On this 1975 photograph, Roger Loop, Center, accepts the Trophy of the Invitational Championship George Bataitis de Bataitis, left and Dick Kimball. Photograph with the kindness of the famend Sport Chautauqua
Editor’s word: The next column appeared within the post-Journal on Might 13, 2006. With the 36th annual golf tour George Bataitis, established for Might 10 at Chautauqua Membership, was thought of enough to run the article once more. For extra occasion data and register, see this hyperlink: https://jcjayhawks.com/occasions/gbo
By Jim Riggs
sport@post-journal.com
Golf tour George Bataitis Open shall be performed as we speak at Chautauqua Golf Membership and is a crucial occasion within the Jamestown Neighborhood School occasion calendar. The event, named after the previous JCC coach and athletics director for over 30 years, is a serious of school athletic scholarship funds.
However the event, generally known as GBO, has this title from the late 1980s. It began as invitationally George Bataitis, or GBI, and was the model of Chautauqua County of Bing Crosby’s “Clambake, which ultimately turned Professional-Am Bing Crosby Nationwide.
Bataitis has led to the Golf on the JCC for over 25 years and has had some very proficient gamers whose names are nonetheless engraved on the event trophies. A few of his gamers included Dick Cole, Joe Johnson, Randy Swanson, Jim Younger, Dan Bjork, Randy Holmes and the late Roger Loop.
In 1973, Loop and about six different former JCC gamers prompt to Bataitis that they meet for a golf spherical. After the spherical, they gathered on the “19th gap” and agreed that it was very enjoyable and that they need to do it once more the next yr. They requested some to hitch them, and the land was about 20 years. Bataitis determined that the occasion must be higher organized and transmitted it to Dick Kimball, who was President Maplehurs Nation Membership. Kimball took the command of what GBI was going to grow to be. In a couple of years, he turned a full invitation event at Maplehurst, with over 90 contributors. However Bataitis notes: “The primary goal was to have enjoyable.”
For this reason the “prime prize” for the event was the coveted Fred Foglesanger prize, granted to the participant with the best rating. Bob Kochersberger had a prize blockage by profitable it 3 times.
However on the different finish of the spectrum, although everybody had enjoyable, the profitable rating has all the time been spectacular and infrequently half of the whole winner of the Fred Fogileger prize. Cole received 3 times consecutively in 1976-78, and a few of his scores have been 66 and 68. In 1979, Joe Johnson broke the string of Cole capturing a 69 to take the title and repeated the subsequent yr with 65.
In 1980, Johnson’s 65 was one of many six sub-par. And there have been six rounds within the 100s, with the chief at 132!
This was additionally the yr through which GBI had his first gap in a single by Derwood Cheney.
I keep in mind GBI effectively in 1980, as a result of this was the yr I filmed the perfect rating. I used to be fairly disgusted once I shot a 7-over on the brand new aspect. However on the again, there have been refreshments in ice buckets they usually included Jolt Cola filled with caffeine. I made a decision to drink a pair throughout that one again 9 and I continued to attract a 2-sub 33 induced caffeine to complete with a 75.
Happily, there was no “drug check” after revealing that I used to be utilizing a cola that improves efficiency.
The final winner of the event every year obtained a particular prize. The committee prompt to current to the winner a jacket, as in Masters. Bataitis remembered saying, “Allow us to not do a lot of it.”
They did not do it.
“I believe the primary one I bought to the military of salvation,” Bataitis stated in regards to the first Gbi jacket. “It was from 1904; it was a factor with a crappie facet.”
It was a rotten yellow factor, with a torn pocket, which hid in a closet for the primary three years after received it. Cole received it for the subsequent three years and saved it within the trunk of his automobile. Joe Johnson received the GBI jacket in 1979, however when he repeated in 1980, he granted a brand new jacket that was bought for $ 2. It was inexperienced and offered “I like (with an enormous coronary heart) on my again.”
Close to the tip of his operating, GBI has grow to be a charity occasion. The tour ended with a surplus and the committee determined to donate to a charity.
“Let’s give it a special group,” Bataitis prompt.
He lately learn an article a couple of group that helped the crushed girls, so he has made a donation lately of GBI.
Then the event went out slowly. Bataitis left sabbatically from JCC for a yr, so GBI was not owned. Then he was revived, however it was not too large a solution and at last ended.
After Bataitis withdrew in 1987, JCC was planning a golf event as an athletic scholarship fund. They requested him on the bataitis if they may deliver the GBI, however it turned GBO. And it’s not a person occasion, however a group is thrown with Chautauqua Golf Membership as a web site.
GBO had some unevenness firstly. The rain pressured a yr and compelled the postponement in the summertime and was rescheduled within the fall. One of many profitable groups, who had unknown members for his or her golf ability, recorded an amazingly low rating. Then we realized how.
It was after Chautauqua Golf Membership added a couple of new holes, which at the moment are no. 14 to 16, on the course of the lake. After taking part in the quantity 13, the profitable group missed these three new holes and went straight to the quantity 17 after which on the 18th place to complete the spherical. In order that they find yourself taking part in solely 15 holes, which might assist lead any group to an incredible rating.
Issues are underneath a a lot nearer reign now, and GBO is a serious success. However its roots are with GBI, which had a serious purpose to have enjoyable. And if a few of the gamers from the outdated GBI would have jumped taking part in three holes, they in all probability would have been in operation for the Fred Fogleanger prize for the best rating.