College golf returns to Cape Region (and golf responds to the Sept. 11 terror attacks)
September 28, 2001
Cape Region sports fans interested in seeing some very good golf should come to Kings Creek Country Club on Monday, October 1, for the second annual Rehoboth Beach Invitational college golf tournament.
Kings Creek hosted the inaugural event last fall, and it was a great success. The field of participating colleges is even larger this year, which should make Scott Allen feel proud. Allen is the GW golf coach, and his parents have a home in the community.
Iona College of New York will be back to defend their title from 2000. The Gaels won the last two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles, and played in the 2000 and 2001 NCAA Championships.
The Naval Academy is a first-year participant, and should provide some stiff competition, as back-to-back Patriot League Champions and NCAA participants.
The University of Delaware and Division III power Wesley College will be the local favorites.
Here’s the full field:
The George Washington University, Washington, DC
American University, Washington, DC
The University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Wesley College, Dover, DE
U.S. Military Academy (Army), West Point, NY
Colgate University, Hamilton, NY
Columbia University, New York, NY
Iona College, New Rochelle, NY
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
The University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Monmouth University, Monmouth, NJ
Mount St. Mary’s, Emmitsburg, MD
The U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA
Villanova University, Philadelphia, PA
Spectators are welcome and are encouraged to check in at the Kings Creek pro shop (227-8953) for pairing sheets, rosters, and other tournament information.
Several players and coaches last year commented on the golfing skills that Kings Creek demands on its narrow, 6600-yard, par 72 layout. It should be interesting to see how the players take advantage of the course knowledge they earned from the first year’s experience.
Golf responds to the September 11 terror attacks
The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon caused some effects that the terrorists surely never intended. As of this writing, for example, millions of Americans and others donated over $500 million relating to the September 11 jet-bombings.
The American golfing community is continuing to play both large and small roles in these fundraising efforts.
In the Cape Region, for example, several clubs such as The Rookery and Kings Creek donated free rounds of golf or merchandise for auctions. Local PGA pros such as Rehoboth Beach Country Club’s Ron Barrows also made personal donations to the national PGA of America fund drive. As his wife JoJo said, “We just felt so bad for everybody.”
On September 25, the PGA announced more than $1 million of contributions to national disaster relief efforts. These include $500,000 in donations from club pros such as Barrows, various PGA Sections, and an additional $520,000 on behalf of the U.S. Ryder Cup team.
The beneficiaries include the Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund, the September 11th fund of the United Way, and the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund.
PGA Member Jim Powers gives lessons at the Midway Par 3 & Driving Range. He’s announced that he will donate $10 from each lesson he gives from September 11, 2001 to September 11, 2002 to the American Red Cross. Powers can be reached at 226-1719, or by e-mail at jimpga1@aol.com.
Bret Marshall, the head professional at Bear Trap Dunes, said that his club is “in the planning stages” with Ocean City Golf Getaway on a fundraising effort for the cause. Look in future columns for more information on the results of these plans, when they are completed.
Deer Run Golf Club, of nearby Berlin, MD, is participating in a nationwide combined event tied to the weekend of October 19-21. Throughout the country, golf courses will contribute a portion of the greens fees earned that weekend. The leading sponsors are the Golf Course Superintendents Association, the National Golf Course Owners Association, the LPGA, and the PGA Tour. They expect to raise from $2 million to $4 million for the American Red Cross.
Not all the contributions have been monetary, however. On Friday, September 14, the staff and many members of Kings Creek Country Club gathered for a candlelight vigil at 7 p.m.
It must have been beautiful.