How the Fun All Began!

 

This all started way, way back in the olden days. Southwest Airlines was only four years old, the girl's club, La Bare, was three years away from being opened, Gerald Ford was President of the United States and Ann Morrow was president of Ridglea’s 160+ member LGA, when the idea was realized for our first annual Ladies Member/ Guest Tournament. It all began while I was working my gluteus off in the Benbrook Dairy Queen and playing golf as much as humanly possible. To my surprise and pleasure, my DQ friend, Bess Randolph, asked me to play in a ladies member/guest tournament at Canyon Creek Country Club in Plano, Texas. What an eye-opener! Although I had played in the State Tournament, I had never experienced anything so FUN! Not only did we have drinks and lunch after each round, there was absolutely the funniest skit performed at the awards presentation. I not only stole the idea of a ladies member/guest, but I stole that skit as well, and returned to Ridglea to beg the Board of Directors for permission to form our own member/guest tournament. Permission granted by then President J. Howard Shelton.

 

Needless to say, a lot of help was needed, so I enlisted our then Ridglea Rat Pack: Peggy Biggers, Betty Brock, Marty Thurburn, and the only one left alive (besides me, and I'm suspect) Quanita Clark. What a ball we had.  We were too enthusiastic to realize it was a monumental job. We created the format, scoured the cities’ businesses for door prizes, solicited lacy bikinis for the flags and nearly drove Icybelle Richardson (W. P.'s grandmother) crazy asking her to first make sandwiches, then cookies, then punch.  But it didn’t stop there, next we enlisted JoZella Crawford (skit) Martha Anna Dysart (piano), Charlotte Stouffer (skit) the list goes on and on to offer the best and funniest entertainment. As I said, the LGA had 160 plus members, so unfortunately we had to limit the field to 50 teams, which quickly created a waiting list. The format was flighted by handicap, best ball gross and the kicker was that if you shot better than the leaders of your flight, you were bumped up to the bottom of the next one.

 

To my knowledge, this was the first tournament of its kind in Fort Worth and needless to say, it was a huge success. I wanted to name the tournament Golf Bags, but Peggy thought that was a bit much, so we added Classic. Iona Beard's daughter painted our logo that still exists today. Although it was never intended that the tournament always give golf bags as prizes, that custom became prevalent. However, deviation from the standard occurred when the LGA changed the rule putting the LGA Vice-President in charge of the tournament therefore in charge of the prizes. Since then, the Vice President can choose whatever prizes they desire, which they have been absolutely fabulous, each one equaling or topping the last.

 

To our credit, the GBC has remained not only the first ladies member/guest in Fort Worth, but the best one in the State. In 2015, it will be 40 years old and growing. Kim McMillian is in charge of this year’s tournament and I guarantee you it'll be a doozy. Join us! 

 

                                                                                    By Harley Puff