Final chance to play No. 16

I’ve been playing golf for almost 50 years, but I can still remember my first round at the old Hubbard Golf Course, now Pine Lakes, in Hubbard.

I was just a kid of 14 or 15 and a bunch of us kids went there to play one morning. The course wasn’t crowded so by the time we got to No. 16, the famed “saucer hole”, we all took three or four shots at the green figuring it was going to be our best shot at ever getting a hole-in-one.

Well, we never made one and I’ve probably played a hundred or so rounds there since that first time and still never made an ace on No. 16. I’ve come close, even had one hanging on the lip once, but never got one there.

And after this week I won’t have another chance to make one there, and neither will anybody else.

Beginning Tuesday Pine Lakes will hold a grand opening for its new No. 16 hole. The grand opening will last all week long and there will be a special coupon available for golfers to get 19 holes for just $20 with a riding cart.

Yes, for the next week you can get to play both No. 16 holes (new and old) and for a greatly reduced price over an outstanding golf course.

With the closing of the old No. 16 that means that my two favorite holes on the back nine will no longer exist. The old par-5, No. 15 was another of my favorites. If was a fun hole to play and never was there a prettier green to hit into than that one which was surrounded by big pines on three sides.

I also liked the old No. 11 and 17 holes, only because they were short and gave you an easy shot at making birdie, although I’m sure I could count on one hand how many birdies I made on those two holes over the years.

When I look back it is just amazing the remodeling job that owner J.D. Ferrara has done with the golf course. There may be only one or two holes that have been untouched.

He turned what used to be the old Hubbard pitch-and-putt layout into a golf course that can rank with any in this area and it is also in near-perfect condition.

I always enjoyed playing the old golf course, probably because it was a lot easier to score than on the present one, but nowhere near as beautiful.

Junior Clinic set

Debbie Ruha over at Tamer Win Golf Course in Cortland announced this week that junior golf clinics will be held there.

The clinics will be held over five Tuesday mornings beginning July 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for juniors ages 8 through 12.

Jerry and Donna Bollinger will be conducting the clinics. Jerry is a Northeastern Ohio TGA Director and Donna is a TGA certified instructor.

They will give instructions on all facets of the game including the golf course, equipment, etiquette and scoring along with the basics of the full swing, pitching, chipping, sand play and putting.

The cost is $90 for the five 11‚Ñ2 hour sessions which also includes a drink and snack at each session. All participants are required to bring at least a 3-wood, 5-7-9 irons and a putter.

For more information about the clinic contact Ruha at (330) 637-2881.

XPete Mollica writes about local golf for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.