Spring Golf 2026
The Crofton Country Club hosted this year’s 9th Annual American Legion Post 276 Golf Invitation on Monday, May 11, where 89 dedicated golfers labored through a raw and damp day on the links. It was a tough start to get anything going as the chilly rain hampered playing conditions throughout the first half of the golf round. Over the years, we have been blessed with near-perfect conditions, but, you know, Murphy’s Law has a way of balancing things. The rain eventually eased, but it was too little too late for some to get back to playing under par. That wasn’t the story for the big dogs at the top, as the top four teams finished to within a single stroke of the leaderboard.
It was a record turnout for our American Legion event this year, with more than 22 teams participating. The winning team finished at -12 under par. That team consisted of Shawn Olsen, Claudio Doval, Newton Gentry, and Todd Bell. There would be a 3-way tie for 2nd place, as those teams finished at -11. We had to resort to a tie-breaking system to sort out the 2nd-4th-place teams. See results below.
After the golf round, lunch was served, and post-game prizes and awards were presented. It was noted that area merchants were very generous again this year, donating over 40 prizes valued at more than $3,800. The prizes included a golf bag, multiple golf foursome packages at various golf courses, baseball tickets, a Ravens jacket, car wash kits, and various restaurant gift cards.
Mike & Peggy Krieger led the effort to organize this annual golf event. Mike’s sister, Pam Frischkorn, along with Pat Paul, volunteered to help with registration, pre-round check-in, and the setup of the post-lunch awards table. Thank you, ladies! Speaking of the registration table, our golfers were very generous this year, with a record intake of over $2,300 from mulligans, raffle prizes, and 50/50 chances.
Over the past few months, Mike visited local businesses to solicit donations and sponsorships to offset costs and provide additional prizes. Having just received a final invoice from the golf club, I anticipate that we will clear just over $2,400, which will be donated to the American Legion Post 276 & the First Tee, an organization that impacts the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf – URL link below.
https://thefirsttee.org/about/
Top Teams
1st Place - 12 under > Shawn Olsen / Claudio Doval / Newton Gentry / Todd Bell
2nd Place - 11 under > Fred Hessler / Tom Simmons / Larry Awad / Jeff Stevenson
3rd Place – 11 under > Mike Niemela / Mike Williams / Dennis Stough / Dave Hand
4th Place – 11 under > Ron Wyatt / Ryan Norris / Mike Porter / Bob Radford
Closest to Pin Longest Drive
Tyler Depfer (twice) / Mike Williams / Newton Gentry Shawn Olsen
Leaderboard (click to enlarge image)
