Golfers And Givers

Left to right: Scott Lacy, Brian Litowitz, Chuck Melton, Tim Kennedy, Matt Ginella, Scott Starnes, Doug Patterson, Brad Lacy, Karl Jones.
Photo: Scott W. Fitzgerald

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By Matt Ginella

August 2009

On a short course where no hole requires more than a wedge, a group of neighbors in Frisco, Tex., started getting together a few years ago to drink, bond and compete. In that order.

"I'll bet you 10 bucks you can't make that putt," was a spontaneous wager one evening.

"There's no gambling at Wedgewood," answered Karl Jones, full of mock indignation. Jones has a little Carl Spackler in him when he doesn't shave for a few days, making it easier to infuse his surroundings with the "Caddyshack" spirit.

Now, eight of the guys from those back-yard matches take an annual buddies trip to play for the coveted Wedgewood Cup. Most of them have moved out of Frisco, but the buddies trip, in its fifth year, keeps them close. "We gather every spring around a keg of beer, a couple sacks of crawfish and a condo off the 18th hole for our three-day tournament in pursuit of the Cup," explains Tim Kennedy, who sent Golf Digest the group's itinerary.

I ambushed the Wedgewood Cup on the first tee at Pine Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Frankston, two hours southeast of Dallas. I handed out free golf balls, hats, drinks, food and a range finder for Kennedy.

I didn't have any crawfish, but I witnessed the consumption of Texas-size steaks, cooked by trip coordinator Scott Starnes. I saw a wild interpretation of how to grip the club by three-time Cup champion Scott Lacy (it starts out like two hands holding a small bowl and ends up an interlocking mess, but his ball goes straight). I met eight guys with a passion for coordinated outfits (above). I learned about a 10:15 a.m. application of what Jones called "lip balm," also known as a shot of Johnnie Walker Black. I played in a closest-to-the-hole chipping contest until 3 a.m., where the source of light was the high beams on a rented Hyundai. And I saw Chuck (Pants) Melton win the Cup while wearing a pair of shorts. We can assume from his nickname and the glare from his legs that Chucky doesn't often wear shorts.

Like some of the 14 other groups I've ambushed, this one had a deeper purpose than just playing golf and fraternizing.

Two years ago Doug Patterson and his wife, Angela, learned that their adopted daughter, Sydney, had Angelman Syndrome, an extremely rare neurogenic disorder that affects intellectual and motor-skill development. Sydney, age 4, has an award-winning smile -- she actually won a smile contest -- and can climb trees. Some kids aren't as fortunate and never leave a wheelchair.

Besides offering the Pattersons moral support, the Wedgewood Cuppers have donated money to the search for an Angelman Syndrome cure. This year the guys postponed their trip a few days to accommodate the Dallas-area Angelman Syndrome Foundation National Walk-a-thon, which was coordinated by Angela Patterson. A few guys flew in early, put on "Team Sydney" lanyards and participated in the event.

"We appreciate these guys," says Doug, the Wedgewood Cup's inaugural champion. "After I told Scott there would be a scheduling conflict, he told me, 'We're with you buddy. We'll figure it out.' This trip's about friendships, and the last few years have been a great representation of that."

Matt might ambush you. Submit your buddies-trip itinerary.

Scott W. Fitzgerald