The Cape Region lost another golfer this week, with the unfortunate passing of Tom Lewis in a car accident January 4.

Lewis was the former mayor of Henlopen Acres, a proud, decorated World War II paratrooper, and a longtime sports writer for the Wilmington, Delaware News-Journal.

In recent years, he could often be found at the weekly trivia night dinners at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club, where he and his wife Doris were members for many years.

My father was one of Lewis’s buddies. I wrote a column in 2001 about playing a round of golf with the two of them and Earl Linn, another member of their regular foursome.

I noticed that Lewis frequently drove off the white tees for surprisingly long yardage. His adventures in golf usually began with the second shot on each hole. He usually laughed his way around the course.

Here is what I observed at the time about Lewis and his golfing partners’ attitude toward golf:

They still believe in the possibility of improvement. They delight in the occasional well-placed chip or daring putt, no matter whose it is. They also enjoy the opportunity to tease and laugh with each other, and take the time to notice the scenery around them.

It’s not always how well you play, but how well you can enjoy the beauty all around you, and the company you keep as you play.

The example set by Tom Lewis is something that more golfers should try to emulate.

Allen makes Hall of Fame

W. Scott Allen has a few good reasons to celebrate the coming of the new year.

The director of men’s and women’s golf for the University of Pennsylvania Quakers married the love of his life, Angela, on January 2.

On January 23, Allen will be formally inducted into the George Washington University Athletic Hall of Fame, in ceremonies to be held on the Washington, D.C. campus.

Allen’s father Ron, a long-time member of Kings Creek Country Club, said simply, "It’s really great!"

GW credits Allen with 1,364 career head-to-head victories for the Colonials during his tenure at his alma mater, which ran from 1995 to 2008. As coach, he led the team to its first NCAA berth, in 2006, as well as 13 tournament victories and 41 top-three finishes. Allen also played for GW from 1990 to 1994, and lettered in golf for four years, serving as team captain for three seasons.

Allen, who is also the golf coach for the Penn men’s golf team, said, "It’s a great honor. When you’re involved with college golf, you sometimes feel like it’s not always noticed, compared to other sports."

The coach credited his players over the years at GW. "This award is more about the program than it is about me. We had some great kids playing for us, and they worked really hard to bring the program back from where it had once been."

"It really means a lot," he said.

Allen and his parents, Ron and Sue, were also instrumental in bringing college golf tournaments to the Cape Region. For several years the folks at Kings Creek Country Club have held at least one tournament annually, in conjunction with either GWU or Penn. There have also been multi-team college tournaments held at Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View, begun through Allen’s work.

In March, Bear Trap will host another college event, and Kings Creek will hold another Penn tournament on April 5.

Oakley starts new season

Pete Oakley, the Rookery’s Director of Golf, had a pretty good start to his 2010 season on the European Senior Tour. He finished ten strokes back of the winner in the Mauritius Commercial Bank Open, held December 11-13 at the Constance Belle Mare Plage.

Oakley’s four-over par performance in the three-day event earned him 1,771 Euros, a bit over $2,500.