Ed Michielsen prepared to tee off, pulling back his club and ensuring his aim.
It was, for sure, a difficult shot. It wasn’t just the length of the green, or the obstacles (namely trees) that stood in his way. It was the fact that his tee was in a very unusual position, not one he’d ever encountered before. It resting in the teeth of his team member, Lory Hinz.
Only three mulligans were given to each golfer at this year’s Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce golf tournament, and Michielsen, vice-president of business banking at Prospera, feared he’d use up all of his in the first hole.
He shrugged off the worry, afterall most of the players came out for a fun day on the course with colleagues rather than a real serious game.
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The 33rd annual tourney, held at The Redwoods Golf Course on Thursday, attracted a wide variety of local business people looking to support their chamber.
“This is the second biggest event of the year for the chamber of commerce,” explained the chamber’s executive director Colleen Clark. “It’s just behind the Business Excellence Awards.”
With music blaring around the clubhouse, giant Jenga toppling, food trucks serving up lunch, and even a visit from Berry – the Fraser Valley Bandits’ mascot – to cheer the golfers on, the word “big” hardly began to sum up the course of the day’s events.
A tailgate party kicked it all off at 9:30 in the morning before teams of four set out on a shotgun start. A hundred and forty golfers took to the green, playing 18 holes of best-ball.
An additional 30 sponsors and 40 dinner guests were set to join in the evening program, after teams wrapped up their time on the fairway.
“Everyone paid one price ($225) which includes admission, prizes throughout the day, and a steak and lobster supper,” Clark said.
“It will roughly raise about $20,000 for the chamber of commerce, which really helps as we do not get any government funding.”
The chamber turns 88 this year, still operating with the same mandate to provide a voice for trade, commerce, and overall Langley welfare.
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“The whole idea is to treat sponsors and Langley businesses to a day out on the course while providing an opportunity for people to network,” Clark explained.
Sponsors who made the day possible included Aldergrove Credit Union, CAPP, Cascades Casino, CBM Lawyers, Country Lumber, Express Computers, Investors Group, JD Farms Specialty Turkey, Kimz Angels, KPU, Sevcomm Communications, TD Canada Trust, and Tourism Langley.
Additionally, CoWorks Langley and Uptown Business Machines sponsored hole contests, while Otter Co-op was the chamber’s 2019 prize partner.
Clark was quick to thank everyone for their support in putting this and their many other events on through the years.
As storm clouds rolled overhead, Clark was also sure to “knock on wood and pray for sunshine,” noting the last several tournaments had been pelted with heavy rains.
