Seacoast Christian GC, October 18 , 2024
– The Crossings @ Carlsbad –
-The Field-
Tee Times & Pairings
Welcome to Newcomer/ Matthew Olson to our golf group!
We had 24 players in the field up for Friday, October 18, 2024 to have our 13th Event of our Seacoast Christian GC season. Our tour stop was at The Crossings at Carlsbad GC, Carlsbad, California. Today was a big day as it marks our “Championship Finals” as we have our two finalist battling for the 2024 Seacoast Cup Trophy. The “Player’s Cup” players would compete for “elevated” final playoff points add to their season totals, and today would also reveal our “Player’s Cup” champion.
Today’s event involved players being matched up in “Match Play” according to their seeded positions on our playoff season leader board. Our top 2 remaining players in the Championship Cup Bracket will squared off in the The Finals Championship Match Play playoff. Those players who are in the “Player’s Bracket” will match up to earn 200 points for a winning match. Tie matches will split the points. Also points would be earned in our normal LOW GROSS / LOW NET / LOW NET Skins , as well as pin competitions. Today’s scoring points will be at a season high of 500 points for a 1st place position.
Current Champion – 2023 Seacoast Cup Winner
-Scott Crockett-
The Finals – Championship Match
(winner becomes our 2024 Seacoast Cup Champion)
CONSOLATION MATCH
Battle for 3rd Place
A Big Congratulations to our Winners as some great golf was on display today. Here are the results.
Flight “A” Low Gross Winner: Ted Clinite (81) / Steve Osborn (81)
Flight “B” Low Gross Winner : John Estill (86)
Flight ” C” Low Gross Winner: Mike Haug (87)
Flight ” D” Low Gross Winner: Byron Dahle (92)
Today’s Overall Low Co -Net Winners: Mike Haug (70) / John Estill (70)
SCORE CARD
– 2024 Championship Finals Match –
Pre Match Notes:
Ted Clinite – a single digit handicap, “A” Flight player. He has an excellent command of his golf game. Short game skills he has mastered. Putting is very sharp and usually a big plus to his golf arsenal. He has been a top tier player the majority of our golf season on our leaderboard. He is a tough competitor and is very hungry to regain possession of the Seacoast Cup Trophy as he last won in 2017. He knows he has to spot his competitor +22 strokes today, which means he’s got to be on top of his game.
Bill Miller – is no stranger to the finals as he was exactly in the same position last year in 2023 when he met up with Scott Crockett. This past season, Bill has succeeded in winning match after match and even though he is a “D” Flight player, his steady approach at this game has kept in the game. As an 82 year old golfer, he has outstanding short game skills to make up for his deficit off the tee box. Most of the younger golfers can outdrive him by 30-40 yards, but Bill doesn’t let hat bother him as he knows he has the ability to “get up and down” when he is 40 yards from the cup. If he stays out of trouble today and finds the fairways on this difficult course, he will be tough to handle.
Recap : Ted Clinite vs. Bill Miller (+22)
Front Nine – Both players got off nicely on the first tee, but Clinite had the slight advantage with his ball landing just 145 yards to the cup, while Miller still had 195 yards to get to green. Ted knowing he has to make par or better on each hole to compete with Miller, expertly shot his 9 iron to get his ball pin high but just off the green (2 feet). Miller took 3 shots to get to the green and left himself a 25 footer for bogey (net par). Miller missed his bogey attempt and settled for a double bogey (net bogey), but Ted got up and down and made par. This was the pattern that Ted set forth for himself for the day. But then on hole #3, Miller missed his par putt and settled for a “bogey” (net birdie) as he got a +2 stroke differential on this particular hole for a Win. But Ted on the very next holes struck back with a barrage of pars. On hole #6, Miller showed signs of greatness by almost parring this difficult (Hcp 1) hole. Ted played the hole to perfection with a solid drive, followed by a well navigated approach shot to the green his birdie attempt…but he had to settle for a “tap out par.” While Bill ended up winning the hole by scoring a natural bogey and with his +2 stroke differential scored “net birdie” to win the hole and to make the score 2Up for Clinite. Ted could only shake his head. By the time the two competitors got to the 9th hole, Ted had set the pattern that he wasn’t going to give in to the stress of making pars and birdies. Miller was focused on cutting into Ted’s 3 Up lead …but the extra pressure manifested itself as Bill landed his tee shot into the greenside bunker (103 yard hole)…and by the time they both completed the hole, Ted had another win. At the end of 9 holes, the score was Clinite 4 Up.
Back Nine – both players now sensed the tension and the competitive juices began to flow. Miller realizing that Ted was doing his best to “control” the match, took a deep breath and vowed that all he needed to do is make a few “natural pars” to turn the tide and gain the momentum. Both holes #10, 11 where not long holes and suited Miller’s game well. On both holes, Miller had a chance to make par, but he had to settle with the tap in bogey (net par) which could only TIE Ted’s solid play of pars. But then on the longer par 4 / hole #12, Miller grabbed his opportunity when he saw Ted miss his second shot to the green that landed short. Miller had a 70 foot chip shot as he was just off the green in two, and he masterfully chipped his shot to within 3 feet of the cup. Ted almost got out of jail as his saving par putt lipped out for a tap in bogey. Bill sized up his putt and slid in his ball from 3 feet into the cup to make par (net eagle) and to WIN the hole. Ted was now only 2 Up in the match and feeling Bill’s claws getting a hold of the match. On the hole #14 (par 3), Ted put his short tee shot (103 yards) into the greenside bunker. Miller now sensed that this was his time to climb out of being behind in this match…but his tee shot also failed short…and by the time both players finished the hole, both scored “double bogey”…but fortunately for Bill, his +1 stoke gave him the win so now Ted had only a 1 UP lead. Going into the next few holes, Bill knew he had to play his very best as these par 5 holes required length off the tee, and accurate skills at lay up shots. Ted skillfully played the holes with perfection with solid drives to the fairway, laying up a shot with a hybrid to get within 140 yards for his approach shot to the green. Bill had some difficulty off the tee, then by the time he had a shot to the green he was already on his 4th shot. These last two par 5 holes became the downfall to Bills game today and by him not being able to par or bogey these holes, gave Ted a win as Ted showcased his “par making” skills. By the end of hole #16, both players shook hands as Ted won the match with a score of Clinite 3 and 2.
Both players had a great time competing today, but Ted Clinite came out on top to become the 2024 Seacoast Cup Champion. Congratulations !!!
Ted Clinite
– 2024 Seacoast Cup Champion-
Post Match Interviews: Bill Miller was given the opportunity to speak to the media after the round and he politely explained “I was really ready to take on Ted today. I’ve had some good success these past few weeks…but I’ve been battling some health issues and I’m glad I made it this far. I know there is some scrutiny regarding my age and my handicap, but for an 82 year old guy, this “match play” gets my competitive juices going. I’m happy to get this far in the playoffs, but I again fell short of taking the cup. Ted is one of the better players around this group, and he played well today and deserve the win. I’m happy for him…but I’ll be back next year !”
Ted Clinite was found smiling ear to ear when we finally caught up with him to ask him about his thoughts about his win today…“I had a plan today, and executed it well. Anyone playing Bill and having to give him a stroke per hole, gave me the zeal to play my best. I didn’t par every hole…as that was my plan…but I surely made enough to keep the match in my favor. My hat goes out to Bill as he gave it his best. Bill took down several good players in our golf league and I was fully aware that he has the potential to pull out the great shots. That’s exactly what we saw on hole #6 and 12…where he beat me…but fortunately he didn’t do that on every hole or else the results would have been different. Today, I think the course beat Bill and I was the recipient of winning holes due to his blunders. I’m so relieved that it’s now all over and I succeeded to be come Champion !”
NOTE: the above account is the onsite media reporter’s account of the match and is purely meant to provide info, entertainment value, and perspective of what took place during the match. Complete accuracy and actual thoughts of each player during the round is purely speculative, but done to the best ability of the reporter. There is no intention to demean nor question players’ character or thought process.
2023 Championship Consolation Match
(battle for 3rd Place)
Pre Match Note:
Ebin Smith – a very seasoned golfer who has worked his game to the point where he is a solid single digit golfer. There are days when he easily posts scores in the mid to low 70s. He is a bit disappointed in his performance against Bill Miller last time, but confident that he’ll do well today. His swing is solid, and length off the tee impressive. If Ebin is “ON” today, and avoids the rough today, he’ll find much success.
Curtis Chan – has been slowly reorganized his golf game to situation. He’s had to reframe his mindset as he admits he isn’t able to hit the ball as long as he used to. He’s refocused his practice to short game skills as he knows it’s all about the short game. His putting skills are sharp, and today, if he takes advantage of his stroke holes, he’ll be contending to the end.
Recap: Ebin Smith vs. Curtis Chan (+15) –
The Front 9 – Both players brought their best game for the day as they both started their day on the range. Chan was seen on the range early and it was reported that he showed up at the crack of dawn as the range first opened. Both players had a shaky start as both struggled to make par on the starting holes, and by the time they got to the 3rd hole the match was still TIE Match. Then on the hole #3, Curtis tapped out for “bogey” / net par to win the hole and take the 1 UP lead. Playing equal to Ebin’s every shot, Curtis dug deep into his bag to not let Ebin gain any momentum. Then by the easy par 3 / hole #9, Ebin took a 1 UP lead as Curtis failed to get up and down out of the sand trap.
The Back 9 -Ebin felt a change in momentum and he took a win on the next hole as Curtis missed his tee shot and had to hit his 3rd shot off the “drop area.” Then on the next hole #11, Ebin had some issues with his drive that missed the fairway and he ended up scoring “triple bogey” which opened the door for Curtis to win the hole with his “net par.” The two battled for TIES on the next few holes, but then on the short par 3/ #14 hole, Curtis solidly put his tee shot 8 feet from the cup. Ebin made a costly 3 putt bogey as Curtis tapped out for par and a win and a 1 UP lead. The two continued to battle and Ebin took a win on the difficult hole #15 / par 5 hole with a solid par. Curtis had difficulty getting to the green and his double bogey gave Ebin a solid win to TIE the match again . Finally on hole #16, both player shot solid irons shots to the green leaving about 22 feet to the cup. Curtis putted first and left his ball short with an upslope 4 footer. Ebin saw Curtis’ putt, but he misread the line of his putt and it slid to the right leaving him a challenging 8 footer to save par. Ebin took aim but lipped out his par putt for a disappointing bogey. This gave Curtis a golden opportunity to win a hole…and with this, Curtis evaluated his line carefully…and based on Ebin’s missed putt, Curtis knew the break would be more than what he saw. Curtis refocused on his line of 4 feet and perfectly stroked his putt to roll left to right as it broke 6 inches right into the cup! This made the score Curtis Chan 1 UP with one hole to play. Knowing he had a +1 stroke differential, Curtis mentally focused to play this hole without blunders. Ebin knew he had to make par or birdie, as Curtis seemed to have confidence in his game coming down the stretch. And with the 1 stroke, Ebin knew he couldn’t make any mistakes. Curtis hit first off the last tee hole #18, and hit 200 yards down the middle of the fairway leaving 176 yards to the cup. Ebin crushed his drive and it sailed to the right side of the fairway leaving him 140 feet to the hole. Curtis decided to lay up on this challenging final hole and left himself 65 yards to the hole. Ebin solidly hit his PW and dropped his ball 18 feet from the cup on the upper side. Curtis expertly pitched his 56 degree wedge to drop just 8 feet from the cup on the left upper side. Ebin knew he had to make a birdie to put pressure on Curtis. He took aim and missed the birdie putt from 18 feet and tapped out for par. Curtis knew he had it in the bag and two putted for a solid bogey “net par” to TIE the final hole and WIN the match ….Curtis Chan 1UP.
Post Match Interviews: Ebin Smith was asked as to what happened today on the course…. ” I was not playing solid golf today, and it seemed like I couldn’t get anything to drop. I made my share of pars today, but Curtis was playing well enough to hang with me. , I didn’t take advantage of my opportunities when the door was open. I didn’t have the “A” game which you need when you get to this deep into the playoffs. At least I can be proud that I finished 4th in the standings. I’ll have to take this experience and build on it for next year.
Curtis Chan shared his thoughts on today’s match “I’ve worked hard on my short game these past few weeks. Knowing that I have some physical limitations to my game, I’ve had to recalibrate my mental thoughts about my golf game this year. I didn’t have my “A” game today…but I kept myself in the game and didn’t let Ebin get far out in front of me. Having +12 strokes from Ebin still meant I had to be on my game. Ebin is a great player and can make all the shots. I just had to make sure I was able to do what I can do…and today it was all about making putts when needed. I believe the difference today was the final par 3 holes which gave me the win. He made bogeys on those two par 3 holes and I made the putts for par…and that really made the difference today. This is a crazy game we all love and hate. I’m grateful for Ebin’s great sportsmanship and his competitive spirit. I’m sure he’ll be back next year.
NOTE: the above account is the onsite media reporter’s account of the match and is purely meant to provide info, entertainment value, and perspective of what took place during the match. Complete accuracy and actual thoughts of each player during the round is purely speculative, but done to the best ability of the reporter. There is no intention to demean nor question players’ character or thought process.
Player’s Cup Bracket – Match Play Score Cards
-Low Gross / Low Net – Points-
GREAT SCORING / NET SKINS / PIN COMPETITION WINNERS
Recap Event 13 – We had 24 golfers showed up to play the challenging The Crossings at Carlsbad GC. Our finalist played their Championship Finals Match play to determine our club champion. A big congratulations to Ted Clinite for pulling out the win over Bill Miller to become our 2024 Seacoast Cup Champion. In the consolation match “battle for 3rd place” Curtis Chan was successful in pulling out a win on the 18th hole over Ebin Smith.
In the Player’s Cup Bracket, Paul Deveau was successful in pulling out of the field by posting a good score today and winning his match. Paul was able to squeeze out 950 points today to add to his totals and surpass Alan Hoekstra who was in position to win the Player’s Cup trophy…but ended up on the short in of the stick but just a few strokes.
Notables: Steve Osborn showed of his golf skills and proved he has an “A” game and posted a low gross 81 on this challenging course. Both Mike Haug and John Estill posted low net 70 scores to take 1st place honors. Our elderly Byron Dahle (almost 90 yrs) played from the front tees but still proved he’s got game and shot a 92. All these players earned another 500 points to their totals.
There were a few tight “match play” matches played , but all in all, players had a great time this season and should be ready for the next 2025 golf season !!
As we come to the end of our golf season, remember it’s just a game where we try our best to be the best we can be at this great game. Some days you’ll have it, and some days you don’t. But in the end, its the time with friends, and memories of being together and having a great time with one another which really counts.
There’s still more golf to be played for the remainder of the year with our: President’s Cup (November 15 – at Links at Lakehouse GC / San Marcos) and Winter Event (December 6 – Rancho Bernardo Inn GC)
-The Winners on the Leader Board –
Championship Finals – The Crossings @ Carlsbad GC – October 2024
Our next event will be Friday, November 15, 2024. We be playing our annual “President’s Cup” /Lunch of Champions event at Links at Lakehouse GC. The cost is $85 / player. Tee times begin at 7:00a. Reply back on this email to get a spot in the field. Field is limited to 28 players.
Points will also at the end of the golf season will be converted to “President’s Cup Raffle Tickets.” All the points earned by players will be converted on the November 15, 2024 (Event 14) when we divide the field into two teams. President’s Cup format will be played and final points will be added to player’s score. Those points will then be converted to raffle tickets which will then be drawn for many golf prizes: golf apparel, golf equipment, golf outings, golf bags, etc. So come on out to enjoy the fun / competition / prizes for our November 17 event.
Reply back to the email to get your spot.
The Current Leader Board
Previous Month’s Leaderboard
