Matt Adams, father of The Coast News reporter Cameron Adams, contributed reporting to this story.
OCEANSIDE — After seeing the line on Goat Hill Park Golf Course’s 18th green from partner Parker Reddig’s missed putt, David Bradshaw found the bottom of the cup with his own putt to seal the victory for the Scottsdale Strikers at The Summer Grind.
Playing the Grass League’s scramble format, the duo went 8 under on the back nine to win by one stroke.
“We just ham and egged it really well,” Reddig told Golf Channel, which broadcast the final round. “Everything started to click for us down the stretch – our putters, they got really hot. So that’s what it takes out there.”
With the victory, the duo took home a $50,000 paycheck and earned 320 points for the Strikers, who moved into fourth place in the season standings.
The upstart par-3 Grass League launched in 2024 and has grown, adding teams to the current season’s slate. The format includes two-person, best-ball scrambles in which the duos play the best shot until finishing the hole.
The Summer Grind is considered one of the league’s two majors.
Each of the 11 teams — including the Scottsdale Strikers and San Diego Munis — sent five two-player teams to The Summer Grind at Goat Hill. The field featured players with PGA, LPGA and Korn Ferry tour experience. Former Major League Baseball player Aaron Hicks, winner of the inaugural MLB Open in the fall at Shadow Creek Golf Course, was also in the field.
The “world class, working class” Goat Hill usually plays to a par of 65 but was rerouted to accommodate 18 par-3 holes for the event.
The course has built a devoted following in the local golf community for its laid-back charm and engaging layout.
Converted to 18 holes by Ludwig Keehn in the 1990s, the course fell into disrepair following his death in 2004. A local group led by John Ashworth began investing in the course, clubhouse and practice facilities in 2014, according to the course’s history.
In addition to providing an on-ramp for beginners due to its shorter length, the course has also helped develop high-level players.
Twin sisters Jasmine and Janae Leovao grew up playing Goat Hill before leading Eastern Michigan to the semifinals at the NCAA championship in May. One of the course’s teaching professionals, Natalie Vivaldi, also played in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship this summer.
Ashworth told Golf Channel that the course has “developed a tight group” of golfers who enjoy its casual vibe and a layout that offers something to newcomers and professionals alike.
“We do have a stable of really good golfers,” he said. “It’s a very challenging course and it’s attracted a lot of really good golfers in the area.”
That mix was visible during The Summer Grind as well. Golf carts stuffed with six or more children followed groups around. At one point on the first day, a toddler danced on the double green to George Strait’s “All My Ex’s Live in Texas,” blaring from nearby speakers, while pros rolled putts toward the 12th and 17th pins. Dogs roamed the property, sometimes on leashes and sometimes off.
The weather played a role on the second day, as the wind blew hard toward the southwest around midday.
John Chin and Grant Hirschman of the San Diego Munis took advantage of teeing off before the wind picked up, rocketing up the leaderboard to finish as the clubhouse leaders. They ultimately finished in a tie for fifth place.
“We were able to probably catch six or seven holes this morning before the wind really picked up and started twisting around a bunch of directions,” Hirschman told The Coast News. “We birdied six out of the first seven, so we really got off to a hot start.
“He’s a lefty, I’m a righty, so there’s no pin that we can’t get at between the two of us.”
Hirschman played six seasons on the Korn Ferry Tour and made two PGA Tour starts. He was a three-time All-American and a member of the University of Oklahoma’s 2017 NCAA championship team.
Chin played on the PGA Tour in 2018-19 and was a first-team All-American at the University of California, Irvine. He lives in Temecula and said he had played Goat Hill many times before.
“This place does great showing what golf should be about,” Chin said. “It’s very fun to be around. It’s a great hang, a fun course. I wish there were more places like this around, but yeah, we love Goat Hill.”
