Welcome to the Greater Bohemian Open

By Tommy Smith

Fifteen years ago, David Hegar felt his family reunion was boring.  In an attempt to liven it up, he started a golf tournament to get more family involved.  The next year, he started charging them extra to play and donated the money to an area charity.  By the third year, he was charging family more, getting sponsors, and donating more to charity.  Based on his Czech family heritage, the Greater Bohemian Open was born.

This year, David contacted the Special Olympics Texas - Heart of Texas Area to become the beneficiary of his proceeds from the tournament.  On August 4, 2012, the Greater Bohemian Open was held at the Battle Lake Golf Course in Mart, Tx.  But this isn’t any typical golf tournament; there are unusual shots that have to be made during the course of play.  Some of these include teeing off standing on a 2x4 board, sitting on a toilet seat or standing on one leg.  On one of the holes, the golfer actually gets to throw the golf ball onto the green.  Putting on a couple of greens is challenging when you use a croquet mallet or pool cue.  This format along with hole in one, closet to the pin, and longest drive contests make this one of the most unique and challenging tournaments in the Central Texas area.

So why did David choose the Special Olympics Texas - Heart of Texas Area to support through his golf tournament?  David is a member of the Northwest Waco Optimist Club which has cooked athlete lunches at several competitions in the past and he said, “I have been watching.  How do you measure what the athletes get out of competition?  I saw the smiles on their faces, the pride in their accomplishments.  I found a way to give back to something.  It was a worthwhile cause and an obvious choice.”

David credits those who have helped him over the years to put on the tournament.  The Perry Company in Waco where he works allows him the time to devote to organizing and is also a tournament sponsor. He also mentions his wife and daughter for their time, efforts, and dedication to the cause.  The tournament will continue partnering with Special Olympics Texas in 2013.  You can bet that David will be wearing his traditional Bohemian golf attire during the event.

Thank you, David Hegar, for your support of our Heart of Texas area athletes.