Cow Pasture Golf Classic Attracts All-female Horseback Team

There's just no end to the creativity of golfers who will compete in the second annual Cow Pasture Golf Classic, which has been described as "putt putt on steroids."

A group of cowgirls, who for the second year will present the American and Texas flags at the tee off of the event, have decided to become cowgirl golfers as well. Because the course is literally a cow pasture and because ATVs are usually preferred over golf carts, the women decided they will use their four-legged transportation as they compete.

The women, who as flag bearers represent Erath County Cowboy Church, will golf under the sponsorship of Dublin National Bank, working with team captain Willard Mann who has opted for an ATV.

This year's event is set for Saturday, June 25 and registration is underway now.

There's absolutely nothing serious about this round of golf except that proceeds benefit the Ben Hogan Museum of Dublin, the world's only stand-alone, open-to-the-public museum which is dedicated solely to preserving the legacy of the man who is considered the finest ball striker in the history of golf.

Mr. Hogan spent his childhood in Dublin, often playing or working at the knee of his father and grandfather who owned the Hogan Blacksmith shop on East Elm Street. Many golf historians believe his understanding of metals at an energy age helped him succeed as a golfer and also as a golf equipment manufacturer.

The Cow Pasture Golf Classic is held at what used to be the Dublin-DeLeon Golf Links, four miles west of Dublin on Highway 6. The golf course, which closed in the 1940s, was the site of one of Mr. Hogan's last amateur wins before he turned pro at the age of 17.

The fact that Mr. Hogan won a tournament at the site has been a draw to serious and non-serious golfers alike because they like the idea of playing on one of the world's most famous golf course that they never heard of. Many of the original tee boxes have been recreated and the 9-hole course resembles (in design) what it might have been in 1929 when Mr. Hogan played there.

The format is a 4-player scramble with registration opening at 7:30 a.m. The first flight will tee off at 8 a.m. and participation will be limited to three flights. The entry fee is $100 per person and mulligans will be on sale for $5 each. Registration includes free barbecue lunch and beverages.

The Ben Hogan Museum is owned by the Dublin Historical Society which will host a sneak preview on Saturday, June 11 to coincide with the birthday celebration of Dublin Dr Pepper, the oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant in the world. The museum will officially open in the fall in celebration of what would have been Mr. Hogan's 99th birthday.

To sign up to play in the tournament, please contact the Chamber of Commerce office at 111 S. Patrick, Dublin TX 76446 or call 254 445-3422. Sponsorships are also accepted at the chamber office, on behalf of the historical society and Hogan Museum. Registration forms are also available online at www.dublintxchamber.com. Additional information about the museum is available on the Ben Hogan Foundation website at www.benhoganfoundation.org.