Ray Velli Sr. Prepares for 18th Douglass Golf Tournament

Ray Velli Sr. has lived a long and enriched life surrounded by many family members and good friends. The father of 10 lost his self-described “best friend” when his son-in-law, Lower Township Police Officer David C. Douglass Sr. was shot and killed in the line of duty on February 18, 1994.
The tragedy of losing his then 34-year-old in-law weighed heavily on Velli, his family, and all of Cape May County. The lifelong barber and bartender felt helpless about the loss of such a heroic and giving person as Officer Douglass. He soon came up with a means of honoring the memory of his daughter Debbie’s late husband.
Velli, now 86, started playing golf when he was 11 years old. He worked as a caddy at a 9-hole course in Cape May.
“We used wooden shafted golf clubs back then,” said the U.S. Navy veteran. “An old pro took an interest in me and taught me how to play the game. He taught me the fundamentals. He was a good teacher and I never learned bad habits.”
Velli maintained his passion for golf. His love and admiration for his son-in-law fostered the annual David C. Douglass Sr. Memorial Golf Tournament. The 18th annual event tees off at 9:00 a.m., Oct. 6, at Avalon Golf Club. Velli beams with pride when he tells you that more than $100,000 in scholarship funds have been raised so far for deserving local students. He said when he came up with the idea he approached Jack Kammer, a veteran Lower Township Police Officer. Kammer still supports the event to this day.
A man who cuts hair for 64 years and tends bar for 31 years tends to make friends. As the memorial tournament grew, Velli needed help in coordinating sponsorships, contests and the business side of things.
“I did everything when it started,” he said. “We had about 40 golfers back then, but it’s grown so much over the years. We now get about 90 golfers every first Sunday in October. It’s a lot of work and we couldn’t do it without all of the volunteers.”
“Ray’s Barbershop,” Velli’s venerable establishment, is up for sale, now. He says, at 86, “it’s probably time” to retire. He learned the craft from his father, who ran a shop at 413 Washington St. in Cape May. Velli, who was a shoeshine boy until he turned 14 and got his license to cut hair, learned from the master.
After leaving the military, Velli tried jobs in plumbing and concrete, but, he figured, “there has to be an easier way to make a living than this.” He said he soon bought a house on Lafayette Street with “a big sun porch,” which he converted into a barbershop.
“I want to spend the rest of my life retired,” said the Court House resident. “I’ve got many great customers, a very loyal clientele. Whoever buys it, if he’s a good barber, will do very well. But he’s got to be a good barber.”
Velli lost his beloved spouse, Jacqueline, nine years ago this November. He taught her to play the game he loves and she even once scored a hole in one. Velli has four aces on his resume, including two at the former Ponderlodge course, one at the “Jersey Devil” which later became Stone Harbor Country Club, and one at Wildwood.
“My wife loved to travel so we played in places like Myrtle Beach and Virginia Beach,” said Velli. “I got her a couple of lessons and she ended up hitting a hole in one.”
Velli said the Douglass Memorial Tournament started at Ponderlodge and has also been hosted by Cape May National, where he expects it may return to next year. The participants are treated to a luncheon at Menz’s Restaurant. The festivities include the usual attractions such as closest to the pin, longest drive, $1,000 for the first hole in one, and trophies for top finishers.
“The secret to good golf is to pay attention to what you’re doing,” said Velli, who still shoots his age. “You have to keep your head down and your eye on the ball. And don’t rush. Go little by little. You have to feel good about it. You have to like the game.”
Velli closed the shop on weekends and took off early on Thursdays so he could continue pursuing the little white ball. “I try to play three times a week,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll go out on Mondays, but it can be too much and I get tired.”
A former lifeguard with 24 grandchildren, Velli turned his passion for golf into a successful and meaningful vehicle for memorializing a community servant’s life cut far too short by a burglar’s bullet.
“We’ve made a nice jump from when we started to where the tournament is now,” said Velli. “It’s still hard. It’s been 19 years since David passed away but you never forget. I lost my best friend.”
To sign up for the David C. Douglass Memorial Golf Tournament, call Velli at 827-6972 or Debbie Douglass at 827-1572.
Reach Rossi at joerossi61@comcast.net.