Curley also mentored Jonathan
Reaux who won Lafayette’s AllMen Tournament.
After investing years into golf,
it proved to be worth it for the
Romero family.
“It was long hours but enjoyable,”
said Curley. “Things got better as
we got into it. We got more help,
and made very good friends. What
kept me in the business was that it
was pretty good. At one point, we
had three girls in college and when
they graduated, they did not owe a
nickel. We paid everything.”
In between the hustle and bustle
of life, the couple organized outings
that were originally meant for a few
friends. According to Joyce, because
it was a smaller golf club, she and
Curley knew the parents of the
young golfers well. They invited a
few couples and their kids, but over
the years, it blew up to 26 couples
that traveled to places like Perdido
Bay, Florida.
“Quite a few of them had two or
three kids,” said Joyce. “All the kids
knew each other and would play
volleyball, swim and so on. When
people found out, they all came,
40
sometimes uninvited,” laughed
Joyce.
Even though Joyce did not learn
to play golf until after marrying
Curley, she was the major player
behind forming a women’s golfing
group.
“We
treated
them
[our
customers] like we wanted to be
treated,” said Joyce. “They come
and pay your bill every month. I
encouraged the ladies to play. We
would hit up to 100 lady players.
[On our outings], it took the ladies
almost an hour to get ready. They
had to do their hair and makeup,
and the guys were already outside,”
joked Joyce.
According to Curley, their
outings ended after about 20 long
years and in 1992, Hurricane
Andrew destroyed business at the
three courses for them.
“Our staff of 10 people [at Sugar
Oaks] were working 10 hours a day
for 10 to 12 days cleaning 150 acres
of land,” said Curley. “We had no
income, there and in Iberia too,
which only spanned 40 acres. It
was expensive to clean up. There
was so much of a drop in play right
after the storm because people had
so much to do.”
They could no longer run the
course, and leased their half of
Sugar Oaks to Sliman.
“The building was so destroyed
at Sugar Oaks that we had to buy a
trailer to set up shop,” said Curley.
“It took the roof off the building
and threw it in the swimming pool
and the pond. [Before the storm],
we had good support from our
community. We drew from places
like St. Martinsville, Iberville,
Lafayette, New Iberia, Delcambre
and Erath.”
Romero and his wife retired not
long after the storm, but Curley still
gives lessons.
Curley’s dream four-some would
be the Hebert brothers, Ben Hogan
and Arnold Palmer.
“I would caddy,” said Curley.
“There is no way I can play with
those guys.”
Today, Curley and Joyce
watch TV, raise grandkids, grow
vegetables, dogsit and still smile
about their marriage that started
53 years ago.