Monday’s match was held on the Camelback Ambiente course, one of the finest golf course layouts in the Valley. Two-man teams competed in a modified Stableford format. Sandy Wiener drew Heard Broadrick as a partner. For the first nine holes, Sandy could have stayed in the club house. Heard came out like a snake bit horse and shot a net 33 on the
front side and single-handedly accounted for sixteen points. They only needed six more between the two of them to win first place. They got nine more and took the crown with points to spare. Harold Hoeg and Scott Hull edged out Laurence Rosen and Howard Jones by one thin, lucky point to take second place. Rosen and Jones retained their amateur status by finishing out of the money.
Broadrick and Hoeg went home with the lion’s share of the skins pot with three each. Rose, Jones and Wiener left with the table scraps.
- Harold Hoeg – 77
- Howard Jones – 83
- Howard Jones – 69
- Harold Hoeg – 71
- Heard Broadrick – 72
The course was magnificent with beautiful, contoured greens that rolled so true Socrates would have swooned. They were rolling at close to a twelve stimp, but you could trust your ball to go where you hit it. Jones’ low net comes as no surprise; he was playing his home course. Course knowledge goes a long way toward keeping scores down. Many of the competitors were playing Ambiente for the first time. Most will play it again. With cavernous sand traps (with sand) reachable off the tee boxes and beautiful, flower packed arroyos that have been allowed to grow into their natural state, the course is a thinking man’s course. Every shot must be carefully considered. Unlike players on most resort courses in Arizona, the golfer who stands on the tee box and flails away sails away. Course management skills are paramount on Ambiente. The five pars are real par fives. The three pars have character. You’re on the driving range before the round begins. You’re on a real golf course once you step onto the first tee.
Note: The golfers would like to thank Debbie Nichols for loaning her husband to the group for the day.
