Ling's 19th Hole

Sandy was here over the weekend to add to her quarter collection. Just kidding!!!??!! Anyway, she arrived here on Saturday after a short delay in Ohio for de-icing, and we headed to Glenview CC to hit some on the range, and play nine holes. We met Jana
at the CC, and had dinner. On Sunday, we headed off to Nancy Lopez CC to play 18 holes with fellow golfing buddy from Troy, snowbird Carol Preston, and a new golfing buddy that is a lot of fun, Lois Bittner. We had a good time, and everyone enjoyed getting some money from Sandy playing C.O.D. but I had to fork out a few quarters for Sandy's collection on our skins game. We met Del Preston afterwards for dinner, and discussed the Villages and our golf games. On Monday, we headed to Tierra Del Sol, where Jana and Jan rounded out our foursome. We had lunch in the bar at Tierra Del Sol, and then returned home so that Sandy could throw her things together, pile it in the car, and head out for a short shopping trip to Beall's. Then off to the shuttle, where she arrived back in Dayton on a straight through flight at 10 PM. Sandy brought some red Swedish fish in an OSU container to commemorate the good ol days and the fun we had with the gang at the PCC and the DDWGA tournaments. We had a great time.
And....there are still 5 plus championship clubs that she has not yet played!

Friends Charley and Nancy Regan, Peg, and Jana had the second teetime in The Villages on the inaugural first day opening of Havana CC. It was worth getting up at 5:45 and travelling 25 minutes in the golf cart to be there for the 7:36 teetime. (The first teetime was held by 4 guys from Ohio. imagine that....who knew Jeff Balta from Piqua and Chuck Brockmeyer when he coached at Grove City) Havana CC was opened at least one month early because Mallory CC had to be closed due to tornado damage. A fine time was had by all. The course was still receiving some special landscaping, and as Charley said, it really was like playing in "Havana" because everyone working was speaking Spanish! haha! Large greens were in perfect shape, and the course was fun to play. Lots of hilly fairways, and elevation changes around the greens made it a challenge. It is now 18 holes called Hemingway and Kenya, with the other nine
called Kilimanjaro, to open at a later date.

Mallory Hill Country Club 2-2-07 We are safe and sound, as is our neighborhood, but the Villagers south of Lake Sumter Landing took quite a hit. It was labeled as the second worst storm to ever hit Florida. The devastating path of the tornado went through the homes close to Cane Garden CC, then slammed in to the water oaks on the Audubon Eagle Preserve, and on through homes and straight in to the clubhouse and restaurant at Mallory Hill CC. Over400 homes in The Villages were destroyed, and over 1000 were damaged. Many Villagers have been helping out each other, and it was a miracle to the
stuctural integrity, and luck, that no one was killed.
Fema and the insurance companies were here immediately, as was the governor. ( The Villagers family donates the maximum allowable donation each year to the republican party...the only good, I think, that ever comes out of their donations!)
Anyway, they were here to help the residents with insurance money, and help in cleaning up the mess, and making things a little easier through this difficult time. All golf was cancelled south of 466 to allow rescue vehicles and construction crews access. Our friends, Jay and Linda Besecker from Ohio (Jay graduated with me from Milton Union in 67) and our British friends, Irene and Jim Brennan were very very close to the damaged area, but both were fine. Next post...good news!