Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth has a rich golf history, and with that history, some great stories.
Mark Brooks grew up watching the tournament as a kid. “It was a little wilder in those days in the 70's, and since I've been playing, I haven't seen much. I've seen nothing,” he says laughing.
In 1993, Ian Baker-Finch made national head lines when he got a little breezy on the par 3, 13th.
“He took his pants off and stepped in the water to hit the ball up on the green, says Dorthy Townes, a golf fan will never forget that day. “He did it, okay, thank you!” she says.
Baker-Finch was mobbed by members of the media when he finished his round that day. “It was down there in the water,” he said, “So I just thought I would take my pants off and play it out, and put ‘em on quick.”
Thursday was round one of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, and because it was a windy and there is water in front of the 9th green, the tendency was for golfers to hit the ball long. The only trouble is, some of the guys hit their shots way too long.
“I hit a perfect shot, and caught a flyer and two hits, hits the concrete and I’m over the world,” said 1987 Colonial Champion Keith Clearwater.
Clearwater ended up on the number one tee box, in the shrubs. After a quick drop by the putting green and he was on his way. But being spectator, got a dicey.
Jack Townes, said he could have used a hard hat. “I need one badly, but I'm with a hard head over there,” he said.
Dudley Hart, who shot a 3-under par 67, found his second shot on the sidewalk on the way the clubhouse.
“Well we hit it on the cart path quite a bit,” says Hart. “You'd be surprised.”
Which is fine, unless your sitting behind the green.
“That was quite a miss there,” says golf fan Tom Murphy. ”Those fans standing there, they don't know how dangers it is.”
Actually it wasn’t that dangers, just a little breezy.
