Ol’ Buck was smiling Monday.

They held the fifth annual Buck Adams Charitable Foundation Golf Tournament at Country Club of North Carolina and the only thing that could have made it more special would have been an appearance by its namesake.

Friends of the late CCNC professional filled the Dogwood Course and thousands more dollars were raised for the foundation. But as important as the money is — benefiting scholarships at Sandhills Community College and Methodist College in Fayetteville — it took a backseat to the feeling of love for the man who became a legend simply doing what he thought was the right thing.

Point your finger toward any group of golfers anywhere in the Carolinas and you’ll probably be pointing at someone that Buck Adams touched in some way during his career as head professional at CCNC. There are few major golf clubs in the Carolinas that don’t either employ one of Buck’s boys or who have at one time.

His legacy is the group of young men and women that he tutored in becoming golf professionals. Adams has been gone for five years now, but there is still no more impressive line on a professional’s resume than having worked under him.

Dr. John Ellis, president of the foundation’s advisory committee, thanked the roomful of golfers following Monday’s play.

“There is now more than $250,000 in the foundation,” he said. “That money is used for a scholarship in Turfgrass Management at Sandhills Community College and one in the Golf Management Program at Methodist College, as well as medical research at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. This is a great tribute to the memory of Buck.

“We’re appreciative of all the professionals and friends of Buck who participated and we are especially thankful to Jeff Dotson and his staff here at CCNC who put in a tremendous amount of hours to make this so successful.”

There were eight players from the PGA Champions Tour in the field, all of whom had some ties with Adams over the years and wanted to help make the event special. Also on hand were former University of North Carolina basketball coaches Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge.

The Champions Tour players were Jim Ferree, Miller Barber, Jay Sigel, John Schroeder, Bob Gilder, Doug Tewell, Walter Hall and John Jacobs. All of these players had competed in the SAS event at Prestonwood in Cary last week and were headed for the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn Golf Club this week.

“It was great having all those Senior Tour guys come here and pay tribute to Buck,” Dotson said. “And it’s wonderful having so many of his assistants coming here every year. Even the weather cooperated.”

John Schroeder, who has been battling a couple of injuries and needs a strong finish to keep his full-time playing status on the Champions Tour, voiced the feelings of the professionals who participated.

When asked if he had known Adams, he replied, “Yes, I knew him. That’s why I’m here. I met Buck back in 1972 when they held the Liggett & Myers Match Play Championship at CCNC. I stayed in touch with him over the years, mostly through our good friend Jim Ferree.”

Schroeder had no qualms about giving of his time.

“What a nice way to spend the day,” he said. “This is really a good golf course, and if the Champions Tour schedule stays the same, I think you’ll see a lot more guys coming down next year.”

That speaks volumes for the job Dotson and his staff did in preparing the course and making everyone who attended feel special.

Oh yes, there was a tournament. And the team of Kelly Miller, Chris Dalrymple, Kirk Bell, Jurry Mills and Sonny Ridenhour won the gross division with a 132 score. Second place at 135 was shared by the teams of Waddy Stokes, Terry Brown, Dean Channell, Chuck Cordell and Keith Harris, and Jack Nance, Robbie Zalsneck, Jim Smith, Tom Myers and Sky Kelly.

The net championship went to the team of Walter Hall, Jimmy Kaup, Mike Woodson, Heinz Little and Bob Holden with 119.