Free fun, stellar golf awaits at the Administaff Small Business Classic near Houston

Sometimes, I enjoy attending Champions Tour events more than regular PGA Tour events – even majors. This, I’m pretty sure, will be one of those weeks.

First of all, the crowds usually aren’t as intense, but more importantly, these guys seem to have more fun.

And why not – at least for the guys who already made their mark on the PGA Tour and invested wisely? For players like Nick Price, Jay Haas and Mark O’Meara, this is gravy.

As an added bonus, this week’s Administaff Small Business Classic at the Tournament Course at The Woodlands (Texas) Country Club is also free to the public as a way of giving back to the community for its support the past five years. (It will also help boost attendance.) And it’s not free just during practice rounds or pro-ams, but the weekend, too.

And it’s going to be a spectacular weekend at that. A cold front is scheduled to come through Thursday evening, leaving highs in the 70s with sunny skies on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. That’s compared the mid-90s we’re getting here in the Houston area right now.

The other cool thing about this tournament is that many of these old guys played the course when it hosted the PGA Tour’s Shell Houston Open for the better part of two decades. So we’ll get to see former champions like Allen Doyle, Curtis Strange and Phil Blackmar try their luck here again. (The Woodlands has hosted the Administaff the past two years.)

But more than that, how many more times can you see Lee Trevino play – or more importantly, hear him play. The almost 70-year-old Merry Mex still has game, I promise you, but he will not contend. What he will do is draw one of the largest galleries on the course, and he will be entertaining. That I can guarantee. And if you’re in the Houston area this weekend, it won’t cost you anything.