Columnist Peter Benton: College gets a surprise gift from golfing grad

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2004 | 9:02 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Over the years, I have been critical of many successful PGA touring professionals, likening them to a bunch of spoiled, rich, demanding and unappreciative prima donnas.

Naturally, and thankfully, they aren't all like that, but you can all but guarantee that many of those brought up in country club atmospheres and never, ever wanting for a thing will invariably be "blessed" with that horrid superior and snobbish attitude.

Guys of blue-collar parents, who have had to work for everything, are for the most part an entirely different kettle of fish. They appear to be far more down to earth, truly appreciate whatever success they might have obtained, and are generally very friendly and approachable.

As a case in point, or to give credence to my observations, Champions Tour player Allen Doyle donated $1.1 million to his alma mater, Norwich University in Vermont.

Doyle, who attended a Norwich charity golf tournament a couple of weeks ago, thrilled everyone in attendance with his unexpected and surprising donation.

"First of all, whoever thought that I would be in a position to do something like that?" Doyle told the Boston Globe.

"I never had much money, so I never thought about it. But there are people in life who have money and count it, and then there are people in life who have money and use it for good purposes. I am not a counter of money."

Doyle is a member of the Norwich Sports Hall of Fame as a hocker player, and in 2001 when he won the first PGA Seniors Charles Schwab Cup competition, he donated his $1 million annuity to charity.

That's my kind of guy.

A perfect down-the-middle drive followed by an equally well-struck 2-iron on the 546-yard, par-5, sixth hole on his home course put Silva in the record book. He joins fellow pro and co-worker, Carl Seelman, who coincidentally double-eagled that same hole last year, via a driver and 3-wood.

Although only one round of golf was played, that being at the Las Ramblas golf course in Alicante, Spain, thought you might like to know that golf over there is not by any means inexpensive.

At the above layout it was 65 euros for the green fees and another 35 for the cart -- this being a reduced mid-day rate. That worked out to approximately $128 U.S. for the round on an average muni-type course.

It should be pointed out that service was virtually non-existent, as once the green fees were paid you were issued a score card, a key for the cart, and you were then on your own.

Carts, it appeared, were cleaned once weekly (ours must have been due for that service the day after we played). There was no such thing as a wet or dry towel -- heaven forbid if you asked for tees as those little rascals were about two cents apiece. And water to drink during the hottest part of the day? Forget it. Bottled water, however, was available at a very hefty price.

Although the picture being painted here may not appear too flattering, I am pleased to have played and enjoyed the experience.

I'll tell you what, though -- from now on I will be far more appreciative of the amenities and service we all invariably take for granted at our local layouts.