Two new scoring “course records” were recently set by two Northeast Ohio amateur golfers — and both players are past champions of The Greater Cleveland Skins Game.
Dave Sotka of Chardon, the 2007 Greater Cleveland Skins Game Champion, set a new course record on June 27th at Pleasant Hills Golf Course in Chardon. Sotka shot 64 with scores of 30-34: he made six birdies on the front nine against a lone bogey on the long par-3 8th hole, then he made one birdie and eight pars on the incoming nine. The previous course record was a 66, co-held by Dave Sutton and Kip Freeman.
Then Steve Blackburn Jr. set his own mark. Blackburn Jr. of Willowick, the 2008 and 2009 Greater Cleveland Skins Game Champion, torched Briardale Greens in Euclid on Sunday, July 11 with a 61. Blackburn Jr. had seven birdies and an eagle, breaking his own course record of a 62 which was set in 2008. It took 20 years to break that course record, which was previously co-held by his father, Steve Blackburn Sr. and Fred Schneller. Blackburn Jr. remarked, “I really had a chance at shooting 59 with five holes left, but I couldn’t get it done.”
Congratulations to both Sotka and Blackburn!
