Golf benefit will honor Bellino

Area links legend died in January

By STEVE WILAJ

swilaj@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Over the years, when Michael Spiech would travel and play at different courses throughout the country, the Tippecanoe Country Club head golf pro was often posed a question after telling his home-course.

“It’s funny, I’d be somewhere out of state — say Florida or California — and they’d say, ‘Oh is that where George Bellino is at?’” Spiech said. “So he’s a legend, there’s no doubt about it.

“He had a lot of ties and is just one of the best players ever out of Youngstown.”

On May 20, the local golf legend who passed away on Jan. 23 at the age of 81, will be honored with the George Bellino Memorial Scholarship Fund golf outing at Tippecanoe. The Canfield course is where he served as the head golf pro for almost 30 years.

“It’s a real special event,” said Spiech, who succeeded Bellino as Tippecanoe’s head golf pro upon his retirement in 2004. “It was an honor for me to follow in his footsteps. George was a special guy in golf. He touched everyone’s heart.”

The event’s 200-golfer field — which was opened to club members and PGA pros first — is already more than half-filled, said Spiech, who will host the two-player scramble outing.

“It’s going to sell out quickly, so if anyone wants to participate in the great event, they should sign up as quickly as possible,” Spiech said.

Entry to participate is $175 and includes a buffet lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Shotgun start times are at 8:30 a.m. with an 80-player field and 2 p.m. with a 120-player field.

Bellino, a professional beginning in 1959, was an East High School graduate. He’s a member of the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame, East High School Hall of Fame, Northern Ohio PGA Hall of Fame and The Ohio Golf Hall of Fame.

He competed collegiality at Ohio State University, before serving as the head golf pro at Henry Stambaugh Golf Course from 1963-1975.

Some of his notable events included: qualifying for the U.S. Open three times; the PGA 11 times; the British Open at St. Andrews in 1970; the Canadian Open in 1971; the Senior PGA 14 times; and the U.S. Senior Open.

Some of his top first-place finishes were the Ohio Senior Open Championship in 1987; the Erie Classic in 1976; the Youngstown Open; the Cleveland Open; the Akron Open; and the Tigertown Open.

All proceeds from the benefit will support the Youngstown State University golf team scholarship fund, with an endowment in Bellino’s name. YSU president Jim Tressel will be in attendance and serve as an honorary chairman, along with retired pro golfer Jerry McGee and Dr. Ed Novosel.

“He was always willing to help anybody, anywhere — just a very giving person,” said Novosel, a Tippecanoe member for 38 years. “I did not know of anyone who disliked George. And that’s a tough environment to please everybody, but he had that unique knack of handling any situation.”

Spiech said the goal is to raise $50,000-$75,000.

The main sponsors are Cafaro Company, The DeBartolo Corporation and Superior Beverage Group. Additional sponsors are: Dr. John Geletka and Haggerty, Home Savings and Loan Co., Phantom Fireworks, York Mahoning and the YSU Foundation.

“They were all so generous about their sponsorships,” Spiech said. “Dr. Geletka was the head of the sponsorships and he said that once we mentioned that it was going towards George Bellino, it was so easy for everyone to say ‘yes.’”

In addition to 18-holes of golf, Bellino’s memorial outing will feature prizes, as well as a raffle and live auction during dinner.

“It will surely be a first class event,” Spiech said.