Charity tourney breaks records

The third annual New Year’s Eve Day Fool’s Invitational held at Hidden Creek Golf Club raised more than $3,200 for Caring and Sharing of South Santa Rosa County.

Pat Griffith with Lord and Son Construction in Fort Walton Beach, one of the tournament’s sponsors, said the tournament started in the early 1990s and has grown in size ever since. This is the third year the tournament has been back since Hurricane Ivan damaged the greens at Hidden Creek.

About 90 players signed up to compete in the team-style event where groups of four golfers compile the best shot at each hole to compete for the trophy. Players could purchase mulligans for $5 where they are able to not count a bad shot and male players could pay $5 to tee off a ladies tee.

Chuck Howard of Caring and Sharing was on hand to accept a check for $3,269, beating the total of $3,148 raised in 2010.

“This year in south Santa Rosa County, (Caring and Sharing) served 289 families for a total of 1,082 people, 595 of which were kids,” Howard said. “We supplied food boxes for Thanksgiving and Christmas as well as presents for all the kids.”

For more on this story, see the Jan. 5 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.