"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life.
You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots
– but you have to play the ball where it lies." - Bobby Jones
IN MEMORY OF RAY SANDOVAL
"THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD"
March 11, 1944 - April 23, 2014
Ray Sandoval Sr. was the founder of our club. After being both a member and board member of other golf clubs Ray felt there was a need for a club that catered to the "Senior" golfer. Ray had grown weary of playing tournaments on weekends when golf courses were the most crowded and the costs were the highest. So his first objective was to create a club that held its tournaments during the week when golf courses were less crowded and green fees were more affordable.
Second, was to make golf fresh and exciting to the members. In Ray's experience most Men's clubs just played their home course month in and month out with the same format at the same venue. Ray made it a point to have monthly tournaments scheduled at different courses all across Southern California. He also thought it would be fun for members if the formats were changed occasionally as well. Thus, introducing the members to new challenges from different venues as well as learning all the different formats and "bets" that would keep the club fun, the members interested, and the game of golf vibrant. Finally, Ray's real mission was to promote community through golf. He wanted a club where individuals could meet and play with new people as well as their friends. This goal of promoting golf while creating new friendships and strengthening old ones was what Ray Sr. felt golf was really about. He wanted a club that no matter where you played, who you played with or what type of format you were using it made the game of golf enjoyable and kept you coming back for more. Ray was a self-taught golfer who loved golf for the challenge to the individual, as well as, the friendly competition between golfers. He loved placing a friendly wager, telling a good joke and generally just promoting the game. Ray laid the groundwork for our club and if not for his foresight, passion and hard work the SSBGC would not be nor continue to be as successful as it is today. Every October we honor his memory with the annual three day Ray Sandoval Sr. Memorial Tournament in Solvang, CA.
JIM DETOSKEY
November 3, 1942 - May 24, 2016
Jim Detoskey was a member of the Senior South Bay Golf Club since 2003. Jim served as the tournament director for the club and then chairman after Ray Sandoval passed away.
To say Jim looked out for the best interest of the club would be an understatement. As tournament director Jim was tenacious, always negotiating the best possible deal. When Ray Sr. passed Jim took the reins as chairman of the club and if not for his leadership the club would never have continued to remain as strong as it did. Jim tirelessly promoted the club and through his hard work, membership expanded by leaps and bounds. Under his leadership the club grew to the largest it had ever been, over 65 members strong. Single-handedly he was the main person responsible for the high attendance at our tournaments. He would diligently call members to promote the club tournaments and in essence, will our members to come out and play. Jim also was responsible for setting up our May tournament at the Sycuan Casino and Golf resort. Unfortunately he passed before he had the chance to play in it. Since then we renamed the May getaway tournament in his honor. Jim was the standard of what a good friend and great club member is, he will be sorely missed.
Ben Nickleberry
November 10, 1935 - June 13, 2020
A toast to our friend Ben
Here is to your dedication to the endless pursuit of the perfect game.
Here is to your fond memories of the challenges of the greens and the trials of its traps.
And now the last putt has dropped into the cup of life and the light of the day has faded.
Lord, it is now on your fairways of glory that the game will continue to be played for Ben.
May his soul Rest In Peace.
"God, What is my fascination with this game?
Is it the outdoors – the green fairways, the blue skies, the lakes and trees, the feel of the breeze across my face?
Is it the friends with whom I play – their companionship, their encouragement, the conversation between holes, the silence as we wait our turn?
Is it the game – the balance between grace and skill and power, the striving for perfection, the loft of the ball, the precision of the putt?
Or is it all of these, and in these, meditations about all of life – harmony, friendship, balance, and – every once in awhile – the perfect shot and a glorious Amen."
Larry Boone
October 20, 1939 -
August 2020
Life is like a round of golf,
with many a turn and twist.
But the game is much too sweet and short,
to curse the shots you missed.
Dear friend, may your soul rest in peace.
Phillip Gerrity
January 7, 1948 - March 2021
Mike Adrid
December 26, 1946 - August 3, 2021
To our dear friend Mike.
Playing golf will never be the same without you.
Your laugh, your stories, your sayings,
and most of all your friendship will be missed.
For all the times you swung a club,
for the many friends you made and the game you loved.
For the patience you found in sand and rough,
and for the excitement you had for making the shots that were tough.
For success wasn't measured in holes in one,
but the times we shared when having fun.
God Bless you Mike.
"Sweet Jesus Palomino", you will be missed.
May your soul rest in peace.
Wayne Palmer
May 7, 1956 - July 2024
To our dear friend Wayne,
You played the game with a thirst to always learn. You always had a calmness and gentle demeanor about you. When you laughed your smile it up the room. May your soul rest in peace and may you enjoy the eternal clubhouse of the Lord.
Life is like a round of golf, with many twists and turns
But the game is much too sweet and short, to curse the shots you’ve missed
Sometimes you’ll hit it straight and far, sometimes the puts run true
But each round has its wayward shots, and troubles to play through
So always swing with heart and courage, no matter what the lie
And never let the hazards destroy the joy inside
And keep a song within your heart, give thanks that you can play
For the round is far too short and sweet, to let it slip away.
So, if this is the last time We speak, then may I say,
Life with you was good, my friend, And I’ll see you on the 19th one day.
James Buchanan
January 10, 1956 - July 15, 2025
To one of our best:
James,
Your hearty laugh and your sense of humor will be missed. I will miss that I could always count on you to be at the tournaments. You made it your mission to always play. You were a true friend and an irreplacable member of the club. I will miss the jokes you sent.
May your drives be long, your putts be true, and may you find eternal fairways. Though you are gone, your spirit remains with us always. The ultimate tee time awaits you in paradise. Rest in peace, dear friend
Tom Eggleston
August 23, 1935 - September 22, 2025
You’ve taken your final walk today,
Down fairways bright, beyond our play.
No more the rough, no more the sand,
Just endless greens in peaceful land.
Your tee shots soared, your putts held true,
But what we’ll miss the most is you—
Your steady smile, your quiet cheer,
A friend we treasured year to year.
Your earthly round has reached its end,
But somewhere now, you swing again.
May every hole be par or better,
And every breeze be gentle weather.
Rest in peace our dear friend.
Your memory will forever be with us
George Gipe
September 14, 1943 - November 14, 2025
Today we say goodbye to a friend who didn’t say much—
but somehow always said the funniest thing in the room.
He was the quiet one in our group, until he dropped a one-liner that made us all buckle over our carts.
He loved golf, he loved being with the guys, and he loved the simple joy of a morning round—not for the score, but for the friendship that came with it.
He played the game the way he lived: steady, humble, and always ready with a grin especially after one of us sent a ball into a different ZIP code.
We’ll miss his smile, his timing, and the way he could turn a bad shot into a great laugh without saying a word.
He’s playing a new course now— perfect fairways, perfect greens,
and finally, no slow groups in front of him.
Rest easy, brother.
We’ll carry your memory with us on every tee box out there.