Courtesy of Tim Craggs
By Tim Craggs
Retired Division Chief of Design
The 61st Annual Caltrans Invitational Golf Tournament was held in Monterey on May 15 and 16. Six teams from Caltrans Golf Clubs from around the state participated in this event, competing for prizes, pride and bragging rights.
Caltrans Capitol (Headquarters) Golf Club earned top team honors, rocketing past second-place District 5 on the second day of the two-day event. District 6, with help from additional participants from District 5, finished third; Highway Operations fourth; followed by the teams from Bridge and last year’s winners, District 7.
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.
Ronnie Lesniak of the Headquarters (HQ) Golf Club; Jake Hyde, District 5; Rich Williams, HQ; Dave Means, HQ; Mike Melgoza, District 7; and Josh Madrigal, Bridge, won their respective flights. Ronnie Lesniak, HQ, and Scott Straub, Bridge, took the honors for Low Gross (without handicap factored in),
Monterey Pines Golf Course and Laguna Seca Golf Ranch provided two beautiful and distinctly different tracks for the two-day event. Monterey Pines is relatively flat and narrow, while Laguna Seca is long and hilly, with wider, more forgiving fairways. Both courses provided significant challenges for the field but were praised by those who participated.
An awards banquet was held after golf at Laguna Seca. Individual and team awards were distributed, along with a raffle for prizes which were donated by the various participating Clubs. All in all, this tournament was a great success, providing the opportunity for a large cross section of Caltrans employees, retirees 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.
The 62nd Annual Caltrans Invitational Golf Tournament is targeted for May 14-15, 2026. While the exact location is yet to be determined, past locations have included San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Napa, Reno/Carson City, Nevada, Fresno and Las Vegas.
The Northern California version of this tournament, the Caltrans Fall Classic, is a one-day event held each year in October. 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 at www.ctcapitolgolfclub.com for more information.