Fort Oglethorpe team takes 1st at Catoosa Classic Golf Tournament
On Aug. 13, a blistering hot Tuesday, the Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce held its annual Catoosa Golf Classic at Windstone Golf Club in Ringgold. The event is one of three fundraisers the Chamber holds each year in order to keep membership fees down.
Chamber president Amy Jackson says 27 teams competed this year — five more than last year — and a long list of businesses sponsored and provided prizes for the event. “We had a great time of networking and fellowship,” says Jackson.
The big prize that was available this year was the $5,000 “Hole in One” prize, sponsored by Starr Matthews Insurance Agency via an insurance policy that would pay it off should someone win it. No one pulled that off on Aug. 13, but the Chamber gave away $1,800 in prize money, as well as many other prizes.
The overall winner of the tournament was the City of Fort Oglethorpe team: City Council member Jim Childs, council member Derek Rogers, Rudi Lee and Evan Kidwell.
Corporate sponsors of the tournament were Steven M. Henry Construction, and the Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics.
The “Presenting Sponsor” was Chattanooga Allergy Clinic. Drink cart sponsors were Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority, Top of Georgia, and Flegal Insurance.
The Chamber held raffles at the event to award numerous prizes donated by area businesses. Fort Oglethorpe Walmart donated a 50-inch smart flatscreen TV, Elder’s Ace Hardware of Ringgold donated a gas grill, 365 Degree Total marketing donated a two-night stay at a condo in St. Simons, and Professional Eye Associates donated his and her designer sunglasses valued at $300 a pair.
No event is complete without some good food and the tournament was awash in it. Food sponsors were Costco, Food City, Chattanooga CocaCola, Fort Oglethorpe Publix, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Serving as “master grillers” for the event, says Jackson, were Fort Oglethorpe Mayor Earl Gray, Matt Farmer from North Georgia Electric Membership Corporation, and Larry Pettigrew from the Georgia Welcome Center.
Mike Key of Mike Key Entertainment provided his services as emcee for the event.
“I am so thankful to the players, volunteers and sponsors and the Chamber board of directors and staff members who made this event happen,” says Jackson. “Our final numbers aren’t in yet, but we know we raised an all-time high in funds and participation was also at an all-time high. We can’t wait till next year.”