Crooked Stick Golf Club to Host Tournament for Hamilton County Parks

August 2019

Writer // Janelle Morrison                Photography // Laura Arick and Submitted

Carmel Monthly is proud to announce the First Annual On Par for Parks Golf Tournament to be held at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, on September 16, 2019. The tournament will benefit the Friends of Hamilton County Parks (FHCP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2006 that is geared toward ensuring that all community members have access to parks that meet their needs and expectations in amazing ways.

FHCP board members John Scott Foster and Todd Irwin shared the back story to putting on this remarkable inaugural event and why golf enthusiasts will want to register for this tournament.

“We were very fortunate garnering the support of the Crooked Stick Golf Club,” Foster said. “In the past, when there were big tournaments at Crooked Stick, Al Patterson—who is the director of Hamilton County Parks and Recreation—would allow folks to park on the grounds of Coxhall Gardens and be shuttled over to Crooked Stick. So basically, Al went over to the good folks at Crooked Stick with a ‘you-owe-me’ card and asked if they could help out FHCP by allowing us to host a golf outing there at their club. This tournament will be one of six tournaments that Crooked Stick allows each year for fundraising purposed for area not-for-profits. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to host this event at the Crooked Stick Golf Club.”

Foster acknowledged there are numerous golf outings throughout the county that are worthy fundraisers, but it’s the prestige of playing at a world-championship course that avid golfers will be attracted to, especially if they are not members at Crooked Stick.

“We thought it was a nice match between a fundraising opportunity for us and opening the club up to people who might not have had a chance to play there before but would like to,” Foster said. “When we organize an event, we really try to match who we are as an organization with the experience that we are providing. One thing you can say about golfers is that they appreciate being outdoors in beautiful park-like settings. So, if there’s a group of folks who are going to be open to learning more about us as an organization, it’s going to be golfers.”

Fellow FHCP board member Todd Irwin shared why this tournament is a unique opportunity to be a sponsor or participant.

“This is not your normal golf outing because the setting will be at Crooked stick Golf Club,” Irwin emphasized. “There is likely to be a golf outing somewhere in Hamilton County every day of the week during the summer, so asking for sponsorships can fall on a deaf ear unless you have something unique to offer them. In this case, the unique component of the On Par for Parks Golf Tournament is Crooked Stick. We will be putting on a very high-end event that is aimed at attracting people who want to make an impact to our neighborhoods by supporting enhancements, green spaces and parks. Our whole mission in life at FHCP is to be the fundraising arm for enhancements to the parks, so we’re trying to put on a very memorable event so those that are going to participate are going to want to be surrounded with like-minded, environmentally friendly, green-space-oriented individuals that want to give back to our communities through the park system. The money that we do garner through this event and our other events will be earmarked for projects throughout the entire Hamilton County park system.”

The practice range opens at 10:00 a.m. with a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The fee per four-person golf scramble is $2,500 and includes practice time, lunch, snacks and tasty beverages along the course, a 19th-hole party, and a great silent auction, all at this world-class, members-only golf course developed by Pete Dye.

Please visit friendsofhamiltoncountyparks.org and click on the “Events” tab for registration and more information on the First Annual On Par for Parks Golf Tournament.