Sodexo hosts annual Bobcat Classic golf tourney

On Sept. 12, Georgia College hosted its 19th annual Sodexo Bobcat Classic Golf Tournament at Harbor Club on Lake Oconee, where the event has taken place for over six years, according to head golf professional at Harbor Club, Grant Gaalema.

Harbor Club, a gated golf club community with 1,000 acres of land, helps run the tournament, in addition to providing the facilities paid for by Georgia College.

“Harbor Club helps with the set up, and with the signs,” Gaalema said. “Georgia College send(s) a player list and (Harbor Club) organizes who starts on what hole and who plays with who and … runs the scoreboard there at the end.”

The tournament consists of teams of four in an 18-hole scramble. The tournament offered two registration times: 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., and two shotgun times (where everyone starts at the same time) at 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

“Although the students don’t participate in the tournament, they are volunteers and have opportunities to get to know the alumni and main sponsors for their athletic department,” said Al Weston, Georgia College sports information director.  Weston also played in the tournament with his boss and coworkers.

“It was a beautiful course and a great day for you be outside in the sun and knock a ball around, sometimes rather poorly and sometimes rather decently,” Weston said.

The winners of the tournament for the afternoon round were Brian Robinson, Josh Eady, Jody Bellflower and Bill Faith.

Sponsors for the tournament include Sodexo; Siemens Building Technologies; Coca-Cola; The Christman Company; Dunwody/Beeland, Architects, Inc.; CWC; Murray Barns Finsiter LLP; and Pickle Barrel Cafe & Sports Pub.

“It’s a great camaraderie element where you have the ability to meet people you might not be able to on a regular basis and share a common goal of helping students get collegiate degrees and help them move on to the profession of their choice,” Weston said. “It’s not professional athletes but professional people that we’re helping and it’s nice to meet people who share the same goal.”

With Sodexo being the main sponsor, the tournament is named after them.

The $175 entry fee per person or $700 per team includes lunch, green fees, carts, driving range, snacks, beverages and prizes.

The lunch was served by Pickle Barrel Cafe between the sessions.

Georgia College comes up with the prizes.

“Major prizes (are) awarded for the first hole-in-one on each of the par 3’s,” Gaalema said.

This year, major prizes included a new golf cart from Club Car.

“The tournament is put on by (GC’s) entire athletic department as a fundraiser for scholarships and program upgrades,” said Steve Barsby, assistant athletic director and head men’s and women’s tennis coach. “I oversee the tournament but it is really coordinated by numerous people within the department,”

“It is a way for alumni and athletic department supporters to contribute to the funding for the athletic departments,” Gaalema said.

The goal for the tournament is to include alumni and athletic department supporters and keep them involved in GC’s athletic life. With so many participants, the proceeds from the tournament will fund 14 student-athlete scholarships for this academic school year.

“We had very good numbers for this year. They were actually up from last year’s tournament which is good, especially in this economy,” Weston said. “With any fundraiser, you can never raise too much money. I think this year’s numbers are going to be right were we need to be.”

The potential scholarship awardees must have a minimum 1140 SAT (out of 1600) and a 3.5 grade average.

The athletic department advertises for the Sodexo Bobcat Classic.

“The tournament is advertised in the local print media and on our websites, (as well as by) previous participants and alumni,” Barsby said. “Every team helps in some aspect of the event whether it is at the tournament selling raffle tickets or acting as hosts for the participants.”

The athletic department is optimistic about the money raised from the tournament and will continue to keep the annual Sodexo Bobcat Classic Golf Tournament going.

“This is a tightly run fundraiser and requires minimal expense by the athletic department, which is wise. I don’t see any needed changes,” Weston said. “I see more success in the future for the event it we can continue to get the word out and continue to get people to help out with our athletic department.”

Posted by Steffi Beigh on Sep 15 2011. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.