Memorial Day weekend means traveling to a lot of people. Around the Miss-Lou, it also means golf is in full swing.

Today, the Lakewood Challenge will be held at Beau Pre Country Club, as Beau Pre Golf Pro Mark Powell and members of the country club will face Lakewood Golf Pro Brad White and member of his New Orleans club.

On Monday, the annual Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at Beau Pre.

Next Saturday, the Southwest Distributors Third Annual Benefit Golf Tournament will take place at Duncan Park.

The Lakewood Challenge Match is the second part of dual match. Beau Pre members went down to Lakewood earlier and defeated members of the New Orleans country club by one point.

The tournament is match play with two players to a team. One point is awarded for the front nine, another for the back nine and one more for the winner over 18 holes.

&uot;It’s basically the same people who played down there,&uot; Powell said. &uot;We adjust the handicaps a bit.&uot;

Lakewood hosted the New Orleans Open for 25 years.

&uot;It’s a great golf course and a lot of their members of friends of ours.&uot;

The Memorial Tournament has 60 players registered to date.

&uot;Anybody who wants to play needs to sign up now,&uot; Powell said.

The tournament has its customary breakfast at Beau Pre at 8 a.m., followed by the tournament play at 9 a.m.

&uot;It’s real popular with all of the members,&uot; Powell said. &uot;We have it early so everybody has time to go to the lake later.&uot;

The Southwest Distributors Tournament will benefit Pat Ratcliffe this year. Ratcliffe has lung cancer and money raised will go toward her medical bills.

Last year the tournament was for Sara Eidt.

Registration for the four-man scramble next Saturday is $50.

&uot;Anybody can sign up and we’ll put four people together,&uot; said tournament coordinator Tommy Geoghegan. &uot;The great thing is that we haven’t had a merchant turn us down. They are really great around here.&uot;

Anyone interested in signing up can call Jack Aubic at 442-3706.

Powell is also coordinating the Farm Bureau Invitational for July 14-16 in Philadelphia at Dancing Rabbit Golf Club.

The 54-hole tournament for members of the Mississippi Professional Golf Association is considered one of the top tournaments in the state. Beau Pre has bid for next year’s tournament, Powell said.

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