Golfers in Tellico Village will soon have a chance to improve the natural beauty of the community’s three golf courses.
The annual Beautification Golf Tournament is scheduled for July 22 at Touqua Golf Course and is sponsored by the Golf Advisory Committee and beautification committees for Toqua, Tanasi and Kahite.
“We’re all kind of running it together,” Sarah Havens, Golf Advisory Committee chairwoman, said.
The tournament had previously been held on Memorial Day, but was moved due to the number of conflicting activities.
Even with the change, Havens is expecting a full field for the tournament.
“Last year we had I think 105 (golfers) — between 105 and 120, somewhere in that general area,” she said. “We filled up the golf course to the point that we really couldn’t have any more people because we didn’t have any more golf carts.”
Tournament organizers are encouraging those who live in the Toqua area and wish to play to bring their own golf cart if they have one, which would allow a larger field of players.
The goal of the tournament is to raise funds for application to the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf.
According to Audubon International, the program “helps golf courses protect our environment and preserve the natural heritage of the game of golf.”
For Tellico Village, that means increasing and improving the natural areas on courses and creating areas that encourage animal habitats.
“The application to do this is 127 pages long,” Haven said. “We are working right now to make sure our chemical use is in line with natural practices. They want a list of the animals in our area and the animals we’ve seen on our golf courses. We’re going to increase our natural areas. … We’re going to build all kinds of things that would encourage birds or animals to come live on our golf course.”
Becoming an Audubon-certified course will provide instruction and education for golf staff to help maintain and improve natural areas on the courses.
“It’s a very presetgious thing for a golf course to do,” Havens said. “There are quite a few other Audubon-certified golf courses in the state of Tennessee. … It’s just a way to protect the environment, enhance the environment and show a care for the environment, in addition to making the golf courses beautiful. So it’s making a statement that we care about the environment as well as being prestigious.”
In addition to the GAC, the Audubon effort in Tellico Village is being supported by the Woodworkers Club, the Photography Club, the Tennessee Bluebird Society and the Watershed Association of the Tellico Reservoir.
Members of the GAC have made regular updates regarding the Audubon process during recent meetings. Chuck James, GAC member and president of the East Tennessee chapter of the Tennessee Bluebird Society, is chairman of the GAC’s Audubon committee.
During a March meeting, James told the committee “great progress” has been made on improving natural areas and installing duck and bluebird boxes. Bat and purple martin boxes could also be added, he said.
Entry for the tournament is $25 per person, plus greens fees. Players may sign up with a team of four or as individuals.
Tournament format is a “Tennessee Scramble,” with teams of four that include at least one man and one woman. Raffle tickets, mulligans and “really long drives” from course professionals will also be sold.
Jim West, director of golf, will provide hamburgers and hotdogs for $6 and $4 respectively.
To register, visit any of the golf clubhouses in Tellico Village.
