A lot of people in the Sandhills remember Bill Jones, the loquacious bartender-golf writer with a personality that immediately made him everyone’s best friend.

Jones worked at the Pine Crest Inn for years and regaled the customers with stories and anecdotes that kept them entertained and coming back for more. If Jones liked you — and he seemed to like everyone — he could toast you or roast you and you’d enjoy it either way.

Jones loved writing about young golfers in the Sandhills, and his memory is being kept alive by a youth tournament in his name. The sixth annual Bill Jones Memorial Moore County Junior Amateur Golf Championship sponsored by the Tin Whistles Club-First Tee Tour will be held at Talamore Golf Club Oct. 27-28.

The tournament is open to boys and girls 18 and under who are still in school. The entry fee is $30, and golfers do not have to be Moore County residents.

The format is 36 holes of stroke play in divisions for boys, girls and super junior for boys who will play from shorter tees. Only players in the championship division will be eligible for the title.

The field is limited, and the tournament committee reserves the right to accept or reject players based on their skill level.

For information, call The First Tee Sandhills Chapter at (910) 944-3633. The deadline for entries is Oct. 20.

Tin Whistles: Charlie Eichorn and Tom Race combined for a 57 to win the championship in the Tin Whistles Club’s President’s Cup two-man net event held on Pinehurst Country Club’s No. 1 Course.

Dennis Dolgan and Chuck Wilkins posted 59 to win the first flight, with Joe Raguso and John Kaye taking second with 65 after a card playoff.

Don Torgensen and Ken Hepner shot 62 to win flight B with 62 in a card playoff with Bill Noggle and Gary Butler.

Middle School: West Pine Middle of Pinehurst posted a score of 152 to tie for third place in the N.C. Middle School Championship held at Badin Inn Golf Club in Badin.

North State Academy of Greensboro won the event, which was shortened to 18 holes by rain, with 144. Daniel Middle of Raleigh was second at 148. Southern Middle of Aberdeen finished 14th with 203.

Grant Smith of Charlotte won the boys’ individual title with 3-under-par 67, one stroke better than Matthew Sharpstene of Cornelius. Joining them on the all-state team were William Hughes of Charlotte, Jimbo Stanley of Raleigh, Michael Childress of Salisbury, Cole Pridgen of Warsaw, and Nicholas Lyerly of Salisbury.

Haeley Wotnosky, a 12-year-old eighth-grader, shot a level-par 70 to win the girls’ division by nine strokes. She was joined on the all-state team by Elizabeth Nguyen of Pinehurst, Natalie Petersen of Holly Springs, Kathryn Carson of Mooresville and Julianne Strauch of Salisbury.

Nguyen was third in individual play with 80. Stacy McDearmon of Aberdeen was 12th with 115, Caroline Baker of Pinehurst 14th with 125 and Larcie Britt of Pinehurst tied for 15th with 134.

Benjamin Crow of Pinehurst tied for eighth among the boys with 73, Symon Balbin of Pinehurst was 26th with 79, Dalton Wheeless of Carthage was 31st with 81, Jared Robinson of Pinehurst was tied for 34th with 86, Matthew Walters of Aberdeen was 39th with 89, Brad Dawson of Pinehurst was 40th with 91, Jonathan Kenzel of Aberdeen was 48th with 114, and Mack Roberson of Aberdeen was 49th with 120.

The championship is conducted by the Tarheel Youth Golf Association, a division of the Carolinas Golf Association.

Kiawah Pro-Am: Registration for the 2013 National Pro-Am is now being accepted. The 14th annual 72-hole event is scheduled for March 10-14 on Kiawah’s renowned Pete Dye Ocean Course, site of the recent PGA Championship, Jack Nicklaus’ Turtle Point, Gary Player’s Cougar Point and Tom Fazio’s Osprey Point. The tournament format includes four-man best-ball gross and net, as well as professional stroke play. 

Prizes are awarded to the top net and gross amateur teams and professionals also compete for a separate purse. Players will use 75 percent of their USGA handicap, with a maximum of 18 allowed. PGA Professionals may bring up to six amateurs and the professional’s score will be used for each three-man team.

The early registration rate is $1,495 per man based on a four-man team in a three-bedroom condo. Golf professionals are free.

The tournament package includes four nights in a three-bedroom condo, opening banquet at Mingo Point, a welcome amenity bag, breakfast on four tournament days, four rounds of golf, three scoring parties, an awards luncheon, taxes and resort fees.

For more information, contact Natalie at (843) 768-2882 or Natalie_payne@kiawahresort.com.