Support Jeff Babineau's Family in Their Loss

Written by Jim McCabe

They are the golf stories that fall together easiest – the Masters victory, the season of superhuman feats, that first major that finally arrives, the amateur who just savors a U.S. Open appearance even with rounds of 76-78.

Ah, but the stories that require you to tug at heart strings and write with a broken heart and deliver through tears that news which no one wants delivered? Well, those stories take a knack and we’re here to tell you that no one – and we mean no one – handled those better than Jeff Babineau.

On reliving the horrors of that October Monday in 1999, Babs wrote 20 years later: “By midday Monday, Payne Stewart was gone from this earth. A jet had strayed wildly from its flight plan (and) officials could not make contact with anyone onboard. In Golfweek offices we received a tip that (another passenger onboard) was Lee Janzen, a college classmate of mine.

“I (called) Janzen, which delivered a harrowing and anxious feeling but was relieved when he answered. That relief would last only seconds. Janzen said two words, ‘It’s Payne.’ ” Janzen then told Babs, “It was too soon to go.”

When the greatest name in golf history, Arnold Palmer, died in September of 2016, Babs wrote: “How does one begin to write about Arnold Daniel Palmer and the impact he had on all who love golf – and even those who don’t. There is not enough ink."

“No man has ever loved the game more than Arnold Palmer. No golfer ever punched the clock each day as if it were his singular job to go out into the world and represent his sport. He did that better than anyone.”

To realize how at this time we need to channel our inner Babs and find the words to tug at heart strings is surreal.

When he died suddenly Dec. 9 at 62, there was a parade of family members and great friends from every phase of his life who were left with no words. Tears flowed and pain was gut-wrenching for Jodi Babineau, his beloved sister; for the golf families of Dennis Pines and Dennis Highlands where a young Jeff Babineau learned the game; and for hundreds of golf journalists who had the great pleasure to work with him or walk PGA Tour fairways with him.

Babs, first for the Orlando Sentinel, then for Golfweek, wrote beautifully but if he did one thing with more skill it was collect friends – while growing up on Cape Cod, at Florida Southern, in the golf industry. OK, he was not on par with Arnold, but if you knew him then you know we can say of Babs what Babs wrote of Arnold – he loved the game and perhaps no one ever punched the clock each day as if it were his singular job to go out into the world and write about golf with the passion he did.

Babs was a supreme wordsmith, arguably the most caring writer who graced the golf-writing landscape in the last 30 to 40 years.

But it is here where we must tug tighter on the heart strings because there were serious bumps in the road and even his closest friends didn’t know the heartache that was unfolding in Babs’ world. Witty, clever, and charismatic to all who loved him, he was also private and proud. After a long and award-winning run at Golfweek, first as PGA Tour beat man, then as editor, Babs was in demand as a freelance writer. No shock. After all, he was a great writer and a beloved human being.

Here's the deal with freelancing, though: The written word doesn’t resonate like it once did, so the pay is lousy and great health care is hard to afford. Which might be ok if health issues don’t arise but they did for this giant of a man.

In late September he had a small stroke. There was a short hospital stay and the issue was addressed. Thinking he was OK to play golf with his three boys he did just that, only to realize he had vision issues in his left eye. More days in the hospital, more doctors’ visits, and on top of all this, there were concerns about his heart.

“It was tortuous. He was trending down,” said his wife, Jane.

Yet Babs was a relentless worker so he went to golf tournaments and wrote and filed stories, sometimes barely able to see the laptop screen as his depth perception was awful.

Friends from Cape Cod, friends from college, friends from the traveling circus that is the media world of the PGA Tour – all of them had unyielding love for Babs, but none knew how much he was hurting.

And then, he was gone. Barely did we stop crying about that when we heard that Babs’ first grandchild, Ivy Ray, was still in the pre-natal intensive care unit at an Orlando hospital. Born Thanksgiving Day, to youngest son Luke and Raygin, the little girl has medical issues that are being dealt with but if you want to sneak in a smile at this point, here’s why: Babs got to the hospital, put on the gloves, and reached through the neo-natal chamber and touched Ivy.

“We know he’s her guardian angel,” wrote Luke in a text, adding that he has whispered to Ivy: “If I can be half the dad my father was to me, Ivy, you’re going to be one lucky girl.”

Less than a week after Babs’ death, a second grandchild was born; Babs’ and Jane’s son, Derek, and his wife Jessica have named him Brooks.

So, yes, through insufferable heartache there are reasons to smile, and Jane, Luke and Raygin, Derek and Jessica, Keith, Jody Babineau, Jane’s sister Sally Quinlan, and the entire family is doing its best. Let’s face it, though, insurmountable emotional pain is a tough obstacle.

Plus, here is where cold, hard truth enters the picture. There are immediate financial concerns, most definitely. As a dozen of Babs’ fraternity brothers swiftly jumped into action and addressed some issues, one of them, Dave Liddle, explained this plan of action as operation “Let’s keep the lights on.”

It goes well beyond that, though. There are significant short- and long-term needs, including mounting medical bills that Jane Babineau and her family have incurred and without Jeff, the burden is far more than Jane can handle with her job.

Likely, even if you knew and loved and respected Babs, you weren’t aware about these painful issues. Now that you have been told, we pray you will find it within your heart to help the Babineau family in this ambitious Go Fund Me endeavor. He was the most caring man many of us knew and like Payne Stewart, “it was too soon to go.”

But hopefully you and many others who loved Jeff will agree it’s the right time to say, “Thank you for your friendship, Babs, thank you for what you did on behalf of golf, and Godspeed.”

The Babineau family thanks you for your generosity and please keep them in your prayers and thoughts.

There will be a Celebration of Life Dec. 28 from 1-4 p.m. at Heathrow Golf Club in Heathrow, Fla. For those traveling from out of town, “Babineau room rates” will be offered. Just call

Orlando Marriott – Skye

1501 International Parkway, Lake Mary, FL 32746

(407) 9 9 5 - 7 0 1 2

Hampton Inn & Suites – Candace Battle

850 Village Oak Lane, Lake Mary, FL 32746

(407) 9 9 5 - 9 0 0 0 – x 707

Hyatt Place – Edwin Neat

1255 International Parkway, Lake Mary, FL 32746

(407) 9 9 5 - 5 5 5 5