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For golfers like Matt Hammer, their battle versus Mammoth’s golf gods is on hold ‘til next year. Both golf courses in Mammoth Lakes, Sierra Star and Snowcreek, closed for the season on Oct. 8.

Photo: Mammoth Lakes Foundation

The 13^th Annual Mammoth Lakes Foundation Golf Classic will go down in history as one of the most successful. Thanks are due to so many, including Dave Schacht of Sierra Star Golf Course who coordinated all the course activity including a “Beat the Pro” contest on Hole 2, and was an outstanding emcee; scholarship students who sold raffle tickets and putting contest entries at the Par 3s; volunteers who helped with everything from registration to silent auction; an impressive list of sponsors; and an amazing roster of golfers who had loads of fun throughout the day.

The winning low score team with a final number of 54 for the day, included Dave Eberts, Dan Schaller, Rusty Richardson, and Tony Kihaloha. A new feature this year is a plaque that will be mounted inside the Clubhouse at Sierra Star for the next year with a picture of the winning team and their score. Honors for high score—that included a private lesson with Dave Schacht for each of its members, went to Vicky Phelps, Suzy Fontana, Linda Hoffman, and Janette Redd.

The Superticket prize that included a seven-night stay at Casa Russell in the desert and play for four at Andalusia Golf course went to Yuri Parisky. Another new feature this year was a choice of Grand Prizes in the raffle. The day of golf for two on the exclusive Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club and a one-night stay at the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe was won by Mike Radmall of Simplex Grinnell, Reno, one of the event’s Hole Sponsors. That meant the paddleboard, donated by Charles Comfort, went into a live auction that was won by Rob Mitchell of Tallus.

There was also a putting contest with two finalists, Larry McKee and Dan Schaller. McKee won the $500  prize in the shoot-out with his closest to the hole 40’ putt, and said he now had “Guilt-free golf for a month!”

Also new this year was a Hole-in-One contest; potential prizes included a set of PING Irons, an iPad and, a new 2012 Toyota Prius.  Sadly, no one was the winner—but the red Prius sitting in the shade at the Hole 18 tee inspired everyone to make a valiant effort!

Money from the Golf Classic goes toward supporting student scholarships, increasing cultural programming for the community and other educational support programs.

Next year’s tournament in already scheduled for Sept. 8, 2013, so save the date! -Press Release

Pictured: Living the life. Tallus owner Rob Mitchell with wife Sharyl and sons Luke and Ryan at Crowley Lake. In the background on the Jet Ski is Tallus owner Chad Horning with son CJ./

Rob Mitchell and Chad Horning, partners in Chase Merritt, a privately owned commercial and residential real estate asset management and investment management firm, are hoping to turn right place, wrong time into right place, right time with Tallus.

Sited along the 10th fairway of Sierra Star golf course off Meridian Boulevard, Tallus, whose first phase when complete will feature nine luxury homes, was acquired by Chase Merritt, based in Irvine, last October.

“This is a legacy property for us,” said Mitchell, who explained that he grew up visiting Mammoth and “always wanted to have a kick ass ski club [in Mammoth].”

“We want to create a family-style, next-generation experience,” he explained. Which would match the principals’ biographical profiles. Mitchell, 45, has two children, and Horning, 40, has four.

Tallus was the brainchild of Architect/Developer Eric Fishburn, who began work on the project back in 2004. Conceived as a fractional-use property (dividing lavish trophy homes into 1/6 ownership shares), Tallus, says Mitchell, was initially priced at $800,000 a share.

Thanks to the Great Recession reset, club memberships now go for $450,000 (for a 1/6 share). And thanks to a deal cut with Mammmoth Mountain Ski Area, memberships include 10 transferable black ski passes during the winter and 2 transferable golf season passes in the summer.

“It’s a country club, not just for you, but for your friends as well,” Mitchell says. “The fractional model is the best thing in the world,” he added. “It’s the only way to have a $3 or $4 million house in a vacation area.” And thanks to a partnership with Elite Alliance, members have the option of trading their dedicated Tallus weeks with folks who own luxury homes all over the world.

Acquiring Tallus was not easy: Mitchell said it took about 18 months negotiating with 17 different banks and the FDIC. But once completed, it seemed a natural for Mitchell to bring back Fishburn to complete phase one.

“Eric’s vision of what should be there was correct. It’s just that his timing was bad.”

Locals should also be familiar with Tallus’s G.M. Craig Copeland (former G.M. of 80|50) and Cai Lepre, who manages the sales office.

Tallus will be hosting open houses all weekend from 9-5 Friday through Monday.

Can I play through? (Photo courtesy James Dudley)

Take your game farther at the 13th Annual Mammoth Lakes Foundation Golf Classic 

How far does your drive go at 8,000 feet? Find out at the 13th Annual Mammoth Lakes Foundation Golf Classic on Sept. 9 at Sierra Star Golf Course in Mammoth Lakes. By joining the Mammoth Lakes Foundation on the greens, you are helping with something the Foundation has been hard at work on for more than 20 years – supporting higher education and cultural enrichment in the Eastern Sierra.

The Golf Classic began in 2000 as a fun and important means of the Mammoth Lakes Foundation and its supporters to raise money for programs such as local student college scholarships to Cerro Coso; the operation of South Gateway Student Apartments; supporting Edison Theatre and Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre and its expanded season of productions; and planning and preparing for a proposed Mammoth Arts & Cultural Center.

Tournament highlights this year include a four player scramble format, closest to the pin on all par threes; putting contest with a guaranteed winner; hole-in-one award; raffle; and silent auction. Back by popular demand is the Super Ticket raffle with a grand prize of seven nights at Casa Russell, a deluxe four-bedroom desert resort home with pool in Indio, Calif. Super Tickets are just $25 per entry and also include one “tee shot” mulligan and five regular raffle tickets. Only one Super Ticket will be sold per person, so the odds of winning are outstanding.

Registration for the Golf Classic is just $115 for individuals and $460 for foursomes until Aug. 31. After Aug. 31 individual registration is $130 and foursome registration is $520. All participants receive greens fees and cart, use of chipping and putting greens, lunch, tournament gift, silent auction, awards party, and the opportunity to support higher education and cultural enrichment in Mammoth. The tournament sold out last year – players are advised to register early.

The Mammoth Lakes Foundation also invites tournament sponsors for the event, tee sponsorships, and in-kind donations for the Raffle and Silent Auction. Call 760.934.3781 for details. -Press Release

Ahhhh. The Free Agent season begins. That means some dumb teams are already making it rain … throwing money after players they shouldn’t overpay for. And the ones that usually get in trouble are the ones paying for players the first day of free agency … the same people that run to the store on Black Friday for that one $300 car and come back with $10,000 worth of other stuff that is worth $6,000. Classic dummies. A quick list after just the first day or so of examples:

1. Niners sign Randy Moss. Why? You take a QB who is a true rebuilding project in Alex Smith and you put one of the worst diva, me-first WRs and teammates with him? I don’t get it. And when I hear people say it is a no-risk signing it makes me want to punch those people in the mouth. The same people saying it is no-risk will dog the team when Randy Moss gets benched and kicked off the team. This bum admits to taking plays off and a coach who preaches hard work and team togetherness signs this jerk to infect his locker-room. I don’t get it.

2. Bears trade for Brandon Marshall. Why? Cuz him and Jay Cutler are buddies. Now you have a malcontent QB and a malcontent, miscreant WR to go with him? Wow. This is a terrible trade. And Brandon Marshall was in another incident in a bar just this past weekend. He is accused of “accidentally punching a woman in the face” while trying to protect his wife who was hit in the head with a bottle? LOL. And it isn’t Brandon’s fault I am sure. But I know this, you know where you don’t punch a woman in the face or your mom gets hit in the head with a bottle? At your house … oh … maybe not cuz didn’t Marshall get accused of beating the hell out of his old girlfriends. Bigger question … how does a wife-beater have a wife? Cuz just like in football, where if you are a complete jerk and you have talent, you will still get a job with some team and make a bunch of money. And you can parlay that money into a long and fulfilling life of being a jerk off the field. Cuz if you are a complete jerk with money, you will still get a girlfriend. Sometimes 3 or 4 of them at at the same time. Funny right?

3. Vincent Jackson for $55 million for 5 years. He is 29 years old. I don’t like the overall signing. If they went 3 years with a 4 option you could see it, but they will say “we needed the fifth year for him to sign.” Then they should let some other team have him for 5 years. He is good, not great. Mike Williams will be better with Jackson over there, but still too much for a receiver that can disappear in games completely.

4. Desean Jackson … the Eagles paid him cuz they are afraid of him being a free agent. So they paid the malcontent $51 million. Another jerk with talent.

5. Pierre Garcon got $42 million for 5 years? Pierre Garcon. Wow. This one will go down with the Alvin Harper deal.

6. Cortland Finnegan. The Rams and their new genius coach Jeff Fisher signed Finnegan for $51 million? Isn’t he over 30 right now as a CB and wasn’t fast when he was 24. Unbelievable.

7. Peyton Hillis. What about his behavior and performance last year made a team want to waste salary, roster space or a jock strap on that punk? I could find a Peyton Hillis in the fifth round of the draft. And dare him to have an attitude or I would threaten to cut him and sign his best friend to fill his rule. Punk.

More Randy Moss. Randy Moss had one thing … speed. Consider that he was naturally gifted but didn’t work out anymore then Jabba the Hutt. So he is mid-thirties now and doesn’t take care of himself. He is one of the people you know that can eat McRib sandwiches for breakfast and 3a.m. snacks and won’t gain a pound. But he will pull a hamstring and miss 10 games. What a mess.

The Colts should draft RG3 just to mess with the Skins and get the last few draft picks the Skins have this decade.

Teams under the salary cap. Check the top 10 and their records. I know they say spending money doesn’t guarantee success and spending unwisely can clearly lead to a messed up team. But not spending at all means you end up with a Yugo that doesn’t perform well instead of a Honda. Look at the ten teams with the most money under the salary cap:

Jaguars picked up Chad Henne to push Blaine Gabbert. Now two things:

1. If you draft a QB in the first 15 picks AND you need someone to push him, you made a bad pick and he sucks

2. If you need Chad Henne to push your franchise QB then you made a bad pick and he sucks AND you suck too for drafting him.

Mark Sanchez says his contract shows he is a leader? Lol. The Jets got more leverage in his contract to cut him AND reduce their salary cap exposure when they do and he is bragging how the contract proves his leadership? That bum is delusional. He has talked himself into so much good fortune he actually believes the bull that comes out of his mouth. And the worst part is the Jets humor him by saying they “passed on Peyton Manning.” That is laughable. Yeah, and Gabrielle Union offered me some rear last week and I said, NAH, that’s aight, my hand is better. Get out of here. The Jets passed on Manning? The Jets organization has no class from top to bottom.

Danny Amendola. Pats thinking of giving up second round pick maybe to get him. From the Rams of course cuz the Pats and their “remarkable braintrust” couldn’t possibly find an average player themselves in the fourth round or lower. They have to wait for some other team to draft someone in the sixth round or pick him up via free agency and mold him into an average player so the Pats can see that player fits the Patriot Way so the Pats can give them a decent draft pick for that player. Makes sense, right? What happened that the Pats need Danny Amendiola … Ran out of 5 foot tall white receivers. Now they couldn’t find a 5 foot tall white receiver in the sixth round with one of his 30 draft picks. Hilarious. The genius at work. Looking for castoffs from other teams to waste draft picks on? Seriously … he can’t find one of these guys without wasting second round picks on them?

If you sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Laurent Robinson, just tell the truth. You don’t give a crap about winning, or competing. You just want whoever pays you the most money. Really, if you go to the Jaguars what could you possibly say to your friends to justify signing with them. Think about it. Ted, look at Pete and Colin and Geisel and say “I signed with the Jags cuz I know we have a real chance of winning.” Then sit back and wait for them to throttle you, or frisk you for a crack pipe. If you sign with them just look at your friends and say “I’m RICH.” And don’t say anything else.

Dwight Howard says he wants to stay in Orlando til the end of the season. He will ruin them. He said today he would sign an extension. When they sent him the papers he said his agent wouldn’t let him? You know what? The Magic need to trade him NOW. They are about to get ruined. He is playing with them and like Lebron he is one of the new breed of athlete. Destined to be a follower and not a leader. Too concerned with what people think of him. Unable to make decisions. He is going to waffle and waffle and then walk away and the Magic will get Nothing. If the Magic have any sense they will remember Shaq ruining them and trade him tomorrow. They have to.

How in the world are Brock Ostweiler, Brandon Weedin and Scott Taneyhill now high first round draft picks? Because the top two QBs are gone, everyone is willing to reach and pick those bums early? Stupid. That’s why the Vikings are looking at Ponder now and wondering what the heck they were thinking.

Before the season all the experts sat on TV saying “the Dolphins are a leader. It makes perfect sense” and they all said it like they knew. Like … experts. I can still see John Clayton with that smug look on his face like it pains him to talk to us unenlightened peons. Now that Manning is showing so little interest in the Dolphins, every one of those experts is on TV, just as smugly, saying how the Dolphins don’t fit into Manning’s plans. As you read this and wonder why I think I know everything I will say this: every one of those experts whose bull you take as gospel know as much as I do. They are guessing. NOT ONE of them was talking about Denver. It was Miami and Arizona. And as soon as he visited Denver every one of those guys was talking about Denver being the favorite. Now they still have Denver listed as the favorite. Then Tennessee jumped in and everyone is listing Tennesse e as number 2. They don’t know anything.

John Clayton. I hate that guy. He sits there with that pencil neck and his bulbous head, a messed up tilt to his posture and that smug look on his face. They call him the professor and he sucks up that stuff like he deserves it. The funniest thing I heard about him was when Sean Salisbury called him the CRYPTKEEPER. I laughed for a month.

You know which teams are quiet right now: The Steelers. Cuz they don’t need the free agent frenzy. Why? Cuz they know how to draft. All these teams throwing around money don’t know how to draft. Hire a good GM dummies.

If I hear one more time that Peyton Manning won’t play in the NFC East cuz he doesn’t want to play his brother twice a year I am going to slap someone. Wouldn’t you think it be cool to play your brother twice a year? Punks.

Funniest thing I heard this week: “If the Titans sign Manning, what do they do with Hasselbeck and Locker? That makes no sense.” I laughed my butt off. The same person later in the week was saying how the Titans are a serious contender now. What a dummy. Who would care about Hasselbeck or Jake Locker? Really. I need a TV show.

What happened to Linsanity? That shit was on every sports channel including the NFL network. Now the Knicks are losing games like the Charlotte Bobcats with Jeremy Lin. Know what happened? No not Carmelo, game film happened. Same thing that happened to Chloe the porn star … too much camera time and too much game film … stuff got old. Not to me, but you know. They figured him out. But they will blame Carmelo. I blame the GM. I told you Carmelo and Amare are second tier superstars and not a BIG THREE … HECK THEY AIN’T EVEN A BIG TWO. So the expectations were crazy. But where are all the people saying the Knicks were playoff and deep playoff contenders? Where are they? WHERE?

I picked my NCAA champion. Two winners; North Carolina and Missouri. Kentucky will flame out cuz they will never have experience. Too many one and done players. But tomorrow morning I would love to be off to watch the festivities. The opening round of the tournament. Gentlemen, THE BALL IS TIPPED, AND THERE YOU ARE. That’s It. I can’t take tomorrow and Friday off but I am definitely leaving early tomorrow. Got to do it.

I found Keegan Bradley … little pieces of him all over the back nine last week. With a real chance to win last week he started putting up a bunch of SQUARES ON HIS SCORECARD. HIS SCORE CARD ON THE BACK NINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NICKNAMED SPONGEBOB SQUARECARD. He had his 15 minutes and frankly me and Paul talking about him extended him to 18 minutes of fame, but time is messing up. Enough about Keegan Bradley already. I am moving on.

Continuing with golf. Everyone talks about parity in golf. I see mediocrity. All the talk about Rory even though he has won one tournament in six months. Tiger dominated and people said he had no competition. Rory has less competition and everyone bragging about him finishing 2^nd and 3^rd and 4^th. Shut up. When Tiger finished like that it was always about some no-name beating him. Rory can finish 2^nd and be glorified. Hypocrisy. Sergio Garcia had a 12 on a hole. I bet I can get a 12 on that hole. But no one said anything. Tiger got a 5 on the hole and the world came to a stop.

Thursday’s Lakanuki Golf Classic was once again quite the spectacle, and even enjoyed an unexpected visit from VIP, President Barack Obama. Can you find him?

The large, cinnamon-colored bear that many locals and visitors have golfed with at Sierra Star over the years was found dead on Sept. 21 near a home on Rusty Lane. Local Wildlife Specialist Steve Searles stated that the cause of death is unknown at this time, but he was able to rule out a traffic collision.

The male bear, weighing at least 500 pounds according to Searles was the largest bear in Mammoth (he head was 15” from ear to ear), and quite possibly the most mellow. Searles is unsure of his exact age because he only knew the gentle giant as an adult. “He was the greatest example of how well bears can co-exist with people,” Searles said. “The only call I ever received on this bear was from some golfers who were simply intimidated by his size.”

The bear, which Searles never officially named because he stayed out of trouble, was commonly seen on holes 6 and 8 at Sierra Star.

“He was a magnificent bear with zero attitude,” Searles said.

If you know anything about the death of this bear please call Searles at 760.937.2327. Anonymous calls accepted.

Despite a day that started off cloudy and progressed to a full-on rainstorm with thunder and lightning, 144 players raised $35,000 in support of higher education and cultural enrichment at the sold-out 12^th Annual Mammoth Lakes Foundation Golf Classic last Sunday, Sept. 11 at Sierra Star Golf Course. The tournament was called mid-way and became a best-of-9 hole competition, but the real winners were Mammoth Lakes Foundation Scholarship students and South Gateway Student Apartment students, some of whom were among the volunteers supporting the event. Highlights of the scramble tournament included an iPad2 raffle, Super Ticket raffle, silent auction, awards party, and closest to the pin prize on all par threes.

“A sincere thank you to Dave Schacht and the staff of Sierra Star Golf Course, as well as Matt Mednick of Hyde Lounge where the after-tournament party retired to dry out,” said Mammoth Lakes Foundation Executive Director Maya Weinhart. “My staff and I also extend a hearty thank you to our sponsors, players, and volunteers for a job well done. This is the first time we’ve been rained out on the history of the tournament and we still had a blast! We are pleased we were able to raise the same amount as last year for higher education and the arts, despite cutting the tournament short, and definitely look forward to next year’s event.”

After retiring to Hyde Lounge, players, volunteers and staff shared refreshments, participated in the Silent Auction, and learned the names of the winners of the tournament, the raffles, and the Par 3 contests. Thanks to the scholarship student team of Maria “Pita” Vasquez and Plake Parker for winning the prize for most-tickets-sold at a par 3 for their work at Hole 14. Kudos also go to the two die-hard foursomes of Dennis Agee, Jimmy Huh, Doug Hanna, and Dion Agee, and Ben Wells, Matt Kendo, Chris Wylie, and Guy Morrow, both of whom stuck it out and completed the entire 18-hole course despite the downpour.

Congratulations winners

Tournament low score (and repeat winners from last year): Guy Bien, Ian Birrell, Craig Copeland, and Christian Newman representing 80/50

Tournament high score:  Pat Koepsell, Pat Sherill, Vivian Kim, and Heidi Vetter

iPad2 raffle: Charlie Comfort

Super Ticket raffle – seven nights at a resort in Indio, Calif.: Pat and Ron Caird

Closest to the pin on Par 3s: Terry Loy, Jerry Bourelle, Pat Caird, and Bob Hulburt (also repeating from last year)

Thank you sponsors
Title Sponsor: Mr. Bob Hart (in memoriam)

Breakfast Sponsor: Southern California Edison

Beverage Sponsor: The Westin Monache Resort

Hole Sponsors: Rogitz Patents, Neil Sherman Industrial Metal Supply, Cecil Spearman and Spearman Clubs Inc.

Hole-in-one Sponsors: KMMT/KRHV, and Eastern Sierra Community Bank

Putting Contest Sponsors: Ron & Shirley Heck

In-kind and Tee Sponsors: A&A Garage, ACI/San Luis Jet Center, Al Norris, Aliso Creek Inn & Golf Course, Alpine Paint, Base Camp Café, Best Western – Mammoth, Bishop Country Club, Black Gold Asphalt, Bluebird Imaging, Boucher’s Home Care, Chuck Villar Construction, Cornucopia Wine Event, CPR Guide Service – Don Meier, Crowley Fish Camp, Crowley Lake General Store, D & J Roofing Inc., Daniel Mitchell, David Baumwohl Law Offices, Dennis and Dottie Hartman, Diversified Mortgage, Doug and Rosie Butler , DB’s Fish On Eastern Sierra Land Trust, Eric Olsen’s Farmer’s Insurance, Evan and Kathie Russell, Flinn Family, Footloose Sports, George Wever , Hair & Now, Hilton Creek Naturals, In Line Chiropractic, Indian Canyon Golf Course, Jack Smith, Janice Brown, Kendra & Jeff Walker, Kevin Biggins , Las Vegas Hilton, Law offices of Michael Bornfeld, Loving Memory Cary Shibley , Mammoth Hospital, Mammoth Lakes Foundation, Mammoth Liquor, Mammoth Luxury Outlets, Mammoth Mountain Vacations, Mammoth Realty Group – Trish Dunlap, Heidi Helbig, Pat Koepell , Mammoth Reservation Bureau, Mammoth RV Park, Mammoth Unified School District, Mary Lynn & Lily Walker, Mogul Restaurant, Mountain Living Interiors & Design, Napa of Mammoth, Neil Sherman, Oram and Kaylor, Paul and Kathleen Rudder, Pete Veris / Titleist, Pita Pit, Robert Beach Insurance, Robin Stater , Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Shibley Family, Shogun Restaurant, Sierra Jewelers, Sierra Paint and Drywall, Sierra Star Golf Course, Snowcreek Golf Course, State Farm Insurance – Linda Wright, Sunrise Rotary, Susan S. Walker, Taz Electric, Thai’d UP!, Todd Porter / Lamar Advertising, Valley Florist, VP Construction, Von’s Supermarket, Wave Rave, Whiskey Creek, Westin Resort & Spa – Whistler, Yamatani Restaurant

Started in 2000, the Mammoth Lakes Foundation Golf Classic has been an integral way for the Foundation and its supporters to raise money for local student scholarships, the operation of South Gateway Student Apartments, and Mammoth Lakes Repertory Theatre, and planning for a proposed Mammoth Arts and Cultural Center. -Press Release, Mammoth Lakes Foundation

Photo credit: Mammoth Lakes Foundation

For additional photos visit www.mammothlakesfoundation.org

How far does your drive travel at 8,000 feet? Find out at the 11th Annual Mammoth Lakes Foundation Golf Classic benefiting higher education and cultural enrichment in the Eastern Sierra. The tournament takes place on Sunday, Sept. 11 at Sierra Star Golf Course in Mammoth.

Highlights of this year’s Golf Classic include four player scramble format, closest to the pin on all par threes, $5,000 putting contest, hole-in-one award, raffle, and silent auction. New this year is the Super Ticket raffle with a grand prize of seven nights’ accommodations in Belize donated by Jeff and Denise Boucher and an iPad 2 raffle.

All participants receive greens fees and cart, use of chipping and putting greens, lunch, tournament gift, awards party and silent auction.

Register by Sept. 1, entry is $100/individual, $400/foursome. After Sept. 1 it goes up to $125/individual, $500/foursome. The Mammoth Lakes Foundation thanks tournament sponsor Bob Hart and breakfast sponsor Southern California Edison. Tee sign, lunch, and in-kind sponsorships are still available. Call 760.934.3781 for details.