Golf helps out UL engineering – Chip Shots – Todd Weber records 8th ace

Golf helps out UL engineering – Chip Shots – Todd Weber records 8th ace

January 12, 2011 Daily Advertiser Dan McDonald

Jimmy McCartney and the folks that stage the Ronnie Gaspard Memorial Golf Tournament are justifiably proud of what the event has done for the UL Petroleum Engineering Department.

In two years, the Gaspard tournament has funded the addition of a building, upgraded several study rooms, added storage space and helped increase computer capacity from 12 to 40 terminals. In all, the tournament has pumped more than $120,000 into the UL program "» and all because McCartney and a legion of golf supporters wanted to honor their friend.

"Ronnie was a man of firm beliefs," McCartney said. "He was a hard-working guy who had high values and high expectations, and he loved the petroleum engineering program here. We had to keep going what he started."Gaspard passed away four years ago from complications following heart surgery, leaving a major hole in the local golf community. But the Gaspard Memorial, in a way, helps make up for that loss, and McCartney said it helps him and many others remember."There are 290 students in the Petroleum Engineering Department, and Ronnie spent a lot of his time helping those kids there," McCartney said. "What we’re doing is helping them have better equipment and a cleaner place to study and learn. The people at UL are really excited about what we’re doing."The UL program was part of a presentation of tournament proceeds Tuesday at the Petroleum Club, an event which also served as an unofficial launch of this year’s event. The third annual tournament is scheduled for a noon shotgun start on April 18 at Le Triomphe, and entries and sponsorships for the four-player scramble are now available. A maximum 36 teams will be accepted, and the tournament has sold out each of the last two years so organizers are encouraging teams to enter as soon as possible.

Entry fee is $1,000 per team, and sponsorships are available from $1,000 to $10,000. Three sponsors — Nabors Offshore Drilling, Timco Services and USSL — have already stepped forward at the highest level.

"The sponsorships have made a huge difference," McCartney said. "All you have to do is look around and see the building and the classrooms. We’ve completed a lot of work, but we still have a lot to do. We’ve got one more big project and there are a lot of other upgrades we need to do."

One of this year’s upgrades was the posting of plaques in the UL department in honor of alumni, friends and a former professor — Francis W. Broussard, Dr. Christian U. Okoye, Sr., Phillip T. Lalande and Wesley "Benny" Manuel along with Gaspard. A special plaque also honors the 11 lives lost in the Transocean Deepwater Horizon blowout last April 20 — ironically, one day after last year’s tournament.Lunch and a post-tournament banquet including a silent auction are also included. More information on the event and entry forms are available from McCartney at 298-7070.

CHIP SHOTS

CITY FEES: A new fee structure for Lafayette’s three municipal courses went into effect Jan. 1, including increases both for daily usage and for annual memberships.Daily-use fees did not increase at Les Vieux Chenes, with those having gone into effect last year, but did increase at Hebert Municipal since its closure for renovation last January. Green fees at LVC and Hebert are $20, $10 for juniors and seniors and $15 for twilight players, increasing from $16, $8 and $12 from the rates two years ago.Daily fees at The Wetlands are now $33 weekdays and $38 weekends, with a $27 fee for juniors, seniors and twilight players all seven days, an increase from the $30, $35 and $25 rates imposed two years ago.Cart rental at all three courses is now $16 for half a cart for 18 holes, an increase from $15. All daily fees are inclusive of taxes.

Annual memberships also increased, but remain an excellent deal for players even if they only play once a week or even more infrequently. An annual pass that covers Hebert and LVC is $650, increasing from $540 but still only $12.50 per week for unlimited play at both courses. Junior and senior annual passes are $450 ($8.65 per week for unlimited play at both), family passes are $700 and senior family passes are $650.

The Wetlands’ annual pass increased from $1,200 to $1,320 ($25.38 per week) for unlimited play, with junior and senior passes now $800 ($15.38 per week), family passes now $1,600 and senior family passes now $900.

A three-course pass, offering unlimited play at all three municipal courses, is $1,720 ($33.08 per week) with a $1,125 rate ($21.63 per week) for a senior three-course pass. A family three-course pass is $1,850.Parks and Recreation director Gerald Boudreaux said that this year’s fee increase is the final of a phased-in series to help cover increased costs. The city and the recreation department have put over $12 million into construction and improvements into the three courses over the past decade — nearly $10 million for all aspects of The Wetlands from start to finish. The city budgets just over $3 million annually for operation of the three courses.

"Golfers in our area benefit from having all of these options," Boudreaux said. "We have tried to be very cognizant of their needs and desires, and we think we are offering a very good package to our golfers. It’s not just like we have built something and let it sit there "» we have tried to make improvements, and we still have other work planned to make our courses even better."AT CAJUN PINE: The Cajun Pine course in Branch has memberships available for 2011 and has set its prices for the year. Annual memberships are $260 each, but purchase of two new memberships reduces that price to $200. In addition, a new member joining along with a current member also gets the $200 rate.Green fees at Cajun Pine for 2011 are $10, and green fees with carts are $15 on weekdays and $20 on weekends. Players may also use the Louisiana Golf Association’s computer handicap system at the course for a $19 annual fee.

ON TOUR: There was a local connection in the playoff that determined the winner in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Maui last weekend. Jonathan Byrd beat Robert Garrigus on the second extra hole and winning the $1.2 million prize.

Garrigus was on his way to an easy win in the 2004 Chitimacha Louisiana Open, taking the biggest 54-hole lead in the tournament’s 19-year history, before struggling to a 7-over 78 in the final round and eventually finishing tied for fifth.

Baton Rouge’s Heath Slocum was the only state player in the Hyundai, finishing tied for 28th at six-under 286. The Tour stages its first full-field event of the season Thursday-Sunday at the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. In addition to Slocum, Acadian-by-marriage Chris Riley is also in the field, as are 2010 Louisiana Open winner Fabian Gomez and former Open winners Paul Stankowski, Jimmy Walker and Johnson Wagner.

ACES: Still catching up on the ones we have. More will be listed next week, but if anyone’s had a hole-in-one in the past few months and it hasn’t been listed here, please e-mail danmcdonald@cox.net or FAX to (337) 857-8763.# Brian McCarley of Carencro, an eight-handicapper who has been playing for 25 years, used Titleist Pro V1 ball and hit a knock-down 8-iron past the hole, and it spun back in for an ace at the 130-yard fourth hole at The Wetlands on Dec. 11. McCarley was playing with Terry Darby, Chris Cain and Mark Toloso.#Charles "Cooney" Comeaux of Morgan City had his first ace at age 66 on Oct. 8, using an 8-iron and a Titleist ProV1 ball to hole out on the 123-yard fourth hole at The Wetlands. Comeaux was playing The Wetlands for only the third time as a regular at Atchafalaya. He was playing with Louis Domingue and Ronnie Ratcliff.# Dean Simar of Iota had his first career ace on Aug. 27, using a 6-iron and an Intech Beta ball to hole out on the 162-yard seventh hole at Farm d’Allie. Simar, whose shot landed short and rolled in, has been playing for six years and was playing with Gus Menard, Kevin Dugas and JasonBourque.

# Five-time Lafayette city champion Todd Weber of Scott posted the eighth ace of his career on Sept. 25, using a 6-iron and a Titleist ball to hole out on the 166-yard fourth hole at The Wetlands. A zero handicapper, Weber was playing with Matthew Weber, Chi Chi Lemaire and Bob Chauvin.

# Rickie McClinton of Pierre Part, a 14-handicapper playing for 20 years, flew in an ace on Oct. 8 when he used a pitching wedge and a Titleist Pro V1 ball to hole out on the 128-yard fourth hole at The Wetlands. McClinton was playing with Rob Sexton and Joseph Bergeron.

# Sammy Pyle of Lafayette used a Ping 8-iron and a Top Flite ball to ace the 130-yard fourth hole at The Wetlands on May 13. A nine-handicapper playing for 38 years, Pule was playing with Don Guidry, Michael Marx and Jeff Breaux.

# Brian Hotard of Lafayette had his first career ace on July 15, using an Adams 6-iron and a Srixon Tri-Speed ball to hole out on the 170-yard seventh hole at Farm d’Allie. Hotard, who has been playing for 14 years, was playing with Ted Bauer.# Danny Doucet of Opelousas had his first career hole-in-one on July 24, acing the 204-yard 17th hole at Farm d’Allie with a Cobra 5-wood and a Titleist Pro V1 ball. An eight-handicapper, Doucet was playing with Steve Spain.

"Making the Turn" appears each Wednesday. Clubs, courses and individuals with information about local golf events may e-mail Dan McDonald, editorial director at Golfballs.com, at danmcdonald@cox.net, FAX to (337) 857-8763 or call (337) 857-8754. Listen to the "Making the Turn" radio show each Wednesday from 8-9 a.m. on ESPN SportsRadio 1420.