Local golfer shoots round of a lifetime

The golf ball looked like a softball to Costa Mesa resident Steve

Lafata.

And the Mesa Linda course at Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club

resembled a pitch-and-putt after awhile on Aug. 24.

Lafata engineered the round of a lifetime.

Ten birdies. One eagle from the back tees, which measure 5,538

yards.

An 11-under-par 59.

The 55-year-old, who carries a zero handicap, birdied the final

six holes,finding nearly every flagstick with pinpoint precision

during the recreational round.

Frank Frand, whom Lafata said lives near South Coast Plaza and

Frand’s son Sebastien, along with Frank Blansfield, witnessed the

feat.

Blansfield, one of 11 golfers who signed the scorecard, said

Lafata’s round was one “most people dream about.”

“It was almost an out-of-body experience,” said Lafata, who plays

three to four times a week and has won his age division in 18 amateur

tournaments in the last 2 1/2 years.

But even he couldn’t have predicted this round, which bested his

prior best, a 60, also on Mesa Linda. Lafata has also shot 64 at

Costa Mesa’s Los Lagos course.

“Everything was slow and relaxed,” Lafata said. “I made the shots

on 5 [a par 5] and then the flood gates opened. Every hole was like I

was on a pitch-and-putt course. I hit so many shots close to the pin

it was laughable.”

On the par-4 18th, Lafata’s 150-yard second shot with a 9-iron

two-hopped before glancing off the flagstick and settling within two

inches for a tap-in birdie.

On the 475-yard fifth, Lafata went driver-driver, with the second

shot stopping six inches from the hole, setting up an eagle putt that

dropped in the cup.

Lafata said he wasn’t really aware of how well his round was

going. His playing partners gave him reminders and asked where he

stood on the scorecard.

“They were getting more excited than I was,” Lafata, who lives

with wife Madeliene a few steps from Costa Mesa Golf & Country Club,

said. “I was like a pitcher with a no-hitter. I kept doing my own

thing.

“I was more excited for my first hole in one at Willowick [Golf

Course in Santa Ana].”

Eventually word escaped of Lafata’s round and a course marshal who

Lafata has seen for several years began following the group on the

back nine. Ten high school boys golfers followed the foursome for the

final seven holes and players in the groups both ahead of and in

front of the fateful foursome kept keen interest of Lafata’s

progress.

Blansfield said the gallery blossomed to as many as 40 to 50

spectators.

“I was telling the marshal not to bring anyone else out here,”

Lafata quipped.

Spectators came. One-hundred well-wishers greeted Lafata in the

bar following the round, where he rang up a hefty tab buying drinks.

“It cost me a fortune, $250,” Lafata said.

Lafata, semi-retired, owned two car restoration shops in Costa

Mesa. He does part-time consulting and appraising for consumers

interested in purchasing classic cars.

He usually plays once at Costa Mesa each week or will head to the

inland empire or Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast.

Lafata took up golf at age 40, when son Zachary, who attended

Newport Harbor, became interested.

Lafata said he could have shot even less if putts hadn’t lipped

out during the first four holes. But he will gladly take the 59, one

stroke off the course record Costa Mesa teaching pro and tournament

director Sean Collins carded in 2001.

“I’ll never play like that again.”