Photo By Chuck Cannon | Gonzo Fernandez (left) watches as teammate Ramon Defreites putts during the two-man...... read more read more
FORT POLK, La. — Twenty-two golfers faced the challenge of Warrior Hills Golf Course April 27 during a Directorate of Family Morale, Welfare and Recreation Intramural Sports Office two-man scramble on the scenic 18-hole layout in the heart of Fort Polk.
Club professional Mike O’Brien and Mac Hoyt claimed the top spot, firing a two under par 70. Tom James and Jim Crum finished a close second with a one over par 73.
For both O’Brien and James, the tournament capped the end of a long day as both linksters competed in the Leesville Rotary Club’s Bill Bailey four-person scramble earlier in the day.
“I wasn’t going to play this afternoon,” O’Brien said at the end of the evening’s event. “But Mac (Hoyt) showed up without a partner and I never want to turn anyone away from the course, so I agreed to play with him.”
Wade Tripp and Scott Lamb were two other golfers who played both tournaments at WHGC April 27.
“It was a long day and I’m exhausted,” Tripp said. “The course was in good shape, but the wind was brutal this afternoon.”
Lamb agreed.
“The course played well and is in good shape,” he said. “As we move into summer, the dormant grass will come out and it (the course) will be in even better shape.”
Sean McCroary, who heads up the DFMWR Intramural Sports Office, said there is a lot in store for the course during the summer months.
“Right now we have a summer series, or league, in the works,” he said. “We’ve got to solidify some dates, but we’re hopefully starting that at the end of May.”
McCroary said the event would consist of a weekly scramble where Soldiers could compete either weekly or season-long, similar to the current Wednesday evening 9-hole scrambles at WHGC.
“There will be weekly and season-ending awards offered,” he said. “We’re looking at having more two- and four-man scrambles and working to develop more partnerships between the golf course and other DFMWR programs. For instance, today’s awards were actually purchased from DFMWR Arts and Crafts Center.”
Warrior Hills Golf Course is situated on rolling hills in the middle of the South Fort Polk cantonment area. In 2018, the course received a facelift that included 18 new greens and 50 well-groomed tee boxes. The improvements also included an expanded driving range and practice putting green.
O’Brien said he’s excited about what the future holds for Warrior Hills Golf Course. He said he hopes to get more Soldiers involved by hosting unit-level tournaments and scheduling the monthly Fort Polk scramble around rotations.
“We’re looking at working with individual units to host company- and battalion-level tournaments and other activities,” he said. “We’re also looking to increase the number of spouse and Family member classes and activities.”
The next tournament on tap at WHGC is the monthly Fort Polk Scramble, starting at 11:30 a.m. today. Other tournaments and special events include:
• Two-Person Team Championship, held May 25-26. Tee times start at 7:30 a.m. each day. Cost is $50 for members and $60 for non-members and includes cart, greens fee and range balls. Grand prize is $500 and lunch is provided at the award ceremony.
• Weekly Wednesday evening scrambles, starting at 5 p.m.
• Golfing dads can take advantage of Father’s Day Golf all day June 16. Dads play for $16 that covers 18 holes and cart rental.
“First and foremost, Warrior Hills Golf Course is for our Soldiers and we want to do everything we can to accommodate them,” O’Brien said. “But we also invite the local civilian community to join us.”
The course is open seven days a week, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m. After their round, golfers can grab a bite at Mulligan’s. For more information about WHGC tournaments call 531-4661.
| Date Taken: | 05.03.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.03.2019 09:31 |
| Story ID: | 320577 |
| Location: | FORT POLK, LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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