BellinghamGolfer asked Tournament Director Doug Wight, who serves on the hospice's Board of Directors, for his reaction to last week's event at Lake Padden.
Oh yes, it was very festive and fun with a focus on the mission of Hospice.
You had a few well-known amateurs, right?
Yes, we had former Seahawks stars, Michael Jackson, Randall Morris, Nesby Glasgow and Rueben Mayes, and NBA star Slick Watts.
How many players/pros were there in all?
There were 34 teams comprising four amateurs, and one pro, so a total of 170 participants. We also had over 20 volunteers.
What was the winning score?
The format was a shamble and the winning score was 179. I was actually part of the winning team - Ebright Wight (above, Doug Wight is far left) - and my teammates were James Foxx, David Kleiber, Paul Berube, and our pro Joel Skarbo (third from left) from Seattle. The pro with the best individual score was Loomis Trail's Trevin Williams who shot 67. George Dauber won the putting contest; Glenn Cribbs won the David Wight glass art and Leon Ford a Porsche for three days for closest to the pin; Sarah Rothenbuhler hit the ladies' long drive with 227 yards, and Tim James won the men's long drive with 289 yards.
Do you know how much was raised?
The tournament grossed over $94,000. Over $28,000 of that came from the pro auction (players bidding for their chosen professional) we held on the patio on the Thursday evening. That was such a fun event. The net amount is still being calculated.
Do you know what the money is used for?
All proceeds benefit Whatcom Hospice and the Whatcom Hospice House, located on Bellingham’s south side.
How big a task is organizing the event?
The organizational meetings and planning began in January and intensified greatly three months prior to the tournament as we discussed the venue with potential sponsors. Birch Equipment was the major sponsor of the event.
Steve Swank reports a great turnout for last Saturday's Lake Padden Men's Club President's Cup which was won by Blair Walker with a 74. Mark Rachor won the Net prize with a 68. Results here. The last major of the year, the Fall Classic, is on Saturday September 10th. Click here for the Men's Club 2011 money list. There's still room for this weekend's Bellingham Amateur. Give the pro shop a call to reserve your place. 
If you ever wanted to meet Fred Couples, here's your chance. Salish Cliffs GC (left), a new Gene Bates-designed course near Shelton (20 miles from Olympia) is scheduled to open on Friday September 16th, but on Saturday 17th 128 golfers will get the chance to meet the 1992 Masters champion who will be stationed at one of the holes greeting players as they pass through. You can ask him if he still thinks back to '92 and that ball hanging in the turf above the creek at Augusta's 12th hole, or whether or not it was him that instructed Tiger Woods to sign up for the Frys.com Open ahead of the Presidents Cup.
A twosome costs $500, a foursome $1,000. For more details or to reserve a spot, call Takara Thale on 360-432-7043 (limit of two foursomes per person).
