Man, was it windy.
Driving to Skyland Pines Golf Club in Canton on Sunday morning, the electronic signs that hang over I-77 flashed, “WIND WARNING: gusts up to 40 mph expected 8a-11p”.
The number was about right, but not the gusts part. Seemed more like a straight 40. The leaves on the trees turned over all day long. Birds didn’t fly, they were blown across the sky.
Adding to the challenge, the helicopter seeds from the maple trees that dot Skyland Pines flew on the wind at face-cutting speed, littering the fairways and greens like snow. That meant players were constantly brushing the samaras (the actual name of the helicopters, to keep this educational) out of the line of every chip and putt, making the windy conditions even more of a test of patience.
How testing? An entire foursome decided to No Card, seven in total.
Jimmy Wild of Sagamore Hills managed the challenging day the best. Even though he made a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 sixth and bogies at 2, 12, 14 and 18, he offset those errors with four birdies on the day, including a skins-winning chip-in birdie from out of nowhere at the 13th. It all added up to a victorious score of 37 – 37 = 74.
Given the windy conditions, the thick rough and the speedy greens, 74 was a heck of a score.
In addition to his first place take and skins winnings, Wild also receives a 1-hour custom club-fitting session from Windmill Golf Center in Macedonia, a $125 value.
Aaron Crewse finished a single shot behind Wild, highlighted by a skin of his own with a cut little driver to eight feet on the reachable par-4 17th hole and a buried putt.
Cleveland’s Chris Okeson finished alone in third at 76, annoyed with his bogey at the last that kept him out of a T2 with Crewse.
The greens at Skyland Pines were in great condition, with some speed and firmness to them in spite of the wet spring weather. Kudos to superintendent Korey Waseman and his grounds staff! Plus a tip of the cap to GM Trevor Stan and his Quixoti-like effort to blow the helicopters off the greens during the round using the club’s high-powered turbine. Mother Nature won that battle, but we all acknowledge his heart-felt effort…
PHOTO GALLERY: 2019 NEOHGOLF.COM SKYLAND PINE STROKE PLAY >
FINAL RESULTS:
Northeast Ohio Golf Tournament Series
2019 Skyland Pine Stroke Play
Skyland Pines Golf Club, Canton, Ohio
Sunday, May 19, 2019
Jimmy Wild 37 – 37 = 74 $410.00
Aaron Crewse 38 – 37 = 75 $300.00
Chris Okeson 37 – 39 = 76 $190.00
Fred Miller 38 – 39 = 77 $100.00
Larry Lahnan 39 – 38 = 77 $100.00
Troy Luckenbaugh 38 – 40 = 78 $30.00
Mark Schneider 39 – 39 = 78 $30.00
Ty Kovach 39 – 40 = 79
Bobby Spino 39 – 40 = 79
Mike Whitmer 38 – 42 = 80
Rob Loomis 42 – 38 = 80
Jim Cea 40 – 41 = 81
Tim Heavner 42 – 40 = 82
Vaughn Snyder 42 – 41 = 83
Jeff Blechschmidt 44 – 40 = 84
Eric Coven 42 – 42 = 84
Rob Schustrich 40 – 45 = 85
Matt Warren 44 – 42 = 86
Nathan Kreutzer 43 – 43 = 86
Andrew Zgrabik 45 – 42 = 87
Tyler Watkins 42 – 45 = 87
Dave Trier 44 – 45 = 89
Matthew Jeffries 48 – 44 = 92
Dax Bramwell 50 – 48 = 98
Brant Harbert NC
Matt Gasser NC
Zach Drukenbrod NC
Keith Pluto NC
George Roberts NC
Phil Bojc NC
Craig Erwin NC
SKINS: $106 each
Larry Lahnan – Birdie 3 Hole #1
Bobby Spino – Birdie 3 Hole #5
Jim Cea – Eagle 2 Hole #10
Jimmy Wild – Birdie 3 Hole #13
Aaron Crewse – Eagle 2 Hole #17
Rob Loomis – Birdie 3 Hole #18
