Golf notes: Rotella offering his services for good cause

For the second time in the past six months, Dr. Bob Rotella is offering his services to anyone who wins a bid that will help The First Tee of the Blue Ridge, the local chapter of the nationwide organization.

First Tee Blue Ridge is linking up with CharityBuzz, featuring a package with Rotella, which includes a two-hour consultation with “Doc,” along with a round of golf and a night’s stay at Farmington.

There also is a package that includes golf and lunch for three at three local clubs, Farmington, Keswick and Glenmore.

Bidding has already begun and will continue through May 24, with winning bids directly providing funding to First Tee Blue Ridge in support of programming for 5,000 local kids.

What an opportunity for serious golfers to have their games analyzed by Rotella, who has worked with virtually every top professional golfer on the planet over the past two decades.

If you’re getting out your checkbook, get ready to write a big number. In the previous auction for Rotella’s session, a golfer from Mexico won with a bid of $19,000.

For more information, go to CharityBuzz.com and search for golf auctions (there’s a lot of stuff available nationwide), or contact First Tee Blue Ridge executive director Jin Ellington at (434) 987-0133.

Faulconer this weekend

The annual Faulconer Invitational golf championship at Lake Monticello will be held this weekend.

Farmington’s Brian Bassett is expected to defend his title from 2017, when he edged out fellow Farmington member Philip Mahone by three shots for the championship. Bassett fired a two-day total of 2-under-par 142 to win his first-ever tournament.

Bassett was the highest local finisher at the recent Greene Hills Invitational, the first “local major” of the season.

More will follow this week on the Faulconer event.

Local golfers can compete for the Bill Battle Trophy by compiling points over the course of this season’s designated events, including the Faulconer, the Kenridge Invitational at Farmington, the Cannon Cup at Spring Creek, the Charlottesville City Championship at Meadowcreek, and the Jefferson Cup at Birdwood, the final event of the season in August. Players can also accumulate points by qualifying and competing in both the Virginia State Amateur and the VSGA’s Delta Dental State Open.

On Par

If you haven’t signed up for my bimonthly newsletter, “On Par” with Jerry Ratcliffe, you’re missing out on lots of exclusive golf news and offers from our sponsoring courses in Central Virginia.

“On Par” has been a hit with golfers all across the region, featuring stories on local golfers, course news, Virginia’s men’s and women’s teams, golfing technology, former Wahoos on the various pro tours and more.

Also, by signing up, you can view previous editions of “On Par,” from your laptop or phone. It’s absolutely free and emailed to you just by simply signing up. You can find the link on dailyprogress.com and cavalierinsider.com.

There are some very cool videos of our four sponsoring courses, Wintergreen, Old Trail, Keswick and Birdwood included along with special offers from each course.

The next “On Par” will be coming out in early June, followed by our second of three special sections on local golf, also in June. If you missed the last special section, you missed a directory of all the local courses, Central Virginia’s golfing history over the past three decades, a story on the Official Golf Nut of Central Virginia, and how Keswick’s “Full Cry,” was one of Pete Dye’s last projects before he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. There were other stories and lists as well.

So, don’t miss out on all the local golfing news. Sign up today and watch for both products coming out soon.

Locals get scholarships

Three local golfers have received scholarships from the Virginia State Golf Association.

St. Anne’s-Belfield’s Sam McNamara, Monticello’s Cole Vincel and Louisa’s Benjamin Hiter were among the 37 high school recipients statewide. All three received scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each to go toward their college education.

McNamara will be attending Transylvania University in Kentucky, while Vincel is headed to Virginia Tech, and Hiter will go to Hampden-Sydney.

Shag bag

Farmington’s Philip Mahone was part of the Virginia team that recently tied with West Virginia in the annual battle between the two states in a Ryder Cup format. While it was just the second tie in the event’s history and the first since 2007, Virginia retained bragging rights and ‘Ye Ole Feudin’ Stick.’ The matches were played at Olde Mill in Laurel Fork.

Aces

Two local golfers recently recorded aces at Meadowcreek: Mary Kay Kolelec made a hole-in-one on the 95-yard, fourth hole. She used a 9-iron, and was playing with Laura Kuhn.

Ed Acker aced the same hole from 105 yards with a pitching wedge. Acker was playing alongside Dave and Betty Michel and Linda Clarry.