Hootie event continues to grow

By BOB GILLESPIE - bgillespie@thestate.com

Dean Felber, bassist for Hootie & the Blowfish, still remembers the phone call that got the band into the college golf business.

“Puggy (Blackmon, South Carolina’s then-coach and now director of golf) was talking about us doing an event,” Felber, a golf addict along with band members Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan and Jim Sonefeld, said this week. “We were knocked out that we could do that.”

The result, The Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate, returns March 23-25 for its fourth year at the Mike Strantz-designed Bulls Bay course in Awendaw, near Mount Pleasant. The 15-team field has seven of the nation’s top 25, including defending champion Wake Forest (No. 19), No. 10 Florida, No. 11 Duke and No. 13 Auburn.

No. 21 USC, No. 15 Clemson and the College of Charleston are local favorites.

“The Hootie” kicks off with a player-am tournament Saturday and a dinner concert by the band that night. The event has raised $150,000 for the Hootie Foundation, which supports S.C. junior golf.

“It keeps growing bigger,” Felber said. “It’s as much fun or more to watch as a pro event, especially when you’ve got a team (USC) to root for.”

Admission is free. Call (843) 881-2223.

Rawls Creek opens. Last weekend’s debut was delayed 24 hours by bad weather, but the Club at Rawls Creek (ne Coldstream, 2121 Lake Murray Blvd.) is open for member and public play.

“We had so many people join at the last minute (161 members, topping a goal of 150), we had to borrow extra carts,” manager Chuck Baer said of Saturday’s opener. “We had to cancel an outing on Friday, but still had 100-plus for a members party that night.”

The course, which has 10 holes available (the final eight are scheduled to be ready in September), has been highly anticipated. Despite wet conditions and some wind damage, Baer said 150 rounds were played as of mid-week.

Response to the $750,000 restoration project has been good, Baer said. “Everyone recognizes you don’t go from being idle for two years to playing like Augusta National,” he said. “I wish we were further along, but we can’t do anything until the weather breaks.

“One comment inspired me,” Baer said. “A member on the first tee said, ‘I don’t care what condition it’s in; I’m just glad to be out here with my friends again.’”

Mike Butler is Rawls Creek’s professional. Call (803) 781-0114.

Chip shots. Columbia brothers David and Robert Dargan shot 65-68 to finish second in the S.C. Golf Association’s Partners Championship at Spring Valley CC, a shot behind Taylors’ Ken Carter and Stephen Kirven. Blythewood’s Eddie Hargett and Surfside Beach’s Sammy Truett tied Columbia’s Jarrett Grimes and Chris Mitchell for third. ... Four former Ryder Cup players — Jim Furyk, Scott Verplank, Chris DiMarco and Vaughn Taylor — and former Clemson players Jonathan Byrd, Charles Warren, Lucas Glover and D.J. Trahan have committed to the Verizon Heritage, April 17-20 at Hilton Head’s Harbour Town Links. ... Ten S.C. courses, led by Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course (No. 20, modern/1960-present), were named to Golfweek’s Best in America, which selects 100 classic (pre-1960) and 100 modern layouts a www.golfweek.com ... Greenwood’s Jimmy Self shot 78, then won the boys title in a three-way playoff in the S.C. Junior Golf Association Pee Wee Championship. Jessica Hoang of North Augusta (78) won the girls division.

Upcoming. Columbia Long Drive Contest and Super Expo/Demo Day, April 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Par Tee Driving Range, West Columbia. Call (803) 732-9311. ... Hurricane Junior Tour’s Oak Hills Open, April 19-20. Call (813) 355-4554 or go to www.hjgt.org.

Reach senior writer Bob Gillespie at (803) 771-8304.