Golf notebook

Country Club of Hilton Head wins 14th annual Plantation Cup

The 14th annual men's Hilton Head Plantation Cup golf tournament took place Sept. 15-16 at the Country Club of Hilton Head and Bear Creek Golf Club.

Guest participants were Dolphin Head Golf Club and Oyster Reef Golf Club.

The competition featured 10 two-man teams including the golf professional from each of the four clubs on the plantation.

Each club's lowest seven teams were used each day for scoring.

Country Club of Hilton Head carded the low team score each day to win its 10th championship. Led by head professional Gary Otto, the club totaled 931 strokes.

Bear Creek, with professional Jeff De Vincentis, was second with 963 strokes. Dolphin Head Golf Club, with professional Burrell Williams, was a close third with 964 strokes, followed by Oyster Reef professional Emily Bryant and her team with 987 strokes.

The low one-day net of 63 was carded by the Country Club's two-man team of Donham and Walker.A net 64 was recorded by the Country Club's Lunka and Vater. Net 65s were posted by Country Club teams of Otto and Cutrer, Clark and Mittelberg, Carter and Johnson and then Smith and Cuomo. Dolphin Head's Siebold and Young also finished with a net 65. The low two-man team net score total for the two days was 131 posted by the Country Club's teams of Clark and Mittelberg, Lunka and Vater as well as Dolphin Head's Siebold and Young.

Callawassie Island completes Fazio Course renovation

Callawassie Island will celebrate the finale of its $4 million Tom Fazio golf course renovation with a ribbon cutting and champagne toast on the ninth green of the club's Dogwood nine at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 3.

An Oktoberfest party will follow the toast and ribbon cutting.

"The economy has caused many other communities nationwide to put similar projects on hold," said Bob DeLuca, president of the Callawassie Island Club Board of Directors. "The club leadership, members, property owners and staff are proud to have completed this major renovation on time and on budget."

The two-year renovation of all 27 holes rebuilt greens with sturdy, fast Mini Verde ultradwarf hybrid Bermuda grass, restored the course routing elements to Fazio's original design standards and installed an irrigation system that reduces watering requirements by more than 50 percent. The system saved more than 30 million gallons of water between May 2007 and May 2008. The Dogwood nine were the last holes to be renovated and will be open for play after the celebration.

Locals compete in Q-school tournament

Hilton Head Island's Martin Catalioto and Beaufort's Mark Anderson competed in the PGA Tour's pre-qualifying tournament Sept. 16-19 at Yankee Hill Country Club in Lincoln, Neb.

Catalioto shot a 69-70-65-70 -- 274 to finish tied for seventh place. Anderson tied for 10th with a 73-67-69-67 -- 276.

The top 40 players in the field now advance to the first qualifying stage Oct. 19-20 and Oct. 25-26. There is also a second qualifying stage and a final qualifying stage.

Hilton Head's Matt Filipowicz was also in the pre-qualifying field but missed the cut, finishing with a 302.

Mexican Golf Federation visits IJGA

The Mexican Golf Federation visited the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy Aug. 27-30, bringing its junior national team of 16 golfers. As part of their trip to the United States, each golfer had an opportunity to work with Hank Haney and IJGA director of instruction Peter Krause.

To finalize their trip, the golfers competed against IJGA students in an 18-hole tournament held at Pinecrest Golf Club in Bluffton.

More than 2,000 junior golfers in Mexico are in competition to receive a spot on the national team.

The Hank Haney IJGA and Mexican Golf Federation will be hosting various junior golf events throughout the year. Find tournament information at www.ijga.com.

Hoisington competes in Bobby Chapman tourney

Hilton Head Island's Tate Hoisington shot a 69-78 -- 147 to finish 12 strokes off the lead at the South Carolina Golf Association's Bobby Chapman Tournament, held Sept. 19-20 at The Country Club of Spartanburg.

The tournament drew golfers from 15 states and Canada, 13 state champions were in the field and the average handicap was +0.5.

M.J. Maguire of St. Petersburg, Fla., won the tournament with a 135.

The event is for ages 14-18 and is held in honor of the late Robert Chapman, former president of the SCGA and Carolinas Golf Association.

Epperson tied for 13th in eGolf event

Hilton Head Island's Chris Epperson is tied for 13th place after the first round of the eGolf Professional Tour's Cabarrus Classic at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord, N.C.

Epperson fired a 34-34 -- 68 on Wednesday and sits four strokes behind leader Brian Anderson of Jupiter, Fla.

Hilton Head's Brandon Christo is tied for 67th with a 71. The tournament runs through Friday.

Locals tied for lead in Senior Open

Beaufort's Dave Britton and Hilton Head Island's Doyle Ricks are tied for first place after the opening round of the Carolinas PGA Dataw Island Senior Open at Dataw Island Club.

Both players shot even-par 72 and are tied with Bob Boyd of Wilmington, N.C., Richard Albright of Charlotte, Patrick Thompson of Ashville, N.C., and Robert Linville of Greensboro, N.C.

Other local players in the tournament are Blufffton's Michael Don (78) and Beaufort's Ed Hardee (80). Hilton Head's Bob Grygiel did not finish. The tournament concludes today.