⛳

A Meatball Golf Classic

The Alphonse Open

Play for the Jacket. Fear the Trophy. Raise a beer for Al.

📅 August 23 📍 Lost Nation Golf Course · Willoughby, OH ⛳ Two-Man Scramble
Sign Up to Play →

In Loving Memory

Why We Tee It Up

Alphonse Michael DeGidio was a Cleveland-born, Lake County lifer — a baker, a bartender, an electrician, but most importantly a golfer. A well-read man who loved nothing more than a good laugh and a cold beer shared with whoever walked through the door.

He loved his golf and ran the bocce court. Every Sunday the whole DeGidio family gathered for a traditional Italian-American dinner, where his mother Annie cooked all day and everyone waited for one thing above all: her meatballs.

That's the spirit of this tournament — family, laughter, a little friendly trash talk, and food worth waiting for. We hold it on August 23rd, Al's birthday, and we hope to run it every year.

"Play hard, laugh harder, and never turn down a beer or a meatball." — the house rules
Alphonse M. DeGidio, smiling and raising a glass in a toast

Alphonse M. DeGidio

August 23, 1937 – November 12, 2015

Glory & Shame

The Stakes

Two prizes. Only one you want.

🧥
Winning Team

The Meatball Jacket

Both players on the low team slip into matching Meatball Jackets — our answer to the green jacket, with considerably more marinara. Wear them with pride until next August.

🏆
Last Place

The Meatball Trophy

The team with the highest score takes home the Meatball Trophy — a monument to a rough day on the links. Hold it close. Redemption is only a year away.

The Rundown

Event Details

Date
August 23 · Al's Birthday
Course
Lost Nation Golf Course, Willoughby, OH
Format
Two-Man Scramble
Entry
No fee — green & cart fees at the course (carts required)
Field
Open to family & friends
After the Round
Meatballs, beers & the Jacket ceremony

Know Before You Go

How a Scramble Works

Two golfers, one team ball. Everyone hits, you play the best shot — and play it together.

  1. Both players tee off

    On every hole, both teammates hit a drive. Then you choose the better of the two and mark that spot — the other ball is picked up.

  2. Both play from the best spot

    From the chosen spot (within a club-length, no closer to the hole), both players hit their next shot. Pick the best again, and repeat all the way to the green.

  3. Same deal on the green

    Both putt from the best spot. As soon as either player holes it, the hole is done.

  4. One score per hole

    The team records a single number for the hole. Add up all 18 — lowest team total wins the Meatball Jackets; the highest earns the Meatball Trophy.

  5. Use each player's drive

    To keep it fair, each teammate's tee shot must be used at least 6 times over the round (tee shots on par 3s count), so one big hitter can't carry the whole team.

  6. Play it honest

    Standard Rules of Golf and Lost Nation's local rules apply. Ties break hole-by-hole down the scorecard, or a sudden-death chip-off. And keep the card honest — Al would know.

For Example

Hole 4, par 4 — Al smokes the better drive, so both hit their approach from there. Russ's approach is closer, so both putt from Russ's ball. Al drains it for a team 3. That's a scramble.

Penalties & Local Rules
  • Just don't pick the bad one. Because you choose the ball, if one shot goes OB or in the water and the other is playable, take the good one — no penalty.
  • Both balls in trouble? Then the team takes the penalty: choose the better option, apply the strokes (see the OB rule below; water = +1), and both play from there.
  • Out of bounds: no walking back. Drop near where the ball left the course and add a two-stroke penalty. This is our OB rule for the whole round.

Get in the Field

Register to Play

Fill out the form below and we'll save you a tee time.

⛳ Only 6 two-man team spots available — first come, first served!

Live from the Links

Scoreboard

Final team standings for The Alphonse Open. Low team wins the Jackets; high team earns the Trophy.

PosTeamScore
—Loading standings…—