Collinses spend vacations watching golf

At first glance, Dayton's Jim and Kitty Collins aren't your normal couple.

While many married couples are going on cruises or vacationing in Hawaii, the Collinses are watching professional golf.

The Dayton couple just came back from Ohio where they spent five days at Muirfield Village, site of the Memorial.

"Oh no (it's not our first)," Jim Collins said. "We've been going to tournaments since we've been married. Our first tournament was on our honeymoon when we went to the Bob Hope Desert Classic."

Collins said they have been to the LA Open a couple of times, have been to two U.S. Opens when they were held at Pebble Beach, went to the U.S. Women's Open in Sacramento in 1980, went to the LPGA Samsung event and of course the Reno-Tahoe Open.

"We've started making a list of tournaments that we wanted to go to," Collins said. "Next year we're going to the Masters and then in 2013 we're going to the Solheim Cup in Colorado. After that we'll go either to Hilton Head or the Colonial."

Collins said he and his wife thoroughly enjoyed their experience, and he said the course at Muirfield Village was on of the nicest he'd ever seen.

"In all my years, I haven't seen a golf course as well manicured as that one," Collins said. "The whole tournament was set up well for spectators. They really do want you there.

"At the LA Open, I remember us standing elbow to elbow with people. The crowds at Memorial weren't overwhelming. We just liked the whole atmosphere. Everything was first class. We didn't play any golf while we were there. We went strictly to watch the tournament."

The Collinses got there on Tuesday and spent a couple of days watching various members of the field practice and play practice rounds. Jim said they spent most of their time watching some of the younger players.

"We've seen so many of the older players, but we haven't seen many of the younger guys like Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler," Collins said. "One guy that I was impressed with was Gary Woodland. He was phenomenal.

"There was a young girl that dressed like Rickie Fowler; the exact colors and she spent one day following him."

The only negative was Saturday when the humidity was overwhelming.

"It was obvious we couldn't sit out there in the sun," Collins said. The couple tried to find respite under any shade tree they could during the day.

"We walked the (entire) course on Wednesday and watched the pro-am," Collins said. "We walked a lot. We spent six or seven hours out there on Thursday and Friday, and went nine hours a day (on the weekend). We tried to see as much as possible."