ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9607010127
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
It's where every golfer wants to go. Few, however, ever find the place.
It's called the ``zone.''
``I've heard players talk about that before,'' Roanoker Rodney Naff said. ``I never expected to go there. It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal. I'm sure I'll never go back.''
At least he went once.
For 31/2 hours on June 20, Naff took a short but effective tour of the ``zone,'' firing an incredible 10-under-par 61 at Blue Hills.
Naff's round not only broke the Blue Hills blue-tees' mark of 62 - held by longtime host professional Billy King (twice) and Mike Stinnette - but it's also believed to be the lowest round on record at any Roanoke club.
``There have been some 62s shot in Roanoke,'' said King, ``but I've never heard of any 61s.
``It's a heck of a round. I think the holes must be getting bigger.''
Naff, a scratch-handicapper and reigning Blue Hills club champion, bagged 11 birdies, including eight on the front side en route to a 7-under 28.
The 40-year-old Roanoke car wholesaler knocked in a 5-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for the record.
``Not to be griping, I really could have shot 58 with some luck,'' said Naff, who emerged as a threat on the local scene when he won the 1993 Valley Amateur and 1994 Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame titles.
``I bogeyed No.4 when I had a 20-footer hit the hole and bounce out. I had a chip lip out for birdie at 10. I didn't birdie the par-5 13th. At 14, my chip for eagle hit the pin and didn't fall.
``While I had some luck, I had some bad luck, too. I'm not complaining, though. Sixty-one is something else. I'd never thought I could do that. I had only 21 putts, if you can believe that.''
Naff's previous career low was a 63, also at Blue Hills, in the first round of qualifying for the 1995 Valley Amateur.
While Naff's round wasn't recorded under competitive tournament conditions, it was hardly your Sunday afternoon rake-a-thon of putts between the boys of the office.
Playing partner Bill Jennings confirmed that Naff holed out on every hole. The foursome playing ahead, which, shall we say, had more than a casual interest in Naff's score, also attested the 61.
``Somebody told me when I was 8-under through 12 if I could get two more birdies it'd be a course record,'' Naff said. ``I started getting nervous then. But somehow I did it and got it to the house.''
And how was the trip?
``It was fun, a lot of fun,'' Naff said.
Naff's stay in the ``zone'' was short-lived, however.
Minutes after finishing his 61, Naff was back on the first tee. He shot 74.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 linesby CNB