We started Tuesday with a putting and chipping demonstration. Rick Rohan, former major league pitcher now pro golfer, gave nice tips and showed he could play around the green and on the green. It was nice to see him use a 7 iron from the fringe - that's one of my best shots. I'll sink it two out of 10 times from 10 yards in using that 7 iron for a pitch and roll. Nice stroke saver.

From the putting lessons we went for lunch in the clubhouse where there was a Hogan's Alley tribute to the great Ben Hogan. Along the way we stopped at the driving range. Walter Hall ($56,501 in 2006 winnings) was hitting balls. This was 11 a.m. We had lunch. I met Raymond Floyd signing in in the lobby and we went back to the range. There was Walter Hall carrying two buckets of balls over to his spot. I marveled at this because it was now 1 in the afternoon and here was this pro, unknown to me, still on the range. I watched and marveled at his ability. I thought that he should win every tournament, the way he hit the ball. Taking your golf game from the practice range to the golf course is not easy.

Wednesday, we had a meeting with Mark McNulty, last year's winner. Great guy. The rains came, so no golf all week, a complete washout. It was a crying shame for we would now miss some great golf.

We took a Sunday drive down to the course and there really were fish in the water on the 18th fairway.

The P.G.A. gets all the show and rightly so for that's where all the new greats in golf come from.

The Champions Tour, well, these are some of the greats, in the twilight years and some of the could-have, should-have-beens getting a second chance at some fame and a new lease on life doing what they love - golfing.

There are some like Rick Karbowski ($103,544 in money his first year) from my home city of Worcester, getting a chance to play a tour and see what he's got.

Kirk Hanefeld, the pro from the International in Boston, the world's longest course, finally getting his chance to play a tour and see how his game holds up. Kirk, I believe, will do well. He has a game and has won $70,000 in his first two events.

For every golfer, young or old, this tournament should be a must and I recommend spending time at the "practice range." There you hear Trevino talking up a storm, Chi Chi telling stories and Peter Jacobsen joking all the time. Most importantly, you see the devotion and love of the golf game by these pros.

I think if you have a young one playing this game, this is where to bring that young one.

Here you see great swings, grooved with rhythm, swing after swing. There are no 340-yard drives here, just repetitive 28-yard drives and a practice routine we all should adopt.

Next time the tournament goes, go spend a day or two watching, learning and improving your own golf game with free lessons from the champions.

Watch Charles Coody, Lee Trevino, Curtis Strange, Andy Bean, Bruce Fleischer, Craig Stadler or Raymond Floyd, former champions all. They may have lost a step or two, but, boy, they can still play the game, the game you can play and never win.

You know what? These guys all use their 460cc drivers just like you and I do.

Next year, go, enjoy, learn. You will not be disappointed. Besides, it's for a great charity.

See you all in 2007!

Richard A. Astukewicz of Salisbury is a retired business manager.