PORT ARTHUR — Editor’s note: The following column from the Best of West collection was originally published in the Port Arthur News on May 12, 1980.

    For an event that originally called for 15-to-20 big names, and began with a goal of raising perhaps $75,000, the Bum Phillips Celebrity Golf Tournament has mushroomed into a full blown Texas-style spectacular.

    Headed up by Bob Hope, Phillips and many of the National Football League’s elite, 88 celebrities will be in Port Arthur the final weekend in May. They’re expected to attract a spectator turnout that’s been estimated at 30,000 to 50,000.

    Tournament director W.T. Oliver is still somewhat amazed at the response that’s been generated, but he isn’t complaining about the massive workload it’s created. All Oliver can see is the new adult dormitory for Bob Hope High School and the Delores Hope Library the proceeds are going to make possible.

    Perhaps because he’s afraid of waking up and discovering it’s all a magnificent dream, Oliver isn’t even talking in specific dollar figures any more. The possibilities are simply too mind boggling. Judging from the revenue-raising opportunities, it would seem a $500,000 bottom line is within reason.

    Largest single source of income will be the tournament’s celebrity auction. Foursomes who put up  $200 to participate, get to purchase a celebrity partner through an auction. The process starts with sealed bids, then the actual auction begins at the dollar value of the highest bid.

    Bob Hope will apparently produce the biggest haul. Oliver claims he already has a $50,000 verbal bid for Hope. Phillips is currently running second at $40,000, followed by a $12,000 bid for Terry Bradshaw and $8,000 for Ken Stabler. If those figures hold up, that’s $110,000 off just four people.

    Other sources of revenue for the tournament include gallery tickets priced at $10 for adults and $5 for students, the $20 per ticket Bum Phillips Roast, $5 tournament caps and the sale of concessions at Port Arthur Country Club and Babe Zaharias.

    Increasing the tournament’s profit potential is the fact so many groups and individuals are willing to donate goods and services. All the food for the Phillips Roast, for instance, has been supplied free of charge. A cook team out of Houston called the Sauerkrauts will prepare a meal to feed 1,600 at no charge. Their task includes barbecuing 30,000 pounds of beef.

    “The offers of assistance we’ve had are amazing,” says a beaming Oliver. “People just can’t seem to do enough. The response from Houston is terrific. We felt people in this area would get behind the tournament, but we didn’t expect the Houston participation. The interest all over is simply remarkable.”

    One phase of vital assistance supplied form Houston has been the advice of the Houston Golf Association. Oliver and several of his committee members traveled to The Woodlands for HGA pointers during the Houston Open. This week a group of HGA representatives will be in Port Arthur scrutinizing the master plan of Oliver’s group.

    “They’ve got experience in handling crowds and dealing with celebrities that we don’t have,” explains Oliver. “Their advice has already been invaluable. Now they’re going to come in and pick apart what we’ve done. I’m sure they will have additional suggestions to help us run a smoother tournament.”

    Certainly not to be overlooked in any assessment of major contributions to the tournament is the role played by Southwest Airlines and the corporations which are providing private aircraft. What could have been a staggering expense is now minimal.

    Southwest is offering free air travel to all celebrities, wives and tournament guests from the cities it serves. Those who can’t get here on Southwest will be flown in by a corporate fleet of four jets and two twin engine aircraft.

    Celebrities must be picked up in California, Florida, New York and various points in between.

    Perhaps just as important as the airpower to get the celebrities here is the manpower to control the crowds they will attract. That task is in the hands of the Texas National Guard, which is providing an MP unit for parking cars, a medical detachment to render first aide at both golf courses and troops to serve as backup for the 120 Sertoma Club members serving as marshalls.

    Parking space, which at one time loomed as nightmarish problem, is no longer a worry. The Texas Highway Department has agreed to make the right-of-way land across from the entrance to Port Arthur Country Club available. Shuttle buses will transport spectators to the golf course from the parking area.

    A similar setup exists for parking at Babe Zaharias. Land adjacent to Aurora Park, between 60th and 61st St., is being provided by the city. Again, because of the distance to the golf course from the parking area, shuttle buses will run constantly.

    From a publicity standpoint, any event boasting a Bob Hope, a Bum Phillips and better than 25 percent of the National Football League’s quarterbacks can’t help but attract attention.

    Several of Texas’ largest newspapers have indicated they will have a staffer here, three Houston television stations will send film crews to shoot tournament-related footage, the new Entertainment and Sports Programing Network (ESPN) has expressed an interest in taping portions of the tournament for later showing and NFL Films plans to be present for the Bum Phillips Roast and both days of golf.

    The presence of NFL Films virtually assures national exposure for the tournament. Indications are it will be working on a special to be shown as part of a network pre-game show this fall. Beyond that, NFL films has promised to donate all its time and processing so the tournament committee can have a visual record of its inaugural effort.

    Clearly, this  is the start of something big.

    Sports editor Bob West can be e-mailed at rdwest@usa.net.