Patriot Golf Day back again for another charitable round

The Labor Day weekend is developing a rewarding new reputation as the chosen time frame for another kind of celebration, in addition to honoring those whose hard work makes America such a great country.

Sept. 2-5 marks the fifth annual Patriot Golf Day event, through which golfers in the Cape Region and throughout the United States can contribute toward a great cause.

Golfers at participating courses are asked to play golf for the benefit of the Folds of Honor Foundation, a charitable organization eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

The foundation supports the families of those in the military services who either died or became disabled while engaged in our nation’s defense. The money goes toward educational scholarships for the children and spouses of those who made these sacrifices. The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association are among the foundation’s leading supporters.

To date, more than 2,100 scholarships have been awarded. In the last four years the Patriot Golf Day event raised more than $5 million.

The idea first came to Dan Rooney, a PGA professional and an F-16 pilot in the Oklahoma National Guard. His radio call name is Noonan, in homage to the young hero of "Caddyshack."

More than 4,480 golf facilities participated in the charity event in 2009. This year’s goal is to have 5,000 courses participate.

When one considers the number of golf courses that have closed in the last several years, reaching that plateau presents a more difficult challenge than it did previously.

This year, the following Cape Region and Sussex County courses are asking their players to contribute: The Rookery in Milton, Shawnee Country Club in Milford, Old Landing Golf Course in Rehoboth, Rehoboth Beach Country Club, Baywood Greens Golf Club in Long Neck, The Peninsula Golf & Country Club in Millsboro, Bayside Resort Golf Club in Selbyville, Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View, and Heritage Shores Golf Club in Bridgeville.

Golfers usually make their contribution as they show up to play their rounds. In addition, the folks at American Express agreed to match donations by golfers who hand over their AmEx card for this purpose, up to a national total of $200,000.

For more information, as well as an opportunity to make your own donation, click on over to patriotgolfday.com. You can also contact the Folds of Honor Foundation at 5800 N. Patriot Drive, Owasso, OK 74055.

Local club tournament results
In the short interval between the recent earthquake and the arrival of Hurricane Irene to the Cape Region, the ladies of Kings Creek Country Club remained undaunted in their pursuit of competitive excellence. The group held its Low Net Scramble event Aug. 25, and first-place team honors went to Marsha McLaurin, Linda Pini, Betsy Alwood, and Diane Clark.

Nadine Carrick, Jeannine Doane, Ruth Bender, and Gail Petren took second place. Anita Pettitt was closest to the pin on the 16th hole, at 13 feet, 11 inches.

There is a chance for the gang to handle at least one more tournament before the Cape Region is visited by the traditional plague of locusts.

Where do we tee off?
Golfers participating in the Tee It Forward program, which encourages them to play a slightly shorter layout, may be a bit surprised at what they encounter at unfamiliar tee boxes.

Many teeing areas for the shorter hitters among us are also noticeably smaller than the regular tee boxes.

That’s understandable, given the lower number of players typically using them. On the other hand, the program provides an opportunity to remember the options golfers face in selecting the best place to put the ball on a peg and swing away.

As the USGA noted recently, the teeing ground “is a rectangular area two club-lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers.”

Take advantage of this rule and carefully consider your choices when deciding where to set up on a small tee box.