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The St. George's Cup

© Bill Howard

I missed a meeting a few weeks ago. It was the organizational meeting for our annual charity golf tournament. We had another one last night. I made this one and found out that I'm in charge of prizes. This provides absolute proof that missing meetings can be costly.

The St. George's Cup is played in Homestead, Florida every year. It is a fund raising event put on by the Methodist Men's group at my church. There are two men who are largely responsible for the growth and success of the tournament. The rest of us pitch in as best we can. Until Bob and Mike asked me to help, my experience had been exclusively on the playing side of things. Frankly, I had always thought of tournament organizers as faceless little men with walkie talkies. I had absolutely no concept of the effort involved.

There are hours and hours spent by volunteers. Volunteers are busy keeping track of entries and money, filling drink cart coolers with ice, making sure all the sponsors' signs are in the right place, selling sponsorships, begging for prizes, haggling with the caterers, and putting out the inevitable brush fires that occur in the days leading up to the big event. I never appreciated any of it until I saw a tournament from the other side. The next time you play a scramble, find out who the organizers are and thank them. They deserve at least that.

The St. George's Cup started out years ago with roughly half a dozen foursomes comprised of church members and their friends. If memory serves, first place was a dinner for four. There were also a handful of gift certificates. We are now blessed with capacity fields, abundant sponsorships, and, if I do my job, fabulous prizes. There are cars for a hole in one and fishing charters for the winning teams. The growth has been remarkable. The money raised is used to support a number of worthwhile local programs.

I suppose my point is this; golf is never more noble than when it serves as a vehicle to help people. Its ability to do this is just one of the reasons that it's the best game on earth.

If you get a call asking you to play in, or support, an event like this you should do so. If you are interested, the St. George's Cup will be played on Saturday, October 14 at the Keys Gate Country Club in Homestead, Florida. If you cannot make the tournament, your tax deductible prize donations are welcome. Diamonds, emeralds, boats, classic cars, or corporate promotional items for goody bags are welcome. We are also in search of a title sponsor. E-mail me for an entry form or a shipping address.