Among those heaving the deepest sighs of relief when Hurricane Gustav proved no more than an annoyance to Southeast Texas were the owners of area golf courses who absorbed a destructive beating from Hurricane Rita three years ago.

Instead of returning from a mandatory evacuation to face massive clean-up projects, golf was being played at Belle Oaks, Babe Zaharias and The Patch on Tuesday. The Palms at Pleasure Island and Bayou Din are expected to reopen on Wednesday.

“I just knew we were going to be out there picking up hundreds of trees again,” said Belle Oaks owner Jerry Braxton, who had 538 trees littering his layout following Rita’s wrath. “I don’t think we could have stood the cost of another major cleanup.

“It hurt to lose the revenue from Labor Day weekend, but I’m certainly not going to complain. We were blessed to have been spared any damage.”

On what would have been a good holiday weekend for golf, most courses shut down by late Saturday afternoon. The first to re-open was The Patch, which actually had a dozen or so rounds played on Monday.

“I made it available to first responders sort of as a stress reliever,” said course owner and Groves mayor Brad Bailey.

There was one tournament casualty as a result of the threat from Gustav. Bayou Din head pro Clint Martin postponed the Bayou Din Charity Classic set for this weekend as part of the club’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The new date for the event benefiting the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital is May 2-3 of 2009.

“It is my experience with golf tournaments that it is better to make a decision early rather than risk having a mediocre event,” Martin said, after announcing the change last Friday. “I am committed to making this one of the premier golf tournaments in Southeast Texas for all parties involved.”

CHIP SHOTS: The team of Tom Lawton, Harry Green, Dennis Shaw and David Gosnell finished 19&7 to win the Babe Zaharias DogFight. Placing second at 18&5 was the tam of Jim Jordan, Fred Whittaker, Jerry May and Tom Stafford. Closest to the pin winners were Lonnie Guidry (No. 2), Larry Voight (No. 7), Mark Petry (No. 12) and Cecil Bourgeois (No. 15) . . . The Babe Zaharias Seniors was played in a Florida Scramble format. Winning team at minus 10 was composed of Frank Jackson, Art Spencer and Ken Fabre. There was a three-way tie for second at minus seven. Included was the team of Art Lecoq, Jim Malcolm, L.J. Hardy and Leo Bacon; the team of Roy Martinez, John Culbertson, Paul Bourgeois and Bernie Johnson and the team of Mike Hess, Don Rowland, Sheldon Arnaud and Dwain Taylor. Closest to the pin winners were Sheldon Arnaud (No. 2), Red Brown (No. 7) and Tommy Trahan (No. 15) . . . Ben Fuller carded a net 70 to win the Friday Seniors at Belle Oaks. Bill Taylor and Bob Bunyard tied for second at 72. Barry Jackson (No. 8) and Norm Shannon (No. 15) were closest to the pin winners . . . The Belle Oaks DogFight was won at 19&8 by the team of Richard Briggs, Tom Lawton, Gary Fonteno and Ashley Choate. Second at 18&5 went to the team of Mitch Priddy, Dave English, Gene Harrison, Billy Mack and Ricky Choate. Finishing third at 16&5 was the team of Hilario Padia, Bill Hanley, Jobe Irvine and Steven Richards. Closest to the pin winners were Ashley Choate (No. 8) and Richard Briggs (No. 15).

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