May 15, 2011 –
MAYETTA: Firekeeper Golf Course held its grand opening today with national basketball coaches Bill Self and Roy Williams, participating in a celebrity skins game along with Notah Begay, four-time PGA winner and designer of the course, and Randy Towner, head golf professional and general manager of the course. A dedication ceremony featuring several Prairie Band Potawatomi also rounded out the activities today.
Left to right: Roy Williams, Bill Self, Randy Towner and Notah Begay.
Above, left, is Steve Ortiz, tribal chairman, inside the clubhouse with Bill Self and Roy Williams. Self coaches the University of Kansas basketball team and Williams coaches basketball at the University of North Carolina.
During a media conference held before the game, Junior Wahweotten spoke to the crowd. He is on the Tribal Council and has been the Tribal Council liaison for the course. Chairman Ortiz is standing next to Wahweotten and Coach Self is in the background.
Each golfer received a Pendleton blanket with the Firekeeper golf course logo on it. Above, Chairman Ortiz presented one to Coach Self and looking on, left, is Junior Wahweotten, and right, is Tribal Council member Jancita Warrington. The man taking the photograph was a media representative who is unidentified.
Coach Williams addresses the crowd.
Notah Begay answers a question from the media.
Coach Self during the media conference.
Following the conference, a dedication ceremony was held where the Royal Valley Singers & Dancers performed. Celebrities Roy Williams, Notah Begay, and Bill Self are on the back row and were photographed with the group.
Little Soldier Singers performed during the dedication ceremony.
We-Ta-Se Color Guard raised the flags for the ceremony and are seen here with Williams, Self, and Begay. We-Ta-Se princess Sylvana Levier-Jessepe, is on the far right.
Coach Williams signing autographs.
Randy Towner tees off during the skins game.
Quite a crowd followed the players who played on Firekeeper’s back nine.
From left to right: Kathy and Russell Bradley, Carrie O’Toole, and Wanda Williams who were part of the gallery today. Russell Bradley is chairman of the Kickapoo Tribe and O’Toole is on the PBPN Tribal Council. Wanda is the wife of Roy.
Begay giving some pointers to Self on the links.
Towner getting ready to putt. Sports media personalities were caddies for the players.
Left to right is Coach Williams, his caddy, Kevin Romary ( 6-News Lawrence),Tom Keegan (Lawrence Journal-World) who caddied for Towner, and Towner. Williams and Towner beat Begay-Self 4-to-2 with three holes tied during the game.
Williams earned $6,500 during the game and gave the proceeds to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Boys & Girls Club. Self earned $3,500 and donated his to the Self’s Assist Foundation. In the photo above, Williams is flanked by Sylvana Levier-Jessepe and another member of the Levier-Jessepe family.