Golf Bag: Fifth Hall Beckons Derr

The legendary John Derr reaps yet another honor tonight when he is inducted into the Carolinas PGA Hall of Fame in ceremonies at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.

Derr will be the 42nd inductee into the hall of fame, which honors CPGA members who have made extraordinary contributions not only to the CPGA Section but to the sport of golf as a whole.

A special exemption was made for Derr, who is not officially a member of the CPGA. He served as the section's executive director for 10 years, retiring in 1984, and was instrumental in helping the organization become the strongest of its kind in the nation.

As Sherrill Austin, a longtime friend of Derr's and a 2001 hall of fame inductee, said, "If there is an individual living or dead that deserves to be in the hall more than John Derr, I can't think of one. John has done more for the section than most of the inductees that are in there now."

This is the fifth hall of fame selection for Derr, a Gastonia native and resident of Pinehurst.

"I enjoy them all," Derr said, "but none more than this. I am just as delighted as can be."

Boys & Girls: The annual Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina will host its eighth annual golf tournament March 5 at noon.

The tournament, which is also in memory of the late Courtney Register, will be played on the award-winning Tom Fazio-designed Pinehurst No. 8 Course, and a noon shotgun start is scheduled.

The entry fee is $200 per player or $750 for a four-person team. There will be an awards dinner following play.

"The home (located at Lake Waccamaw) has served many children from the Sandhills area since opening in 1954," said tournament chairman Ron Jones.

For information, visit the website at bghncsndhills.org or call Jones at (910) 295-1819.

BackPack Pals: The sixth annual BackPack Pals Golf Tournament is scheduled for May 18 at Beacon Ridge Country Club in West End.

The purpose of this event is to help feed Moore County children who are in need of the service. There are more than 1,000 county children now in this program.

"Probably the single greatest benefit, in addition to providing nourishment for Moore County children, is that the recipients have been proven to perform in school on a much higher level, both socially and academically," tournament chairperson Ginger Finney said in a statement.

The tournament format is captain's choice with teams flighted by handicap. The entry fee is $65 per player. Teams of four may compete as a corporate sponsor with the name in the program for $300. Individual hole sponsorships are available for $100.

A lunch will be provided beginning at 11:30 a.m. A 12:30 p.m. shotgun start is planned for the tourney.

To enter, or for more information, call Finney at (910) 673-1330, or Jo Nicholas at (910) 673-3604.

Tin Whistles: The team of Joe Koontz, Frank Corcoran, Ron Kuklok and Jan Ludwig posted 215 to win the one gross, two net ball Tin Whistles Club event held on Pinehurst No. 4 Course.

Hugh Menzies, Murray Stern, Ken Hepner and Don Torgensen claimed second with 218.

Finishing third were Tom Race, Ski Kinelski, Dennis Dolgan and Bob Graham with 223.

Course Mulligan: McConnell Golf announced late last year it would be closing one of its eight clubs, Musgrove Mill Golf Club in Clinton, S.C., at least temporarily due to continuing losses and declining membership.

Turns out the reported closing was very temporary, with the announcement of formulation of a plan with the Musgrove Mill membership that will allow the club to continue operations. The plan includes a partnership that shares responsibility for keeping the club open, and if the new partnership is successful, then the club will remain open indefinitely.

McConnell Golf president and CEO John McConnell said the company is planning to transform Musgrove Mill into a more regional golf course with some innovative membership opportunities expected to attract a wide range of golfers from all over the country. Designed by Arnold Palmer Design Company and opened in 1988, Musgrove Mill boasts 6,933 yards of challenging golf for a par of 72. Over the years, Musgrove Mill has hosted almost every South Carolina Golf Association event and Carolinas' Amateur tournaments, and has been consistently ranked as Golfweek Magazine's "America's Top 100 Modern Courses" and Golf Digest's "Top 10 Rated Golf Courses for South Carolina."

The Mill's course design is expertly placed amid the secluded landscape with topography ranging from wetlands, various elevations and the Enoree River and is part of the Musgrove Mill South Carolina State Park.

McConnell said he has always envisioned Musgrove Mill as a tribute to pure golf and a great day-trip for any golfer wanting to tackle one of golf's finest tests.