The Black Box Turtle is loved and hated to this day depending on who you were betting on.

Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club is known for 3 things: Shaved fringes, Action (wagering) and Black Box Turtles. All three came into play during the finals of the Men’s Golf Association (Handicap) Match Play Championship.

Santa Rosa Golf and Beach Club was a sleepy little semi-private golf club organized in 1969.  Like many golf courses, SRG&BC struggled financially at times in its 60-year history. Since 2008 the membership has filled, with a waiting list, and the initiation fees have increased 50 times. With its newfound prosperity the club contracted Bill Bergin (Bergin Golf Design), to do a complete makeover of SRG&BC completed in 2001.

The Berlin design features contoured green complexes with shaved slopes that fall off in all directions. With water guarding the greens on 9 holes, mis-hit shots often find a watery grave.

The Florida Gulf Coast Box Turtles get their name from the (boxy) shape of their shell. They make their home in the lagoons at Santa Rosa Beach sunning themselves during the warmest part of the day. They have an almost black shell.

The final match of the Match Play Championship features a classic matchup between a fine player in the twilight of his prime and a retired tires salesman with time to work on his game. The ‘Old Master’ sports a 3.2 index and was giving Mr. Tire 10 shots over the 18-hole match.

A sizable gallery had gathered to watch a classic match. The wager increased during the round – the beverage cart moving with the gallery was doing a steady business. Money was changing hands at the conclusion of each hole; sometimes after each shot.

With three holes to play the match was tied with Mr. Tire getting a stroke on the tough 18th.

The 16th hole is a cute little par 3, that protrudes into a small lake. Water catches any shot short or to the right with the tightly trimmed fringe running directly into the water. The green is divided with a conventional divide like ridge running the entire length of the green.

Old Master, with the honor, has a tee shot of 133 yards to a back right pin. The savvy veteran hits a relaxing little 8-iron that lands along the ridge then rolls out moving sightly left. Hole high with a downhill putt 25 feet away.

The gallery buzzes as additional wagers are made, mostly favoring the Old Master.

Mr. Tire is one tee up, he scopes the shot at 118 yards, he can’t fly his ball to the pin. His dilemma, gap wedge or sand wedge? With fear of over swinging the sand wedge and hitting it fat he chooses the gap wedge. On a normal day he would hit a water ball not wanting to waste a new Pro V1x.

Mr. Tire notices several Black Box Turtles catching a few rays as he addresses his ball. One thought – head down. He makes a solid strike. The beautifully struck ball carries just left of the pin and dribbles onto the fringe behind the hole about 20 feet.

More money changes hands.

Old Master hits a perfect putt that stops about a foot short. “That’s good,” Mr. Tire says with a nervous smile. “Release the putter.” Mr. Tire watches his ball take the left break and thump solidly into the flagstick. Birdie – 2. 1-up on the Old Master.

Both players hit good tee shots to the treacherous little par-4 17th with a front pin directly over water with a shaved bank. Old Master hits a 9-iron just 20 feet past the pin with a rattle snake fast downhill putt.

Again, the buzz of more wagers.

As Mr. Tire scopes his shot he can’t believe that he has the exact distance (118 yards) to the flagstick. His hand shook as he fingered the gap and sand wedges. “I don’t want to hit it 35 feet past and face that super slick putt I could never get it to the hole,” he thinks. “I can hit this sand wedge 120. Just don’t hit it fat.”

Again, he notices two large Black Box Turtles relaxing on the bank fronting the green. His head remains solid, but the shot felt just a little FAT. The ball is flying directly toward the cup. “Perfect,” Mr. Tire thinks.

His ball lands softly onto the very front of the green…. hesitates for a full second… then picks up speed as in rolls smoothly toward the water. The gallery gasps in disbelief as Mr. Tires ball came to rest against a sleeping turtle. The turtle moved his head slightly then slowly retreated into the water. Mr. Tires’ ball rests in the penalty area with a tight muddy lie.

The golf professional states, “The ball is in play.” With nerves on edge Mr. Tires only play was to putt up the smooth slope to a hole some 30 feet away.

As they say the rest is history. Mr. Tire made the shot of his life holing the uphill putt from the hazard. Old Master showed no shock or remorse when his 20-foot down hiller skidded 5 feet past on the high side.

Love or hate the Black Box Turtle!