SPORTS

by c hris alTEsE, PGa

women in your life with us on Mother’s Day! Seatings at 10:30, noon, and 1:30. Reservations are required – call 228255-2918 ext. 3 or stop by the Club office.

MEMorial Day May 29

We will be serving up a Memorial Day Sampler Plate in Latitude 30. Three smoked wings, BBQ pulled pork, & grilled sausage. Served with baked beans and coleslaw. $15

ThUrsDay niGhT –DUElinG Pianos

The Fabulous Steinway Brothers will be with us on May 11, 18, & 25 from 6:009:00 in Latitude 30. Come in for this unique & fun night!

TUEsDay niGhT binGo

WiTh briGiTTE & sylvia

Bingo night in Latitude 30 from 6:00 – 8:00 on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday! One free card per person.

One additional card per purchase. No cash entry, no cash prizes.

WEDnEsDay niGhT Trivia

Every Wednesday is Trivia night in Latitude 30 with Tony Lewis of Exit 28 Trivia from 6:00 – 8:00. saTUrDay niGhT EnTErTainMEnT

Gather your team & get competitive. Eat, drink, & tease your brain!

Ronnie Hammons will be with us on May 13 & 27 from 6:00 – 9:00.

The golf courses are looking great to kick off this golf season! Why play golf or live anywhere else? Diamondhead has it all. Now is a perfect time to get out and play some golf on our two championship golf courses.

Welcome Head Golf Professional, Wayne Fuselier! Wayne Fuselier is a long time PGA Class A Member and has been mainly based around the New Orleans area. He brings many years of golf operation experience and knowledge with him. We are excited to have him join our team!

The Malahini, our premier golf event, is The Club at Diamondhead’s Member-Guest and it will be held May 1921. You may still have time to get your team registered. Call the Golf Shop at 228.255.3910. The Malahini is a major event for The Club at Diamondhead, and it’s one of our favorite events of the year.

We hosted the Big Kahuna Golf Challenge on April 14-16. 78 players registered to play in this 2-day, 36-hole, individual stroke play championship. It really was an incredible event with strong competition across the board. Congratulations to all of our flight winners including Big Kahuna (Men’s) Overall Champion & Shootout Champion Robby Russell and our Wahine Stroke Play/ Ladies’ Overall Award Winner Champion Madison Malley! We also had a hole-inone by Mateo Jimenez during the closest to pin challenge on Friday afternoon just prior to The Chee Weez performance on the event lawn.

Big Kahuna Flight Winners-

Men’s A Flight 1-Robby Russell

Men’s A Flight 2-Martin Hoda

Men’s B Flight 1-(tie) Darian Fuselier & Dan Hamman

Men’s B Flight 2-Chris Hebert

Men’s C Flight 1-Bill Hatchett Jr.

Men’s D Flight 1-Jerry Phillips

Men’s D Flight 2-Billy Meighen

Men’s E Flight 1-Marvin Gray

Ladies’ F Flight 1-Bill Hatchett Sr.

Ladies’ G Flight 1-Madison Malley

Ladies’ H Flight 1-Jean Hudgins

Ladies’ H Flight 2-Teresa Ertel

Ladies’ I Flight 1- Amy Swint

Big Kahuna Shootout Results-

1st place…Robby Russell

2nd place…Jerry Phillips

3rd place…Nick Beale

4th place…Ced Smith

See all results for the Big Kahuna Golf Challenge at our event website... dcc-bigkahuna2023.golfgenius.com. Lots of fun!

Upcoming events... 4/29 - Hancock Hawks Football Booster Tournament (open to all)

Championship

7/1-7/2 - Magnolia Classic

7/10-7/14 - Greens Aeration – Cardinal

Say you don’t golf...you don’t have to miss out on the fun. The Golf Academy of Diamondhead can get you enjoying the game of golf in no time. Golf instruction is available all levels of play and especially beginners. Stop by and give it a swing!

We guarantee that you will be glad you did.

Golfers…are you doing your part? It’s your course too so let’s all do our part. Fill your divot and then two more. Re-

Hawaiian Couples Invitational

6/5-6/9 - Greens Aeration – Pine

6/17 - Ping Fitting Event

6/21-6/24 - Diamondhead Junior Golf Camp

6/28-6/29 - Gulf States PGA Junior pair your ball mark and then two more. They don’t even have to be yours! We look forward to seeing you “PLAY MORE GOLF.” Let’s all get out and enjoy our beautiful golf courses and practice facilities. As always, let us know how we can help.

by GEnE DEMEDicis

Leading money winners for the first quarter of 2023 are Berni Breen, George Thibodeaux, Gene deMedicis, Norman Bowley, Dave Barbato, AJ Dilley, Dennis Laumann, Lenny Alphonso, Tony Holt and Al Mast.

First quarter closest to the pin leaders include Norman Bowley(4), John Bunce(4), George Thibodeaux(4) Lenny Alphonso(3), Billy Stroud(3), Renny Pangan(3), Forest Dobronich(2), Tom Amedee(2) Ronnie Austin(2), Ron Davis(2), Anthony Jackson(2), Byron Gandy(2) and Gene deMedicis(2).

The format for the game on March 22 was Peers Points. The team of John Lee, Norman Bowley and Michael Gatwood won with a score of minus 9. Finishing second, only one point behind, was the team of Art Burgoyne, Bill Merna, Lenny Alphonso and Dennis Tauzin. In third place at minus 16 was the team of Sam Lee, Forest Dobronich, Renny Pangan and Mike Cavataio. Two teams tied for fourth place at minus 19. Chuck Ingraham was low individual with a net score of 69.

Closest to the pins were won by Tom Warren, Ron Davis, Dick Brown and Dennis Tauzin. Closest shot of the day was hit by Dick Brown at 3’9”.

In the ABCD points competition on March 29 the team of Jan Vest, Whitey LeJeune, Joe Doyle and Larry Popovich won with a score of minus one. Finishing second with a score of minus 2 was the team of Gene deMedicis, Mike Lindell, Jerry Brock and Al Mast. In third place at minus 7 was the team of Forest Dobronich, Sam Lee, Bill Merna and Lenny Alphonso. Finishing fourth was the team of Billy Stroud, John McLaughlin, Erie Hebert and AJ Dilley. Val Miller won low individual with a net score of 67.

Closest to the pins were won by Jan Vest, Val Miller, Forest Dobronich and Norman Bowley. Closest shot of the day was hit by Norman Bowley at 2’10”.

The format for the game on April 5 was Peers Points. Capturing first place was the team of Lee Kormondy, Erie Hebert, John Bunce and Tony Holt with an excellent score of plus 9. In second place, thirteen points behind, was the team of Dennis Laumann, John Black, Chuck Ingraham and Val Miller with a score of minus 4. Third place was won by the team of Dick Brown, John Benus, Anthony Jackson and Jerry Brock with a score of minus 8. Finishing fourth was the team of Dave Barbato, Ron Davis, Renny Pangan and Mike Cavataio with a score of minus 11. In fifth place was the team of Gene deMedicis, Jan Vest and Berni Breen.

Several outstanding scores were shot on April 5. Ron Davis led the scoring with a 73. Lee Kormondy shot 75. Erie Hebert,

John Bunce and John Lee all shot 76 and Chuck Ingraham shot 78. What makes these scores more impressive is that four of the players listed above have handicap indexes higher than 14.0.

Closest to the pin winners were Kevin West, John Benus, John Bunce and John McLaughlin. Closest shot of the day was hit by John Benus at 2”9”.

In the ABCD Points competition on April 12 the team of Norman Bowley, Mike Cavataio, Art Burgoyne and Larry Popovich won with a score of minus 2. Finishing second was the team of Sam Lee, Lee Kormondy, Jerry Brock and Gary Hava with a score of minus 3. Two teams tied for third place with a score of minus 4. The team of Tom Amedee, John Bunce, Dennis Laumann and Charlie Cangelosi tied with the team of Berni Breen, Kevin West, Chuck Ingraham and AJ Dilley.

Closest to the pin winners were Dave Barbato, Chuck Ingraham, John Bunce and John Benus. Closest shot of the day was hit by John Benus at 8’1”. John Benus has hit the closest shot for two weeks in a row.

Food for thought – did you ever notice how nobody likes a winner but everybody loves a good loser!

I’ll see you on the course.

by collEEn JonEs

Diamondhead Women’s Golf Association membership is open to all women who are property owners of Diamondhead and/ or current paid Diamondhead Country Club annual golf members. Membership is limited to women ages 16 and over. If you are interested you can get a membership application in the golf pro shop.

March 2nd we had our monthly Trophy Day Net tournament and it was played on the Pine Course. The Overall Winner was Jodi Crosby with a net score of 67. The first flight winner was Mary Lou Cziplicki with a net score of 69, second place was Liz Bell with a net score of 72 and third place was Bet Bowen with a net score of 73. The second flight winner was Denise Bergeron with a net score of 68, second was Pat Ellis with a net score of 69 and there was a tie for third place between Ruth Holmes and Tammy Lippon with a net score of 71. Low putts in the front 9 holes was Karen Dougherty with 13, the back 9 holes had a tie between Jodi Crosby, Jeanne Hudgins and Mary Lou Cziplick with 15 putts. The 18 hole low putts was Karen Dougherty with 29. Birdies were had by Margie James and Cassandra Godbold. Closest to the pin were Denise Bergeron on hole #2, Margie James on hole #6, Jodi Crosby on hole #13 and Joyce Teerling on hole #15.

March 9th we played a 2 person game of Low Gross/Low Net on the Cardinal Course. The first flight winning team was Amy Swint and Tammy Lippion with a score of 155, The second flight winner was Colleen Jones and her ghost player Amy Swint with a score of 155. Birdies wer had by Karen Dougherty, Lottie Williams, Mary Lou Cziplicki and Pat Ellis had two birdies. Chip-Ins were had by Kim McElwee, Pat Ellis with 2 and Mary Lou Cziplicki with 2. Closest to the pin were Amy Swint on hole #4, Mary Lou Cziplick on hole #7, Kim McElwee on hole #13 and Colleen Jones on hole #17.

March 16th we played a three person Scramble on the Pine Course. The winning team was Denise Bergeron, Terri Woolbright and Kim Knight. Second place team was Jeanne Hudgins, Tammy Lippion and

Lotti Williams. Third place team was Liz Bell, Diane Ackerman and Cathy Weber. Birdies were had by Jeanne Hudgins and Terri Woolbright. Closest to the pin were Carol Kirschenbaum on hole #6, Kim Knight on hole #13 and Jeanne Hudgins on hole #15.

March 23rd we played Individual Points on the Cardinal Course. The first flight winner was Bet Bowen with +5, Karen Dougherty was second with +3 and there was a tie for third between Georgeann Luxion, Kim McElwee and Pat Ellis with even points. The second flight winner was Cathy Weber with +7 and there was a tie for second between Dianne Ackerman and Lotti Williams with +4. Birdies were had by Dianne Ackerman and Karen Dougherty. Closest to the pin were Liz Bell on hole #4, Pat Ellis on hole #7, Terri Woolbright on hole #13 and Kim McElwee on hole #17.

March 30th we played a A,B,C,D low Gross and low Net game. The winning team was Liz Bell, Joyce Teerling, Terri Woolbright and Carol Kirschenbaum. The second place team was Cassandra Godbold, Colleen Jones, Linda Metz and Tammy Lippon. Birdies were had by Liz Bell and Tammy Lippon. ChipIns were had by Tammy Lippion and Mary Lou Cziplicki. Closest to the pin were Liz Bell on hole #4, #7 and #13. Bet Bowen on hole #17.

Once again, March managed to provide us with good and bad golf weather. Mother Nature certainly enjoys toying with us. This month you will read about our Founders Day winners as well as a new game called appropriately “The Luck of the Irish.”

Our normal Trophy Day was held on Tuesday, March 7th, and was played on the Front 9 of the Cardinal course. The March Trophy Day is Lowest Net Winners. They were as follows: Flight 1 winners - 1st Place =

Therese Mauterer, 2nd Place = Tammy Lipton, 3rd Place = Carroll Gothie and 4th Place = Barbara Linville. In Flight 2 the winners were: 1st Place = Janice Murray, 2nd Place = Margaret Sherwood, 3rd Place = Kathy Jones and 4th Place = Brigitte Becker. Flight 3 winners - 1st Place = Pat VanDervort, 2nd Place = Pattie Blackwood, 3rd Place = Nancy Barker and 4th Place = Mary Mizell. For the Lowest Putts Competition, LaDonna Brown got first place in Flight 1 with only 16 putts while in Fight 2 we had a tie between Janice Murray & Margaret Sherwood each also posting only 16 putts. Pat VanDervort took these honors in Flight 3 with 17 putts. When it came to Closestto-the-Pin challenge, Judy Tauzin grabbed 1st Place for Flight 1, Sue Hebert got the honors in Flight 2, with Pat VanDervort achieving 1st Place in Flight 3. Looks like Pat was having a very good day. We would be remiss if we failed to tell you, Nancy Sislow scored a Birdie (one under par) on the Fourth Hole. Way to go gals!

You may have noticed that on some Tuesdays there are Four Flights and on others there are only Three Flights. This is because the number of flights and players in each flight are deter- mined by the number of gals who sign up to play and their respective handicaps. While the Founders’ competition on the front of our Cardinal Course started out a bit chilly, the ball was rolling well and the sun shined during the entire round. Our winners are determined by flight, but had there been a prize for overall best round it would have definitely gone to Dinah Knobloch whose net score of 28 was by far the best. Dinah admitted it was the best gross score (48) she has ever had. Just the kind of day that keeps us all coming back to this game. Twenty-Two gals competed and two more followed the field. We fielded four flights and the results were as follows:

Flight One = 1st Place - Therese Mauterer, 2nd Place - Ruth Holms and 3rd Place - Judy Tauzin. Flight Two = 1st Place - Toni Rossol, 2nd Place - Shirley Halterman and 3rd Place - Judy Lakota. Flight Three = 1st Place

- Janice Murray, 2nd PlacePattie Blackwood and 3rd Place

- Cathy Gesell. Flight Four = 1st Place - Dinah Knobloch, 2nd Place - Pat VanDervort and 3rd Place - Ruthie O’Neill. When it came to Lowest Putts during this event the following took first place in their respective flights: Flight 1 - Therese Mauterer,

Flight 2 - Toni Rossol, Flight 3 - Kathy Jones and Flight 4Dinah Knobloch. These four gals came “Closest-to-the-Pin” during their round: Flight 1Ruth Holmes, Flight 2 - Judy Lakota, Flight 3 - Kathy Jones, and Flight 4 - Dinah Knobloch.

Tuesday, March 21st, brought a beautiful day to play a new game - Luck of the Irish — appropriate for our belated St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Various foursomes went out to play the front nine of the Pine Course. After the rounds were completed, all names were put in a hat and six “Luck of the Irish’’ teams were chosen with four of these teams being awarded prizes. Team Two composed of Brigitte Becker, Judi Brannan, Janice Murray and Nancy Sislow managed to bring in the best score to achieve 1st Place. Team Five with Tracey Garriga, Judy Lakota, Toni Rossol and Judy Tauzin took 2nd Place. 3rd Place was taken by Team Six - Cathy Gesell, Sue Hebert, Kim Knight and Dinah Knobloch. Not to be left out, Team One - Susie Fontenot, Dinah Knobloch, Tammy Lippon and Betty Perry garnered 4th Place. It was also a good day for ChipIns. Three gals scored them. Dinah Knobloch on Hole #5, Tam- my Lippon on Hole #7 and Betty Perry also on Hole #7. gbelcher@ seacoastecho.com.

While a Scramble was scheduled to be played before our General Meeting on the 28th of the month, thunder and lightning that morning caused us to cancel the round and just hold our meeting. Thirty-two gals joined us for the meeting and lunch. We were delighted with the turnout and many good decisions were made.

Our azaleas are in bloom and our weather is improving every day so watch for further adventures of the NINES during the coming months.