60th annual Belle Haven Four-Ball kicks off season
Over the last two decades, a wave of renovation rolled across the Washington-area country club landscape, separating those who did from those who didn’t.
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Perhaps the most startling improvements came at Alexandria’s Belle Haven, where designer Arthur Hills resuscitated a tired course, and in the process, helped restore some luster to the Belle Haven Four-Ball.
Now in its 60th year, the tournament is the kickoff event for the top amateurs in the Washington area. It runs Friday-Sunday with three rounds of best-ball stroke play for teams of two.
“It’s always been a great event, something guys around here look forward to all winter,” said Pat Tallent, a member at Congressional, who has won five Four-Ball titles. “The course changes kind of upped the ante a little bit.”
The tournament draws former professional players, such as Chris Reeves, a longtime Belle Haven member, who teamed with Tallent to win in 2007. Last year the duo finished a stroke behind Scott Inman (Springfield CC) and Tom Offutt (Washington Golf and CC). It was the third title for Inman since 1996, all with different partners.
The team to beat in the Senior Division is Marty West (Columbia CC) and Gil Fitzhugh (St. James Plantation). The duo waltzed to a seven-stroke victory last year, their sixth senior title in 10 years and eighth overall in the Four-Ball.
Another threat is former PGA Tour player Mike Muehr, who will team with fellow Lowes Island member Bill Musto. Muehr, now a local sports agent, regained his amateur status less than two years ago after battling melanoma.
Towson stops Bethesda » Bidding for its first Maryland State Golf Association Team title since 1986, Bethesda made charmed run to the finals Sunday, but fell to Towson in a playoff, losing 9.5-9.
In its first appearance in the finals in the 79-year-old event, Towson won as pro Chris Baloga made an eight-foot birdie putt on the first green at Bethesda. Ted Pogoreic, pro at the host club, had just made a 15-footer for par.
Bethesda was bidding to win another heart-stopper after winning three previous matches — over Columbia (semifinals), Manor, and University of Maryland — all by one point each.
Rusty Pies was a standout throughout the month-long tournament for Bethesda, which also got strong play from Mike Liapis, Jim Vito, Lou Rubino, Tim Kane, and three holdovers from the 1986 Bethesda team that won the MSGA title — Ed Offterdinger, Matt Sughrue, and David Hughes.
