Wind makes course 'level' for all players

By Russell Sellers, Army Flier StaffApril 8, 2011

Wind makes course 'level' for all players
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT RUCKER, Ala. -- Maintaining straight shots is challenging in windy conditions, even for experienced golfers.

And that's exactly what happened April 1, according to this year's Army Aviation Association of America Golf Tournament winners.

The 1st Aviation Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company command team, Col. Ken Biland, Command Sgt. Maj. Roger Kingston, Majs. Scott Johnson and Mike Sines, posted a winning score of 51 at Silver Wings Golf Course.

While the day started off like a normal day of golf for the team, it became more and more challenging as time went on and the winds picked up.

"The winds really put us all on a level playing field," Kingston said. "Still, the greens were better than I've ever seen them at Silver Wings."

Other than the wind, the team encountered other unexpected challenges on the course.

"The par-3s were not our friends today," Kingston said. "We didn't birdie a single one."

Challenges aside, the team managed to pull out some impressive shots that everyone was pleased with, Kingston said.

"Getting eagles on the par-5s were our best playing moments," he said.

The four-man team, charity tournament experienced its highest attendance ever at Fort Rucker, with 228 players comprising 57 teams.

"This is a great event that continues to grow each year," said Bob Carter, AAAA Fort Rucker president. "The good part about all this is that all the money raised by the sponsors goes back to help Soldiers and their Families."

Sponsors raised more than $36,000 for AAAA during this year's tournament, Carter said. All money raised by the tournament goes toward scholarships for Soldiers' Family members.

Biland said the organization represents a worthy cause and is something he was happy to be part of.

"It was a beautiful day and it's always nice to support what AAAA is trying to accomplish with the tournament," he said. "We enjoy a day of golf and get to contribute to the scholarship fund, which makes everyone feel good because we're taking care of our youth."

Last year, AAAA awarded 30 scholarships through money raised by charity events, according to Denise Aylesworth, golf tournament coordinator.

"The money raised through this tournament is used only for Army Aviation Soldiers and their Families," she said. "The scholarships are so helpful because school can be really expensive. (The scholarships) are available to military children, but also for Soldiers who might have gone on active-duty and had their school work interrupted."

For more information on this and future AAAA tournaments, call 300-6321 or e-mail fortruckergolf@gmail.com.