The summer solstice worked its magic at Champions Lakes Men’s Night golf on Tuesday, June 21.
Fruitvale resident David Bell sunk a hole-in-one on the fifth hole of the immaculate nine-hole championship course, while golfer Tom Talarski broke 30 shooting a 7-under-par, 29.
Bell used a pitching wedge on the par-3, 115-yard hole with the clubhouse gallery watching from the restaurant deck.
“This was my first and likely my last,” says Bell, who has been golfing more since his return home.
“I was in Vancouver for years, didn’t golf much, so just moved back here a year-and-a-half ago and started golfing again with my friends, guys I grew up with in high school.”
Bell dropped his shot about three feet from the hole and watched it role in.
“It was a perfect hole, because we got the gallery here, so there’s a few tables, I don’t know if they were watching, but they heard us react, it was good, got the adrenaline going.”
Talarski birdied the first five holes, which included a brilliant second shot on the par-5 fourth hole that set up an eagle putt.
According to playing partner Spencer Munro, Talarski hit his drive long, past the bunkers on the right, but behind the trees.
“I thought he was going to do a bending slice around the trees, but he takes out an eight iron and hits it straight up in the air. He’s only like 40-feet from the trees and he goes straight up and over, and lands it within six feet.”
Talarsky just missed the eagle putt, settling for birdie. On the fifth hole, he sunk about a 35-footer for another bird, then parred six, birdied seven, parred eight and birdied nine.
The two-handy-cap golfer earned low-gross and low-net on the night to ring in the first day of summer. However, Talarski came up just short of the record 10-under 26 for nine holes.
Champion Lakes Golf Course offers Men’s Night on Tuesdays and Ladies Night on Wednesdays for just $5 entry fee, plus round.
Read: Nitehawks invite supporters to tee off at Champion
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