In its second season, the National Golf League tournament sticks
with fan-friendly environment and lets fans get closer to the
players
Gilroy – Don’t expect Saturday’s golf tournament at the Ridgemark Golf Course to be an average day on the fairway.
South County’s home team, the Silicon Valley Drivers, will host the National Golf League’s season opener in Hollister starting at noon. The National Golf League is in its second season and will try to bring a fan-friendly environment so onlookers feel more like they’re a part of the game, said Drivers owner Bob Henderson.
“They’ll be able to watch the players up close and personal,” Henderson said. “Instead of a polite clap, you can yell and say, ‘Way to go!'”
An added bonus for fans is there will not be any ropes to hold them back from the players. Fans will be able to follow the players down the course and cheer them on instead of sitting quietly as the match moves along.
But Henderson said he still wants the fans to respect the players.
“We still want to respect the integrity of the game,” Henderson said. “We’re not trying to rattle the players.”
The tournament will look like the Ryder Cup Match, Henderson said. There will be six northern California teams including San Francisco, Sonoma, East Bay, Davis and Sacramento, along with the local team. There will be three different nine hole rounds and each team will have three two-person teams for each round.
The first round will be “best ball” and will feature a shotgun start on each tee. There will be no pushes or carryovers so Henderson is hoping for aggressive play from the teams. Each hole won is a point for the team.
The second round will feature alternate shots by the players, but the scoring is the same. As each team wins a hole they accumulate a point. In the third and final round, labeled the “scramble” round, the stakes will be higher as one of the holes will be worth three points.
At the end of the day the team with the most points wins. The win also comes with a prize worth $2,400 for the team. Henderson wants the NGL to be a part of the community. So 10 percent of the funds made on Saturday will go to the Hollister Homeless Shelter.
Mitch Thomas, a Hollister native and Drivers player, said he’s looking forward to the upcoming season for a few reasons.
“It was a lot of fun last year,” Thomas said. “I think we have a better team than last year.”
Thomas said he’s really looking forward to partnering up with Eric Jones in the third round.
“I hear he can bomb it,” Thomas said about Jones, the 2003 RE/MAX Senior World Long Drive Champion.
Jones will also show fans how to do a trick shot and do an exhibition on longdriving.
“I want to show (the fans) that you don’t have to be a gorilla to hit the ball a long way,” Jones said. He added that most longdrivers are huge guys but that he stands at an “average” height of 6-feet. Jones said he worked hard to become as good as he is and will let those who attend the tournament know that they too can hit the ball long even if they aren’t a giant.
Each year the NGL brings in special guests to attract fans. Last year retired Golden State Warriors player Rick Barry was in attendance.
“I know that he doesn’t play golf,” Henderson said, “but we knew people would want to watch him.”
This year Henderson is hoping to double the 250 people that came to the event last year. He said those who come out won’t be disappointed.
“They should expect to see some exceptional golf,” Henderson said.
Brian Babcock is an intern who recently graduated from San Francisco State University. You can reach him at 847-7240 or [email protected].
