On every third Wednesday of each month, Ridgemark Golf Club and Resort hosts a popular Bingo event in its Diablo Dining Room. From newbies to people who have been attending this event for several years, the attraction is the same for everyone: camaraderie, good food and, of course, a chance to win money.
Robert Bettencourt, a Hollister resident for the last 40 years, has been playing Bingo at Ridgemark for five years. The 76-year-old Bettencourt plays at the same table with the same group of friends every week.
“We enjoy the people we play with,” said Bettencourt, who has the same pre-game strategy every week. “We mark our cards to make it easier to play the game.”
Traditional Bingo games include lucky number seven, diamond, four corners, arrow, goal post, pyramid and blackout. All of those games and additional ones are played at Ridgemark’s monthly event.
Jerry Lundy and Lynda Lundy were making their first appearance for the Sept. 21 event, as the married couple of 20 years are new residents in Ridgemark. Having previously lived in Brentwood, the Lundy’s were notified of the event via email and decided to give Bingo a try.
“So far, so good,” Jerry Lundy said. “Ridgemark is a very nice place to live. You’ve got golfing, great neighbors, great weather. This looked fun, and it’s a good place to make new friends and get to know people in the Ridgemark community.”
Katie Pavao, who is the catering director at Ridgemark, and Chad Jackson, who is the Food and Beverage director at Sierra Golf Management, both said the event is popular because from what they understand it’s the only one of its kind iin the area. One of the biggest draws of Bingo, of course, is the potential to win a decent pot without having to break the bank account.
Dinner is $20—it includes a raffle ticket, food and a complimentary house drink—and a Bingo game pack of 10 games costs $10. All in all, a pretty good deal.
“In the blackout game, the pot builds each month,” Bettencourt said. “The biggest pot I’ve seen someone win is $1,500. I’ve won $120 for a game. … People have a good time here.”
