Chairman's Cup up for grabs at Cross Creek

The Greater Mount Airy Chamber of Commerce is preparing to hit the links with its annual Chairman’s Cup Golf Tournament. It will be the 23rd installment of the tournament and will be held at Cross Creek Country Club Thursday, May 23, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Chamber officials said the day will give members and guests a chance to make connections, build relationships, gain company recognition through sponsorships, and “have a fantastic day on the green.”

Chamber Marketing Director Will Pfitzner said they are expecting more than 100 golfers at the event. He said the old adage that ‘business happens on the golf course’ has truth to it. “We’re playing on that, and we’re encouraging business to happen and are facilitating it in an organized way through a tournament.”

On Thursday, those who are competing can check in at 9 a.m. and then warm up before the first golfer tees off at 10 a.m.

To play in the tournament a single player can enter for $115 or if a completed foursome wants to participate the entry fee is $425. Entry fee also covers both lunch and dinner at Cross Creek Country Club.

As golfers navigate the course they will be playing for the low score but also will find a pair of closest to the pin contests along the way at the second and fourteenth hole as well as a long drive contest on the eighteenth hole.

It may seem odd and against the grain of golfing norms, but there will be a prize for the team with the highest score. He said the “Most Honest Team Award” will be given to those who count every stroke and penalty as they should, again all on the honor system.

The tenth hole has been given a title sure to bring out the inner competitor in any of the golfers for it is the Beat the Pro hole. “On that hole the pro from Cross Creek will play it and if you beat the pro, you win a prize. Theoretically everyone who is in the tournament could beat the pro, but I highly doubt that’s going to happen,” Pfitzner said.

Once the last team has finished its round the chamber has more in store for participants. Pfitzner said, “After all the golfers come in we’re going to have a networking session and we’ll have the awards ceremony and trophy presentation followed by a buffet style meal from Cross Creek.”

As is the custom, the chamber offered a number of sponsorship packages at varying levels of support. Each hole will have a local sponsor whose name and logo will be displayed prominently at the tee box.

“We had a really great response,” Pfitzner said. “The cart sponsorship was a popular one, hole sponsors will have a sign at every hole and those are filled up. We are closing in on the Eagle sponsor and Kelly Office solutions is the presenting sponsor.” He added those businesses have been supporting the tournament for many years.

He said since the Chairman’s Cup is an annual event that organizing for the event is not as difficult as one may expect. “Its actually pretty quick; we reserve with the host well ahead of time. We’ve been in the planning stages for about three months which is pretty typical. That is when we get the significant work done like advertising, signing up teams, and sponsors.”

Proceeds for the event go in part to the Chamber Foundation which Pfitzner said, “Helps support entrepreneurs and young people in our community. The foundation has yet to take full flight, but (Chamber CEO) John Pynakker and the board are really pushing for the foundation to spread its wings and take off. Part of the way they are doing that is to make commitments like this, part of the proceeds going to the foundation.”

“If the community has not noticed, the chamber is trying to be very active in the community and have a wide range of input into community events. We had BizFest this week and next week we’re turning around and doing the Chairman’s Cup. We are trying to fulfill the needs of our community and provide opportunities for us to improve greater Mount Airy and also be a facilitator for business,” he said.

The key he said is partnerships. “We have so many exciting organizations and businesses in our community. So, expanding on what we already have and partnering the organizations that we already have together is critical. You would be surprised with a golf tournament how much connection that can actually bring to Surry County.”

It’s a creative way for the chamber to bring people together in an attempt to form new business connections and potential partnerships. Regardless of the event, Pfitzner said their goal remains the same: “Everything we do, we are always trying to advance, promote, and encourage business growth right here.”