"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Stan Crawley

June 8, 2004

Having the name Ira Templeton attached to the Chattanooga Open had a special meaning for many of the participants and volunteers Monday, but nobody appreciated it as much as Buddy Templeton and Danny Tribble.

The annual event was changed this year from the Coca-Cola Chattanooga Open to the Ira Templeton Chattanooga Open, honoring the late Creek's Bend owner who passed away on April 13, 2003. Coca-Cola remains a sponsor.

For everyone involved, the change has been a positive one.

"It's very special for me to have Ira's name attached to this tournament,'' said Tribble, the tournament director and owner of the Hickory Valley course. "It's special because Ira was so special.

"Really, he was so much like my dad, with a lot of the same mannerisms. He was like another dad in a way.''

Tribble said Templeton deserves the recognition of having the tournament named in his honor.

"He meant so much to this event,'' Tribble said. "I don't even know where to start. Nobody wanted this tournament and we had the first one at Brainerd as a one-day event. Ira then invited us over here to Creeks Bend and it's been here ever since.

"He helped raise sponsor money through the years and did so many things. And Buddy has done the same in his absence this year.''

Buddy Templeton, Ira's son, now runs the Creeks Bend course .

"Having his name on it gave me some incentive when I was raising money for the tournament,'' Templeton said. "I wanted to make it remain successful.''

Templeton was successful in his fund-raising efforts. Even though the field is down from 144 to 137, the purse is up in every division, including $3,000 to the top professional.

"It's still hard at times without him,'' Templeton said. "Sometimes I forget and think he's still sitting over there in his chair. He told me just before he passed away that we had been working side-by-side for 35 years. He said, 'You'll miss me, but in about a year you'll be all right.' ''

Ira Templeton would be pleased because Buddy and Tribble have kept the tournament so successful.

"But he might be mad at me for spending so much money on the clubhouse and course,'' Templeton said. "We've remodeled the clubhouse and worked on cart paths and tees. We've made a lot of general improvements.''

Many of the golfers praised the course as they were leaving Monday afternoon. Templeton said much of the credit should go to Patrick Shutters, the former Notre Dame High School and UTC place-kicker.

Shutters, who will become Templeton's son-in-law on Dec. 4 when he marries Maggie Templeton, has been hired as the Creeks Bend golf course superintendent.

"I went to school with Patrick's parents, and I'm crazy about the kid, even though I give him a hard time,'' Templeton said. "He's real interested in the course. In fact, he reminds me of me about 30 years ago.

"He has worked very hard to get the course in great condition. And he has a lot of good boys out there working for him. They've worked really hard the last week getting everything ready.''

Said Tribble, "The fairways are awesome. The greens are always good. Really, everything looks good. Probably the best it's ever been.''

Zeb Patten, who shot a 6-under 64 on Monday for a share of the lead, said it would be very special to win the first Ira Templeton Open. Patten lost his father, Boehm Patten, not long ago,

"Winning this would be very special for me,'' Patten said. "It would mean a lot. I played in the same group with Ira the last time he won the Metro here at Creeks Bend. He was real cool, he knew my dad, and he was so good to me.''

A new name for the tournament, good people running it, an improved purse, a friend in the chase for the championship, and a top-notch golf course.

Ira Templeton would have been very proud.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)

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