Land Park gets longer
Land Park, the area's first all-grass course when it opened in 1924, has undergone its latest transformation. Three new tee boxes (on Nos. 2, 7 and 8) have been built and the nine-hole course has been stretched to 3,009 yards in its longest configuration. That's an addition of 400 yards.
Par stays the same at 34. For 18 holes at a par of 68, the new black-tee rating is 67.4 (up from 63.2) and the slope is 116 (from 106).
"The pearl has been polished," said Tom Kees, Land Park's director of golf and general manager. The impetus behind the changes is creating more challenges to attract better players, while keeping the course's core clientele happy.
The 90-yard-long practice range is now open to the public with limited-flight balls and a 7-iron maximum. A new bunker guards the right front of the first green.
The National Golf League returns to Land Park on Sept. 13 for a Ryder Cup format shootout that benefits the First Tee of Greater Sacramento. "Suds on the Green" runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and includes pro golf, a brewfest, a barbecue and a concert. For details and tickets, go to www.sudsonthegreen.com.
Futures in her hands
Roseville's Kim Welch is ninth on the LPGA Futures Tour money list with only this week's ILOVENY Championship remaining in the 2008 season.
The good news: The LPGA announced two weeks ago that the top 10 would become LPGA Tour members in 2009. Only the top five earned LPGA status previously.
The bad news: Welch hasn't played well since winning the Alliance Bank Classic in July and has fallen out of the top five. The top five earn full LPGA status; players finishing 6-10 get partial status and a pass in the final stage of the qualifying tournament.
"I guess it's nice to hear, but it doesn't change what I'm going after," Welch said of the policy change.
Welch will need at least a top-five finish this week to crack the top five money leaders. She hasn't crunched any numbers, she said.
"The only thing I'm trying to do this week is win and see where that takes me."
Lodi's Lisa Ferrero has moved to 13th on the money list with a late-season charge.
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