Tap - Ins
Identity Theft
You know you are addicted to golf, so goes the story, when you
play golf alone or never tell anyone that you played. A friend
of a friend traveled to North Branford, CT, to bury his father.
He came back saddened by his loss – and with a golf story
for the ages, one that was overheard at a local restaurant frequented
by golfers. Apparently, Bill Burton really liked his golf, so
much so that he was willing to engage in what is now known as
identity theft, but once upon a time was more or less standard
operating procedure. Years ago, back when country clubs allowed
membership privileges to be shared among friends, it was not uncommon
to hear about soldiers who were going off to war leaving their
bag tags behind for others to use.
In Burton’s case, the bag tag was not loaned, but inherited
from a friend who was a member of a very nice club – a member
who kept a very low profile, suffered a long illness and sort
of just faded from the scene with little notice. This development
must have struck Burton like a hole in one, because he picked
up the bag tag and his friend’s name, too, and slipped undetected
into his new role as “Eddie,” the long time member.
He kept up this ruse for years. Behaved like a member in good
standing. Paid his bills. Made friends among the other golfers.
Even went on golf trips down South with some of them. When some
of the old gang from the club – his second family as it
were – paid their respects by placing golf mementos in the
open coffin of their old time friend Eddie, the family found out
about his dual life. According to his son, the ruse, now revealed,
upset exactly no one. Rather, it provided a conversation piece
for two sets of mourners who became united in their appreciation
of a man whose love of the game knew no out-of-bounds.
Gary Philbrick Memorial Tournaments
The 14th Cape Cod Open Tournament, which was played June 1-2,
2005 at Hyannis Golf Club, was dedicated to the memory of Gary
Philbrick, Director of Golf at Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds for
the past 12 years, who passed away on February 19, 2005.
On August 17, 2005, the Cape Cod golf community will also pay
special tribute to Gary with a tournament to be played at Olde
Barnstable Fairgrounds, with a reception and auction to follow
at the Cape Codder Hotel. Proceeds from the event will go towards
the establishment of a scholarship endowment fund in his name.
This scholarship will be awarded to Cape Cod students who will
be pursuing academic careers related to the golf profession. (For
tournament entry information and tickets to the reception and
auction, contact Merry Holway, Head Golf Professional, at Old
Barnstable.)
A PGA professional for nearly 30 years, Gary was a well-respected
member of the New England golfing community and was involved in
golf instruction, tournament organization and programming and
servicing for many large golf operations, including the Octoberfest
Fall Class, Cape Cod Open, Doreen Grace Fund, Cape Cod Pro Am
League, Guy Tedesco Scholarship Fund, New Seabury C.C.,Dunfey’s
Hyannis Resort and Cranberry Valley Golf Course.and Cranberry
Valley. For the past 12 years he was Director of Golf for the
Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds course.
He was vice president of the New England Professional Golf Association
from 1992-1996 and served as president of the organization’s
Cape Cod branch in 1984, 1985 and 1987. He was also director of
the Doreen Grace Fund Golf Tournament for the Foundation of Brain
Injury Research from 1985 to 1994, and served on the board of
the Cape Cod Golf Association.
Among Gary’s many awards, he was named Golf Professional
of the Year in 1993 and 1996, and was the recipient of the National
Golf Foundation’s Achievement Award from 1993-1995. In 2002,
he was awarded the prestigious Bill Strasbaugh Relations Award
by the New England PGA.
We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife of 30 years, Diane,
and to his three children, Ian, Lindsay and Tracy Philbrick Downing.
|
