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It's year two of the "Battle on the Bend," and UL golf coach Bob Bass is hoping for a successful follow-up to last year's inaugural event.
But Bass and the organizers for the event, scheduled Saturday-Tuesday at the stunning Cypress Bend Resort on the banks of Toledo Bend, will have to go a long way to improve on the first year.
"For a first-time event, it went very well," Bass said of last year's tournament. "We got a lot of complimentary letters back from teams that were there, and the folks at Cypress Bend said they had a lot of people come back after they got a chance to see what was available there."
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The collegiate tournament will have a 12-team field at the Cypress Bend course, but it is more than your average college event.
"It's neat that we're doing something that's pretty unique in college golf," Bass said. "We're using a college tournament as a promotion for an area. We had a lot of success with that last year."
A lot of people didn't know that Cypress Bend existed before last year's tournament, which exposed the resort and its course to a new and different audience. Since then, word has spread.
The field is limited to teams from the two states that border Toledo Bend, with Texas represented by Baylor, North Texas, Texas-San Antonio, Texas-Pan American, Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Texas State. In addition to the host Cajuns, the Louisiana delegation includes defending champion New Orleans, Centenary, McNeese State and Nicholls State.
Most of the field returns form last year's event - that in itself a testament to the tournament's attraction - with Baylor, North Texas and UTSA the newcomers to the field.
"The time of year it falls, it's great for most teams," Bass said. "This is the last tournament for the fall season for most of the teams, and with the format the coaches can work with their players in the afternoon if the players need it. That's something we don't get to do at other tournaments."
The format of most college events is a late-afternoon practice round and/or a college-am event on the first day, two 18-hole rounds on the second day and a final 18 holes on the third day. The "Battle on the Bend" stretches over four days with an opening practice round and three 18-hole days.
The course itself measures only 6,739 yards, but 10 holes run on the banks of Toledo Bend and most fairways are lined with thick hardwood forests. The resort itself, including the hotel area where teams will house, runs adjacent to the 18th fairway.
"It's a great place for a tournament like this," Bass said. "You park your car and never get back in it until you're ready to leave. The course is right there, the practice facilities are right there and the 18-hole format each day is a lot more popular with teams. The NCAA is looking at making that a standard instead of the 36-hole day."
Major sponsors of the event are the Sabine River Authority and the Toledo Bend Tourist Commission, along with a large number of local volunteers.
"They're all interested in putting on a good tournament and doing the extra things that aren't part of most tournaments," Bass said. "We're going to have several other activities going on. It's a chance to show Cypress Bend off, which is what people there really want this to do. They have been very supportive because the tournament is exposing a lot of people to the resort and to Toledo Bend."
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