Chamber of Commerce Golf Scramble a major success

The Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce couldn’t have dialed up a better day for the annual Golf Scramble if they’d sent God a text message with a special request.

The masses were out in force at the Moses Lake Golf and Country Club last week with some 144 golfers participating. Throw in another 30 volunteers and you could say the turnout was spectacular. It was a good day for bad golf.

Final dollar figures aren’t in, but there’s plenty of other stuff to talk about. Actually there was some pretty good golf.

The Eagle Home Mortgage team won the men’s low net with a score of 45. That bunch included Jason Avila, Ariel Garza, Tyson Hintz and Jed Bartha. Not bad shooting, combining for a 9-under-par 63 before handicaps were figured in. The low gross winners were Guild Mortgage. I’m thinking these mortgage guys do most of their business out on the golf course. The Guild team, Larry Shannon, Steve Slack, Brody Milbrandt and Cameron Whittle combined for a round of 55.

Man it was a good day, not a cloud in the sky and just a puff of wind. The hole sponsors came through with flying colors with booths on each tee box with company information and special prize raffle tickets. Genie, a Terex Company, and Washington Trust Bank, the major sponsors, were on the ball.

The mixed low net winners put up a 52. The Moses Lake School District team calling themselves Lost Fac-u-lties included Michelle Price, Linda McKay, Eric Johnson and Dave Balcom had it rolling pretty good. Competing against school teachers with summers off was an undaunting challenge.

The long drive competitions went to Michelle Price and Steve Slack. The father-daughter tandem of Anne Fisher (12-feet-1) and Larry Shannon (9-9) were the closest-to-the-pin winners.

I have no doubt you are wondering how Team Harold did. We at the Columbia Basin Herald posted a number not worth repeating, but we were the best covered team in the tournament. Team Harold consisted of the best sticks in Columbia Basin journalism, publisher Eric LaFontaine, circulation manager Bob Richardson, advertising rep Tara Zerbo and yours truly. You could say we were all over it and it would be a fact. Let’s just say we bogeyed all four of the par-3s and leave it at that. But we had fun for a good cause.

In fact, I’d say that was the theme for the day. It truly was a good day for bad golf … for a good cause. If you’d like a little visual aid check out www.facebook.com/cbherald/videos.

Also on the golf front, shout out for Mikayla Chavez who became the first Moses Lake High School golfer in the past 28 years to qualify for the state golf tournament. Chavez shot 94 at Three Lakes Golf Course in Wenatchee to finish fifth in the District 6 tournament.

Now it’s time to go low when the best golfers in the state tee it up on May 24-25 at Sun Willows Golf Course in Pasco.

I’d like to add my voice, saying atta kid.

One last note, Grant County EDC Executive Director Linda Martin is officially on board. She hit the ground running, but with her background and expertise that simply means things are in good hands.

“This past couple of weeks has had everything from attending a ribbon cutting on my first day, to learning the internal systems and budget, to making remarks at the Washington State Transportation Commission, and working with a couple of new prospects,” she said. “Emily Braunwart and Allan Peterson have been great to work with during the transition, and I’m very appreciative of their knowledge and ideas.”

Rodney Harwood covers sports and business for the Columbia Basin Herald. He can be reached via email, businessag@columbiabasinherald.com.