I had forgotten that Marchi played a round of golf with Cooper at Cassel Hills many years ago.
Marchi, who in his teen years had admired Cooper’s music, was shocked one day in 1987 when Cooper walked past the window of the pro shop at 7:30 a.m.
Cooper, who was in Dayton for an appearance at Hara Arena, walked into the shop, and Marchi remembers asking, “Is Ozzie Osbourne in the parking lot?”
“He was staying at a hotel in Dayton, and wanted to play golf,” Marchi said. “Somebody sent him out here. He had a couple of his roadies with him. He looked around the pro shop and bought a few things before playing.”
When Cooper finished his round, he asked Marchi if he (Marchi) would play with him the next morning. Marchi was delighted to accommodate him.
“He showed up at 7:30 the next morning,” Marchi said. “He was by himself. He said the other guys were all sleeping in. We hit some practice balls, and it was obvious that he was a pretty good player. He said he liked to play with good players because it made him play better.
“On the first hole he had an 8- or 10-footer for birdie and leaves it short. He said, ‘You’re not going to say it?’ I said, ‘Say what?’ and he said, ‘Hit the ball, Alice.’ My mouth was open so wide you could have driven a truck into it.
“That broke the ice and we had a great time together. It showed me that Alice Cooper (the performer) is an act. He was mild-mannered. He didn’t cuss or anything.”
Before Cooper left, Marchi had his picture taken with Cooper just as Dayton Country Club pro Keith Fisher did a few weeks ago when Cooper played at DCC. Marchi still has the photo in his office.
Three Cronin Aces
Last month we called attention to the hole-in-one made at Yankee Trace on Aug. 2 by Micaela Cronin, a Chaminade Julienne High School grad who worked for the Miami Valley Golf Association this summer.
On Aug. 22, Micaela’s mother, Joanne Cronin, got into the act by making an ace on the 130-yard No. 10 at Dayton Country Club with a 6-iron.
On Aug. 25, Mike Cronin (no relation) aced the 212-yard 12th hole at Moraine Country Club with a No. 3 hybrid club. It was Mike Cronin’s ninth hole-in-one.
Three for Jones
Bob Jones’ victory in the Miami Valley Senior Metropolitan Championship at Sugar Valley Country Club Sept. 3 was the third straight for the Centerville attorney. Jones shot 70-74 in the 36-hole event to beat runner-up Dan Devore by seven strokes. Devore won the tournament in 2007.
Jones, 52, is still competitive with the younger players although he no longer can match their length. He tied for fifth in the Metropolitan Championship won by Jeff Scohy at Windy Knoll Aug. 1.
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