Approximately 32 golfers from Northport Creek and Northport Point gathered for the fourth annual golf tournament/ scramble on Tuesday. The tradition of people from the two Northport golf clubs coming together to play a friendly game in August has been one that Harry Zoccoli, a Northport Creek member and one of the event organizers, has cherished over the last several years.
The event builds camaraderie amongst the golfers and everyone has the chance to catch up with each other after a busy summer. Next year, golfers for the tournament will head just up the road to Northport Point to play at the private golf course. Northport golfers launched the summer get-together in 2023 at Northport Point, and each year since, the location has switched between the Creek golf course and Northport Point.
“It’s always fantastic. For the fourth year, we love having them here, and we love going to their course. They’re both beautiful courses, and the friendly competition is great, and we all get to meet great people… there’s competition, but its all in fun,” Zoccoli said.
On Tuesday, the golfers covered eight holes out of the nine at Northport Creek Golf Course, and since its a scramble, people get to hit the ball from the best spot every time. Golfers’ Dan and Sherrard Coté and Becky and Tim Sullivan won with a score of 29, while Sherrard and Tim Cook were also dubbed winners for the man and woman closest to the pin. This year’s winners received gift certificates, and golfers that attended the scramble received lunch provided by New Bohemian Cafe in Northport.
Ross Biddiscombe, a member of both the Northport Point and Northport Creek golf clubs, has been helping to organize the event since its inception. As soon as Biddiscombe retired and stopped working, he joined the Northport Creek golf club, noting that’s how he met fellow golfers/forces behind the event, Zoccoli and John Sanders.
“It’s just golfers getting together in a format that says, 'we all enjoy a scramble, because its less pressure.' Everybody hits a ball on every hole. So we all enjoy whoever wins,” Biddiscombe said. “We started something and everybody loves it… It’s about the two groups and when I’m not around it will still happen. That’s the hope because it’s a lovely thing to do if you have two clubs so close together, and golfers are golfers wherever they are, then what fun to have something that is a highlight of the golfing summer.”
Northport Creek Director of Golf and General Manager Chris McCann has been able to observe the event biennially when its hosted at the Creek. Much of the group’s participants are repeat players, McCann said, so they get to know each other a little better every year and it gives everyone something to look forward to at the end of summer. Northport is also home to a thriving golf community, and events like these bring people together and outside to share in a mutual hobby/sport.
“It’s a fun day, (people) come out, pair a couple Northport Creek with some Northport Point folks, a little competition and some lunch — it’s a good day,” McCann said.
Courtesy photo
