Photo courtesy of Tim Craggs
By Tim Craggs
Retired division chief of design
The 60th Annual Caltrans Invitational Golf Tournament was held in Las Vegas on May 16 and 17. Five teams from Caltrans golf clubs from around the state participated in this event, competing for prizes, pride and bragging rights.
District 7 earned top honors, rocketing past second-place Headquarters on the second day of the two-day event to win by 19 strokes. Headquarters Operations finished third; District 5, last year’s champs, fourth; followed by the combined Bridge/District 6 team.
In addition to the team event, all players compete on an individual basis. Players are grouped into “flights” based on their handicaps, so each competes against players of similar skill levels. Mike Dom of the HQ Operations Golf Club; Dan See, District 5; Eric Garcia, HQ Operations; Chris Fisher, District 7; and Darryl Mays, also of District 7, won their respective flights.
The Palm Course at Angel Park Golf Club was long and narrow, with plenty of desert to be found, but beautiful and fun to play all the same.
Besides two great days of golf, a highlight of this year’s event was the awards banquet held to celebrate the 60th year of this great tournament. Mike Lew, District 5 Construction support office chief, served as a wonderful host and master of ceremonies, handing out individual and team awards and conducting a raffle for prizes which were donated by the various participating clubs.
Larry Orcutt, retired CT division chief of equipment, did the up-front work heading into the tournament.
All in all, this tournament was a great success, providing the opportunity for a large cross section of Caltrans employees and friends to build new relationships, revisit longtime friendships and working partnerships, have some fun, and of course engage in some much-needed stress relief. It’s also a great place to see in person those people you work with or only converse with on Facebook!
The 61st Annual Caltrans Invitational Golf Tournament is targeted for the week of May 12, 2025. While the exact location is yet to be determined, past locations have included Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Napa, Reno/Carson City and Fresno.
The Northern California version of this tournament, the Caltrans Fall Classic, is a one-day event held each year in October. This year we are going to Peachtree Golf and Country Club in Marysville on Oct. 6. Contact Larry Orcutt for more information at larryorcutt@gmail.com.
Participation in the Caltrans Invitational is open to all current and former Caltrans employees and members of the various Caltrans golf clubs around the state who have an established GHIN index (you golfers know what this means). The Fall Classic will provide an opportunity for those golfers who don’t have an established GHIN. All this fun is on personal time and the golfers cover all their own expenses.
Please watch for future announcements regarding upcoming tournaments or contact your local golf club representative for more information. We are always looking for more participation in these events. In the recent past, Districts 2, 3, 4, 9, and 10 have sent teams and it would be great to see them again! If you are in search of a Caltrans Golf Club representative in your area, contact me, Tim Craggs, at craggs57@hotmail.com, and I can put you in touch with somebody in your vicinity. You can also check out the Headquarters’ Golf Club website for more information.