Bookings at The National getting crowded
Published 8:03 pm Sunday, January 14, 2018
<p class="p1">Club pro Eric Kaspar recently wrapped up The National’s tournament schedule for 2018 and noted that it will be a busy slate.</p><p class="p1">He said the big events are: 1, a handicap renewal on Jan. 21; 2, end-of-the-month two-person scrambles (last Sunday of each month in season and on Saturdays in the winter); 3, St. Patrick’s Day four ball (March 17-18); men’s city championship (April 27-29) and weekly nine-hole four-player scrambles on Thursday’s starting March 15.</p><p class="p1">The National is the only club that hosts multiple city tournaments as the Westlake junior will be played July 31-Aug. 1, the senior Aug. 4-5 and the ladies Aug. 11-12.</p><p class="p1">Missing from this year’s schedule is the pro event that is known as the APT, which was once associated with the Adams Tour.</p><p class="p1">A tournament stop on that tour had been hosted at The National for the past few years.</p><p class="p1">However, that tour is beginning later in the year and a date for 2018 couldn’t be worked out at The National. It is possible that the event will return in the future. </p><p class="p2">l</p><p class="p1">Kaspar said beginning today he will be hosting a ladies rules/etiquette/play strategy clinic each at 2 p.m. Sunday through Feb. 25.</p><p class="p1">More information can be obtained at the pro shop.</p><p class="p2">l</p><p class="p1">Seventy-year-old Gray Little shot his age last week at Mallard Cove. It was the first time.</p><p class="p1">He had nines of 34-36 and the key was that he nailed eight birdies, four on each side. His birdies came on Nos. 3, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15 and 18.</p><p class="p1">“I hit the ball good and just about every putt I looked at fell in,” he said, noting that he made three putts from about 20 feet.</p><p class="p1">Little gave credit for his score to a new set of Titleist AP3 irons.</p><p class="p1">“They have a more flexible shaft and that has helped my game,” he added.</p><p class="p2">l</p><p class="p1">The area’s junior travel teams — boys and girls — will see their first action of the year in the Woodlands (Texas) High School tournament Monday and Tuesday. The boys will be playing the Gary Player and the TPC course and the girls will play the Oaks and Panther Trail.</p><p class="p1">The length of the courses for tournaments for the boys teams is expected to be a little longer than 7,000 yards or equivalent to collegiate length, while the girls’ layouts are expected to be a little shorter than collegiate length. </p><p class="p1">The boys team has won the tournament title the past two seasons.</p><p class="p1">The travel teams will have two more events to play before the high school season begins Feb. 12.</p><p class="p3"><strong>Upcoming</strong></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Saturday</strong></span> — Texas/Louisiana junior tournament, Frasch Park (Sulphur).</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Feb. 3</strong></span> — Texas/Louisiana junior tournament, The National (Westlake).</p><p class="p2">l</p><p class="p4"><strong>Louis Bonnette</strong> has written about local golf for the <em>American Press</em> since 1971. His column appears each Sunday. Contact him at 274-5689 or lbonnette@mcneese.edu</p>
