May is in full swing here at the Brickyard. The first weekend of qualifying is over, and congrats to the Penske organization for winning the prestigious pole for the Indianapolis 500 set to run May 24.
The Players Championship finished last week. Pretty shocking that Tiger did not win. As a matter of fact, Tiger never threatened as he got off to a bad start and never recovered.
Tiger was interviewed after the round and explained how he was hitting these “high right spinners,” which means there is something new in the swing that isn’t working. Some people are saying the bulking up of his upper body is hurting him. I think maybe a new swing will be brought out at the U.S. Open next month. You can’t play the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black with a high slice and ankle-deep rough.
Here at the Brickyard, we have enjoyed some good golf activity although the weather has not been the greatest. But we have been getting by.
Next week is a big week leading up to the race. The big event of the week for us is the annual The Rollie golf tournament. This tournament is in honor of my father, who was the professional here for 39 years. He just rolled into town last weekend and will spend the summer here and then head south when the weather turns cool around October.
We are pleased to announce that this year’s tournament is being sponsored by IZOD. There are also a few associate sponsors that help out with food and beverage, such as Jug’s Catering and IMS Food and Beverage. The tournament couldn’t be a success without them, and a big thank you goes out to all of them.
A sad part of this month is that two of the biggest supporters and participants of The Rollie, and also when it was known as the annual Race Drivers tournament, are not with us anymore. Those two gentlemen are Jug Eckert and Lloyd Ruby.
Jug always supplied the food and drink for the after golf party and awards. Lloyd always worked behind the scenes getting other drivers to play, getting the accessory companies to donate items and basically made sure that everyone had as good as time as he did. Those two will be sadly missed.
Until next week, keep it down the middle and don’t forget the Brickyard is open during qualifications this weekend.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing
The Brickyard Crossing and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway lost a good friend this week. Lloyd Ruby passed away this week at the age of 81.
Lloyd was a good friend of my father and our family, and he would come back every May to play some golf and attend the Indy 500. Lloyd was one of the drivers who helped keep the Race Driver’s Tournament going every year with my father, Stan Benge, Parnelli Jones and Jug Eckert. The tournament is now known as “The Rollie.”
The format is a scramble, and every year it was a well-known fact that USGA rules did not apply. The rules of the tournament were known as “Ruby Rules.” Strict golf rules were not followed; it was all about having fun.
If you ever got the chance to play with Rube, it was a golfing experience you would never forget. Mulligans were abundant, and the adult beverages were a must. The tournament always was held the day after Bump Day, and the drivers who participated came to have fun after a long month of working to get into the world’s greatest race, the Indianapolis 500.
There are many stories to tell about those golf tournaments, and I am sure at this year’s tournament a lot of Lloyd Ruby stories will be told. Lloyd was a true friend of the Brickyard Crossing and an even bigger supporter of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He will be sadly missed this May by everyone here at the Brickyard.
The weather here in Indy has been good for March; we are still running our “Pay the Temp” special and are seeing a lot of new golfers here at the Brickyard. The NCAA Midwest Regional is in town this weekend, and we should pick up a few players from that. Other than basketball, right now the golf talk centers on Tiger playing this week at Bay Hill. I think he will have a good showing as he always has played well at Arnie’s tournament. After Bay Hill, everything will focus on The Masters, and will it be Phil or Tiger?
I got out last Saturday, March 21 and played here at the Brickyard with a few members, Gary Martin and Fred Hash, and Sam Foley, one of our teaching professionals. The course was in really good shape for March. Jeff Stuart and his staff did an outstanding job of getting the course ready for play.
If you have not read Jeff’s blog yet, do so and you will find out a lot of interesting facts about the maintenance of Brickyard Crossing and golf courses, in general.
I didn’t hit the ball too bad for the first time out since my disappointing play in Florida back in January. One of my goals this year is to try and practice more and play a round or two each week to keep in competitive shape as I near the 50 mark.
Remember, get out and practice a little before that first round of the year. This also is a good time to go see your local PGA Professional for a lesson. Getting a lesson early in the year can break some bad habits that you might have or even create that first time out.
Here at the Brickyard, we offer an array of programs and packages for lessons. Keep in mind that swing flaws cannot be fixed with just one lesson, so think about doing a series of lessons or – like we offer here – unlimited lessons for the season.
Jeff Schroeder
PGA Head Professional
Brickyard Crossing