if you can call them that after a halved match. It did indeed end up 9.5 - 9.5. Exact details were:
Sat am - Partners Hi-Lo
Fortson/Moriarty (ROW) halved with Huckaby/Tennyson (NC)
note - I am rather proud of the 4 foot putt I made to save the half in this match. I will never admit that it was for an 8. You can never get that out of me. I didn't write that. VanderBorgth/Perches (ROW) def. Benham/Pieracci (NC)
Duran/Golden (ROW) def. Papazian/Humphrey (NC)
Huntley/Getka (NC) def. Pittock/Hutto (ROW)
Fleisher/Thomas (ROW) def. McBride/Goldman (NC)
score ROW 3.5, NC 1.5
Sat pm - Modified Chapman
Benham/Humphrey (NC) def. Fortson/Moriarty (ROW) 5&4
Pieracci/McBride (NC) def. Duran/Fleisher (ROW) 1up
Huckaby/Getka (NC) def. VanderBorght/Hutto (ROW) 2&1
Perches/Thomas (ROW) def. Papazian/Huntley (NC) 1up
Golden/Pittock (ROW) def. Tennyson/Goldman (NC) 3&2
Score stood at ROW 5.5, NC 4.5
Sun am singles:
Pieracci (NC) def. Golden (ROW) 4&3
Huckaby (NC) def. Duran (ROW) 4&2
Thomas (ROW) def. Ace McBride (NC) 8&7
Pittock (ROW) def. Getka (NC) score unk.
Papazian (NC) def. VanderBorght (ROW) score unk.
Fleisher (ROW) def. Goldman (NC) 1up
Huntley (NC) def. Hutto (ROW) 3&2
Fortson (ROW) def. Benham (NC) score unk.
Stewart (NC) def. Perches (ROW) score unk.
Thus the final was 9.5 to 9.5. Yep, Fleisher's pitch-in won the Putter. If that misses by an inch, Goldamn calmly two-putts, the match is halved, and we have that extra half point we so desparately needed. Evan is either not invited next year, or I find a way to get him on a NorCal team. Evan, come on, you love it out here, right?
I must say also I witnessed McBride's ace and I am neither lying nor exaggerating when I say it was the single most perfect shot I have ever seen in my 30+ years of golf. 205 over water, into the wind... the only way to do it was to cut it along the fairway grass on the left, let the spin take it in... which is exactly what the shot did, and it died in the hole. Apologies to Paul Thomas for smashing his sunglasses in the post-shot revelry. We were going nuts. Good lord, what a golf shot.
So OK, how was the course received? Generally well, I think. There is a lot of fun to be had at Stevinson. BUT... there is a lot of severe rough, some very oddly placed. #11 has the poster-tree for the stupid tree concept. All in all, it is a great course, but what, did you expect this group to just fawn over it? We can't even agree on Cypress freakin' Point.