VILLAGE OF FAYETTEVILLE — With subzero wind chills and almost a foot of snow on the day, dozens stopped by Fayetteville’s Lyndon Golf Course on Jan. 30 to get their swings down before the spring.
Late that sunny morning, bundled-up locals participated in a “snolf,” or snow golf, tournament that doubled as a fundraiser, with proceeds covering the energy bills of in-need residents in Cicero and Pompey.
“People were driving by like it’s summer,” said Carolanne Porto, whose business Cafe 119 was the head sponsor of the winter tournament.
For its entire duration, her son-in-laws Keith Price and Josh Byrns joined Town of Cicero Deputy Supervisor Mike Becallo in carting around beverages like hot cocoa from hole to hole while lending any other assistance to the golfers.
Dressed head to toe in a classic Scottish outfit—kilt and all—Becallo said the area’s inaugural snolf outing met all of his high-hoping expectations.
He helped to organize the charitable event by ordering hand warmers, multi-colored balls that stick out in the snow, and door prizes like indoor putting greens for not only the top-performing teams but also the golfers wearing the most eye-catching getups.
“Everyone was having a blast, whether they were exceeding their six-shot limit or getting balls in on two,” Becallo said.
Each permitted to use only one club for the nine-round course, the participants played captain and crew style in the frigid conditions that Sunday.
The cleared-off greens were 100 yards apart rather than the usual 300 or 400 yards, and all nine contained one five-inch hole and one measuring two and a half inches for the more competitive. If a golfer sank the smaller hole, they would receive a minus one on their stroke count.
Area resident Mike Barbato said he plays the East Genesee Street course four or five times a week when golf is in season but that it was his first attempt to play in the snow.
“I do live in Syracuse though, so golf and snow makes sense as a combo,” Barbato said.
Altogether 50 signed up for the single-round tournament, including political committee representatives, Cicero police officers, and anyone else willing to give snow golf a try. A party at The Craftsman Inn featuring food and music accompaniment immediately followed.
Before they opened Cafe 119 in January 2001, Carolanne and her husband Charles Porto witnessed people playing snolf up north in parts of St. Lawrence and Jefferson counties.
Their cafe on East Seneca Street in Manlius sells items such as salads, wraps and paninis as well as baked goods made from scratch.
Lyndon Golf Course is usually open whenever the grass is visible as long as the temperature is 30 degrees or higher.
Separate from its normal rates, the course puts out a lockbox and requests $5 for all-you-can-play golf on every other winter day.