PORT MATILDA —Skytop Mountain Golf Club, located outside of Port Matilda, already has given golfers the opportunity to skip the cart and play 18 holes while riding a golf board. Now, the club is offering another game changer for enthusiastic players looking for more out of their play.
The club’s Night Game Scramble, using glow-in-the-dark balls, will tee off at 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 14. The cost for the nine-hole event is $40 per person and includes everything a player needs to participate.
“The nine holes are playable for all the players,” said Skytop Mountain Golf Club assistant Gary Dyke. “The par-5 holes are moved up to play as par 3 so the golfers don’t lose their balls as quickly as you would on a par 5.
‘But, one good advantage of the game is that the balls really glow nice. It’s really fun to watch the golfers when they hit the ball, because the balls just glow like fireworks. It’s a beautiful sight to see. It’s like watching a big fireworks display.
“Every golfer gets two balls and a flashlight and, its cart paths only, and you are not to use your flashlight when you tee off. You put your tee in the ground and place your ball on the tee without using a light because the balls are glowing so much.’
According to Dyke, head golf professional Jeremy Crawford came up with the idea for the night scramble, which has drawn attention from golfers all over Central Pennsylvania.
“This is the first year we have tried this adventure,” said Dyke. “Jeremy had no idea what to expect, but we’ve had to limit the number of players at 36. We have had more and more golfers that want to play in the event, because it’s really something new and special.
“And, on top of playing a special round of golf, it is really a lot of fun. Most of the golfers really don’t care about their score, they are just here to have a good time — and they do.”
As to the golf boards, which are available locally only at Skytop, Dyke said golfers are thrilled with them.
“They are being used as much as we thought they would be. Actually, quite a bit. The clubs sit on the front of the cart in a carrier and I’ll tell you to only use your legs to steer the cart. It’s a lot like riding a skateboard or a surfboard where you need to bend your legs left and right to maneuver.
“So far, no one has fallen off the golf board, because they are an all-terrain golf cart that works well on hills,” added Dyke.
“You just have to be careful when you are using the golf board. A golfer that wants to use the golf board has to watch a 10-minute video before they will be able to go out on the course. We also do some training with the golfer to make sure they are comfortable with the golf board.”
According to Dyke, play is up at Skytop Mountain, which is in the best condition he’s seen since he started working there.
For more information, or to register for the Night Game Scramble, call (814) 692-4249.
Image by walnuthillsgolf.com
