Second Thoughts

No baseball? How about some golf?

Callaway Golf and the San Diego Padres have turned Petco Park into a nine-hole, par-3 course. Approximately 1,500 golfers paid $50 to play on the course, which has holes ranging from 62 yards to 145 yards.
Callaway Golf and the San Diego Padres have turned Petco Park into a nine-hole, par-3 course. Approximately 1,500 golfers paid $50 to play on the course, which has holes ranging from 62 yards to 145 yards.

Petco Park has had the reputation for being a forgiving place for the San Diego Padres and opposing pitchers alike since it opened in 2004,

Can the same hold true for golfers?

On Thursday, the first of 1,500 golfers attempted to find out as they took aim at The Links at Petco, a nine-hole experience in partnership with Callaway Golf.

"It's so different to see how different the field looks with golf holes on it instead of players," said Tom Yankle of San Diego.

The event, originally planned for three days, sold-out so quickly -- three hours, to be exact -- was expanded to five days, with golfers teeing off beginning at 7 a.m. with the last tee time set for 9 p.m. -- under the lights of the downtown ballpark.

"It was absolutely a no-brainer," Yankle said. "It's so cool, different and unique, and I was excited just to be a part of it."

All available tee times, which are $50 per person, are filled, which was a small surprise of sorts for Padres President and CEO Mike Dee.

"It surprised me a little but I thought it would be popular, that people would dig the novelty of it," Dee said Wednesday as he stood near the No. 2 tee box, which is located on the upper deck in the right field corner.

The holes on the par-3 course, all of which are laid out on the Petco Park playing field, range from No. 7, which is a 62 yards, to the second hole, which is 145 yards.

Six of the holes tee off from the upper deck of the ballpark, with the 125-yard No. 5 located directly behind home plate, offering a panoramic view of the ballpark and buildings located behind Petco Park.

Each hole has a unique theme. The second hole is Beerfest. On the third hole the golfers can get tips from a Callaway pro. The fourth hole has a snow machine and is the designated 'bad weather' hole.

The seventh hole offers a movie theme and golfers can use a hockey stick -- think Happy Gilmore -- in their attempt to cover the 62 yards.

Each golfer who gets a hole in one wins a Big Bertha Driver from Callaway.

Miracle Blaise

As things turned out, Kansas City Royals star Ben Zobrist and his wife, recording artist Julianna Zobrist, could not have written a better script to their week.

There was some question a week ago about whether Zobrist would be forced into paternity leave with Julianna expecting the couple's third child. The Zobrists took to squashing those concerns on social media, with Julianna confirming Ben would stay with his team until the World Series ended.

The Royals then squashed the matter all together, disposing of the Mets last Sunday in Game 5 of the World Series to wrap up the franchise's first championship since 1985.

The Zobrists were then able to focus on welcoming their third child together. That moment arrived less than 48 hours after a scheduled Game 7 would have taken place at Kauffman Stadium, as the couple welcomed a new daughter.

"What do you name a little girl that so politely waited for the World Series to be won by her daddy?" Julianna posted on her Facebook account. "Then so sweetly thanked 800,000 fans at a parade, and the next day hung on while her family packed up and moved back home to Nashville? And then, in a brilliant finish, came to meet the world and say hello the day her mommy's new single "Alive" is released? You call her a miracle. Or, we call her BLAISE ROYAL ZOBRIST."

QUIZ

What was the name of the stadium where the San Diego Padres played from 1969, their inaugural season, until 1980?

ANSWER

San Diego Stadium

Sports on 11/08/2015

Upcoming Events