June 29, 2011 at 4:30 p.m.
No mulligans necessary
Senior championship at Northwood Golf Club goes off smoothly
No mulligans necessary
By Jonathan Bailey-
The 27th annual Wisconsin Women's Public Links Golf Association (WWPLGA) State 36-hole Stroke Play Senior/Super Senior Championship wrapped up Tuesday at the Northwood Golf Club. It marked the first time that Northwood was the host of such an event.
"It's great to have a state event like this because it brings in players from all over the state," Northwood Golf Club PGA pro Dan Buckley said. "It's great for publicity for us and it's just nice to have a state-recognized event. Normally they don't come this far north but with the quality of Northwood Golf Club and the condition it is in know, they just loved it."
Sandy Thies, president of the WWPLGA, said that the Association tries to move around the state for accommodation reasons and that Rhinelander is probably as far north as it has ever gone. Last year, the championship took place at SentryWorld Golf Club in Stevens Point.
The field, which usually consists of 120 competitors, was smaller this year, something that Thies attributed to the price of gasoline and people not wanting to make the long trek up north. Seventy-four golfers participated in the two-day event, which got underway Monday.
"People loved the course, but with the cost of gas we didn't fill (the championship) for the first time that we can ever remember," Thies said.
She added that there was absolutely no regrets about coming this far north, even though attendance was considerably down.
"It's a great facility, the course is in great shape and I didn't hear a single complaint from the people that did drive all the way up here," Thies said. "I think some people just had a little hesitation about making the long trip."
In addition to the publicity that the Northwood Golf Club received for hosting such an event and the enjoyment that the WWPLGA experienced, the championship also helped local businesses.
Buckley figured that the competition had provided 80-100 room nights for local hotels, not to mention room tax, gasoline, food and shopping expenses that were put into the Rhinelander economy.
Thies, who came up last week and treated it as vacation, said she kept plenty busy and spent plenty of money during the process, golfing at many courses throughout the area, eating at local establishments and spending some time at the shopping center in Rhinelander.
About the WWPLGA
WWPLGA was founded in 1961 to encourage women to learn, appreciate and enjoy the game of golf. The WWPLGA sponsors four tournaments a year for any WWPLGA club member and for any amateur golfer who has an individual membership and a USGA handicap index.
The Senior/Super Senior Championships in Rhinelander was the first of the four 2011 events. There will be a stroke play competition at Whispering Springs in Fond du Lac July 11-12, a four-ball/Ryder Cup challenge at Camelot in Lomira Aug. 20-21 and a senior best ball event at Reedsburg Country Club Sept. 24-25.
For more information on the WWPLGA or a membership application, visit www.wwplga.org. Thies can be contacted at (262) 728-8735 or [email protected].
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