"A good turnout for a great cause—and we had great weather as well," said Chuck Gates Youth Endowment president Roger Roland about this year's "C. Gates" round of golf.
Staged Sunday, June 8, the 11th annual Chuck Gates Memorial golf tournament attracted 26 foursomes and 104 players. They raised funds for the Chuck Gates Youth Endowment and the Atkinson Park junior golf program.
The tournament played at Sun Valley Golf Course brought $4,000 into the Gates coffers, with $1,000 going to the Atkinson Park junior golf fund and another $1,000 headed to the not-for-profit First Tee of Idaho organization designed to help affordable access to golf.
In all, $87,000 has been raised over 11 years for the Gates Endowment including a few sizable donations over the past 12 months, Roland said.
This year's low gross winners with a 56 at Sun Valley in the Chuck Flight were Rick Filkins, John Manocheo, Eric Huus and Greg Fairfield.
Winning the Chuck Flight were Charles Evans, Mike Wirth, Joel Evans and Wray Farmin with a 45. Gates Flight winners with a 44 were Becky Smith, Steve Malkmus, Judy Atkinson and Don Atkinson.
Men's long drive winner was "Ike" Aicher. Women's long drive winner was Jolie Dunn. Closest-to-the-pin prizes went to Tim McDermott, Terry Fowler, Jolie Dunn and Jen Harper.
This year's Gates tournament honored the memory of Community School teacher, golf coach and passionate ball striker Bob Doyle, who passed away since last year's tourney.
Former Sun Valley Golf Course head professional Bill Butterfield was the only other person to be honored with such a Gates tournament dedication following his death.
Sawtooth Auto Sales of Hailey made a $37,000 vehicle available for the hole-in-one contest, and Bob Dunn came within 18 inches of the prize on the par-3 160-yard 15th hole.
The tournament is named for Chuck "C" Gates, who died Dec. 6, 1997 in Nevada at the age of 51. A passionate golfer, Gates started Ketchum's first radio station, KRMR, and was a co-founder of the Idaho Mountain Express newspaper.
Here are the results:
Chuck Flight (13 teams)
1st place—Charles Evans, Mike Wirth, Joel Evans and Wray Farmin with a 45.
2nd place—Tom Ferries, Mike Neary, Shawn Aicher and Mark Osmer with a 46.
3rd place—Kevin Cincotta, Mark Brown, Keith Larson and Keith Perry with a 47.
Other Chuck teams:
47—Bob Buchanan, Ron Wentzell, Chris Perkins and Spyder Stevens.
47—Chuck Ferries, Gile Williams, Roger Roland and Bob Dunn.
49—Jeff Peterson, Taylor Riviello, Chance McCroskey and Paul Davis.
49—Joe Bergl, John Majors, Jim Bradford and Dan Tucker.
51—Mike Pirzynski, Zach Venzon, Mark Belanger and James Young.
52—Marion Monge, Nancy Ferries, Karen Shorts and Norm Shorts.
52—Page Jenner, David Timmons, Joel Graff and Steve Myers.
52—Bill Gehrke, Paul Spitzer, John Reinholt and Marsha Rankin.
54—Rick Filkins, John Manocheo, Eric Huus and Greg Fairfield (low gross winners with a 56).
56—Sparky Anderson, Sean Strong, Ken Herich and Arlene Herich.
Gates Flight (13 teams)
1st place—Becky Smith, Steve Malkmus, Judy Atkinson and Don Atkinson with a 44.
2nd place—Janet Appleton, Glenn Thomas, Tim Appleton and Judy Loche with a 44
3rd place—Charlie Wister, Jill Roland, Jim McElveen and Jill Brennan with a 44.
Other Gates teams:
46—Jackie Damerel, Janet Hale, Tom Hale and Doug D'Andrea.
47—Steve Johns, Steve Heffner, Steve Bernhaur and Mike Crawford.
47—Kristin Derrig, Matt Mahoney, Dave Klemer and Gary Moser.
48—Happy Hawn, Jill Rubin, Jennifer Harper and Jolie Dunn.
48—Dave Penn, Tim McDermott, Clifton Neeley and Matt Kauffman.
49—Gerry Ryan, Roger Wilson, Eldridge French and Dallas Hall.
49—John Kearney, John Kearney Sr., Tyler Spence and Drew Punnett.
52—Marybeth Brown, Tracey Reinholt, Terry Fowler and Ken Corrock.
53—Mike Shanks, Kerry Holyrod, Mike Bullis and John Whisler.
54—Barbara Gehrke, Knox Barclay, Mark Watt and Barry Luboviski (prize for most strokes).
First-place Chuck Flight golfers at the June 7 Gates Memorial were, from left, Mike Wirth, Charles Evans, Joel Evans and Wray Farmin.
Photo courtesy Sean Strong
