Bratton Brothers Invitational celebrates 57th tourney where it all began

Bratton Brothers Invitational celebrates 57th tourney where it all began

It started in 1970 when seven Birmingham buddies came for golf weekend

The Annual Bratton Brothers Invitational Golf Tournament will bring 106 fun loving golfers from nine different states to Gulf Shores for its 57th reincarnation March 4-7 at Craft Farms.
The tourney, which has been around longer than Orange Beach has been a city, will include 98 year-old past champion Dick Majors as its grand marshall. Dick won the tourney in 2014 at 86 years young. He’s been playing in the BBI since 1990. And although he still plays golf, he will spend his three tourney days riding around watching the other groups play.
Of course, Dick will hit the first shot to officially start the tourney. And it will be a good one, as he still has game. Three days before he celebrated his 93rd birthday in August of 2020, Dick shot an 80 on the Bent Brook Golf Course [Brook/Graveyard].
The tourney has included fathers, sons and grandsons in the same foursome and entry forms with postmarks from as far away as South Dakota and  Canada.
The tourney’s local history started in 1970 when seven Birmingham buddies traveled to Gulf Shores for a golf weekend. The original cast members were Bob Bratton, Joe Bratton, Roy Dillon, Jim Lynch (deceased), Butch Mitchell, Greg Waldrop and Waymond Whitten.
They stayed in a two bedroom/one bath vacation home near the Intracoastal Waterway owned by the Bratton brothers. Three of the original seven – Bobby Bratton, Joe Bratton and Waldrop – will play this year.
In 1970, Gulf Shores Country Club was the only course in the area. Cost was $5 a day plus cart. The men played 36 holes on Saturday and 18 holes on Sunday.
There were very few restaurants in Gulf Shores and the men ate all their meals at the Friendship House (catty-corner from Tacky Jacks) in Gulf Shores and Meme’s Restaurant (damaged by hurricane Frederic in September of 1979 and never reopened) in Bon Secour.
As participants invited more friends, the golf weekend grew into the current BBI, which has been held at 22 different golf courses in Alabama and Florida.
In 1999, the tourney peaked with 156 golfers. Eight players have aced holes during the tourney, including R. Wayne Alexander (2021), Charlie Bratton (2023), Norman Glass (2001), Timothy Honeycutt (2009), Keith Howell (2015), Charles Martin (1980), William “Sleepy” Phillips (1999) and Waldrop (1972).
In 2009, the tourney was ambushed by Golf Digest’s Matt Ginella, who filmed festivities at the Peninsula. There is one sad note – 49 BBI Brothers have passed away. The tournament is now a 3 day event with an optional practice round on Wednesday. Going into this year, the tourney count is close to 700 golfers from 14 different states and Canada.
Pictured: Bob Bratton and Greg Waldrop.