More than five thousand volunteers will be on hand to work on the many committees required by the tournament.
“We were thrilled by the interest and the willingness to work and be a part of this great championship,” said Pinehurst Resort Communications Manager Janeen Driscoll.
EWGA Dinner: Last week’s snowstorm forced postponement of the Sandhills Chapter of the Executive Women’s Golf Association Tee-Off Dinner at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club.
It has been rescheduled for Thursday night.
Donna Andrews, LPGA Tour player who resides in Southern Pines, will be the guest speaker for the affair, which begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. The cost is $30 per person.
The Executive Women’s Golf Association is a nonprofit organization formed in 1991 to provide opportunities for women to learn, play, and enjoy the game of golf for business and life.
New golfers, occasional golfers and avid golfers find the EWGA programs geared to their interests and demanding time schedules. There are more than 17,000 members in more than 100 chapters nationwide and in Canada. The Sandhills Chapter was started in 1997.
The EWGA’s home course for this year is Whispering Woods Golf Club in Whispering Pines. League play begins April 7 at 5:30 p.m. at the Ellis Maples-designed course.
Stuart Taylor, the general manager and head professional at Whispering Woods, will head a six-week beginner and intermediate clinic on Mondays at 5:30, beginning April 12 and running through May 17. Special monthly 18-hole outings will be held on Sunday afternoons from March through October at various courses in the area.
Many EWGA members are unable to play golf during the traditional daytime work hours, but flexible tee-times and arrangements enable them to participate in activities. Members do not have to be “executives” or even businesswomen to join the EWGA. All women — working, retired or stay-at-home — are encouraged to become members.
For information, call chapter President Louise Gilchrist at 315-6462, or Vice President Linda Lewis at 369-2069.
Gold and Silver: Golf Magazine has named its national Gold and Silver resorts for 2004 and only two North Carolina resorts are included.
Pinehurst was one of 25 Gold resorts cited by the magazine, while Pine Needles is one of fifty Silver resorts.
Senior Tour: The popular Harris Teeter Senior Tour will hold a tournament at The Club at Longleaf on Thursday, March 11.
Golfers must be at least 50 years of age and will compete in one of three divisions, based on handicaps. Format is individual stroke play.
Membership for the 32-tournament season is $60, with entry fees ranging $45 to $65 depending on the course. For information, call Bruce Hallenbeck at (919) 499-9749.
ACC Golf: The 51st Atlantic Coast Conference championship will be held April 16-18 at the Old North State Club, the state’s second-ranked golf course.
Wake Forest star Bill Haas, a senior and the son of PGA Tour star Jay Haas, is the pre-tourney favorite. If he wins, he will join his father as an ACC champion. The elder Haas, also a Deacon, won the event in 1973. Clemson is the defending champion.
Tourney Time: Whispering Woods Golf Club will host two tournaments this month.
The Golf Record of the Carolinas Spring Parent-Child Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, March 20, at 11 a.m. The E-Z Go Couples Invitational will be played Thursday, March 25.
The format for the Parent-Child event is captain’s choice with the tee ball of each player having to be used at least six times during the 18 holes. There will be trophies for flight winners, longest drives and closest to the pin on all par-3 holes.
The entry fee is $70 per team and includes a reduced fee practice round anytime during March, with junior golfers under 16 playing free. The deadline for entries is March 14 and will be closed at 52 teams.
The Couples Invitational is a two-person better-ball with handicap, plus men’s and women’s skins games, both gross and net, as well as net best ball of the foursomes. Preferred pairings are allowed, or couples will be paired with another couple of similar handicap. A 10 a.m. shotgun start is planned.
Hole-in-one prizes available include two airline tickets and a new E-Z Go golf car. Trophies, door prizes and closest to the pin prizes will also be awarded to men and women during the social hour following play.
The entry fee is $80 per couple and includes lunch, the social hour and hors d’oeuvres. Deadline for entries is March 22.
For information regarding both events, call 949-4653. Whispering Woods, an Ellis Maples-designed course, is located in Whispering Pines.
