The Tradition That Tees Up Opportunity: The Story of the Br. Maris Golf Tournament

For more than four decades, the Br. Maris Golf Tournament has represented far more than a day on the course. It has become a gathering place for generations of Spartans, a celebration of friendship and faith, and a lasting reminder of how one person’s influence can ripple across decades. What began in the rolling hills of Concord as a small alumni golf outing has evolved into one of De La Salle High School’s most cherished traditions, rooted in brotherhood, generosity, remembrance, and opportunity.

The story of the Br. Maris Golf Tournament begins with a man whose time at De La Salle was relatively brief, yet whose presence left an unforgettable mark on the community. In the mid-1970s, Br. Maris Spillane arrived at De La Salle High School as an English teacher and one of the school’s earliest golf coaches. Though he served at the school for only a short time, students and colleagues quickly recognized something extraordinary about him. He carried himself with warmth, humor, intelligence, and a genuine care for the young men he taught and coached. Whether in the classroom or walking the fairways beside his players, Br. Maris created meaningful connections that endured long after graduation.

Among the students deeply impacted by him was Barry Serafino, class of 1977, who played on the golf team during Br. Maris’s tenure as coach. Reflecting on those years, Serafino shared, “Br. Maris was approachable, intelligent, and funny. He wanted to do what he could to help the golf team.” His encouragement often came quietly, through conversations between holes, reassuring words after a difficult shot, or stories shared in the clubhouse after a round. Yet those small moments built something lasting. For many students, Br. Maris embodied the spirit of De La Salle: supportive, humble, relational, and deeply invested in others.

Years later, that admiration, combined with a growing desire among alumni to reconnect and reflect on their shared experiences at De La Salle, inspired a group of former students to create something meaningful in his memory. On June 1, 1985, seventy-two alumni, faculty, and friends gathered at Boundary Oaks Golf Club for what would become the Alumni Association’s first golf tournament. The atmosphere that day felt far less like a formal competition and much more like a family reunion. Old teammates reunited, classmates swapped stories from their years at De La Salle, and friendships picked up right where they had left off.

The inaugural tournament carried special significance. Among those present was Br. Norman Cook, De La Salle’s first golf coach, along with Br. Maris Spillane’s two brothers. Barry Serafino ‘77 served as the first tournament chairman and envisioned the event as more than simply a round of golf. He hoped it would provide alumni with an opportunity to honor Br. Maris and his contributions to the school, while also creating space for former classmates and teammates to reconnect, reflect on old memories, and strengthen the bonds that had formed during their time at De La Salle. That vision resonated immediately, laying the foundation for a tradition that would continue to grow year after year.

Over the decades, the Br. Maris Golf Tournament became one of the most beloved annual traditions in the De La Salle community. Alumni returned not only for the game itself, but for the relationships, stories, and shared sense of belonging that the event fostered. Parents, faculty members, friends of De La Salle, and generations of Spartans joined together on the course, blending memories of classrooms, championships, friendships, retreats, and faith. Conversations that began over breakfast before a shotgun start often stretched late into the afternoon as old friends reminisced about their years on campus and the people who shaped their lives.

The tournament grew into a living example of the Lasallian spirit, demonstrating that the bonds formed at De La Salle do not end at graduation. Instead, they deepen over time, connecting generations through shared experiences and a collective commitment to the school’s mission. What started as a memorial to one beloved Brother evolved into a tradition that celebrated the entire De La Salle brotherhood.

As the years passed, the purpose of the tournament expanded in a profound and meaningful way. With the establishment of the Alumni Endowment for Financial Aid, the Br. Maris Golf Tournament gained a new mission: helping students who might otherwise never have the opportunity to attend De La Salle. Tournament proceeds began supporting tuition assistance and strengthening the school’s commitment to accessibility and inclusion, ensuring that future generations of young men could benefit from the same transformational education that alumni themselves had experienced.

Today, proceeds from the tournament support De La Salle’s athletic programs and the immediate needs of the Bishop John S. Cummins Scholarship Program (BJSCSP). This remarkable program provides full tuition assistance to students whose families live at or below the adjusted federal poverty line, and more than sixty De La Salle students currently benefit from its support. In this way, the tournament’s impact extends far beyond the golf course. Every sponsorship, every foursome, every drive down the fairway, and every reunion among classmates now helps create opportunities for future Spartans.

What began in 1985 as a gathering to honor Br. Maris Spillane has become something even larger: a bridge between generations of De La Salle alumni and students. The laughter that echoes across the fairways each year carries with it decades of stories, friendships, and gratitude. It is a reminder that the De La Salle experience does not end with graduation day. It lives on through community, through generosity, and through traditions like the Br. Maris Golf Tournament continues to unite Spartans while opening doors for those who will follow in their footsteps.