Published: September 02, 2006 12:48 am         

Golf community to pay tribute to officer

A day after a grateful community pays its final tribute to fallen police officer Chuck Smith, he will be remembered by a grieving golfing community that won’t soon forget his accomplishments and contributions.

A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. Sunday at Grandview Country Club for the Beckley detective who was shot and killed Tuesday in the line of duty. The 29-year-old Smith, a Grandview member, was one of the area’s top and most popular amateur golfers

“We’ll probably gather around the putting green, have a word of prayer and then invite anyone who wants to speak to say a few words about Chuck,” current Grandview club champion Mike Mays said. “It will be informal. The public is welcome and any member of the area golfing community is welcome.”

Smith’s funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. today at the Raleigh County Armory. Hundreds of police officers from throughout West Virginia and other states are expected to attend and pay their respects.

The U.S. Marine Corps veteran will be buried with military honors at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens.

Gov. Joe Manchin has ordered all state flags displayed at state facilities lowered to half-staff today in commemoration of Smith’s distinguished life.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Detective Cpl. Chuck Smith’s family and friends,” the governor said. “Chuck Smith’s death is a great loss not only to the city of Beckley, but to the entire state as well.”

Following Sunday’s memorial service, Mays and Tim McGhee will play in the finals of the inaugural Grandview Cup, a match-play event organized by Smith earlier this summer.

Other golfers are then expected to tee off in their regular Sunday afternoon game which was always a big part of Smith’s weekends at the course.

Smith, who won the Grandview club title in 2004, lost in the quarterfinals of the match-play event just last Sunday to McGhee.

“We never had a match-play tournament before,” Mays said. “It was his idea.”

“He was the one who started the Grandview Cup,” McGhee added. “I told him, ‘Chuck, you have started a great thing here.’”

Grandview members said Smith would have wanted the event to continue to its completion.

“We’ll kind of do it as a memorial to him from now on,” McGhee said.