By Gary Curreri
Terry Denoma made the most of his recent “snowbird” visit to Pompano Beach.
Denoma recently won the Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association Club Championship. The part-time Pompano, part-time Illinois resident is gaining ground on his wife Mimi, who won the Pompano Beach Women’s Golf Association Club Championship two years ago and finished second this year to Marianne Weber.
“I retired last year, so I usually spend about four months a year in Florida,” said the 69-year-old Denoma. “I got to meet so many nice guys. This was the first year I was in the league. My wife won it two years ago, so I had to do something. She’s the real golfer. I’m a hack. I just got in the right division.”
Denoma said winning the club championship was unexpected.
“I have always enjoyed match play versus stroke play,” Denoma said, “because I have too many bad holes and you just have to have the right holes in match play.”
Denoma started out the tournament in the C Class and shot 86-83 to win his division to advance to the championship round against the winners of the other classes (A, B, and D) and played in a one-day tournament where Denoma, and his 22-handicap, prevailed when he shot an 86.
“It was just a lot of fun,” Denoma said. “It was my first year, so I didn’t know what to expect. The starter Dennis told me I got a parking spot now. Do I really get a parking spot? I will have to look at that when I come back down.”
Denoma said he has played ever since he got out of college and believes after this season in the Pompano Men’s Golf Association that his handicap will drop to about a 17.
“The thing I will remember most is when you are on 18 and there is water on the left and the other guy is right down the middle,” he said. “You hit and hope that you stay in the fairway and that you can bogey the last hole and try to win it.”
Denoma parred the final hole and wound up winning by three strokes.
“I’m a competitor and I always played sports,” Denoma continued. “I think that is why we all play golf because we can still compete at it, even at an advanced age. I am going to try and get better. That is the one thing about golf, you always look for the next shot or the next day. My goal is to beat my wife sometime.
“I don’t think it is going to happen,” he continued. “She is like a 10 handicap and my son is a four, so I stay away from him. I also have to thank Deborah Brown for all of the time she puts into organizing this and stroking all of our egos. She puts a lot of hours in.”
What’s next up for Denoma, who admittedly said he isn’t as good of a golfer as his wife?
“I have one hole-in-one, and my wife has three,” he said. “I guess I am going to be chasing her there too.”
