Williams, Ferguson Carry VanZandt to Rare Sunday Win
Paul Williams and Lance Ferguson knew going in they had the weakest “A” player in the field Sunday, and compensated by lighting up the course with 4 birdies in the last six holes to edge Rene McFarland, Wes Weisinger, and Dennis Hobbs by one shot. Ferguson, on his first day back following hand surgery, was particularly keen with the

By Mike VanZandt
Mike Mitchell, former World Long Drive contender and longtime Head Golf Pro at the Ranch, has seen a resurgence in his game the last two weeks. Mitchell shot 42-43 at the always tough Chambers County Golf Course on Wednesday, October 30, surprising the seven other competitors with the low score on the front nine and a skin-winning

On a beautiful afternoon at the Ranch, John Milby and Mike VanZandt enjoyed a skin apiece while losing low score to still hot Shannon O’Brien. Milby had the only par on the sixth hole while VanZandt parred the 7th for his skin. O’Brien had two bogies and seven pars for a 29. Milby had six pars and three bogies while VanZandt scrambled his way to six pars, a double bogey and two bogies for a 31. Robin Giddens had

Shannon O’Brien’ short course record survived on the Ides of October but his 29 was good for first place and the only skin. Mike VanZandt edged the field on Thursday on the Blue Par 3 course despite missing five putts from inside ten feet. VanZandt’s missed three foot putt on the sixth hole allowed Shannon to win a skin with a par and share the skins pot. Thanks to the Rancho Carribe Homeowners for

Shannon O’Brien only parred one hole Thursday but his two birdies allowed him to take home most of the bacon, leaving only crumbs for Dabney Harrison, who birdied the 7th hole, and low scorers Michael Comeaux and Mike VanZandt. Comeaux and VanZandt both shot 3 over par 30’s while O’Brien came in at 33 and Harrison at 34. Mike Mitchell and Robin Giddens also shot 34’s and John Milby and David Buchanan were eight over par at 35. Paul Williams shot

On the last Thursday of September on the Blue Par-3 course at the Ranch, Mike VanZandt slopped his way to a five over par 32 that was good enough to beat the field by a whopping three shots. Six golfers signed for 8 over par 35’s, including the big three heavy money winners Shannon O’Brien,John Milby, and Michael Comeaux. Joining the Big 3 at 35 were Robin Giddens, Executive

Mike VanZandt tied Shannon O’Brien and Michael Comeaux at three over par 30 in the Tuesday 9/24 par 3 challenge at the Ranch. Unfortunately for VanZandt, he didn’t win a hole and O’Brien and Comeaux split the skins pot with birdies on #7 and #9 respectively. Comeaux, O’Brien and VanZandt played a fivesome with David Buchanan (34) and Paul Williams, with Buchanan making the only double bogey on the scorecard on the tough 8th hole. To illustrate how remarkable the card was, the other fivesome composed of Mike Mitchell, John Milby, Jerry Riddle, Jason Pettit, and Dabney Harrison had fifteen double bogies on their card, half belonging to Jerry Riddle.

Local golfers are sharpening their games for the October 5th Rancho Caribbe Homeowners Scramble. See you there.

With laser-like precision, Sweet (swinging) Charlie Brannan fired bullet after bullet to the greens Sunday morning at the 11:00 scramble. Unfortunately, his stellar iron play wasn’t rewarded on the greens as weak putting by partners Mike Comeaux and Jason Pettit only resulted in three birdies. Still, their 3 under par score won by two shots over Shannon O’Brien, Dabney Harrison, and Sonny Wong and by three over Mike VanZandt, Paul Williams and Dewey Jones and John Milby, Executive Golf Course Superintendent Mike Mitchell, and Hoss Strimple. 9/22/2013

Shannon O’Brien has won so much money at the Tuesday/Thursday Par 3 contests at the Ranch that he views them as sort of a part time job. On Tuesday, 9/17/13, O’Brien showed why he is the favorite to win the Rancho Caribbe Homeowners Association sponsored tournament on October 5th by firing a 3 over par 30 to edge Michael Comeaux and Mike VanZandt by one shot. John Milby had a

Dabney Harrison left his putter in his truck Sunday and it was a good thing for partners Sonny Wong and Mike VanZandt that he did. Borrowing Sonny Wong’s Golfmate putter, Harrison drained five consecutive putts, including a 25 footer on 5, to lead his team to a five under par 31, easily outdistancing a pedestrian field. You pedestrians know who you were. Dabney has suffered through miles of missed putts and endured unceasing criticism of his sawed off bull’s eye putter for years but refuses to part with the malformed flat stick.

Rapidly improving Paul Williams had only two pars Thursday but with a birdie on the sixth and six bogies on his card he scratched out a first place tie with Mike VanZandt. Mike Comeaux was one shot back at 33, Dabney Harrison and John Milby had nifty 36’s while Dewey Jones edged Mike Mitchell by one shot. Greg had nine 5’s for a numerically satisfying 45.

Roy Strimple hammered drive after drive Sunday to set up brother Hoss’s laser approach shots as they carried former “A” player Mike VanZandt to a one shot win in the Sunday scramble over the teams of Mike Comeaux, Dewey Jones and Will Armstrong and Shannon O’Brien, Dabney Harrison and James. Four under par after eight holes, the Strimple team double bogeyed the easy Par 5 ninth hole in a torrential downpour to limp in and hang on for the win. Sweet swinging Charlie Brannan couldn’t carry rusty Jason Pettit and veteran Ray Pietranale as they finished four shots back.

Anyone who has seen him play knows that John Milby is likely to shoot par or better any time he tees it up. That’s why inquiring minds want to know if Milby is sandbagging to keep up interest in the Tues/Thurs 5:00 event. Look for the course record 1-over-par 28 to fall soon. Milby took his second par 3 title of the week with a lackluster 32 that cashed a skin on the 2nd hole. Mike Comeaux’s 34 included

By Mike VanZandt
John Milby shook off his poor performance Sunday to fire a 3 over par 30 and edge shoddy-putting Mike VanZandt by one shot Tuesday on the par three course from the yellow tees. Shannon O’Brien had the only birdie and skin for a $50 payday. Shannon had a 33 along with Dabney Harrison and David Buchanan. Paul Williams parred the last two holes to salvage a 37. Free golf at the Ranch on Tuesday and Wednesday for all female golfers.

By Mike VanZandt
Michael Comeaux laid out the turquoise Par 3 course Thursday morning and then shot his second consecutive three over par 30 to tie John Milby for low score. Comeaux’s round included a birdie on the second hole which won him the only skin of the day and $160. The skin pot was doubled Thursday because no one cashed on

Resplendent in his gay white and blue silky shorts, Rob Stephens lined up his 8 foot downhill birdie putt on the 118 yard second hole Tuesday at the Ranch as Mike Mitchell, Dabney Harrison, and Mike VanZandt looked on. Make it and unbeknownst to Rob, he would win the only skin and all the cash. Unfortunately, the putt missed left and Rob missed the comeback putt for a bogie 4. No skins were cashed Tuesday in the Par 3 tourney, and the pot carries over to Thursday when local golfers will try again. Mike Comeaux edged Shannon O’Brien by one shot with a nice three over par 30. VanZandt was two shots behind O’Brien and one ahead of Harrison. Head golf pro Mike Mitchell continues to improve following his lessons from Sweet Swinging Charlie Brannan, but a nasty hook kept him scrambling all afternoon. David Buchanan stumbled to a 38 to edge Stephens by two.

By Mike VanZandt
There are lots of reasons to play golf. It’s fun. It’s challenging. Golf courses are beautiful green spaces.Sunshine. Fresh air. Competition. Roller coaster emotional highs and lows. You can drink beer while you play. Finally, you almost always hit one memorable shot a round that keeps you thinking you might master the

By Mike VanZandt
The 5:00 Tuesday/Thursday Par 3 contests at the Ranch have been frustrating local golfers since October of 2012. The lowest score (shot by numerous golfers) has been one over par. On Tuesday, August 13, Mike VanZandt won low score with a 6 over par round of 33. All the golfers pitch in $10 each, with ten dollars going to the winner and the balance

Michael Comeaux moved all the tee boxes before Thursdays 5:00 Par 3 event before shooting a lackluster 8 over par 35 to earn low score money. Dewey Jones, Shannon O’Brien, David Buchanan, and Mike VanZandt shot horrible 9 over par 36’s to tie for next to last over Dabney Harrison’s brutal 10 over par 37. The scoring was the highest since the inception of the Tuesday/Thursday Par 3 contests last October. Golf sucks.

Two under par cashed Sunday at the Ranch as John Milby, Dabney Harrison, and Hoss Strimple edged Shannon O’Brien, Aaron Comeaux, and Dewey Jones by one shot. Jason Pettit and Joe Ball took the Ghost and shot 37 as did Mike Comeaux, Sweet Charles Brannan, and George Flores. Will Armstrong and Lance Ferguson came in at 39, playing a twosome when Mike Mitchell was forced to withdraw

Shannon O’Brien had already watched Ray Pietranale, Bobby Stringer, and George Flores miss the 35 footer on the fourth playoff hole before he lined up to putt. He sent it flying toward the hole and Dewey Jones, King “Sandy” Wong, Dabney Harrison, and Mike Mitchell watched in shocked disbelief as the Herculean length putt found the bottom of the cup. Great putt, but had it not been for the outstanding putting of

Local golfers participated in the Ribbon Cutting for the Mike Mitchell Pink Course at the Ranch this week. Doing the honor was our newest member, Patti Atkins. Mitchell, head golf pro at the Ranch, was visibly moved by the dedication of the 1736 yard, Par 36, nine-hole layout. He said he dreamed up the idea for the Mitchell Pink Course at the same time he expanded the Par 3 Course to

By Mike VanZandt
Jason Pettit’s 3 on the Ninth hole at the Ranch was good for all the cash Tuesday in the Par-3 Tourney. Pettit, whose playing time has been drastically reduced since the birth of his daughter, credits the Par-3 contests at the Ranch for improving his short game.

On Thursday, Mike VanZandt shot 41 to edge

Ranch Head Golf Pro Mike Mitchell destroyed the driver known as both “Blue Thunder” and the “Green Weenie” on the 9th Tee at the Ranch Saturday after yet another horrible tee shot. As expected by observers, immediate improvement in Mitchell’s game was evident by the Sunday Morning Scramble. Mitchell’s misplaced faith in the “Green Weenie” had driven his game to new lows and it is hoped that

By Mike VanZandt
Wes Weisinger (46), David Buchanan(45), Mike Mitchell (48), Dabney Harrison (44), and Shannon O’Brien (51). Those aren’t the golfers ages following their names but their scores Saturday in a skins game at the Ranch. Even more remarkable was the skin won by Head Golf Pro Mike Mitchell with a BOGEY on the Par-5 ninth hole. Everyone else

Shannon O’Brien, Jason Pettit, and Ray Pietranale watched their 20 foot putts slide harmlessly by the hole then braced themselves for what has become a regular occurrence at the Ranch on Sunday mornings. Mike Comeaux had already missed his chance to put away the 2013 Par-3 co-champion’s team as had Dabney Harrison with his curiously misshapen putter. Last to putt was Dewey Jones, who must have made a mile of putts at the Ranchin the last 15 years to win golf tournaments. Jones eyed the 15 foot left to tight breaking putt. lined it up , and calmly dropped it in the jar for a birdie 3 and the win. Next time you see Dewey, just call him “Clutch”.

Super Senior Gay Richardson, Monte, and whiting nemesis King “Sonny” Wong shot three under par Sunday to join heavily favored Shannon O’Brien, and ‘El Hombre Sin Miedo’ Dewey Jones in a quick playoff won easily by Richardson’s team. Gay is back on the beach hustling golf after a wallet busting extended tour of South America. His golf game hasn’t suffered because of the layoff traveling and it’s good to have Gay back in action. Head golf pro Mike Mitchell came close at 2 under par along with James, Jason, and Lois. Mitchell, perhaps still distracted by his disastrous 19 over par performance in Saturday’s 2013 Par 3 Championship, forgot to add Sweet Charlie Brannan to the lineup Sunday or the results of the Sunday Scramble certainly could have been much different.Brannan took the omission graciously, as is his nature,and hopes to be back soon.