BY JONATHAN ZOPF

jzopf@gainesvilletimes.com

As the director of golf at Chicopee Woods, there’s nothing more important to Jim Arendt than providing an enjoyable golf course for the community.

Many an amateur golfer has taken to the tees at the South Hall golf course, but they have never been able to play side-by-side with a professional. Until today.

The inaugaural Chicopee Woods Players Championship Pro Am begins at noon today pairing 90 amateur golfers with 30 Georgia PGA professionals for a total of 30 teams. Each professional will be teamed with three amateurs.

"This is something that I wanted for the people in the community," said Arendt, who is also the president of the Georgia PGA. "I wanted to provide them the opportunity to play with professionals.

"We have a great golf course here, and I thought it was a perfect fit."

The amateurs are looking forward to the event.

"I’m really playing just to have fun," said Gainesville resident Jim Foote, who will be playing alongside fellow amateurs Mike Parrish and Lowell McNeil.

Foote, a two handicap, is hoping to not only have fun, but to better his golf game as well.

"Any time you get to play with a PGA pro, you hope to pick up something, a pointer or a tip," he said.

Today’s tournament, which will be played on the School and the Village courses, will be a modified scramble, with each player on each team hitting a tee shot, and the team chosing which tee shot is the best. From there, each player will hit a ball, and play their ball to the green.

Which ever team has the lowest net score and gross score will be the winner.

"We hope to fare real well," Foote said. "We like to have fun and like to compete and come out on top. If we don’t hopefully we’ll be close to the top."