Chamber wants golf event to grow

For the second consecutive year, the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce will hit the golf course.

In the second annual Columbia County Chamber of Commerce golf tournament, local foursomes will have an opportunity to compete at Champion's Retreat, one of Columbia County's more prestigious golf courses.

"We are very pleased to be able to offer this exclusive opportunity to our members," Gordon Renshaw, the executive director of the chamber, said in a news release. "No other organization has been allowed to hold a tournament this year at the prestigious Champions Retreat Golf Club."

The tournament, which will be held Tuesday, serves as a fundraiser for the chamber. Along with a full day of golf, chamber members will enjoy a new twist this year: A silent auction will take place with items including Hank Aaron-autographed memorabilia and a Club Car utility vehicle valued at more than $9,000.

"The generosity of our primary sponsors was the key," Renshaw said of the silent auction. "Club Car and Hank Aaron Jaguar Land Rover stepped forward with significant contributions.

"This year, because of the extent of those major contributions, that made it absolutely essential to have the silent auction."

Also new to the tournament, an awards ceremony and VIP reception will follow the day's competition, and tickets to both can be purchased for $25.

Renshaw said that while this year's event will be a vast improvement on the inaugural 2005 tournament, the future will hold even better festivities.

"We want this to be a very significant benefit to our chamber members, but we'd also like this to be a huge community deal," he said. "We decided next year we'll do it at a whole different level."

Tuesday's golf tournament will begin with registration at 9:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m.