TRINITY, Texas — Shea Morenz is not prone to hyperbole. A former University of Texas football quarterback and first-round pick of the New York Yankees, Morenz has seen his share of major sports stages and is largely unflappable on a golf course, where his smooth swing puts his athleticism clearly on display.
But during a recent round at Whispering Pines Golf Club, the top-rated private golf course in Texas and the host of the biennial Spirit International, even Morenz had to shake his head in awe.
A little more than six months ago, a 100-year flood rushed through the area, causing major damage to the Chet Williams-designed golf course and making this year’s edition of the Spirit International a long shot. The tournament, originally concocted by course founder Corby Robertson — Morenz’s father-in-law — welcomes two men and two women to represent their countries in a team event like no other.
Morenz, who witnessed the devastation first-hand, was amazed at how the pristine course shaped up after the onslaught of wet weather.
“It’s really incredible what has happened here,” Morenz said while playing the front nine of the course that takes up just a small segment of the 400-acre property about 90 minutes from Houston. “There was silt covering huge portions of this golf course. To see it in such amazing condition now is really incredible.”
Originally, the course was born from a camp hosted on the property. and a game that Robertson called “olf, which is golf without the greens.” As part of the weekly routine, eager campers would hit shots off a tee to a wide-open “green” that was simply a pushed-up piece of turf with a washtub in the middle. The kids loved it.
Over time, Robertson and others realized this would be a prime piece of property for a golf course. By then, he’d become an energy magnate, first in oil, then in coal, and had the financial means to create the course. In the 1990s, when beetles started eating away some of the camp’s trees, he decided to make a go of it, starting with a series of three legit holes, then adding irrigation systems and creating the course that now tops Golfweek’s Best Private Courses in Texas list: Whispering Pines.
Soon after, in 2001, the Spirit International Amateur Golf Tournament was born, a biennial event with from each of 20 countries that span six continents.
The opening ceremonies were held Tuesday night and competition for the 2024 event starts Thursday and runs through Saturday. The American squad will look to extend a streak of five victories in the last six tournaments. With North Carolina senior David Ford, tall Texas star Tommy Morrison, talented USC freshman Jasmine Koo and high school phenom Asterisk Talley, the U.S. side is a solid bet once again.
The other countries represented include Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
The Americans are led by former Spirit player Nathan Smith, who is serving as captain after Stacy Lewis passed the reins. Smith won the individual men’s event back in 2011 as well as the team title.
And while Robertson is eager to see the matches play out, he’s most thrilled that the course is back in playable shape. The neighboring short course called The Needler didn’t fare as well, and won’t be ready for play until deep into 2025, and the main course’s signature 15th hole, which jutted into a river, will need to be rebuilt. But the course is ready for 80 international players, which is something of a wonder.
“It’s very hurtful to watch something that you’ve invested your time, interest and financing in and to just watch Mother Nature take it apart. And it wasn’t as bad on the big course. On hole number 15, we’re gonna have to rebuild the greens. I’m sorry, we got a temporary and it’ll be better someday,” Robertson said. “We’re looking for ways to build this back so that it’s more fortified. But it’s ready and that’s what matters.”
Robertson, who was an All-American defensive lineman at the University of Texas, is not only eager to see the way the Spirit plays out, but he’s also looking forward to seeing how far his beloved Longhorns, ranked third in the country, can go in the College Football Playoff. He’s been impressed with coach Steve Sarkisian, who is now in his third season at the helm.
“Sark has got a really talented group of young people who are pulling the rope in the same direction. It’ll be interesting to see how far they go,” he said. “I think they could go all the way.”