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What Gives: Shanking it for the kids
By J. David Barron, dbarron@starlocalnews.com
When it comes to golf, I need a ball with a beeper.
So I did what any self-respecting, win-at-any-cost grafter would do: I recruited me some ringers. Then promptly hoodwinked the boss into paying for it. (I had to work on a Saturday, I explained.) My part, anyway, of the entry fee for the 8th Annual Allen Open played Saturday at Twin Creeks Golf Club in toney West Allen.
Sweet time.
The competition was stout. So much so, it took a phenomenal score of 17-under to win the thing among the 17 teams entered - which was the largest field ever for the tourney, sez event coordinator Carl Cater. Thanks to the invaluable help of the Allen American with its power of the press, of course. We got the word out good. And it worked! Banked over $4,000 for the Foundation for Allen Schools; a scholarship program for area children given in the name of the Allen ISD superintendent. That happens to be Dr. Ken Helvey at the moment, so he gets to take any credit he likes. For instance, Dr. Helvey could claim it was the most money ever raised for the cause. Which it was.
The winning team consisted of the shady foursome of John Leasure, Kurt Acheson, Josh Hobbs and John McMann. Besides undocumented foot wedges and multitudinous mulligans, Leasure's team benefitted from inside help. Can't prove the rest, but that much is for certain. Leasure's lovely wife, Michelle, was one of Cater's "angels" - the ladies who really did all the work to make the tourney come off so well.
"Now we know how he (Leasure) won," Cater deadpanned.
Cater had a couple of good ideas, but most of the credit behind the success goes to the angels who, alongside Michelle Leasure, included Lori Fairless, Rosa Pickering and Anna Hamrick. Allen ISD dispatcher Sam Day was roped into doing the angels' grunt work. His response? "Next year I'm playing."
But one of Cater's two good ideas was a silent auction - first time the Allen Open featured that particular angle. Stroke of genius on Cater's part. The charitable take increase was another four figures as a result. Just goes to show that even the boss has an ounce of brains sometimes.
Prizes that included digital portable TVs, a 42-inch flat screen, nice camping gear, get-aways on Lake Texoma provided by Highport Marina, loads of golf, two 19-inch televisions, and other goodies had many of the players crowding around the tables like bitties at a bake bazaar. The mucho camaraderie was ratcheted to the point of almost contact sport.
No wonder. Other prizes were a 3-nightstay at any one of the 16 Silver Leaf Resorts, a get-away vacation package for Tanglewood Resorts donated by Highport, evenings of very dine dining at 3 Forks and Perry's, and the grand prize being a custom set of fitted Ping golf clubs. Nice.
Darrell Myers sure thought so when his number came up for the clubs. With a whoop and a yell, Myers stopped his incessant carping about not winning and threw his tickets up in the air. Myers runs an executive limo service. Now he can hustle his cheeky clientele out on the course, too.
The weather was nice, and a good time was had by all - except me. My back is till hurting from having to carry my band of losers a full 18 holes. At least a bunch of kids are going to feel good from my suffering.
J. David Barron is a staff columnist for Star Newspapers. He can be reached at dbarron@starlocalnews.com, where he never lets the facts get in the way of a good story.
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