This week has been busy here at the Brickyard despite the rain and cool temperatures.
Short blog this week due to activities here at the course, but the main thing is to tell you about a few happenings.
First, Indianapolis 500 veteran PJ Jones, son of 1963 “500” winner Parnelli Jones, got to town this week looking for a ride in the Indy 500. PJ, who loves to play golf, had a hole-in-one Monday on our 14th hole. His first ace ever. The strange thing is, it was on a par-4. That’s right, a 305-yard par-4 in what I would say soft conditions. It has rained here about every other day. If my memory is right, that is the second hole-in-one on that particular hole here at the Brickyard.
This next week is a big week for us here as we have events going on every day leading up the greatest race in world, the Indy 500.
In the middle of the week on Wednesday, May 21, we have a tournament called The Rollie presented by Tommy Bahama Rum. The Rollie is a tournament named after my father, who was the golf professional here for 39 years. He retired in May 2006. The Speedway and the Hulman-George family decided to name the old race drivers’ golf tournament after him that he helped start back in the late 60s.
Rollie now spends his winters in Florida and his summers here in Indy. It is a great, fun event in which a lot of the retired drivers still participate and now many of the active drivers. Scheduled to play are Parnelli Jones, Bobby Rahal, Graham Rahal, A.J. Foyt IV, Darren Manning, Tomas Scheckter, Roger Yasukawa, Mario Dominguez, Lloyd Ruby, Jerry Sneva, Al Unser Jr., Davey Hamilton, Bill Vukovich Jr. and Chris Festa. There also will be media personalities in attendance.
This tournament has a lot of tradition and a lot of good old stories. Some can be told, and some can’t!
We will report next week on The Rollie presented by Tommy Bahama Rum and the “Chicken Bone Open.”
Lastly, I want to give a shout-out and good-luck wishes to the University of Indianapolis Greyhounds, whose golf team is currently in second place in the NCAA Division II golf championships.