AUBURN – Windham native Shawn Warren was one of those people who wondered why a touring pro would need to take time off from playing golf. Now that he’s touring himself, he understands.

“In past years, I’ve made a schedule [that was full of tournaments],” he said. He played every chance he could get. But he would get tired as he continued to try to play hard every time.

“I don’t like to go half-ass at it,” he said.

He has learned, though.

“Now I put together a schedule so I can play like I should,” Warren said.

“Sometimes you have to play because of the schedule, but then you have to take advantage of the open times,” he added.

After winning the Hollywood Slots Greater Bangor Open, Warren played a couple of events, then took three days off without touching a club.

“When you take time off, you get your mind some rest,” he said. “Anytime you get some time off, then you look forward to playing.”

And it’s not usually the tournament play that’s the problem.

“When I played on the Hooters Tour, those times I’d get tired of the travel,” said Warren. “That’s when it felt like work.”

An event like the Maine Open is different.

“When I’m around friends and family, it’s more like fun,” he said with a smile.

Girl Scouts receive grant

Girl Scouts of Maine has received a matching grant of $1,250 from the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf to benefit the Girls Golf Program of Bangor. The program, held each year at Hermon Meadow Golf Club, is designed to encourage girls to learn a sport which provides them a lifelong physical and social activity. It can also lead to opportunities to play on high school and college golf teams.

The grant will be used to expand the program, according to a press release from Girl Scouts of Maine, and make financial assistance available for girls. It also provides money for equipment and professional instruction and allows registration fees to be kept low.

Thea Davis, golf pro at Hermon Meadow, has been one of the main instructors for the program, along with Martha White and Lori Frost. White is a 13-time winner of the WMSGA Championship and Frost is a pro at Penobscot Valley Country Club in Orono. Anyone who would like to support the program or get more infiormation can contact Samantha Lott at 989-7474, at 1-888-922-4763 or at slott@gsmaine.org.

dbarber@bangordailynews.net

990-8170