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Hole No. 13 at Pine Bluff Country Club has approached almost legendary status for golfers who tee it up each year in the course’s annual four-ball tournament. Over an extended weekend in early August, duffers are harassed, ridiculed and outright shamed when their play on this seemingly innocuous par-3 doesn’t meet or surpass the expectations of a surly crowd assembled on the bleachers. The metal risers serve as a stage for hecklers who may use a player’s clothes, clubs, swing, hometown, shoes, accent or haircut as ammunition for a good-natured barrage of insults.

The pressure of being watched has led to whiffs, or chunks, or shanks that have ricocheted off an adjacent maintenance shed. A few years back a pair of mouthy Texans disparaged the Arkansas Razorbacks in response to the verbal attack and, unbeknownst to them, drove off with their bags unsecured to their cart. That led to their clubs falling violently onto the path and an ensuing tip of the cap by the victims when they realized they’d been had.

Whether the 13th, a 218-yarder from the middle tees, proves a lucky stopover or not depends on the result of a player’s shot. Too many matches to mention have turned on meltdowns here, but the best way to turn a rabid crowd’s jeers to cheers is to stick one close. It’s the Arkansas version of the par-3, 16th at the FBR Open played each year in Scottsdale, Ariz., the one where Tiger Woods once hit a hole-in-one and which now is surrounded by a stadium.

I have been playing golf since I was shorter than a sand wedge at a variety of courses in all kinds of different weather and with all sorts of different people. I have played for pleasure, pride and occasionally a pittance. None of it approaches the joy and anticipation created by this event and those like it around the state. I am forever indebted to my playing partner, Kyle Stone, for asking me to join him a few years ago. He isn’t going to be named the state’s amateur of the year any time soon, but I haven’t met many golfers who understand and embrace the spirit of a four-ball more than this Pine Bluff native.

What’s a Good Four-Ball?

For those of us who love to compete, the four-ball is a tournament format where winners and losers alike live to play another day, but the rewards for the victorious are much richer. Teams are put in flights with players of similar ability (if you disregard the occasional sandbagging scoundrel).

It’s better than a scramble because you play your own ball from tee to cup. Best of all it’s a team format, which allows you to lean on your partner (literally, depending on beverage intake) when your game isn’t up to par … or up to double bogey in some cases.

With all that being said, the golf at a four-ball is usually back in the pack on the list of priorities for many of the entrants.

In fact, there’s a case to be made that the play on the course is the third most notable part of a four-ball — the first being camaraderie with the guys, many of whom you see only this one time each year, and the second being the social gatherings planned for golfers and their significant others.

Arkansas State Golf Association Executive Director Jay Fox plays in a number of four-ball events and stresses the need for perspective.

“You want to play well, but you can’t put that above the enjoyment aspect,” Fox said. “You can’t be moping around because, really, your wife or girlfriend doesn’t care. I have gone home after a round and my wife asks, ‘How’d you do?’ I tell her ‘We lost.’ She says, ‘That’s fine, now get ready so we can go to the party.’ ”

Personally I have played well and had a great time, and I’ve been beaten 4 up with 3 to go and had a great time.

The price for these events typically ranges from a couple hundred to a few hundred dollars per player, but participants get a lot of bang for their buck. In most cases the entry fee includes three rounds of golf plus a practice round and a shootout, refreshments on the course during play, early and mid-day meals and at least one and usually two or three upscale dinners for players and their dates. Most of the tournaments also have live music at the club or at private parties on Friday or Saturday night.

Pleasant Valley’s four-ball in June is renowned for its large field of 176 teams spread over 27 holes and two shotgun starts, and even more so for its culinary delights. Chris Mayes is the head pro at the course. He says they kick off Thursday with a seafood extravaganza during their pairing party and then let their chef use his creativity on Friday and Saturday night, which has led to everything from a Mediterranean feast to a Mexican fiesta.

Mayes says the club rolls all of the entry fees back into the event, which he says is a great time, but a lot of work. Staff members begin the day at 4:30 a.m. and usually are at the club until 10:30 p.m. each night.

PV’s tournament has had its share of drama, including a member making a hole-in-one on the 17th hole in a shootout, which elicited a huge roar from a gallery of a few hundred.

Mayes said, “I’m sure you could have heard the roar down Rodney Parham quite a ways.”

Another shootout led to an attempt by a player to swim to an island in the middle of a hazard on the course’s finishing holes, 16-17-18. He was chasing the result of his partner’s snap hook in an attempt to stay alive on the hole. Mayes says the player wisely gave up before attempting the shot.

Nicely Played

One of my favorite moments in my first year at Pine Bluff’s tourney came courtesy of Dr. Doug Griffin of Russellville. He was playing in a group in front of me and left behind a ball with a message disparaging me on the tee. I found it and laughed. A couple of holes later I told someone else about it and he smiled wryly telling me, “There are lots of them.” By the end of the day I had picked up around two dozen balls with messages questioning my intelligence, golfing ability and sexual preferences.

Nicely played, Doc. I consider it my “welcome-to-the-neighborhood” moment.

That night I was treated for the first time to Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funkmonster, a cover band out of Memphis that always sets the tone for a wild weekend.

Pine Bluff’s four-ball is anything but exclusive, although thanks to Matt Soto and the rest of the tournament committee the demand has grown steadily over the last few years to where there is an annual waiting list now.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Red Apple Inn’s Four-Ball, which is an invitation only affair for around 60 teams that attracts a who’s who of players with golf and political stroke in the state. This event also raises money for the Cleburne Health Foundation, benefiting uninsured Arkansans.

The most notable player in this event is none other than Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, who’s played in the majority of the tournaments over the past 25 years. With all these legislators you may expect a stuffy crowd, but according to the club’s head golf pro, Trey Miller, many of the event’s highlights come from singing, not swinging. A Friday night party featuring karaoke has produced some notable performances. Miller says the governor even takes his turn at the microphone each year. I can say from watching him sing at our annual Buzz Celebrity Karaoke event that the big man can carry a tune. I am told he could eat my lunch on the course as well.

Those who haven’t played in Pine Bluff may be surprised at how enamored I am with the event. It’s a community that doesn’t get a lot of positive publicity, but I have learned from my annual trek that PBCC has a lot of character with beautiful old trees and a wonderful design by architect Joe Finger, who also designed Pleasant Valley. More important, though, is the character of head golf professional Cary Maddox, chef Jamie McAfee and the rest of the staff and members who go the extra mile to make sure everyone has the time of their lives. Of course, we can’t forget the laundry list of characters that come in from around the state and region who set this event apart from many of its counterparts.

Big Field, Small Surroundings

Another Natural State community that may not be synonymous with golf, but boasts a four-ball in high demand is … wait for it … Jackson County’s Newport Country Club. Jackson County is probably better known for its famous natives from the world of music (Sonny Burgess), politics (the aforementioned Mike Beebe), acting (Mary Steenbergen) and athletes-turned-broadcasters (George Kell), but this tournament hasn’t escaped the attention of the 200 participants from eight different states.

What the Newport course lacks in length (5,769 yards from the back tees), it makes up for in the length of its waiting list. That happens when you boast one of the state’s oldest four-ball tournaments. This year will be the 52nd edition and many of the teams have been together for more than 35 years.

Committee member Randy Ramsey says this year they sold out in a week. “We sent out invitations Jan. 4 and had 100 paid teams by Jan. 11,” Ramsey says. According to Kim Backus, who has played in the event multiple times, the event serves as a golf outing and a homecoming.

“It’s a legacy thing where the kids keep coming back where the parents played,” Backus said. “There are a few guys who come in and try to win the championship flight, but most of the players are there for a good time.”

If you’re looking for a bargain four-ball at a fun track, head up to Conway where $225 a man will get you a weekend of golf and grub at the Ott Invitational at Centennial Country Club. Bring your wallet and your “A-game,” but leave your sandbags at home. GM Reggie Rose tells me that they flight the tournament based on a team’s previous performance history and use handicaps to place newcomers, not by their performance in the practice round that is included in the entry.

One thing most clubs won’t do is play up the level of alcohol intake at four-ball tournaments, but the stories do leak out. A recurring story from more than one tourney is that of the guy who stays up all night partying and either misses his tee time or makes it to the course and ends up on the disabled list before the end of the round. One that stands out is that of a player who overdid it, was dragged to the course, played one hole, made birdie, tossed his cookies and headed back to the men’s locker room where he was later found in a snoring heap.

In the spirit of full disclosure I have to admit that many of the details of four-ball experiences on and off the course I am privy to from across the state have been omitted to protect the innocent and the criminal alike. Not to mention they wouldn’t be welcome in this publication.

The bottom line is, if someone asks you if you want to play in a four-ball event, say yes.

Four-Balls of Fun
If you’re lucky enough to get an invitation, these are some four-balls around Arkansas you don’t want to miss:

Pleasant Valley Invitational Four-Ball
Location: Little Rock
Date: June 4-6
Teams: 176
Cost: $800 per team
Highlights: The fine dining over three nights and the shootout format make it a memorable event every year.

Pine Bluff Country Club Four-Ball
Location: Pine Bluff
Date: Aug. 12-15
Teams: maximum of 128
Cost: $700/team
Highlights: 13th tee box; Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funkmonster kicks off one of the wildest four-ball parties in Arkansas.

Newport Country Club Invitational Four-Ball
Location: Newport
Date: July 15-18
Teams: maximum of 100
Cost: $450/team
Highlights: Sold out and then some, waiting list grows each year. Among oldest in the state (52nd annual in 2010).

Ott Invitational at Centennial Country Club
Location: Conway
Date: June 25-27
Teams: Maximum of 72
Cost: $450/team
Highlights: No sandbagging in qualifying and lots of on-course contests during the tournament.

Hot Springs Country Club Invitational Four-Ball
Location: Hot Springs
Date: June 24-27
Teams: Maximum of 160 teams
Cost: $790/team
Highlights: Friday night party at the pool that features a DJ and a casual party; 48th annual in 2010; uses both of the facility’s courses (Arlington/Park).