Old Glory overlooks green as veterans are honored at golfing event
By Jennifer Kneuss
May 31, 2011
302
A giant, 108-foot-long by 80-foot-tall American flag, stretched out in plastic on a hillside overlooking Dovers state Route 516, glistened proudly in the sun on a sunny Memorial Day. The flag was the backdrop for the Honor Our Veterans golf outing, sponsored by Auman Timbers Golf Course.
Veterans were invited to first take part in a 12:30 p.m. contest to see who could have the lowest score and get closest on the first hole of the course. Winning that contest was Jack Sharp of New Philadelphia, a veteran who served from 1971 to 1979 in the U.S. Army. Sharp won with a par 3. Following with a par 4 in second place was Don Biechler, from near Mineral City. He served from 1971 to 1972, and again from 1981 to 1983.
They all played from 80 yards on one hole, and we had a contest to see who could do the best on that hole. Our winners today will win ladders, shovels, fishing poles, Coleman stoves, hoses, golf balls... useful things, said organizer Don Blocker.
From there, a shotgun start got the afternoons nine-hole tournament rolling.
Diane Phillips, a pro LPGA golfer, runs the facility owned by her mother, Julia Phillips, on the familys former farmland.
I always enjoyed golf, even before we set up this course, admitted Julia Phillips. But now, I am so busy mowing it all, that I hardly have time to play. Auman was her maiden name, and inspired the naming of the course, which started in 1999.
The large flag was set up on the back side of the golf course several years ago. But then some of the neighbor kids had a party and tore it up, said Julia Phillips ruefully. When I went back to check, the wind had taken up some of it and shredded it. I needed help to put it back together, and so this year, a neighbor helped me put it back up where everyone could see it from Route 516.
The Phillips family works with New Philadelphia pharmacist Don Blocker, and holds the yearly veterans event to benefit the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
We started this five years ago, when I heard on the news that the Walter Reed Hospital was infested with rats. That upset me. My brother served, my dad served, and it was time I did something. This is all for the good of the veterans, explained Blocker. The Walter Reed Hospital Society is a nonprofit organization, which means that all the proceeds go to support the veterans. It pays for lots of things, and everyone serves at no salary.
The benefit has been at Auman Timbers for the full five years.
They all get special points off their score, and all kinds of prizes today, too, said Phillips. All because they are veterans.
A patriotic picture was signed by all in attendance to present to Rep. Al Landis, who assisted in a recent fundraiser in New Philadelphia to raise more than $1,500 for The Walter Reed Society.
In total, over both Armed Forces Day and this Memorial Day event, we raised over $2,000, continued Phillips. We have raised close to $7,000 to $8,000 to help our soldiers. The money can be used for rent, for cars, for air fare for flights for spouses who need to go to where their loved ones are... medical care, transportation, just anything that a veteran may need. The good thing about this money is that they do not have to go through any red tape to get this money. If they need it, they just ask, and the check is written that day. I think this is a great cause.
