The Bee's "Toughest 18" series last year attempted to identify and document the area's 18 most difficult holes.

The Over the Hill Golfers group, whose core is mid-1960s Christian Brothers golf team members and graduates, is taking on the "Toughest 18" this year as part of its twice-weekly outings.

They're calling their tournament within their tournaments the "Pajak-Lite Challenge," the lite a concession that the 15 players who threw an extra $20 into the pot are playing from a forward set of tees than the golfers in the project.

The OTHG, the bulk with a handicap-index between 6 and 14, have taken advantage of a golfer-friendly January and already have played three of the "toughest" holes. Their results so far:

• Wildhorse's par-5 No. 5 remains one of the area's most underrated holes for difficulty. The group's scoring average was 6.9, with the only par by Russ Hart, at 16.5 the group's high handicapper.

• River Oaks' par-3 No. 3 is more of a bear from the back tees. The group's scoring average was a respectable 3.6, helped by Tom Page's birdie.

• Morgan Creek's par-4 No. 11 is demanding from any set of tees through the green. The group's scoring average was 5.6, with pars by Ben Courtright and Gabe McCubbin balancing two quadruple bogeys.

Et cetera

• Jaime Diaz, a former Bee sportswriter who writes for Golf Digest, will become the 23rd recipient of the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism. He recently collaborated with Hank Haney on "The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods," which will be released in March.

• Longtime local teacher Willie Simmons Jr. will be honored Feb. 11 by the Sistas on the Links, a Bay Area club, for having taught, inspired and influenced so many golfers over the years.

• Golf World named its "100 Best Golf Shops" for the 27th year, and for the 27th year, Haggin Oaks Golf Super Shop made the list. If you find yourself in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., check out Carl's Golfland, the only other shop to make the list 27 times.

• Whatever bang for their buck RLP Wealth Advisors and Spielman, Koenigsberg & Parker expected when partnering with Spencer Levin before last week's Farmers Insurance Open, the companies got an immediate dividend when the Elk Grove pro received all kinds of television airtime during and after his first-round 62. Check out the RLP and SKP logos on Levin's left chest and right sleeve of his golf shirt next time he's on TV, if you're into that kind of thing.

– Steve Pajak

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