SPORTS

When more than 2,500 cyclists take to the roads of Sonoma County on May 4, it will be a birthday party of sorts. The rolling fete will celebrate the 50th running — or riding — of the venerable Wine Country Century, an event believed to have started in 1973 as a rollicking, but tough, get together among friends who loved to ride bikes and ride them a really long way.

Last Friday, former Little River Men’s Club Champion Tim McLaughlin traveled across the great divide from Cloverdale to Little River, as he usually does once a week, to compete in the Stableford format. This week, Tim had some exciting information to share. The Healdsburg Golf Club at Tayman Park, just down the road from Cloverdale, has a Toptracer system on its driving range. The Toptracer system traces the arc, direction of the ball, accuracy, and distance. The information is recorded on a screen at the driving range stall. After you hit your ball, you can watch your ball fly on the screen. There is also an option to play eighteen courses virtually on the screen. You can play the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland or Pebble Beach, Spyglass, or the London International Course. After you choose your course, you can select your tees and line up your shot on the screen. When you hit your ball, you will see it on the screen going in the direction you selected for your chosen course. You also have the option of just playing the front or back nine or just a few holes. The range at Healdsburg is open every day except after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday when it is closed for maintenance for the rest of the day. The guys representing the Men’s Club at the next NCGA qualifying level may be playing Spyglass, Pebble Beach, or Poppy Hills. They might be tempted to play their prospective course on the virtual. Last Friday, Tim said he had not experienced the Toptracer yet, but he may have by now.