E.A. Sports Today

Local golf notes

Cider Ridge, Indian Oaks offer specials; County Match Play final set for Thursday

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

Two Calhoun County golf courses are embarking on promotions they hope will increase the exposure of their respective facilities.

Beginning Thursday, Oxford residents will be able to play Cider Ridge Golf Club for $32 on weekdays and $42 on weekends after 10 a.m. The course also has nine-hole and twilight rates available for Oxford residents.

The offer is available to Oxford residents with the city of Oxford listed on their drivers license.

Indian Oaks Golf Club, meanwhile, has taken a novel approach of honoring memberships of all Calhoun and Etowah County golf courses, allowing players with proper credentials to play for a $15 cart fee. The offer runs through June 30, 2016.

“I know there is still some skepticism,” Indian Oaks director of golf Ron McClellan said. “I’m just trying to get people out here to let them see what the crew we’ve got out here has done for this course.”

Since McClellan and the new ownership group took over the Saks area course, they’ve purchased new equipment and set about working on the fairways and greens. McClellan reports the fairways are “as tight as you can get them” and the greens are as soft as ever.

“This time next year it won’t even look like the same golf course,” he said.

MATCH PLAY DRAMA: Caleb McKinney and Kevin Daugherty will be playing in the championship match of the Calhoun County Match Play Championship Thursday at Cane Creek Golf Course.

McKinney, the youngest player in the field, is the fifth seed. Daugherty, the former Anniston CC pro, is the sixth.

“I feel blessed to be in the position I’m in,” McKinney said. “I know there are a lot of other good players in this county who would love to be playing in the championship match.

“I’m just going to try to approach it like I do every other round and do the best I can. Me and Kevin have played together in the same group in a couple tournaments this year and we were always right around the same score so it will be interesting, for sure.”

On the County Tour they played together in both rounds of the Cider Ridge Invitational. Daugherty shot rounds of 72-72, while McKinney shot 72-75.

In the other major match play event in the county, Lance Evans has reached the finals of The Sharps at Cider Ridge. He defeated Austin Minter in the semifinals 3&2 and awaits the winner of this weekend’s match between Eric Cannington and Rob Davie.

TRICK OR TREAT: The annual Trick or Treat Challenge at Silver Lakes is coming up and it actually falls on Halloween this year.

The two-person event is Oct. 31-Nov. 1 with a first-round scramble on Mindbreaker/Short Course and a final-round scamble on Backbreaker/Heartbreaker. The first day is a shotgun start; the second day has tee times.

Entry Fee is $125 per player. The field will be flighted based on participation; a fourth flight will be added if the field draws 40 teams.

Call Brennan Clay at 256-892-3268 for more details.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login