Harwich Port Golf Tournament: Annual event continues to give back

What’s becoming a sought-after tradition for local golfers, the Harwich Port Golf Tournament was held last weekend under fair skies.

“All-in-all, it’s becoming a very fun tournament that a lot of people locally look forward to,” said Harwich Port Golf Course Superintendent Bob Kingsbury.

This year marked the 12th annual tournament, which benefits both the Harwich Police Association and the Harwich High School Spirit Club.

The tournament itself attracts more than 70 local businesses with cash donations to the tournament, sponsorships, and the donation of items to be auctioned off.

“This year, we topped $9,200, which will be split between the two organizations it benefits.”

In total, the annual event has raised $63,200 for the local groups, which have a strong presence during the tournament, assisting throughout.

“The kids come out and work the tournament for the entire day, it’s a great help. And I must say, over the past few years, the kids have shown an incredible amount of maturity, and I really credit their teacher, Angela Chilaka for doing an excellent job with them,” said Kingsbury.

Kingsbury also said more than 182 golfers participated in the tournament, which was one of the highest totals they’ve had since the inception of it 12 years ago.

The tournament was originally designed as a national fundraiser for the Sept. 11 attacks, but changed to a more local benefiting tournament soon after.

Growing each year in size and scope, the tournament continues to attract more involvement with local businesses.

“The past three years have really been great. This year was very close to last year’s total, which was our highest ever.”

The Harwich Fire Association, with Bruce Young, also was present assisting in the tournament, which including various putting, driving and score competitions.

The course itself has seen significant improvement over the past few years with sprinkler additions and the rebuilding of tee boxes planned for the near future.

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