Karl Saila belongs to a club with a growing membership.

Last weekend, Saila’s name was added to the list of golfers who unsuccessfully tried to dethrone Elmridge Golf Course men’s club champion Pete Stefanski.

Stefanski won his fifth straight and 11th club championship overall, beating Saila in the scheduled 36-hole final.

“He’s tough,” said Saila, who’s from Westerly. “He’s super consistent. I played almost as well as I can play. I held on for a while. He just wore me down.”

Saila rang up five birdies in the first 10 holes and he still was one hole down.

But he didn’t get discouraged. He felt good about his position.

He has previous club tournament experience with two championship appearances at Winnapaug Country Club in Westerly, winning one, before becoming a member at Elmridge. He reached the semifinals last year.

“I just had to keep it going,” Saila said.

A few mistakes cost Saila, who trailed by three holes after the first 18 holes. He regrouped at lunch and came out ready to cut into the deficit in the afternoon.

Then Stefanski birdied the first two holes. The match began to slip away from Saila, who trailed by five through 20 holes.

“I was putting very well in the morning, but in the afternoon I couldn’t make the birdie putts anymore,” Saila said. “They just weren’t falling.”

Eventually, Saila ran out of holes.

Stefanski, 64, finally closed out the victory on the 30th hole, defending his title two years after suffering a heart attack. He won the club championship by a comfortable 11-and-10 margin in 2020.

The two golfers are good friends and work together at Electric Boat. They’ve also played together in tournaments.

You won’t find Stefanski bragging about his accomplishments.

“He’s a great guy,” Saila said. “He’s very humble. He doesn’t brag. Everybody knows he’s very, very good. His work ethic is the reason why. He goes and hits golf balls sometimes before work and after work on the same day. He’s out there practicing all the time.”

Saila will prepare to try to challenge Stefanski again next summer.

When asked what it will take to knock off Stefanski, Saila said: “It’s going to be tough. I would have to play more consistently. That’s my goal for next year, is to get more consistent.”

By the way, Stefanski won yet another senior club championship as well earlier this summer.

So Saila has plenty of company in the club.

Short putts

Club champions will be crowned at Shennecossett Golf Course, Pequot Golf Club and Stonington Country Club on Sunday.

Here’s where things stand entering the weekend:

• At Shennecossett, defending champion Steve Chevalier, the top seed, will face No. 13 Jay Dempsey in one semifinal on Saturday and No. 2 Mike Rege will play No. 6 Jason Cerniglia in the other. The 36-hole final is Sunday at 8 a.m. The defending champion usually automatically earns the No. 2 seed but Chevalier relinquished that spot because he wanted to play in the qualifying tournament.

“Steve plays well,” said Tim Sisk, who lost in the opening round of match play to Chevalier. “He’s played well all year.”

In the first flight final on Saturday, Bill Ernst will challenge Tyler St. Louis. The final four in the second flight are Rich Strickley, Art Trammell, Carl Neville and Seth Panucci.

• Pequot is the only club in the area that has a stroke play format for its men’s club championship. Chris Trisciuzzi heads into second round play on Saturday with a three-shot lead after firing a 71 in the first round. Mitch Allen is second with a 74, with defending champion Jim Lathrop, Kory Khimas and Tom Allen all at 75.

Lathrop has won the title seven out of the last eight years. The third and final round is set for Sunday morning.

• Stonington Country Club’s Championship Day is Sunday. Jeanne Tingo is the defending women's champion and a four-time winner. Eric Briggs has won the last three men’s championships.

• Joe Eagle, Hamish McArthur and Tom Giannelli all recorded aces at Pequot this summer. Two came on the 12th hole and one on No. 7.

At Stonington, Celeste Burns had her first hole-in-one on July 26, burying her shot on the 130-yard, 16th hole.

• Last month, Seamus Sullivan won his second Norwich Golf Course junior club championship, firing a two-round total of 165 (80-85). Max Caron was the runner-up at 173 (88-85).

• Zorah Williams competed in the 52nd annual Borck Junior Tournament earlier this week at Silver Spring Country Club in Ridgefield. She lost her quarterfinal match in the to eventual finalist Jordan Levitt of Rockrimmon Country Club, 5-and-4.

• Thirty-one members of the Old Lyme Country Club Women’s Golf Association enjoyed a Hawaiian Day theme event that featured cart decorating, costume design and nine holes of golf on July 22. Cathy Burnett and Mardee Moore won the best cart decorations award while Helene Nichols and Kathy Shannehan took best costume design honors. Eileen Lawrence and Kathy Nadeau shared low net honors at 35 and Burnett had the fewest putts with 14.

• Dave Morrone won the first flight of the Elmridge senior club championship earlier this summer while Tom DeSantis was the second flight winner.

Upcoming events

• Justin Beal of Fox Hopyard, James Lawler and Dave Jones of Mohegan Sun Country Club, Andrew Cavasino of Great Neck Country Club, Bill Hermanson, Jeff Riley and Brian Zito of Black Hall and Josh Cameron of Norwich GC are in the field for the 34th Connecticut Mid-Amateur Championship, which tees off Monday and Tuesday at The Farms Country Club in Wallingford.

• Norwich GC will hold its Senior Invitational Tournament on Thursday, Aug. 12. The three flights will be set up by age groups (50-59, 60-69, 70 and above). The course also will host the CSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship on Aug. 19.

• Black Hall in Old Lyme begins its men’s club championship competition with first round action on Aug. 21. The third and final round is Saturday, Aug. 28.

• Madison Country Club will host the Connecticut Assistant PGA Championship on Aug. 30 as well as the Connecticut Senior PGA Championship on Aug. 30-31.

• The Connecticut Section PGA Pro-Veteran event will tee off at Mohegan Sun GC on Sept. 8.

• Please send submissions for this golf column to g.keefe@theday.com