The 19th hole is a popular stop for golfers.

It's a great place to share a few laughs as well as food and drink.

Two of my friends probably spend more time at the 19th hole than they take to complete their round.

A golf course wouldn't be the same without that social option.

"It's pretty integral for a full 18 hole course to have a place where you can unwind with your buddies after the round, especially on-site," said Matt Spindler-Virgin, a member at Shennecossett Golf Course and frequent visitor to the course's Par 4 Restaurant in Groton.

Shennecossett members and course employees were extremely relieved and happy to hear the Par 4 Restaurant will remain open after the Groton Town Council voted Tuesday to extend the lease.

The Par 4 Restaurant was in jeopardy of closing on July 1.

One ecstatic restaurant employee came into the pro shop on Wednesday and high-fived Tim Sisk who works behind the counter.

"There were sleepless nights in the last two weeks," Shennecossett pro Todd Goodhue said.

Goodhue places a great deal of value on having a 19th Hole at Shennecossett, adding there's a partnership between any golf course and the food and beverage operation.

"It's tremendously importantly," Goodhue said. "There are certainly those (golfers) that walk off the 18th green and walk to their car and put their clubs away and drive off. But I think that's maybe only about 20 percent of the golfing public.

"There's a thing called the 19th hole for a reason, because it's pervasive in golf and it always has been. People finish a round and like to go and kibitz about the round, to have an adult beverage or just a soda and a sandwich and enjoy the after-round."

Spindler-Virgin, a Groton resident, was spotted walking out of the Par 4 Restaurant on Wednesday. He eats at the popular gathering spot at least twice a week during golf season. He added that he's never had a bad meal or a bad time there.

The Par 4 Restaurant is Groton's version of Cheers.

"It would be a big hole in the experience if it wasn't here," Spindler-Virgin said. "It would takeaway from what golf at Shennecossett means. The whole social aspect of it, it's a huge part. I know more and more people each year that I'm a member here and most of it is through those doors as much as it is out on the course. ... That's one of my favorite sports, for sure."

Goodhue believes the course dodged a bullet with the lease extension.

The loss of the restaurant would have negatively impacted the golf operation in several ways, according to Goodhue. It might have taken until early next spring for the restaurant to re-open, leaving employees out of a job.

Goodhue believes that the majority of the 15 charity tournaments scheduled for Shennecossett after July 1 might have moved elsewhere. Bookings for next year would have been affected, too.

"If we were to have lost them July 1, then we would have seen a tremendous impact on our bottom line," Goodhue said. "In my estimation, it would have been $100,000 taking a look at the year's revenue. That would have been catastrophic, because it's not like you can have somebody just pick it up and move in there."

"... So we dodged a bullet."

Hosting the Connecticut Senior Open this summer also would have been in jeopardy, Goodhue said. The two-day tournament will come to Shennecossett for the 20th straight time on July 17-18.

About a week ago, Goodhue contacted Connecticut Section PGA executive director Tom Hantke about the possibility of the restaurant closing.

Hantke's response: "That's terrible."

Now it will be business as usual when the Connecticut Senior Open visits.

"There was a relief there," Goodhue said. "There wouldn't have been any way to run that event without having a restaurant."

No worries anymore.

The Par 4 Restaurant will remain open. Golfers will still be able to "play" the 19th Hole.

"Glad that it's over with," Goodhue said.

Short putts

• Chris DeLucia of Norwich Golf Course remains alive in the 115th Connecticut Amateur Championship being held at Tashua Knolls Golf Course in Trumbull. As the No. 9 seed, he won twice in match play on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals. He'll face No. 16 Blake Kelley of Manchester Country Club on Thursday morning, with the winner playing in the semifinals in the afternoon.

In the round of 32, DeLucia defeated No. 24 Boynton Finn of Great River Golf Club, 2 and 1. He never trailed but the match was all square through 14 holes. He won No. 15 and scored a birdie on No. 17 to close it out.

DeLucia knocked off No. 8 Max Theodorakis of Ridgewood Country Club, 3 and 2, in the round of 16. He took the lead for good with a birdie on the fifth hole and led by as many as three.

In other results, No. 26 Rob Neaton of Black Hall Club lost his round of 32 match to No. 7 Mike Kennedy of Mill River Country Club, 2 and 1. Neaton held a one-hole lead through five but trailed by two heading to the back nine and never recovered.

• Noah Straub, a recent Norwich Free Academy graduate, is playing the junior golf circuit this summer. He tied for fourth at the Glastonbury Hills Junior Open on Wednesday, firing a 7-over 79.

• Mike Rege won the gross division of the recently-completed Shennecossett President's Cup and Tim Donnel was the net winner.

• Lynn Valentine of East Lyme competed in the Hartford Women's Open last weekend at Goodwin and Keney Park golf courses. She tied for 11th at 8-over 148 (71-77).

• For the second straight year, a local duo won the Connecticut Section PGA Pro-Assistant Championship, which was held late last month at Madison Country Club. Lake of Isles Director of Golf Jantzen Vargas and assistant pro James Jones combined to shoot a 4-under 66. Vargas clinched the victory by chipping in for a birdie on the fourth extra hole of a sudden death playoff.

The Black Hall Club duo of pro Andrew Campbell and assistant Adam Rainaud captured the 2016 title on their home course.

• The Pequot Golf Club President's Cup is underway. Tom Bell, Bruce Rebello, John Miner, Bill Johnson, Joe Pratt Jr., Michael Dunphy, Pete Smyth and Chris Trisciuzzi reached the quarterfinals.

• Aces are wild: Kim Petchark recorded her hole-in-one on the 12th hole at Shennecossett on June 11. She used a seven wood.

At Stonington Country Club, Pat Neal accomplished the feat on Wednesday with a five wood on the 120-yard, 16th hole. Bonnie Battiston, Julie Doering and Alicia Settle were witnesses.

Upcoming events

• Norwich Golf Course will host its Member-Guest tournament on Sunday. The $100 entry fee per team includes a round of golf, cart, food and prizes.

• The Elmridge Golf Course men's club Member-Guest four ball tournament is set for July 8-9. It is a 36-hole event that begins with a shotgun start at noon. Cost is $190 per team and carts are free. Contact the pro shop for more information.

• Save the date: The Norwich Invitational is set for July 14-16.

• Please email any golf tournament results, holes-in-one, or interesting news to g.keefe@theday.com