News
OPMGA Crowns Match Play Champion
Craig Binetti bested Lou Goffredi Thursday morning with two holes remaining to win the 2021 Ocean Pines Men's Golf Association Match Play Championship.Connie Wachter secured fourth place in the double-elimination tournament when he was eliminated in the sixth round of matches in early September.
Binetti, Goffredi and Walt Lischak paired up during the last couple of weeks in a variety of ways before a champion was determined. Binetti eliminated Lischak in the eighth round. Goffredi gave Binetti his only defeat in the ninth round, and on Thursday Binetti closed out the tournament with his win in the tenth round.
Twenty-two Men's Golf Association members participated in the Match Play that began in June and involved 43 individual pairings throughout the summer. Sixteen of the 22 played in three or more matches, and six players played in five or more.
2021 Match Play Results
Match Play Champion: Craig Binetti
Runner-up: Lou Goffredi
3rd Place: Walt Lischak
4th Place: Connie Wachter
Twenty-two Men's Golf Association members participated in the Match Play that began in June and involved 43 individual pairings throughout the summer. Sixteen of the 22 played in three or more matches, and six players played in five or more.
2021 Match Play Results
Match Play Champion: Craig Binetti
Runner-up: Lou Goffredi
3rd Place: Walt Lischak
4th Place: Connie Wachter
OPLGA hosts Club Championship and Governors’ Cup Tournament
The Ocean Pines Ladies Golf Association held its annual Club Championship and Governors’ Cup tournament on Sept. 20 and 21. The Club Championship is an 18-hole, low-gross stroke-play event, and the Governors’ Cup is a one-day, nine-hole, low-net stroke-play event.
The overall low-gross OPLGA Club Champion, playing beautiful golf two days in a row, is Chung Cho.
The First Flight, first low-gross winner was Susan Morris, and the second low-gross winner was Geri Fasulo.
The Second Flight, first low-gross winner was Norma Kessler, and the second low-gross winner was Ann Shockley.
The overall low-net OPLGA Governors’ Cup Champion is Sally Stafford. She won the championship in a sudden victory playoff against Frankie Gomsak, on the first hole.
The First Flight, first low-net winner was Susan Morris, and the second low-net winner was Chung Cho.
The Second Flight, first low-net winner was Frankie Gomsak, and the second low net winner was Ann Shockley.
Lunch and the awards ceremony was held at the Ocean Pines Clubhouse following the tournament. The OPLGA wishes to thank the pro staff for their help with the tournament.
Golf members honor Stiles, raise funds for charity during annual Bavarian Hops Classic
Ocean Pines golfers raised $1,200 during the 15th annual Ernie Stiles Bavarian Hops Scramble, held Aug. 27 at the Ocean Pines Golf Club.The event, each year, is held in honor of the late Ernie Stiles and is hosted by the Ocean Pines Golf Members Council. Don McMullen and Bob Long coordinated this year's event.
To date, the scramble has raised more than $30,000 for local charities.
“Ernie’s idea was simply to bring together some good people and go out for nine holes, have some good fun, and support some good causes,” McMullen said.
Long said the event always has a lighthearted atmosphere. Longtime traditions include a toast, “Nostrovia,” to good health before teeing off. Players then “head to the course and let their hair down a bit,” he said.
“Ernie ran the Hops Scramble on his own for many years as a fun event,” Long said. “He charged $5 to play and all the money would get paid out to the skin winners. Often, no skins were cleared and the money would go to the charities.”
OPGMC to host ‘Sunday Golf Social’ June 20
Local golfers are invited to take part in a special “Sunday Golf Social” hosted by the Ocean Pines Golf Members’ Council on Sunday, June 20 at the Ocean Pines Golf Club.Ocean Pines Golf Club members will host the event, with all proceeds benefiting the Golf Members’ Council Scholarship Fund and the Junior Golf Fund.
“This is our way of inviting prospective members and guests to join us and learn about our programs,” organizer Walt Lischak said. “All members of the Ocean Pines community are welcome to play.”
The Sunday social will use a “best ball scramble” format with a shotgun start scheduled at 4:15 p.m. The event will also include prizes for the team with the best overall score, and closest-to-the-pin prizes for ladies and men.
Superintendent Updates Advisory Committee
Ocean Pines Golf Club Superintendent Justin Hartshorne recently supplied updates on conditions and maintenance efforts to several advisory committee members.General Manager John Viola helped facilitate the meeting, to address their questions and concerns.
He engaged experts from the amenity, Hartshorne and General Manager of Golf John Malinowski, to present current plans for maintenance, and specifically the greens.
“I wanted to ensure that everyone knows exactly what we are doing to address course conditions and the overall golf course results,” Viola said.
On the maintenance side, Hartshorne said much of the recent focus has been on finding drainage lines, and addressing drainage and irrigation issues.
"This was stuff we knew we were going to have to work on and touch up," he said. "We were also ninja-tining, and just working on diluting the thatch layer while we had favorable weather this winter. That was also a big focus, on improving the playing surfaces."
Ninja tines are an aerification mechanism that helps pull unwanted material out of the ground.