The teams of Joseph Marvin-Reed Vanorsdel and Donald Meyer-Dale Williams, competing in the men’s back and forward divisions respectively, were atop of the leaderboard following a One-Day Four-Ball tournament conducted by the Maryland State Golf Association on Thursday, October 1 at Fountain Head Country Club in Hagerstown. Both teams’ scores were also enough for the low net rounds of the day in their respective divisions, earning them the low net prizes for the event. In the mixed/women division, March Klein-Parker Bratton earned the prize for first-place (gross), and Claudia Craig-John Craig earned first-place (net).
Marvin, Bethesda CC, and Vanorsdel, Montgomery CC, posted a team gross score of 68 (-3) for the men’s back division. Their efforts led to a net score of 66 with Vanorsdel recording net birdies on holes 14-15. There was little doubt that Marvin’s score of 69 on his own ball would end up as the low individual round of the day. He had three birdies (2, 13 & 17), and his only bogey of the day came at the par-3 sixth, where his teammate picked him up with a par. The Montgomery County duo avoided dropping any shots as a team the entire day.
With Marvin-Vanorsdel earning the low net prize, eClub member Josh Campbell, and Jeff Wunk, Mountain Branch GC, won low gross with the only other round under par for the back division, posting 37-33—70 (-1). Campbell-Wunk had a few early setbacks but recovered quickly, trading bogeys and birdies in the first five holes. Another bogey at the difficult, par-4 eighth left them 1-over at the turn, but birdies by Wunk on hole 11 and Campbell on hole 16 got them in the clubhouse in red figures.
Campbell’s appearance and participation was a feat in and of itself, as he had recently completed a 100 Hole Hike challenge with the Maryland State Golf Association team at Sparrows Point CC three days earlier. The challenge was a fundraising event for MSGA’s Youth on Course program. More than $11,000 was raised from the event, which will provide green fees of $5 or less for 900+ YOC members in Maryland.
Randy Barnes, Fountain Head CC, and Ryan Crabtree, Beaver Creek CC earned second-place (gross) for the men’s back division with 34-37—71 (E). Clark Kunkle, Montgomery CC, and Paul Warnquist, MSGA eClub finished in second-place (net) with 33-37—67 that included eight (5 net and 3 gross) birdies. 15 teams registered to compete in the men’s back division and played from the blue tees measuring 6079 yards.
For Donald Meyer, University of Maryland GC, and Dale Williams MSGA eClub, a few decisive holes came early in the round. Williams made bogey on holes 1 and 6, but pars on both holes by Meyer prevented a couple of early bogeys for the team. Williams contributed with several pars, and an eagle on the par-5 third hole, and they made the turn at 2-under par. Williams added two more birdies on the back nine, while Meyer made several pars including a net birdie at the par-5 fifteenth. The team bogeyed the final hole but still finished with the low gross total of 33-35—68 (-3) and a net score of 67 in the men’s forward division.
Bill Calhoun, Beaver Creek CC, and Jimmy Young, Maryland National GC, finished two strokes behind Meyer-Williams, at 35-35—70 (-1). Teams are only eligible to earn one prize, so Calhoun-Young earned the low gross prize. The prize for second-place (net) went Fox Hollow GC’s Michael Curtis-Gregory Lawson. Their net score of 36-32—68 (-3) included natural birdies on strokes holes from Lawson (hole 2) and Curtis (14), while an unfortunate double-bogey for the team on the sixth hole kept them out of first-place. 10 teams registered to compete in the men’s forward division, played from the white tees measuring 5515 yards.
March Klein, Eagles Nest CC, and Parker Bratton, MSGA eClub, teamed up to earn the low gross prize by posting 36-39—75. Bogeys on the first and eighth holes were offset by birdies from Bratton on holes 3 and 5. They made the turn at even par and went on a stretch of consecutive pars, until crossing the road where holes 14-17 are located at Fountain Head. They finished +4 over the last five holes, but their 4-over score was still two shots better than their nearest competitors, Karen Crowley-Danny Palumbo 38-39—77 (+7).
The prize for first-place (net) in the mixed/women division was a tie at 69 (-2) between Norbeck CC’s Claudia Craig-John Craig, and Ashley Stoneman-Russell Stoneman (Waverly Woods & Musket Ridge). Craig-Craig posted 36-33—69 and won the scorecard playoff, defeating Stoneman-Stoneman 33-36—69. Six teams competed in the mixed/women division. Male competitors played from the white tees, while women played from the yellow tees measuring 5271 yards.
The committee for MSGA One-Day tournaments uses the USGA recommended method for breaking ties when a playoff is not feasible, outlined in Committee Procedures 5A(6) of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf. This method uses a match of cards for scores from the back nine. If there is still a tie, it goes to the last six, last three, and finally the eighteenth hole.
The format for the 31 teams was Four-Ball stroke play, often referred to as better-ball. In Four-Ball, Competitors play as partners, with each playing their own ball. The lower score for the partners is the score for the hole. If a player is certain that their score will not count on a particular hole, they are not required to finish the hole, but one member of the team must hole out.
Fountain Head Country Club’s history dates back nearly a century when it opened in 1924. It sits on a rolling piece of land with plenty of variety from tee to green, and small, pitched putting surfaces. Fountain Head is the only course in Maryland designed by Donald Ross that still exists and remains intact today. Ross was one of the most prolific architects of the golden age of American golf course architecture, and he is one of only five golf course architects to be elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Ross is credited for work at Chevy Chase Club (1910), however, he may have only made some suggestions during a site visit during that year. Colt & Allison designed a new golf course at Chevy Chase Club in 1921, and the course has since been renovated by Arthur Hills. Ross was also consulted for a remodeling project at Congressional in 1930, but Congressional’s Blue Course cannot be considered a Ross design or renovation anymore, since numerous architects (Robert Trent Jones and Sr., Rees Jones) have made significant changes and renovations over the years, including its current renovation under Andrew Green’s supervision.
Despite the credit he is given for work at the aforementioned clubs in the DC area, much of Ross’s influence on both has been gone for many years. Other original designs in Maryland were Bannockburn, Indian Spring and Beaver Dam (Prince George’s CC), all of which no longer exist, making Fountain Head’s historical significance even more prominent.
Men’s – Back
1st Net – Joseph Marvin-Reed Vandorsdel
1st Gross – Josh Campbell-Jeff Wunk
2nd Net – Clark Kunkle-Paul Warnquist
2nd Gross – Randy Barnes-Ryan Crabtree
Men’s – Forward
1st Net – Donald Meyer-Dale Williams
1st Gross – Bill Calhoun-Jimmy Young
2nd Net – Michael Curtis-Gregory Lawson
Mixed/Women
1st Net – March Klein-Parker Bratton
1st Gross – Claudia Craig-John Craig*
*Won on scorecard playoff
Men’s (back) – blue tees (6079 yards) 70.3, 123
Men (forward) – white tees (5515 yards) 67.6, 118
Men (mixed) – white tees (5515 yards) 67.6, 118
Women (mixed) – yellow tees (5271 yards) 71.2, 119
Reported by MSGA Staff
