Two of the area’s biggest golf evens kick off this weekend, and both are open to all golfers for both viewing and participating.

It’s easy to participate in the Cypress Bayou Casino $1 Million Hole-in-One Shootout "» all you have to do is play your regular round on one of the designated dates , and you could earn a shot at a $1 million payoff.

Local golfers also have the opportunity to take part in UL’s Louisiana Classics tournament, and get on the course and tee it up with the collegiate players before they start the Ragin’ Cajuns’ premier home event.

Qualifying in the Hole-in-One Shootout begins Friday morning at Hebert Municipal and will eventually be held at every parish course, with qualifers taking aim at Le Triomphe’s 8th hole in the March 18 finals — which also happens to kick off the Chitimacha Louisiana Open.

The Louisiana Classics, meanwhile, has its pre-tournament College-Am event Sunday at Oakbourne, where locals and weekend players will pair up with the 15 collegiate units for a team event. The college players then have their 54 holes of championship play Monday and Tuesday.

And participants will also be helping with good causes. The Hole-in-One Shootout benefits the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), a non-profit animal rescue and adoption group dedicated to improving the lives of homeless dogs. The Louisiana Classics College-Am raises funds to help the Ragin’ Cajun golf team.

By the time it’s over, the Hole-in-One Shootout will be at Hebert on Friday, the Farm d’Allie on Saturday, Oakbourne on March 9, The Wetlands on March 10, Les Vieux Chenes on March 11 and Le Triomphe on March 16-17 prior to the March 18 $1 million finals. The Nationwide Tour’s $500,000 Louisiana Open begins on-course play the following day.

Qualifying is held on a par-three during regular play on those dates and sites. Players may make a $5 donation in what amounts to a day-long closest-to-the-hole event. The five closest shots each day advance to the $1 million finals.

On the Friday-Saturday of the final weekend, along with competition on a Le Triomphe par-three, a target green will be set up in front of Le Triomphe’s main gate just off Highway 90, and players may take as many shots as they wish at $1 per ball with the four closest shots each day advancing to the finals.

Players may also move directly to the finals without the rigors of qualifying with a $100 donation to ARF, and in a new feature this year golfers may qualify by hitting shots indoors — on the PGA Tour Simulator located at The Golf Connection retail store on Pinhook Road. Qualifying will be held there on Monday-Thursday, March 12-15, from 4-6 p.m. daily, and the five closest shots on the simulator during the week will also earn finals slots.

The ARF fundraiser is part of the Louisiana Open’s charity program, one that has put nearly $4 million into the coffers of charities and youth groups in the tournament’s 20-year history.

"The reason we’re here is to provide a vehicle for groups like this to raise funds," said Open executive director Danny Jones. "Our goal is to stage a quality tournament, but our purpose is to make a difference in the community."

The Louisiana Classics, meanwhile, has been around even longer, as the event heads into its 27th year as the only home tournament annually for the Ragin’ Cajun squad. Three of the nation’s top 30 teams and eight of the top 60 — including the host Cajuns — will be taking part.

"We only get one chance to play at home against a field like this," said UL coach Theo Sliman, whose team has been in the top 50 in the early spring and is currently ranked 54th. "This tournament’s very important to us getting into the postseason, and we’ve played well just about every year here "» our guys get excited about playing in the Classics.

The Cajuns finished third last year at 870 behind Illinois (854) and LSU (860), who are ranked 30th and 23rd respectively this week. The top-ranked team in the field, though, is 19th-ranked Kent State, which finished one notch behind UL in last year’s event. Others to watch include Memphis (39th), SMU (47th), Tulsa (49th) and North Carolina State (52nd).

"We’ve got as many legitimate top-50 teams as we’ve ever had here," Sliman said. "It’s a really good field, and we’re hoping that golf fans will come out and watch and support our program."

Lest anyone think this is strictly a team event, the last two NCAA national individual champions have played in the Louisiana Classics a couple of months before winning that title — Illinois’ Scott Langley in 2010 and LSU’s John Peterson last year.

UL seniors Philipp Fendt, who tied for fourth individually last year, and Andrew Noto, who won the prestigious David Toms Intercollegiate last year, will be making their final Classics outing and looking to match their NCAA Tournament individual berths from last year. This year, they’re hoping to have their teammates along with them in the postseason.

Last-minute entries into Sunday’s College-Am may still be available by calling Matt Smith at 233-8350 ext. 3222 or former UL coach Bob Bass at 654-6917. The Monday-Tuesday competition days are open to the public free of charge.

"Making the Turn" appears each Wednesday.

"BLACKJACK" MEMORIAL: The UL Gridiron Alumni Chapter’s annual Bill "Blackjack" Landry Memorial Scramble is Friday, March 30 at The Wetlands with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The tournament, held in honor of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ long-time equipment manage, is held annually on Friday of UL’s spring football weekend and raises funds for Gridiron Alumni donations of equipment, scholarships and other aid for the Cajun football team.
The four-person scramble has a $600 registration fee per team, and sponsorships are available from a $100 Red Zone Club to a $5,000 Touchdown Club sponsorship. Information and entry forms are available from Gridiron Alumni president Chris Gannon at (972) 571-8439 or at Chris.Gannon@frx.com.

Athletic Network Footnote: Click here and scroll down for information on the Blackjack brochure, link to UL Foundation website, Site Dedication link, and the Blackjack Golf Scramble.  Thank you for helping spread the word.
Peace, Ed Dugas