Golf: Chip Shots (2009 Bill Bass Alumni Open Dates Announced)

Dan McDonald • danmcdonald@cox.net • February 19, 2009

BIG HONORS

Two members of the Lafayette golf family won top awards Sunday at the PGA Gulf States Section’s annual chapter awards held at the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans.

Cliff Wagner, head pro at Oakbourne Country Club, was honored as Professional of the Year in the Louisiana chapter. The state pros also honored long-time local golf supporter Dr. John Hendry with the prestigious Barbato-Thomas Award for service to the game and to the PGA.

The award ceremony was held in conjunction with the annual Mackel Cup matches held in New Orleans over the weekend.

Wagner, the outgoing president of the Louisiana chapter who won the Barbato-Thomas Award last year, was honored with the state chapter’s top all-around award, one given for promotion of the pro’s home course and the PGA among other prerequisites. It is voted upon by chapter members.

"It’s something that’s very humbling," Wagner said. "To be in a group with some of the legends of the past, the Luca Barbatos and Frank Mackels of the world, it’s very flattering, especially since it’s nominated and voted on by your peers.

"This is not an award just for me, it reflects the people and staff around me and I am very blessed to have a great team and great members."

Hendry, the long-time chairman of the Chitimacha Louisiana Open and currently president of the Louisiana Golf Foundation, was presented with the award named after late PGA pros Henry Thomas and Mike Barbato. It is given to a state resident who has made significant contributions to golf through service and support of the game.

"Dr. Hendry was nominated for his involvement in helping promote the game in Louisiana," Wagner said. "With the Open and the Acadiana Cup and all his work supporting junior golf, he has been a friend of the PGA for a very long time. It’s a very deserving honor."

CUP RUNNETH OVER

The Louisiana PGA squad, one captained by Les Vieux Chenes pro Todd Robertson and including Le Triomphe pros David Church and Matt Sonnier, had a runaway win Monday and Tuesday and claimed the 2009 Mackel Cup in its annual battle with its Mississippi counterparts.

The Ryder Cup-style matches, held at Metairie Country Club and English Turn on Sunday and Monday, turned into a Pelican State romp with the 12-player Louisiana squad taking a 36 1¼2-17 1¼2 win. The state team held a 12-6 lead after Sunday’s four-ball matches and added to that edge with a 24 1¼2-11 1¼2 margin in Monday’s individual matches, gaining revenge for a loss to the Mississippi team last year.

"I’m happy to bring the cup back home," Robertson said. "The two days of competition were filled with great shots. I actually saw a 100-yard shot holed for an eagle on one par 5, followed by a 95-yard shot that hit the flagstick on the same hole. The quality of play was outstanding."

Matches awarded one point for each nine-hole score and a third point for the overall score. Church, director of golf at Le Triomphe, teamed with St. Francisville’s Phil Schmitt to take three points in the four-ball and then halved both sides of his singles match. Sonnier, Le Triomphe’s head professional, took two points in four-ball with teammate David Meyer of Alexandria and one-half point in his singles match.

The event is named for the late Frank Mackel, known as the "godfather of golf" in New Orleans.

LOUISIANA INVITATIONAL

Dates have now been locked in for the inaugural Louisiana Invitational Pro-Am, the hurricane-delayed signature event of the newly-formed Louisiana Golf Foundation. The tournament, one expected to evolve into the premier event for the state’s teaching and club pros, is scheduled for Oct. 5-7 at Tamahka Trails at Marksville’s Paragon Casino.

The tournament, postponed from last October after the ravages of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, will feature the state’s largest purse for an event aimed at state pros and amateurs. A maximum field of 40 state pros will compete for approximately $24,000 in prizes, while the amateur field will contend for $21,500 in gift certificates in both team and individual competition.

Details on the tournament will soon be available through all Louisiana golf clubs and courses, but LGF president Dr. John Hendry and secretary/treasurer Buddy Guillory said it was important to make the date public early so that players may plan around that weekend. Early information is available from Guillory at 277-4838.

ALSO PLAN ON: A tentative date has been set for the annual Bill Bass Alumni Open Tournament, held on the Friday of UL’s Homecoming celebration. With the Ragin’ Cajuns expected to hold Homecoming on Oct. 24 against Florida Atlantic (subject to schedule changes for television by the Sun Belt Conference), the Bill Bass Open is set for Friday, Oct. 23, at the renovated Les Vieux Chenes course.

The tournament is one of the highlight activities of Homecoming, with many former Cajun athletes joining current fans and supporters for a four-man scramble. More details on the event will be forthcoming after March 1 when UL’s 2009 football schedule becomes official.

"We’re planning on boosting this to a major event," said Bob Bass, recently-retired UL golf coach and son of the former long-time Cajun coach and alumni director. "We want to make this tournament ‘the’ place for former athletes to gather to get Homecoming started."

SPEAKING OF VIEUX CHENES: Officials from Lafayette Parks and Recreation and the Les Vieux Chenes staff will meet with Wadsworth Golf Construction Co. representatives today to iron out details on the course’s upcoming renovation.

The course is expected to close before the end of February, and the reconstruction of the greens and adjacent areas, laser leveling and expansion of tee boxes and reworking of cart paths is scheduled to begin almost immediately. City and course staff also plan major sprucing up of all other course facilities during the anticipated six-month closing.

Target date for reopening of the facility is Labor Day weekend, depending on construction, growing time and weather.

AND MORE VIEUX CHENES: Paul Patin, Walter Ward, Harold Bernard and Webber Borrell teamed to shoot a nine-under 63 and win the Vieux Chenes Senior Men’s Golf Association monthly tournament on Feb. 12. Next outing for the group is tentative because of the upcoming closing, but information on the organization is available at the club at 837-1159.

ARROWHEAD INFO: Lafayette’s Anna Heim won her age division and Arnaudville product and Teurlings Catholic senior Kelsey Angelle tied for fourth in the boys overall division at Arrowhead Junior Golf’s Beaver Creek Classic in Zachary last weekend.

Heim shot 79-72-151, even par in the final round, to win the girls 15-19 division and was second overall to Mandeville’s Elise Bradley (75-70-145) in the girls division.

Angelle shot 72-74-146 to tie with Pineville’s Chuck Spears for fourth place. Jordan Karam of Lake Charles won the boys overall title with a 69-73-142 score.

Other area finishers included Lafayette’s Austin Richard in 14th place (78-78-156), Logan Lajack of Opelousas in 16th (76-81-157) and Lafayette’s Brady Sturm in 20th (80-82-162) in boys 15-19.

Next stop for the Arrowhead Tour is March 14-15 at Copper Mill in Zachary. Information is available at (850) 650-6331.

CRAWFISH LADIES: Acadian Hills has announced plans for its annual Ladies Golf Association Crawfish Tournament, a two-lady scramble scheduled Wednesday, April 1. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 9 a.m., and practice rounds are available on Tuesday, March 31.

Entry fee is $65 per player including continental breakfast and crawfish etouffe lunch, and entries are due March 11. Prizes include low gross and two low net for each flight, long drive and closest to the hole. Information is available from the pro shop (232-1979), from LGA president Cheryl Neu (981-1285) or Laura LeBlanc (332-5305).

LAST CHANCE: Only a couple of weeks remain to take advantage of "winter rates" at several areas courses, most of which include combined fee-and-cart specials. Among the deals:

# Abbeville Country Club has a $25 cart and green fee rate Monday-Thursday and a $35 rate Friday-Sunday through March 1. Information at 893-5203.

# Acadian Hills has a green fee, cart and range ball package for $30 Tuesday-Thursday through Feb. 28, valid for up to four people. Information at 232-1979.

# The Farm d’Allie has a green fee, cart and tax rate of $30 on Thursdays through March 5. Information at 886-2227.

#Spanish Trail has a guest rate of $25 for green fee and cart Monday-Friday with members, in advance of its March-April membership drive. Information at 364-2263.

ACES: Former UL golfer John Wise, now on the staff at Oakbourne, recorded a hole-in-one on Feb. 8. Wise used a 6-iron and a Titleist Pro-V Ix ball to ace the formidable 208-yard 13th hole at Bayou Bend in Crowley, playing with Will Prather, Kevin Cormier and Jeff Duhon.

Jimmy McCartney recorded his second ace of the year on Feb. 6, holing out on the 157-yard 15th hole at Oakbourne with a 7-iron and a Taylor Made ball. McCartney was playing in a group with Donovan Joseph, Steve Roussel and Paul Choate.

Wayne Delcambre of Broussard used a 9-iron and a Top-Flite ball to ace the 134-yard 13th hole at The Wetlands on Dec. 31. It was the second career hole-in-one for the 63-year-old Delcambre, who was playing with Blaine Rider and Todd Delcambre.