THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 30, 1995 TAG: 9504290477
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
Think you're pretty long off the tee? Do you wait until the group ahead of you has hit their third shots on par-5s before you tee it high and let it fly? Here's your chance to test your long-driving skills against the best busters in the nation, and earn a crack at $30,000, the largest first prize in long-driving history.
The 1995 Re/MAX long-drive championship, sponsored by the real-estate company and Long Drivers of America, will hold one of its ``local'' competitions on July 19 at Willow Oaks CC in Richmond (272-1455). Entry fee is $30, Registration isn't required; just show up.
The winner there advances to the district semifinals at the Glen Burnie Golf Course in Glen Burnie, Md., the weekend of Aug. 12. The entry fee there is $50.
Win there and it's off to Las Vegas Sept. 10-12 for a championship weekend featuring the 30 district winners, the 1994 Long Drive champion and runner-up and seven past national long-drive champions. You must pay for your travel to Vegas, but once there, accommodations at the Las Vegas Hilton are on the house, says Shirley Chen of Re/ MAX's Central Atlantic Region in Bethesda, Md.
In addition to the $30,000, the rest of the $100,000 purse will be shared in cash or merchandise by all finalists. The double-elimination program will take place at the Las Vegas Hilton & Country Club and includes a sponsor's pro-am tournament and an awards program and will be televised by ESPN.
For more information, call 800-537-1816.
NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, III: The block keeps getting longer and longer, but it doesn't appear to much bother the real golf fanatic. So here's a little info on a new course being built on Highway 43 in Greenville, N.C., about a two-hour drive from here.
Ironwood is golfing great Lee Trevino's first North Carolina signature golf course. The course will be semi-private (members given first priority on tee times, etc.), and memberships will be taken beginning the end of May.
The course and clubhouse are scheduled to open at Thanksgiving. Ironwood sounds like a course to pencil in for a late fall excursion. For information, call 919-752-4653.
TEACHING TIP: On reading greens, from Mike Fentress of Cypress Point CC: ``The biggest thing most amateurs are guilty of is leaving putts on the low side of the hole. They aim directly at the hole.
``One suggestion would be to pick out an intermediate point where you think the ball will break and aim at that. Forget the hole itself - and trust your instincts.
``here's another tip - most of the greens in this area are bent grass, and bent grass always breaks towards the water. That's a given, and not something that can be said about all other types of grass.''
TAP-INS: The Colonial Golf Course in Williamsburg hasn't even opened its doors yet, but they already have an impressive lineup of classes and clinics planned. There's the Eagle, a 5-day course that goes for $450; the Birdie, a 3-day session that costs $275; a 1-day learn-and-play program that costs $85; a couples' clinic, $70 per couple for four 1-hour clinics; a four-session ladies'-only clinic for $35, and a Juniors Week (four morning clinics) for youngsters 7-17, that costs $25. Call 804-566-1600. . . .The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in Portsmouth will hold a celebrity tournament on June 11 and 12 at Ford's Colony in Williamsburg. both team and single entries are presently being accepted. The team fee (4 players, 4 additional invitations to the pairings and post-tournament parties, gifts, golf, etc) is $1,000. The single fee is $300 (same amenities as the team sponsorship). Among the celebs invited to play are NFLers Terry Kirby, Chris Slade, Charles Haley and Lawrence Taylor; W&M football coach Jimmye Laycock; Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer; golfing greats Sam Snead and Chandler Harper. There is no deadline to enter, but tournament director Judy Bray says spots are going fast. To obtain an entry form, call 393-1122. . . . The Portsmouth City Amateur golf tournament, which had been scheduled for May 13-14, is being rescheduled due to work at Sleepy Hole. A tentative date of June 24-25 has been set. The 36-hole event will be played at Sleepy Hole for the third year. Portsmouth native J. P. Leigh, now a resident of Suffolk, is the defending champion. by CNB