A total of 16 teams teed off at Alberni Golf Club on July 21 for the Sixth Annual Swing Fore Tlu-piich fundraising tournament.
The event has become one of the main sources of funding for the annual Nuu-chah-nulth Tlu-piich (Summer) Games, said coordinator Richard Samuel.
“The Games are in their 34th year. They were revived in 2009, and they’ve been going strong ever since. Last year we had 2,000 Indigenous People participating.
“This is the sixth annual golf tournament. It has been growing and growing.”
Each foursome paid a $600 entry fee to take part, with a number of sponsors earning Platinum (Ratcliffe & Co., Chatwin Engineering and Cermaq Canada), Gold (Probyn Team 1 & 2 and New Relationship Trust) and Silver (Herold Engineering) status.
Inside the clubhouse, volunteers laid out tables for the 35 auction items, all donated by sponsors and local businesses. It’s one of the main sources of revenue for the event.
At 1 p.m., the teams, spotted at holes all across the 18-hole course, teed off in a shotgun start.
Working on a Best Ball format, the four golfers in each team would tee off. They would then select the best lie, and all four would shoot from there, in succession, until the ball is in the cup.
All told, Swing Fore Tlu-piich raised at total of $9,404 ($4,154 came from the auction), Samuel said.
For the overall title, Probyn Team 1 and Herold Engineering tied for top honors.
Longest Drive (Men) honors went to Luke NJ (“He wouldn’t tell me his last name,” Samuel said), while Closest to the Pin was Boyd Gallic.
Longest Drive (Ladies) went to Geraldine Dekoninc, while Closest to the Pin (Ladies) went to Lauralee Edgell.
Dekoninc and Edgell, along with teammates Deb Masso and Thomas Dick, won Most Honest Team honors.
The Tlu-piich Games take place from Aug. 10 through Aug. 14. The Games begin at 3 p.m. at Bob Dailey, with Opening Ceremonies at 5 p.m.
