SML Lions honor Willard for golf tournament contributions

ELIZABETH HOCK | Laker Weekly

Among those attending the SML Lions Club meeting where Ron Willard, president of The Willard Companies and owner of The Waterfront Golf and Country Club, was honored were (from left) John Reburn, Haley Memorial Junior Golf Tournament organizer; Willard; Ron Jamison, Haley Tournament operations manager; and club President Larry Iceman.

The Andrew Haley Memorial Junior Golf Tournament held each summer at Smith Mountain Lake makes a lot of money for charity and takes a good bit of work by members of the sponsoring Smith Mountain Lake Lions Club. But, it would raise less money and require more volunteer hours were it not for one of its honorary members.

Ron Willard, SML developer and president of The Willard Companies, for 19 years has donated the use of the golf course at The Waterfront Country Club, one of three clubs he owns, for the tournament.

For his continuing support and for the contributions he has made to the lake community, Willard was honored at the SML Lions Club's Jan. 28 meeting at The Waterfront. He was presented with a 25-year SML Lions Club honorary membership pin by District 24-E Gov. Don Rhinehart and with a plaque by SML Lions President Larry Iceman.

The two-day Haley Tournament, also played at Mariners Landing in Huddleston, is the club's major fundraising event and helps support its community service projects. It was established in 1991 to honor the memory of Haley, a 24-year-old golfer who died in a car wreck, and played at Mariners Landing. That same year, the first SML Lions Junior Open was held at The Waterfront. The two tournaments later merged into an event that has become one of the most prestigious tournaments in southwestern Virginia.

An avid golfer who said he plays about three times a week during the season, Willard did not take up the sport until he was 30. But that hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for the game.

"Golf builds character," said Willard, who was the first to develop a golf course -- The Waterfront -- at the lake. "You can play by yourself or [as a member of] a team."

Golf is a game that can be enjoyed at any age, he added. His son, Ron Willard II, played golf at Elon University in North Carolina.

The Waterfront was the site of the Virginia High School League's 2009 AAA golf tournament, and the course was well-received, said Willard.

Because it is played on a challenging, well-maintained course and because it has the feel of a big-time event, the Haley is able to attract some of the best young talent within a 100-mile radius of Smith Mountain Lake, Iceman said.

It averages about 100 entries, more than half in the 16-18 age bracket, and takes more than 60 volunteers to run. It is good for business at the lake, Willard said, because parents and relatives of those playing in the tournament often return for visits or to relocate.

Past winners include area golfers Matt Chandler, Mitch Chandler, David Hudgins and Lee Jamison.

The Haley Tournament helps finance a number of Lions' projects, including a college scholarship program for Franklin County High School seniors; eye exams and eyeglasses for those unable to afford them; Camp Too Sweet for children with diabetes; and local food pantries/soup kitchens. But the event is about more than money, said Willard.

"It's not always about how much money you raise, but about the kids and parents you touch."

The 20th annual SML Lions/Andrew Haley Memorial Junior Golf Tournament, 36 holes of stroke play for amateur golfers 18 and under, will begin July 12 at Mariners Landing and will conclude July 13 at The Waterfront. It awards more than $3,000 in prizes in addition to two scholarships to two participants in the 16-18 age group. For more information, contact tournament chairman John Reburn at 721-3241 or jwreburn@yahoo.com. Deadline for entries is June 11.