Downtown golf no longer a dream

January was about as mild a winter month as you could ask for. Golfers took advantage of the situation, being limited only by the shorter daylight shifts as the planet began teetering the other direction.

Golfers eager for spring weather were handed an extreme dose earlier this month. While tornadoes, hail, lightning and crashing tree limbs do not lure anyone to a golf course, severe storms do have a way of igniting a golfer's brain much like the smells of frying chicken, baking yeast rolls and brewing coffee make you think you're starving.

But thoughts of the first-ever Louis J. Lorimier Memorial World Famous Downtown Golf Tournament stretch all the way back at least to early December when Charlie Herbst sent me an e-mail with his idea for making the downtown golf course -- a dream of mine and, I will quickly note, many of you for more than 10 years -- a reality.

Charlie Herbst is no slacker. Once he has a good idea he won't let go. Naturally, anything that promotes downtown golfing is OK by me, and I welcomed Charlie's enthusiasm and willingness to ramrod the above-mentioned first-ever tournament.

Like most charity tournaments, it is the aim of the LJLMWFDGT, scheduled for the afternoon of June 25, to raise money for a good cause. Once again, Charlie had a good idea: the Red House Interpretive Center. It didn't take long to figure out that the Red House would make a swell all-you-can-eat catfish buffet, which -- as those of you who have been keeping track of downtown golf developments all these years can appreciate -- is as much of the LJLMWFDGT as a putter. Without fried catfish after a well-played round, what is downtown golf, really?

The Red House folks readily bought the whole idea of the first-ever LJLMWFDGT. Jane Jackson and the Red House board agreed that downtown golf is exactly the kind of fun event that will bring people downtown for the sole purpose of having a good time.

Next thing you know, Chuck Martin at the Convention and Visitors Bureau (and a Red House board member) is coming up with some great ideas, including the layout of the downtown golf course that will include a hole through the CVB building at the corner of Broadway and Main Street. Can golf get any better than that?

Parks director Dan Muser and parks division manager Brock Davis are finding ways to help prepare for the big June 25 event. And Police Chief Carl Kinnison is taking care of the safety issues you might expect when golfers start whizzing golf balls along city streets.

Cape Girardeau artist Don Greenwood is working on an official logo for the tournament.

So you can see that Charlie Herbst's idea has grown legs and is starting to run. Isn't it great how good ideas do that?

Charlie has done considerable research on downtown golf. As it turns out, we're not inventing this concept. Some towns in England already have successful downtown golf tournaments.

And, yes, there are special balls that are used for downtown golf. Business owners need not worry about their acres of plate glass. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

There are going to be gobs of details in the days ahead, and we'll make sure you get all of them. For now, set aside June 25. Start collecting your pocket change until you have enough for the $25 entry fee. Remember, it's for a good cause. Put together a team if you want.

Most of all, plan to be a part of history. First-ever golf tournaments are only held once, you know.

R. Joe Sullivan is the editor of the Southeast Missourian.