Bing Crosby Golf Tournament – a little history lesson

Don’t forget to register for the Bing Crosby Memorial Golf Tournament,  Thursday, May 30, 2019 to be held at Riverbend Golf Course in Red Deer.

Ever wondered why it’s named for Bing Crosby?  Yes, it really is THAT Bing Crosby – legendary Crooner and Radio, Television & Hollywood Movie star.

According to inaugural tournament organizer and then Taber publisher, George Meyer, at the 1967 AGM it came up in discussion that our tournament needed a trophy. Doug Roche of the Western Catholic Reporter suggested we “go to the top” and ask a celebrity like Bing Crosby or Bob Hope, someone that was well known for enjoying a good game of golf.

George approached Bing Crosby, first,  writing a letter to ask if he would sponsor the trophy.  Surprisingly, Mr. Crosby agreed and promptly replied that if we bought it locally, and had it engraved, we could send him the bill.

An invitation was extended to Bing to attend the tournament and that first year he replied that his schedule was too tight but was certainly interested in coming at some future date.  Invitations went out each year, but as George puts it,  “before he ever found the time to join us he had gone to that great golf course in the sky”.

That trophy is still in AWNA Central Office to this day.