Ann Rounthwaite

The Oakwood Lady Niners Golf Association welcomes golfers of all skill levels who want to play nine holes in a supportive, fun environment. The group offers weekly games played on one of Oakwood’s three courses on Tuesdays, at 6:30 a.m. during the summer, followed by an informal breakfast at the Poolside Grill for those who want to socialize. If you find 18 holes too much during summer’s heat and want to take advantage of seasonal golf rates at Oakwood, call Pattie Wigton at 480-895-7123 for information about joining the Lady Niners.

After the successful April 1 Member Guest day that raised $2462 for Matthew’s Crossing Food Bank, the OLNGA resumed regular games. The results of the low gross game on the Sonoran course on April 8 were: Flight 1: 1st Phyllis Madison and Betty Perry, 2nd Fran Neumayr, 3rd Nancy Heberling; Flight 2: 1st Judy Hedding, 2nd Georgeann Bell, 3rd Barbara Stewart; Flight 3: 1st Marcy Griffith, 2nd Barbara Jean Doyle, Rachel Enloe and Susan Meer, 3rd Ann Rounthwaite.

April 15 brought an odd-numbered game on the Lakes. With only scores on the par three and five holes counting, results were: Flight 1: 1st Kathy Chebuhar, 2nd Betty Perry and Tuny O’Rourke, 3rd Linda Talley; Flight 2: 1st Helen Semple, 2nd Ursula Bird, 3rd Georgeann Bell, Patty Partridge and Regina Wegman; Flight 3: 1st Marcy Griffiths, 2nd Barbara Jean Doyle, Dottie Meade, Rachel Enloe and Ann Rounthwaite, 3rd Susan Meer.

Next it was a Pro’s Choice Game on the Palms. That meant Game of the Day Chair Suevonne Negaard was able for once to delegate to Assistant Pro Gary Vien the task of selecting four holes to be scored for prizes. With an awe-inspiring knowledge of all possible permutations of the game and a wicked imagination, Suevonne Negaard plans the OLNGA’s weekly games and explains them to golfers befuddled by teeing off before their morning coffee. She plans games for 30 weeks a year, ensuring there is enough variety to provide opportunities for golfers with different strengths, and even co-ordinates games with social events to ensure a timely finish before special luncheons. On April 22 the winning golfers were: Flight 1: 1st Nancy Heberling and Patty Partridge, 2nd Suevonne Negaard and Tuny O’Rourke, 3rd Cora Lathom-Levensky and Linda Talley; Flight 2: 1st Julie Schneider, 2nd Karen Kenyon, 3rd Tricia Paolino; Flight 3: 1st Barbara Jean Doyle and Ann Rounthwaite, 2nd Clarisse Zornes, 3rd Hazel Ludwig. Finally, on April 29 players got to deduct putts from their gross scores in a field shots game on the Sonoran. Winners were: Flight 1: 1st Bonnie Tasch, 2nd Kathy Chebuhar, 3rd Betty Perry; Flight 2: 1st Fran Neumayr, 2nd Edna Joss, 3rd Ursula Bird and Tricia Paolino; Flight 3: 1st Hazel Ludwig, 2nd Carolyn Popkins, 3rd Pat Boylan.

Another OLNGA volunteer deserving mention is Bonnie Tasch. After serving as league president for two years she assumed the crucial role of handicap chair, a job that appears tedious to an uninitiated observer and that is definitely lacking in glory. However, Bonnie reliably and uncomplainingly records and submits members’ weekly scores to the Arizona Women’s Golf Association so that handicaps can be calculated and used to score all net games. It is volunteers like Sueanne and Bonnie working hard behind the scenes that make the league function so effectively.