Golfers enjoy ‘chamber of commerce day’ at Peete Classic
You’ve heard the phrase “It’s a chamber of commerce day” whenever the weather is wonderful. Well, it really was that kind of day Saturday at Magnolia Landings Country Club.
Figuratively and literally.
The North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce held its ninth annual Calvin Peete Golf Classic with a full field and lots of fun for the golfers and the organization.
The event was more than just golf, celebrating one of the greats in golf history and the great buffet afterwards. It was also the bridge between the old and the new.
Wendy Murray did her last event as executive director of the Chamber. After Saturday, the reins went into the hands of new CEO Toni Rae Hurley.
Murray told everyone before the tournament began with an 8 a.m. shotgun start that it was her last day as director. After that, things went without a hitch.
“The golfers are going through the course very quickly. They are enjoying all the specialty holes and the great weather,” Murray said. “We have a full field of 18 teams and it’s going great.”
One of the most popular holes was the 18th, which again featured John Gardner and his golf ball launcher, which sends your ball down the course a long way and gives you a great chance at a low score. It was $5 a shot and many accepted the offer.
For Bill Earl, it meant an albatross (three under par) as he hit his approach shot 225 yards on the par-5 18th, right into the hole for a two.
His score was sandwiched between two other teams which ended up with eagles.
Gardner, whose company Lee County Insurance was again the title sponsor, said the windy conditions made launching the ball difficult, but the idea was to have fun.
“It’s beautiful, but you have to adjust your aim but everybody is out having a good time raising money for the chamber’s causes,” Gardner said before joking, “Wendy’s threatening to retire.”
Of course, there were other goodies for the golfers like a Bloody Mary bar, a cigar bar, as well as contests for the closest to the pin and putting. Players could also purchase yardsticks and mulligans as well.
There were also door prizes, raffles and an Italian buffet after the tournament. The winning foursome received hats Calvin Peete wore when he played.
Hurley loved what she saw of her first Calvin Peete Classic, especially the venue that has hosted all but one.
“Magnolia Landing has been very generous for letting us have it here. It’s a beautiful course and a great experience for me this year and I hope I can do it again next year,” Hurley said. “It’s events like this that keep us going and serve our community. It’s a great signature event.”
Peete, who lived in North Fort Myers during his hey-day, was a true golf pioneer as the winner of 12 PGA tournament titles, a two-time member of the United States Ryder Cup team and a Vardon Trophy recipient for the PGA tour’s lowest scoring average in 1983. Peete was the leading African-American PGA tournament title holder prior to the emergence of Tiger Woods.