By CHRISSY SMITH
Slidell Sports Editor
The Greater Slidell Golf Championship is set to tee off on June 27 for a three-day event that gives local golfers a chance to feel like pros.
While Robbie Rhodes and Jack Abney are always the front runners, Abney won the tournament last summer to give him the most overall wins. Abney had won the City Golf Tournament eight years in a row before losing to Rhodes two years ago.
Abney played Division-I golf for Tulane in college and also had three tour cards back in the day. The courses are set to play home to the many local golfers who will play to be named the best in the city of Slidell.
This year, 16-year-old homeschool student Jacob Bergeron said he is considering playing. Most recently, Bergeron qualified for sectionals, which is the final round of golf before making it to the U.S. Open. Although Bergeron did not make the pro round, just making it to sectionals is proof he could give Rhodes and Abney a run for their money.
The Greater Slidell Golf Championship will take place over three days, June 27-29, at all three Slidell golf courses — Royal, Pinewood and Oak Harbor.
Royal Golf Club is an 18-hole regulation length golf course in Slidell. This medium-length layout has three sets of teeboxes for a fun, but challenging golfing experience.
Pinewood Country Club is an 18-hole regulation length golf course in Slidell. This medium-length layout has adequate length for a regulation course. Some holes are quite challenging and interesting, but overall it can be somewhat forgiving.
Oak Harbor Golf Club is an 18-hole regulation length golf course in Slidell. Overall this course plays quite difficult, at least from the back tees it does. Trouble surrounds many of the greens, and this typically seems to be the toughest course for golfers to compete upon.
James Leitz, the golf pro at Pinewood golf course, said that although his course is the shortest of the three Slidell golf courses, it is very challenging.
“We are like a park-style course. We’ve got trees, sand and water, and we’re the shortest of the three courses but we’re very challenging,” Leitz said.
The most difficult part of the course is that the back nine has a lot of water on it.
“If people aren’t smart there, it’ll hurt them,” Leitz said. “If they try to overshoot, then they will do poorly.”
The general consensus is that Oak Harbor is the most difficult of the three golf courses in Slidell — and with good reason.
Of the 200 acres that the course covers, there are over 50 acres that are covered in water. According to pro Tony Cascino, the most difficult holes are five through eight.
On hole five, it is a difficult par three with water all to the right of it and not much bailout to the left.
For hole six, it is a perfect example of needing better position than distance.
On hole eight, it is a long par four.
Royal Golf Course golf pro Cliff Laigaist said course management is the key to doing well at his course for the Greater Slidell Golf Championship.
“You have to have course management on the back nine if you want to do well,” Laigaist said. “The placement of the tee shots is key because it’s fairly tight.”
To be eligible for the tournament, participants must be a resident of the Greater Slidell Area, or a member of either Royal G.C., Pinewood C.C., or Oak Harbor G.C.
The last day to sign-up for the tournament is today. For more information, call any of the three courses at Royal (985-643-3000), Oak Harbor (985-646-0110) or Pinewood (985-643-6892.)