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Last weekend presented a perfect weekend with sunny skies and cool morning temperatures rebounding into the 60s and 70s. So perfect a weekend that some folks had a hard time deciding whether to run or play golf. Luckily one event gave athletes the chance to do both.

The first ever Jeff’s Challenge run/golf event took place on Sunday, Nov. 9 and started the day with a heart-pounding 2.62 mile run on golf kart trails around Windy Hill Sports Complex’s golf course past scenic holes and ended with a steep uphill climb to the finish line. After runners finished, they changed out of their shorts and sneakers and into their golf pants and shoes, donned clubs and headed out on the Lake Course for nine holes of golf. It was all done in memory of Jeff Haddix.

Haddix was a PGA teaching pro at Windy Hill Sports Complex and was also a runner, who worked at Runner Bill’s Sports. In fact the logo for the event features a picture of him finishing the Marine Corps marathon and one of him swinging a club. Haddix passed away due to cancer last December and according to event co-organizer Bill Lis, the Jeff’s Challenge brought to fruition an event that Haddix himself had helped envision.

“For years, he and I talked about doing a running/golfing event,” Lis said. “Back then we talked about speed golf which is when you just carry your clubs and play as fast as you can and shoot as good as you can, it’s all combined. We couldn’t get any golf courses to buy into it because it’s very difficult to manage and it’s kind of risky and ties up a course for a long time.”

After Haddix’s passing, Lis and Janet Philips from Windy Hill and event co-organizer, came together and created the Jeff’s Challenge which combined running and golfing but scored each event separately. Competitors earned their time on the trails and then shot for the lowest score on the golf course. The two scores were combined to get the final overall placements.

Nathan Ward took first overall with a run of 17 minutes, 42 seconds and a score of 38 on the par 35 golf course. Pete Shinault took second overall 22:55 running and 43 golfing and James Lignon took third at 22:38 and 44 golfing.

“It’s not speed golf,” Lis explained. “It’s something totally different. This is unique. I don’t know of anyone in the country that has done this before.”

Final results
Men’s overall: 1. Nathan Ward, 17:42, 38; 2. Pete Shinault, 22:55, 43; 3. James Ligon, 22:38, 44; Master’s: John Nelson, 20:35, 47.

Women’s overall: 1. Jacque Peterson, 26:11, 41; 2. Colleen Chipper, 22:16, 51; 3. Donna Guza, 26:22, 47; Master’s: Sandy Haddix, 40:12, 48.