The hooting and hollering

To the editor:

On the afternoon of June 25, eighty golfers arrived at the Common Pleas Courthouse Park anxiously waiting for the town crier's bell to ring, signifying it was time to tee off the First Annual Louis J. Lorimier World-Famous Downtown Golf Tournament and All You Can Eat Catfish Buffet. You had to be there to truly experience the anticipation of the players and to see their reaction when given their official tournament ball.

It was a great moment to stand on the courthouse lawn and watch everyone scurry off to their assigned starting point along the course. The "hoots and hollers" could be heard across the downtown area as the golfers guided their BirdieBall along the terraces of the courthouse lawn, down an alley and sometimes on a building. Each hole was unique in its own way as the golfers made their way from the courthouse lawn to the Red House Interpretive Center.

We would like to thank everyone that made the First Annual Louis J. Lorimier World Famous Downtown Golf Tournament and All You Can Eat Catfish Buffet a huge success: Southeast Missourian, Horizon Screen Printing, www.birdieball.com, Port Cape Restaurant, Karpet Korner, Arena Golf, Tim Roth, Red House volunteers, Illustrious Jack's Custard, and the city of Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation.

What started as an anecdotal topic in a newspaper column 10 years ago became a landmark event. See you next year.

JANE JACKSON, SAM BLACKWELL, DON GREENWOOD,

JOE SULLIVAN, CHARLIE HERBST