Things are looking up at local area golf courses. Grass is beginning to grow on
the fairways, greens are getting easier to putt, trees are filling out.
But excuse Santa Teresa Country Club owner Greg Collins and general manager R.
C. Ordish if they seem a little happier than their counterparts at other
courses. Reason: The club is getting new golf carts! Finally.
The old ones had gotten a little rickety. It all came down to finances. Maybe
the fact the club opened one of its two courses to the public has helped in that respect.
“The new golf carts will be here May 12 (Thursday),” Ordish beamed.
Incidentally, Santa Teresa Country Club officials have something else to smile
about. It’ll be part of the annual KLAQ Balloon Festival May 28-30. That ought
to pep things up even more.
TRIVIA QUESTION: What American and National League batters led their leagues in
hitting for the most consecutive years? Answer at end.
KRISTI ALBERS, the grand lady of El Paso golf, is seeking your help. As you
know, she started the First Tee of Greater El Paso program that has helped so
many kids. She writes:
“We are having an Adult/Junior golf tournament May 21 at our home Ascarate golf
course. It will be a 2 p.m. shotgun start for kids 11 and older and 10 and
under kids will play 9 holes at 4:30. One adult and one junior will play a
scramble format. The fee is $150 for the 18 holers and $75 for the 9 holers.
This includes green fees, cart, dinner and prizes.
“This is a great opportunity to play golf with your kids. If you would like to
play but don’t have a partner please let us know. We have lots of kids that
would like to play.
“We are looking forward to a big summer with about 150 kids. We need your help
to keep this wonderful program continuing.”
You can also be a sponsor, she added.
What a great way to have fun playing golf and helping kids!
SPRING FOOTBALL practice at UTEP is over. Thank goodness.
Oh, spring football practice is great for the coaches. They get to know the
players up close and personal and evaluate things such as running times,
strength and agility.
But for the fans, spring football isn’t worth much. And frankly, reading all the
clichés about how good so and so is looking and how promising the team is gets
pretty boring.
The only kick I got out of this spring’s UTEP spring football was how catchy
some of the players’ names are. Like “Javia” for quarterback Javia Hall, who
threw for touchdowns of 12 and 62 yards in the practice-ending spring game, and
“Dakota” for Dakota Warren, a place kicker. The name of another quarterback,
Nick Lamaison, is easy to remember, too.
DO YOU HAVE a hardcover copy of “Haskins: The Bear Facts?” If you do, hold on to
it. It has become a collectible item.
It sold originally when it came out in 1987 for $14.95. Now, one will cost you
$270.
And if you want one of the few special, leather-bound editions of “Haskins: The
Bear Facts,” which was signed by all the players and Haskins and was originally
priced at $100, it’s now selling for as much as $1,500.
A hardcover of my other book about the 1966 Miners, “Basketball’s Biggest
Upset,” also sold for $14.95 originally. It came out in 1991. There are more
copies of those but now each will cost $70.
You can still buy paperbacks of both books for the original low price on
Amazon.com or at various book stores.
ANSWER to trivia question: Ty Cobb from 1907 through 1915 in the American League
and Rogers Hornsby from 1920 through 1925 in the National League.
Veteran sports journalist and author Ray Sanchez welcomes suggestions for his
column.