Organizers of the second annual Davis & Elkins College Spring Classic Golf Tournament are putting final plans in place for the March 8-9 outing at the top-ranked Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club in sunny Sebring, Fla. The fun get-away for golfers and non-golfers supports D&E’s unique Highlands Scholar Program.
Last year’s tournament raised $50,000 for Highlands Scholarships and this year’s goal is set at $100,000.
“While golf is a large part of the event, we have other activities planned for non-golfers to engage in such as pickle ball, painting and local shopping,” says Jamie Joss, director of athletics and member of the Spring Classic committee. “Our dinner Tuesday evening will be a wonderful opportunity to share your D&E experiences with staff, alumni and other supporters of the College.”
Participants may register online or download a form for mailing at www.dewv.edu/de-spring-classic. Registration is available for individual players, teams and non-golfers.
Current tournament sponsors are: Platinum Level, Karen Berner, ’64, Douglas C. Lane & Associates and Davis Trust Co.; Gold Level, March-Westin Company Inc.; Silver Level, Diamond Coach and ‘Buck’ and Joni Smith; additional sponsors, Paul Stirrup, ’60, Bialek Insurance, Reckart Logistics Inc., McDonald’s of Elkins – Jim Ebert, Hinzman Auto Repair and Refinish Inc., DirectAxis, Mountain Valley Bank, First Energy Foundation and US Foods. Additional sponsorships are still available. For information, call D&E Vice President for Development Carol Schuler at 304-642-5576.
The Sun ‘N Lake Golf Club’s Deer Run course may be familiar to golf fans as the site of the qualifying round for the PGA Tour Lationamérica season every year since 2013. The par 72 course is a classic Don Dyer design with greens made of Champion grass, while the fairways and rough feature 419 Bermuda grass.
Anyone with the skill, or who is lucky enough, to score the first hole-in-one at the designated par 3 will win a 2015 EZGO RXV electric golf car with a retail value of more than $8,000. The prize is being donated by D&E alumnus Robert A. Wolf, ’71.
The outing begins on Tuesday, March 8 with a meet and greet, followed by a dinner, live auction and silent auction. Several Davis & Elkins representatives, along with members of the D&E golf team, will be in attendance.
Among items for the silent auction are a one-week stay at Bimini Sands Resort in South Bimini, Bahamas, two-night stay at The Greenbrier with one round of golf on The Old White TPC Course for two players, basketball signed by the West Virginia University men’s team and coaches, basketball signed by the WVU women’s team and coaches, football signed by WVU head football coach Dana Holgorsen and football signed by Florida State University head coach Jimbo Fisher.
For those wanting to warm up before the game, the practice range opens at 6:45 a.m. on tournament day. A shotgun start is set for 8 a.m. Lunch will be served from noon to 1 p.m. leading directly into the awards ceremony. Activities for non-golfers, including a game of pickle ball, are being planned.
The inaugural D&E Spring Classic in 2015 drew more than 100 guests and also supported the Highlands Scholar Program open to West Virginia students. Students who live in Barbour, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, Upshur and Webster counties graduating with a GPA of at least 2.5 will be eligible to receive $76,000 for four years as a residential student or $64,000 for four years as a commuting student. Those graduating with a GPA of 3.8 or higher are eligible to receive $80,000 for four years as a residential student or $68,000 for four years as a commuting student. Students residing outside of the seven-county region graduating with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to receive $56,000 for four years as a residential student or $44,000 for four years as a commuting student. Since its inception at the start of the 2009-2010 academic year, 729 students have received the Highlands Scholarship.
For more information on the 2016 D&E Spring Classic, call Wendy Morgan, director of alumni engagement and support, at 304-637-1341 or visit www.dewv.edu/spring-classic.
Related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Davis & Elkins College is located in Elkins, 2 hours east of Charleston, 3 hours south of Pittsburgh and 4 hours west of Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit the College website at www.dewv.edu or call 304-637-1243.
