FDCC 9-hole ladies crown champion

While adding Rarity Bay Country Club in Monroe County to its circle, Fox Den Country Club Ladies Golf Association 9-Hole League’s Guest Day

2016 featured a lesson in sportsmanship.

The championship round winning team, as determined by a tie-breaking scorecard playoff, decided to share the first-place prize and ignore the tie-breaker.

“That was a great example of sportsmanship. The [tiebreaking first-place team] was very happy to share the prize,” Angie Hellmann, chairman of FDCC 9-Hole Ladies, said following 9 holes of play on the FDCC course, and a reception held in the club’s Legends Dining Room, Tuesday afternoon, June 28. Members from Oak Ridge Country Club and Beaver Brook Country Club annually are among the participants, which totaled 48 this year.

The threesome of Pam Schaffer, Peggy Swindlehurst, and Carol Henley finished in a first-place tie (26) with Sandy Thompson, Patty Wallace, Kathy Karich and Nicole Workman.

Third-place team (27) was the quartet of Bernie Naylor, Pat Shannon, Donna Davis Beltz and Nina Dolin.

Teams are randomly divided up among the clubs for a reason. “That’s part of the idea, to meet people and make friendships,” Thompson said. “The pro shops for each of the clubs always match the groups together, so we never know who we’re going to play with when we show up.”

While Thompson said she’s been a member at FDCC for about 12 years, “I’ve been a member of the 9-Hole group for five years and we all look forward, every year, to hosting Rarity Bay and Oak Ridge and Beaver Brook on the same day,” she added. “Great friendships have been made, and everybody looks forward to seeing each other. … Great group of gals.”

“We host Tellico Village on another day.”

Individual awards included Chip-Ins: Ernie Patterson, No. 2 hole; Mary Van Hyning, No. 3, and Laura Levy, No. 7.

Accurate Drive winners included Sissy Rayburn of Fox Den; Closest to the Hole included Patterson of Fox Den.

One member from each of the three visiting clubs thanked FDCC 9-Hole Ladies during the reception. “I want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone. You’ve done a fantastic job. We thoroughly enjoy coming to Fox Den every year,” Shannon, a Beaver Brook member, said.

Hellmann dished out praise to those behind the scenes helping make the event successful. “Thanks to Mary [Grapski] and her committee for breakfast this morning. Thanks to you, Jenny [Miedaner] for all the decorations. Thanks to Sissy, she got all the prizes together,” she said.

Tyler Bailey, assistant golf

professional at FDCC, served as event coordinator and reception emcee.