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Kebo Valley Golf Club in Bar Harbor has returned as a venue for the Whited Ford Paul Bunyan Amateur Golf Tournament, one of three changes tournament director Skip Chappelle has worked out in order to rebuild declining participation in the longtime event.
“We’re trying to maintain it, hold on so it doesn’t disappear,” said Chappelle.
Also, the dates for the three-day event have moved up a week, away from the traditional Father’s Day weekend, and Whited Ford is providing a complimentary entry fee to one club champion from each of the clubs that are members of the Maine State Golf Association.
“The big one is the course change,” said Chappelle. “I’ve been working on that for some time.”
Kebo Valley is one of the oldest golf courses in the country, and its character and challenging layout have made it a popular venue.
The 41st Bunyan will be held June 10-12 at Kebo, Rockland Golf Club, and Bangor Municipal Golf Course.
The tournament numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years.
“When they [Kebo] left [after the 2000 tournament], we had over 400 players,” said Chappelle, who has been directing the tournament for 14 years.
The field dropped to 320 in 2003 and 265 last year.
“I’m awfully anxious to find out how this goes when Kebo comes back,” said Chappelle.
The tournament’s drop in players reflects a similar trend nationally, according to Chappelle.
“I’d like to see where this is going – still sliding, staying level, or even a slight uptick,” said Chappelle.
Peter Webb, vice president of Whited Ford, which is in its third year of sponsoring the Bunyan, thinks the changes are positive.
“[They] should bring [the participation] back, I think,” said Webb. “I’m enthusiastic. We’re ready to go.”
He was surprised, however, at the speed of the changes.
“You’ve got to give him credit,” said Webb. “He listened to the people. And he made the changes all in the same year, not over a number of years.”
Chappelle has been discussing returning to Kebo for two years with members of the club’s tournament committee. About two months ago, the board OK’d the proposal.
One of the first calls he received after he signed Kebo was from the pro at Bar Harbor Golf Course in Trenton, which had been the third course for the last four years.
“I got a great call from Charlie Crowley,” said Chappelle. “He said, ‘It should help attendance. Keep us in mind in the future.’ They’ve been terrific at Bar Harbor Golf Course.”
For now, Kebo’s addition is a one-year deal, but that’s the same with all of the clubs.
“It’s year-to-year,” said Chappelle. “There’s no contract as such. It’s just that Bangor and Rockland have always wanted to be part of it.”
The date change could be significant because there will be a couple of conflicts with the MSGA tournament schedule.
Typically, the MSGA does not schedule a weekly event in the Central Division the same weekend as the Bunyan. This year, though, the MSGA schedule was set a while ago and Northeast Harbor Golf Club will host a tourney on June 11. Also, the MSGA’s Father-Son tournament is scheduled for June 12 at Natanis Golf Course in Vassalboro.
Romeo Laberge, MSGA tournament director, doesn’t think the change will have a large impact on his events.
“It should only affect Central Division players,” he said.
If anything, said Laberge, “It might bring some more guys from the south [to the Bunyan].”
The entry fee for the Bunyan is the same as last year, $84, and the entry form will first be printed in the Bangor Daily News on April 9 and can also be printed from the tourney Web site, www.paulbunyangolf.com.
In addition to the club champs, Whited is still offering a complimentary entry fee to all military personnel who have been deployed within the last two years and have played in a past Bunyan tournament.
“No matter how you cut it, it’s still the best deal in America,” said Chappelle.
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