Betty Davis
The spirit of the FIFA World Cup came alive at Sky Creek Ranch golf course in Keller on June 3, as the Wildhorse Lady Niners (WLN) participated in a unique World Cup-themed travel play day combining international competition and friendly rivalry for 9 holes of great golf.
Tournament organizers created the event to be a fun and fresh twist to traditional golf competition, and fun it was! The competition featured 72 players representing 18 countries from around the globe in a format inspired by international soccer’s biggest event. Participants wore the colors of their assigned nations transforming the course into a vibrant display adding a lot of fashion and excitement to the day as they competed for the glory! The ladies representing France brought the “Ooh-La-La” with their colorful berets and scarves. The ladies of Denmark brought the “cool” of colorful bright pink shirts and bling hats to a warm Texas day. The ladies representing Norway, a country that consistently ranks among the world’s happiest places to live, looked pretty happy in their flag of Norway colors.
The championship match delivered plenty of drama as the ladies navigated the back 9 holes which are definitely considered the more enjoyable side of the course. The back nine included a mix of risk-reward par 5s and long par 3s. Big Bear Creek runs throughout the property and remains a factor on several of the closing holes. The water hazards added visual appeal, even as they created the need for the ladies to make strategic decisions on the approach shots and layups. The elevated greens will reject mediocre approach shots as some could attest, and there were those pesky bunkers strategically placed around many of the greens. The combination of water, elevation changes, and scoring opportunities created an exciting finish that could (and did) dramatically affect a scorecard.
Guess who was victorious after 9 holes of golf … hint … it wasn’t a country! The Referees edged out all of the nations. Congratulations to Cindy Justus, Cindy Voliva, Laura Odom, and Linda Kriz for their fantastic winning round!
If you are ready for a challenge, check out Sky Creek Ranch. If possible, you may want to start on the back 9 to warm up before hitting the more difficult front 9. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!