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Moving Memories 05/19/2005

Publication: The Birmingham News
Author: Mike Perrin

The Bruno's Memorial Classic moves next year across town, leaving 14 years of memories for those most closely connected to the Champions Tour golf tournament that was born and thrived at Greystone Golf & Country Club.

Although negotiations are not yet complete, the event rated by golfers as No.1 on the Champions Tour will be held next year at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. The Ross Bridge course is a public golf course expected to open this summer and is the latest addition to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

"We think it's a great fit to combine the largest professional golf tournament in the state with the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which has meant so much to golf in the state," said Gene Hallman, Bruno's tournament executive director. "It's a partnership that makes a lot of sense on many levels.

"We're down to the final details in terms of working out the agreement. We don't anticipate any problems."

Birmingham golfer Hubert Green has seen Ross Bridge and brings a unique perspective to the Bruno's as a former champion and the co-designer of Greystone.

"It's got a great hotel site, beautiful hotel and skyboxes out there," he said. "The holes kind of go out back and forth so it's not a hard walk for the gallery."

He will miss Greystone, of course.

"Greystone has been special for all the tour players because we have such a big gallery out here. Hopefully, we'll have big galleries out there (Ross Bridge). When you come down the road here on 280, everybody's got signs out and it makes it more like an event."

Hale Irwin, who set the Bruno's scoring record when he won in 2001, also praised the success the tour has had at Greystone.

"Greystone has been a wonderful host for us," he said. "It's proven to be an exciting venue. People who have witnessed some sadness for me, but I look forward to the new facility as well."

'Terrific Opportunity' Champions Tour rules official Joe Terry gave the Ross Bridge course high marks.

"I think it's terrific," he said of the course that reaches past 8,000 yards from the tips. "Our challenge will be what tees to play from to make it competitive. There are so many choices.

"The golf course itself offers a terrific opportunity for marketing, for spectators and staging."

Hallman was excited about the resort amenities that Ross Bridge brings. "The ability to have our players stay on site is extremely appealing," he said. "To have our players able to roll out of bed and walk to the first tee....The resort and spa aspects are nice, also.

"We remain in the city of Hoover, which is very important to us because they have been great partners for the first 14 years."

Economic realities forced the move, Hallman said.

"Despite the fact that the membership and the residents have been very supportive, we've simply run out of room. The lots that have been held off the market for 14 years for us to stage the golf tournament must be sold. It's an economic reality. We're not leaving for any other reason that.

"We just happen to be very fortunate that a first-class resort is being built in the same city that is tournament-friendly and receptive to hosting the event."

Bruno's 1994 champion Jim Dent said leaving Greystone is like leaving home.

"I've played here for a number of years and everything is so beautiful. I know we all hate to see it go. I hate to leave; this has been my baby. I love this golf course.

"It's like an old-fashioned golf course. You see everything right in front of you. You don't have any blind shots. You get to learn the golf course and enjoy it. It's just a beautiful place to play."

Tournament-ready

The tournament's new home in the Shannon area of Hoover is ready for golf now, although there is still work to do for the development to catch up to the course.

"The course is playable now, but it's not open simply because the infrastructure surrounding it is not ready," Hallman said. "It's not as if we're out there sodding grass today. The course has been playable for a while now. It will have matured and the grass will have knitted (by next year)."

While it's too early for all the logistics of hosting a tournament to be in place, Hallman said Ross Bridge will offer plenty of room for parking and convenient access for the public.

"There is plenty of land surrounding Ross Bridge. It's a relatively undeveloped area. From that sense, we're moving from a congested area of Hoover to a relatively undeveloped area. We don't have all the logistical details worked out, but we're not concerned about parking. There's plenty of land out there to make that work.

"You're 10 minutes from the Hoover Met," Hallman said. "Highway 150 will be the primary access, but it's less than 15 minutes from the Galleria, which is the heart of Hoover."

Another plus for the move, Hallman said, will be the pub licity the Champions Tour can bring to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, which is owned by the Retirement Systems of Alabama.

"The Trail, frankly, could utilize the national exposure of the event moreso than Greystone, a private club," he said. "The event being broadcast or written about in the state of Washington doesn't do anything for Greystone, but it potentially could do something positive for Ross Bridge."