History of the Fairway Friday Golf Tournament

The Chamber is big on tradition. Tradition unites people across the generations. It’s a way to pass on the joy and learning that occurs when groups of like-minded, community-driven folks connect with a common purpose. One of the Chamber’s longest standing traditions is its annual golf tournament.

On Friday, September 25, Whitby Chamber of Commerce (WCC) is hosting its 33rd annual Golf Tournament. Since 1987, WCC members have been teeing off to raise funds for Chamber programming throughout the year. Incredible, isn’t it? The pulse of this tradition began a decade before the world saw Facebook, when the Commodore 64 was the world’s most popular computer, and the Rick Hansen Man in Motion was two years in. If you feel like you’ve just been reminded of a past life – you have! The world was certainly a different place back then. (For the golf lovers reading this, the world’s best golfer at that time was Greg Norman. He held the top spot in the Official World Golf Ranking for 62 weeks from September 1986 through November 1987).

The tournament’s endurance speaks volumes about its success, for supporting year-long Chamber programming, and for being a fun and relaxing activity between friends, colleagues, the community, and local businesses. In light of the events 2020 has bestowed upon the world, we can’t think of a better way to shrug off the mess and stress of it all, if even just for a day.

The Planning Committee

The golf tourney is one of four signature events conceived, organized, and hosted by the Chamber each year. The others are: Connect Women, The Business Summit, and the Peter Perry & Business Achievement Awards gala. Historically, each event had its own planning committee. Since its inception, the Golf Tournament Planning Committee was chaired by long-time Chamber member and 2017 Peter Perry Award winner Trevor Bardens. His leadership was an outstanding contribution to the event’s success.

Now, we are pleased to inaugurate our new Signature Events Committee as the main point of contact for all annual Chamber events, including the Golf Tournament. Through the leadership of this volunteer committee, each event will have a common decision-making and development process.

Our Sponsors

For the second year in a row, Campkins RV Centre will contribute to the event’s community presence and ultimate success as the Tournament Sponsor. We’re deeply grateful to have the incredible support and commitment of this local business. Another big thank you to supporting sponsors MicroAge Whitby, PGL Environmental Consultants, Abrisuite, Vickery Electric, North American Steel, Edward Jones – Krista Deacon and the many hole sponsors who have jumped on board to support Chamber programming.

What’s New This Year

We chose Friday for the event this year – FUNday! Because we could all use a little of that as the summer winds down. This year’s tournament will also feature a Caesar bar, raffle, and an on-course puzzle provided by Durham Escape Rooms. We are still accepting prize donations so feel free to contribute – it’s a great way to support local business and build your company’s presence.

“The WCC golf tournament has a 33-year history and not only are we proud of presenting this annual tournament, we’re especially proud that we’ve invested into reimagining the event, like moving it to a Friday, and creating more fun on and off the course,” said WCC CEO, Natalie Prychtiko. “As a major fundraiser to support Chamber programming, this event will be executed in partnership with Royal Ashburn Golf Club to ensure the safety of the participants, while delivering a stellar tournament experience.”

Get specific details about this year’s event on the Chamber’s website.

Good luck to everyone participating, and a huge thank you to all of our supporters!

– Joel Davies, owner of Logical Mix and member of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce Signature Events Committee