Playoff decides golf outcome
by Frank Solle

Nine holes weren’t enough to determine the winner of the 2005 version of the Beaver Island Golf Course Annual Fourth of July Tournament this year, as three teams finished deadlocked at three-under-par 32 following a sunny, but blustery round on the links.

The final outcome was thus decided via a playoff, with one golfer from each of the three finalists chosen to represent his squad in a sudden-death format beginning at the first hole.

Just one hole was needed to crown a new champion as Tim Martin, representing his teammates Jack Spanhak, Dean Cady, and EZ Johnson, defeated Rob Latimer and Eric Block to claim the win with a bogey five.

Latimer finished second with a double-bogey six. Latimer’s teammates were Joe Moore, Gerald LaFreniere, Doug Meaney, and Frank Solle.

Eric Block, playing for his teammates Joe Hurst, Don Corr, Eric Pelfrenge, and Ben Delamater, withdrew from play after his fifth shot went out-of-bounds.

“It was a good tournament,” said director Jerry Sowa following the competition. “The windy conditions may have brought the scores down, but everyone had the same chance.”

Prior to play, Sowa explained the ground rules and complemented course manager John Works, Jr. on his efforts in improving and maintaining the course under the season’s dry and windy conditions.

“We had a total of $900 out there up for grabs over nine holes including longest drives and closest to the pins and it’s just unbelievable the support we get,” Sowa said of the tournament that attracts 90 golfers to the course each year. “ From all the merchants, the construction companies, the real estate companies —everyone on this island seems to come through. Merchants that didn’t sponsor prizes on the holes gave other items to give away as door prizes.”

One island business that is a special sponsor of the yearly event is the Eager Beaver Clean and Store as they donate the individual trophies for each member of the winning team. This year they went a step further, providing individual trophies for the second-place team as well.

This year a special gift was handed out during the post-tournament festivities, as avid local golfer Pastor Howard Davis has announced his retirement from the pulpit. In recognition of all he has done for the island community, Sowa presented him with a special sand (wich) wedge - a golf club with a rubber hamburger in place of a club face. “I wanted to get you something to remember us by and something that will help you on the golf course,” Sowa said in making the honored presentation.

Following distribution of all the prizes earned for golf expertise on each hole and too many door prizes—from hats and t-shirts, to books and calendars, to photos and paintings, to golf balls and accessories—to keep track of, Works expressed his thanks for the efforts of Sowa to make the golf tournament a growing success. “We really couldn’t do this without Jerry,” Works said.