By Duncan Nixon
After a break in 2025, the Lake Monticello Golf Course Member-Guest Golf Tournament returned in 2026.
This year’s tournament drew 30 men’s two-player teams and six women’s two-player teams. The men’s division played 27 holes on Saturday and 18 on Sunday, while the women’s division played 18 holes on Sunday.
The format for the men’s tournament is challenging, as every hole matters. It is a match-play event, with teams divided into five-team ‘flights.’ Each team plays every other team in its flight once. On each hole, one point is awarded to the team with the lowest net score, with handicaps considered. A bonus point is awarded to the team with the best score over nine holes, giving each match a total of 10 points.
The women’s tournament was a straight best-ball tournament, with handicaps considered. The winning team was Robin Wink and Susan Genert, who shot an impressive 32-32—64. The runners-up were Judy Kordella and Joanne Platz, who posted a 69.
In the men’s tournament, the highest-scoring team in each flight advanced to a shootout to determine the overall tournament winner.
The flight winners were Paul Schmidt and his guest, Andrew Schmidt, in the Amen Corner flight; Chris Gilbert and his guest, Robert Brooks, in the Green Jacket flight; Scott Fitzgerald and his guest, Adam Travis, in the Magnolia Lane flight; Richard Baringer and his guest, Devin Audibert, in the Butler Cabin flight; and Russell Denell and his guest, Steve Ruis, in the Golden Bell flight.
In the shootout, all teams played the first round from the 18th-hole tee box. Only two teams scored net birdies, eliminating the other three teams.
The second playoff round was played on the 18th hole from 135 yards out. A short iron shot is all that is required, but the shot must cross a small pond.
Gilbert went first and hit an excellent shot to approximately 10 feet, hole high. His teammate, Brooks, also hit the green, but his shot finished about 35 feet long. Brooks putted ahead of Gilbert and rolled in the long putt. Their opponents could not do better than a three, so the shootout was over.
Gilbert and Brooks were the winners. Brooks, Gilbert’s guest, was a high school friend who came in from Lynchburg. Gilbert has lived at the Lake for about five years.
Two points of note were that Shawn Chen scored a hole in one on the 10th hole, and Jackie Dunkle was widely praised for the post-tournament spread, which replaced the former banquet format.
