Monday, July 31, 2000
Golfers come out at night
Dozens traverse darkened course
By William A. Weathers
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Holly Hildebrand of Hamilton plays Lake Gloria in the dark.
(Jeff Swinger photo)
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COLERAIN TWP. — The sun has set and a dark, moonless sky prevails. Thirty-four golfers walk toward their clubs on the veranda of the Lake Gloria clubhouse. After picking them up, they stroll off — not toward the parking lot, but out to the nine-hole, par-3 golf course.
It's time for a little night golf on the links of this Colerain Township facility, which also features a fishing lake. Golf balls embedded with glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark material attached to the pins provide the only light on the course.
The only light, that is, except for the flashlights — and rules restrict their use to navigating from your last hole to the next tee or to selecting the right club from your golf bag.
Gary John of Fairfield, Holly Hildebrand of Hamilton and Tim Hewlett of Fairfield Township made up one threesome on a recent cool Friday night.
Golf outings averaging 40 players have been playing the course at night for 10 years.
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IF YOU GO
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• Lake Gloria, which opened about 1940, is on the west side of Pippin Road, just north of Struble Road in Colerain Township. It is owned by Chuck and JoAnn Casey Easton of Greenhills. Mr. Easton's father, Chuck, bought the lake in 1946.
• Directions: Take Colerain Avenue to Springdale Road, east on Springdale to Pippin, and north on Pippin.
• Hours: Open daily, 6:30 a.m. until nightfall, for fishing and golf. Night golf offered Fridays and Saturdays during summer.
• Information: 825-9900.
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“You can't see the club before you hit the ball,” says Ms. Hildebrand, 43, a once-a-week golfer, in describing part of the challenge of night golf.
On the 115-yard first hole, Ms. Hildebrand sliced her tee shot.
“At least I can see it,” Ms. Hildebrand says of her ball, which creates a green streak as it sails and lands about halfway up the fairway.
Mr. Hewlett, 42, who last played golf about 15 years ago, smacked his tee shot straight down the fairway, besting the shot of Ms. Hil debrand.
“You do have to hit this thing (the polycarbonate resin-type hard ball with the glow stick in the middle) a little bit harder (than a regular golf ball). It's like hitting a brick,” he said.
On a subsequent hole, Mr. John, 53, an avid golfer who plays at least twice a week, has the best tee shot, leaving the ball about 10 feet from the hole.
“I might start playing at dark all the time,” he says jokingly.
Mr. Hewlett didn't share his golfing partner's enthusiasm as he continued to struggle to see in the dark.
“Have I got my putter on the right side,” he wondered aloud before striking the ball too hard and watching it roll far past the hole.
On another hole, Mr. John quipped, “I don't see any breaks” on the green as he prepared to putt.
The darkness causes other problems besides not being able to read the green or see your club head strike the ball.
“It's so dark it's nearly impossible to see whether the other golfers (ahead of them) have finished the hole,” Ms. Hildebrand explained.
The only way to be sure is
to wait until you see only one light in darkness surrounding the next hole — the light stick on the pin.
You can't rely on listening for the voices of other golfers playing ahead because of a hazard unique to night golf: the incessant chirping of crickets.
As the round progressed, Mr. Hewlett's night game improved.
“I'm getting the hang of this game,” he said after his second shot found the green on one hole. “I knew if I could bowl I could do this.”
On one of the final holes, Ms. Hildebrand sank a a birdie putt.
“Nice putt,” Mr. John said of the 14-foot shot.
“I finally did something,” she replied gleefully.
The threesome finished with a 4-over par 31 score in the scramble format golf competition that was a charity fund raiser. The winning team finished an even par 27.
Mr. Hewlett's take on night golf after his first experience?
“This is different from Putt-Putt,” he observed. “In Putt-Putt, if you miss the shot (the ball) can bounce off the wall and still go in.”
Ms. Hildebrand probably best described the night golfing experience as she walked back toward the clubhouse.
“This is so different from real golf,” she said. “But it's fun though.”
IF YOU GO
Lake Gloria, which opened about 1940, is on the west side of Pippin Road, just north of Struble Road in Colerain Township. It is owned by Chuck and JoAnn Casey Easton of Greenhills. Mr. Easton's father, Chuck, bought the lake in 1946.
ãDirections: Take Colerain Avenue to Springdale Road, east on Springdale to Pippin, and north on Pippin.
ãHours: Open daily, 6:30 a.m. until nightfall, for fishing and golf. Night golf offered Fridays and Saturdays during summer.
ãInformation: 825-9900.
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