CHIP SHOTS
James Reid passes at 63 James Reid, 63, of Edmond, a 10-time Oklahoma Golf Association champion and significant figure in the state’s golf community, died March 28 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Reid was a long-time member of the Oklahoma City Golf Commission and also ran Golf Inc. in Oklahoma City, which raised money for scholarships for young golfers through a series of amateur events. A lawyer who competed in top amateur events throughout the country, Reid was known for having a mastery of chipping and putting as well as accurate driving and iron play. Reid won the OGA Four-Ball Championship with Mike Hughett in 2000, ‘04 and ‘06 and the two remained friends through the years, with Hughett visiting Reid recently. “He was 100 percent convinced he had the cancer beat, but took a turn for the worse last fall,” Hughett said. “I was excited for him, but unfortunately with cancer it can be gone one day and then come back relentlessly the next. He was helpful to me in my
son’s battle with brain cancer. “ Former Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett, who appointed Reid to the golf commission, said he appreciated his work on behalf of the courses and the golfers in OKC. “James was also a really good player and you could see when you watched him play why he could take his game to any course in the country,” Cornett said. “His ball went perfectly straight and had a really good short game. He was not a long hitter and had and one of the slower club head speeds of any of the top players in the state, but he could hit it straight.” Reid won the OGA MidAmateur twice, the OGA Senior Four-Ball three times with Jon Valuck of Oklahoma City and won the OGA Senior Stroke Play Championship in 2013 at Dornick Hills CC in Ardmore and 2014 at The Trails Golf Club in Norman. “When you think about James, you think about his incredible short game,” said OGA Executive Director Mark Felder. “He was just a great chipper and putter. He could save more shots around the green than just about anyone I’ve seen.”
Tour Quality to open The Sheridan Club Tour Quality, the custom fitting specialists that have been building a loyal following among golfers in Broken Arrow for years, is moving up. Owner Ross MacDonald is shifting his operation to the former Edwin Watts store at 6006 S. Sheridan Road in Tulsa. The new operation will include five Trackman bays offering swing analysis and simulator games, and golfers who become members will have 24-hour access to what is being called The Sheridan Club at Tour Quality Golf. Normal business hours for those seeking the expertise of McDonald and his staff are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. MacDonald started Tour Quality out of his parents’ three-car garage and has been working hard for 10 years to build a clientele based on his passion for all things concerning golf equipment. He sells clubs from the major manufacturers, plus a variety of shafts and specializes in custom club fitting and refinishing. The new store will have a 650-square foot practice area and a putting green. “If you have to be at work at 6 in the morning and you’re up early and want to play 18 holes, come on in,” MacDonald said. “It will be just like an indoor country club with memberships that have 24-hour access.”
Jeremy Dobson honored At least 400 friends, family, co-workers, club members and fellow superintendents and industry leaders gathered at The Patriot Golf Club in Owasso to celebrate the life of Jeremy Dobson, the club’s director of agronomy who lost his life in an auto accident Feb. 21 near Jacksonville, Fla., while returning from watching the Daytona 500 auto race. 82
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