Off the Fringe
THE mention of Farrington winning the 1949 Interscholastic League of Honolulu golf title brought back a lot memories for Henry Uyeshiro. Isokane also remembers
Govs’ title teamBut Uyeshiro was not alone in his thoughts.
Harry Isokane, a teammate of Uyeshiro on the Governors' championship team, sent me a letter upon reading a column I wrote two months ago about the Govs.
"I clearly recalled that one-and-only 1949 undefeated golf season," Isokane said. "We had already upset the heavily favored defending and ruling Kaimuki golf team that previously dominated the interscholastic golf league. We had tough St. Louis left on our schedule and I was paired with the late Ted Makalena. I beat him, 1-up, on the very last hole (No. 18) at the Ala Wai Course by making a par, while Makalena scored a bogey 5."
Not too many people can say they beat Makalena in golf.
But Isokane did.
It was the start of a friendship that was renewed when Isokane caught up with Makalena at the Westchester Classic (now known as the Buick Classic) at the Westchester Country Club in Harrison, N.Y., where Makalena was playing with Jack Nicklaus.
Like Uyeshiro, golf has played an integral part of Isokane's life since he graduated from Farrington.
He was a member of the 1962 undefeated Cortland State University College (N.Y.) championship team and served as golf coach for Scarsdale High School in New York for 12 years.
Isokane retired in 1999, but not before he was named the New York Section I Golf Coach of the Year for the third time.
"I'll miss it," Isokane told Scarsdale Inquirer writer Todd Sliss.
Isokane and Uyeshiro were joined on the 1949 Farrington championship golf team by George Uyeshiro, Ben Timbreza, Tom Kaneshige, Frank Hatakenaka, Walter Fujii, Richard Matsuda, Patrick Kim and Stanley Takahashi.
Read between the lines: Here's your chance to help support the Hawaii Library Foundation in its cause for reading and literacy in Hawaii.
The eighth annual Marriott Links to Literacy golf tournament is set for Sept. 28 at the Ko Olina Golf Club with an 11:30 a.m. shotgun start.
Entry fee is $350 per golfer, or you can be a Bronze ($1,000 for a three-member team), Silver ($2,500 for two teams) or Corporate ($5,000 for three teams) sponsor.
Included in your entry fee are a lunch, souvenir gifts, door prizes, awards banquet, longest drives, and hole-in-one prizes to name a few.
There will also be a silent auction for hotel stays, dining opportunities and more.
For more information on the 18-hole, three-person scramble, call 837-8069.
Star-Bulletin assistant sports editor Randy Cadiente is a once-a-week hacker who carries a 15-handicap. He can be reached at 529-4785 or: rcadiente@starbulletin.com