Lakewood Ranch Community Activities launches its first golf tournament

It was years ago at a small California newspaper when my staff was trying to support a local benefit golf tournament by arranging a flyover.

The tournament had a twofold purpose. One, it supported area veterans and, two, it served to crown the area's top amateur golfer.

The event was being held at Franklin Canyon Golf Course, which no longer exists. At the time, it was a popular public course that was nestled in a little canyon, surrounded by cow pastures and several homes.

Trying to arrange a flyover became problematic for the locals who ran the tournament as the military wouldn't respond to their request. One of the reporters on my staff, a guy who was particularly persuasive, kept calling Travis Air Force Base in nearby Fairfield, California until he was put in touch with a general.

The general explained that he didn't have any jets that could participate, but he did have this cargo plane.

There I was, sitting at the desk in my Pinole, California office on the Saturday of the tournament, when the walls began shaking. I was sure ET's relatives had arrived to pick him up.

All the lines on my phone lit up at once, as everyone who lived in that canyon was calling about "an earthquake." Turns out that the cargo plane was like a flying hotel, and it was so low that it was shaking up the world as it buzzed the golf course.

We learned later that the general received some nasty blow-back from helping us out, but he assured our reporter that he would have done it again in a heartbeat. The champion that year always considered himself as the winner the year the Earth shook.

That golf tournament was wildly popular among the area's best amateur golfers, who wanted his or her name on the perpetual trophy. Much like the Lakewood Ranch area, that area had many private golf clubs, and the amateurs loved winning their own club's championship. But the best amateurs from the many clubs all showed up to compete against each other at Franklin Canyon in an attempt to win that area's most coveted amateur title.

I've always wondered why a golf-rich community such as Lakewood Ranch hasn't had an area championship. That finally has a chance of happening in the near future.

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities, which has had a hand in just about every kind of activity other than golf, has decided to take its best shot with the Communi-tee Golf Classic.

The event is scheduled for Sept. 17 at the Calusa Golf and Country Club in Lakewood Ranch. The tournament is billed as an event for "golfers of all skill levels," but is structured in three levels. The pure recreational golfer can compete in the third flight, which figures to be some sort of "scramble" event while golfers who are a bit more serious and carry a handicap — think a 6 or 7 handcap to 14 or 15 — can band together to play in the second flight, also a scramble.

The top flight will be for those who believe they are good enough to claim the title of Lakewood Ranch's top amateur golfer(s) of the year.

"It has been fascinating to me that we had never done a golf tournament," said Keith Pandeloglou, the executive director of Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. We could have easily have done this with Legacy (which in 2024 was sold to the Heritage Golf Group, which runs four Country Club courses)."

LWRCA received a huge boost for its first Communi-tee Golf Classic when the new Calusa Golf and Country Club course stepped forward to be a presenting sponsor by making the course available.

"I know every amateur golfer in the area is thinking, 'This is a place I want to check out,'" Pandeloglou said.

For the first event, the LWRCA staff wants to roll the golf ball in your court. If you are a low handicap amateur and you want to win the Lakewood Ranch title, let the staff members know. If you would rather play a team event or a scramble like the other two flights, let them know that as well. Call 757-1530 to give your input.

Pandeloglou said the majority will rule and his staff wants to meet the community's needs. LWRCA is leaning toward having all three flights be team events at this point, but he said it would be an easy change to set up an individual event for the first flight if there is enough interest. It's time to speak up.

He would like to have all the format details be finalized by Aug. 1. The plan is to make this an annual event, so changes can be made over time.

One of the reasons for the flights was that Pandeloglou, who professes to be a golfer only because he owns clubs, said he often felt out of place when playing in events where everybody competed against each other in the same flight.

If you have played in an event where the same two or three teams took the majority of prizes each year because they would shoot a combined 20 under par, and your team was at 3 under, then you can identify with Pandeloglou.

This will be a tournament where every golfer will have the opportunity to win a prize.

The event, which is part of LWRCA's 25th anniversary celebration, also is a fundraiser for LWRCA, with the proceeds going back into community events. A win-win for Lakewood Ranch residents.

"This tournament is all about connection, camaraderie, and giving back," said Danielle Bugel, the LWRCA marketing manager. 

The event will include team prizes and contests, raffles, player swag, breakfast and lunch, and two complimentary drinks. The fee is $125 per golfer. Golfers can register as a single and be paired with a team, or sign up as a foursome.

Bugel said she hopes the tournament attracts people who have shaped the community. She would love to see a Willis Smith foursome against a Polo Club foursome and an Observer foursome, for example.

The LWRBA staff is also looking for those who want to begin on the ground floor of the event as sponsors. Pandeloglou said it is his experience that sponsors who get in early on a popular event tend to remain over the years.

Those who would like to enter, sponsor the event, or find out more information, can go to LWRCA.org.

Just watch out for low flying aircraft.