PELHAM, ALABAMA – This summer the Alabama – NW Florida PGA Section will conduct its Inaugural Foundation Classic, benefiting the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation. The event will take place on August 29, 2018 at Wynlakes Golf and Country Club in Montgomery, Alabama. The Foundation Classic was established to be a primary fundraiser for the Section’s Foundation and to enhance its programming which aims to positively impact lives of those who reside in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through the game of golf.
In addition to hosting, Wynlakes Golf and Country Club will be the Presenting Sponsor for the 2018 event. “We are honored to host this very important inaugural event at Wynlakes. Philanthropy is a great way to ‘pay it forward’ and we believe the golf community in our region will be supportive of the initiatives laid out by the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation and its visionary leadership,” says Wynlakes’ General Manager / Director of Golf and PGA Master Professional, Brent Krause.
The Foundation Classic will be contested in an 18-hole Best Ball format featuring 15 to 20 teams made up of three amateurs and one PGA Professional. “We want this event to be special for both the community and our Members,” says AL – NW FL PGA Executive Director, Bart Rottier, “serving our PGA Members and growing the game of golf are both of the utmost importance to our operation. This event will add tremendously to our Foundation’s efforts in achieving these fundamental goals.” In the coming months, the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation aims to showcase the value and expertise a PGA Professional can bring to its programming, and how they are at the forefront of including others in the sport and business of golf.
In November 2017, the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation hosted preliminary fundraising events headed by the then Section President, Eric Eshleman. In total, over $70,000 was raised in the succeeding months. “It is an exciting time in the Section’s Foundation space,” says Eshleman, who also serves as the Director of Golf at the Country Club of Birmingham, “the community showed us last year [2017] that they are all in … this early success was just what the Foundation needed in order to set us on the right path to achieving our goals. Now is the time to start developing our resources to ensure our Foundation’s programming is relevant and sustaining for years to come.”
In the coming months and years, the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation intends to expand its presence on a Section-wide scale by implementing exceptional programming and gaining a diverse network of partners and supporters. Additionally, in August 2018, the Foundation Classic will take precedence and become the Foundation’s marquee fundraising event.
Opportunities to help support the Inaugural Foundation Classic include registering a foursome to play in the event and sponsorship opportunities. For inquiries on registering a team or sponsorships please contact Hayden Lewis at HLewis@pgahq.com or call the Section office at (205) 621-6401. The deadline to register a team is Friday, August 24, 2018.
For more information about the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation and the Inaugural Charity Classic please visit http://alabamanwfloridapga.com.
ABOUT THE ALABAMA – NW FLORIDA GOLF FOUNDATION
The Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable arm of the PGA Section. The mission of the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation is to positively impact the lives of those who reside in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through community outreaches, programs and initiatives the game of golf provides. Established in 2003, the Foundation has three (3) main areas of focus for its programming and outreach. These include, but are not limited to, engaging youth, military / veteran and diverse populations within the PGA Section.