Zach Winn
Equinox Staff
Keene State College is hoping the annual Nissan of Keene KSC Golf Classic will be a success this year.
The fundraising event is on Friday, June 8 at the Brettwood Golf Course.
“The event is great every year,” Athletic Director John Ratliff, who organizes the event, said.
KSC first started the golf tournament in 1995, and it quickly grew into a major event to raise money for the Keene State Athletic Department.
The sold-out tournament begins at 9 a.m. with all 144 golfers (in groups of four) teeing off at each one of the 18 holes.
They play scramble format until a 4 p.m. dinner, where awards are presented.
Ratliff is always pleased with the turnout.
“We’ve been real fortunate,” Ratliff said. “We get great community support, we get alumni coming back, some that weren’t athletes some that were. But a lot of people in the community will play that don’t have a connection to Keene State necessarily.”
Community participation raises the bulk of the money. At rates of $160 for a single golfer and $640 per foursome, Ratliff estimates somewhere between $15,000 to $20,000 every year coming in for the athletic department a year.
“We generate more money off of this than any other fundraiser,” Ratliff said. “It’s been sold out for the last 10 years or so. We usually have a waiting list to get into the tournament.”
The golfers that sign up are generally faculty or alumni of KSC and members of the Keene community.
Director of Recreational Sports, Lynne Andrews has participated in the tournament with a team of four every year since it started. Andrews said she is excited for this year’s tournament.
“I love to play golf so any reason to play is a good one,” Andrews said, “It’s nice to play with different players and tournaments are just a fun atmosphere.”
Competitors said the tournament is always fun; however, the prizes offer even more of an incentive to sign up.
Ratliff said that $5,000 worth of prizes are given away every year
Those prizes go a long way in helping create revenue for KSC athletics. None of the prizes are paid for by the school, all prizes are donated by a different company. Support from those company’s are what fuel the return of the event every Spring.
Prizes usually include a four-day ski trip, with all lift tickets and hotel expenses paid for, free rounds of golf at multiple courses in the area, golf clubs, meals at local restaurants, etc.
Andrews also said that the event creates a good opportunity for students to return to the school.
“A lot of alumni participate in [the tournament] so it’s great for them to come back to Keene. And if they’re athletes, they see former coaches or faculty members. So it’s just a good fundraiser for them. It’s something people always enjoy doing,” she said.
Ratliff said the goal for this year is $20,000.
Andrews said the fundraiser is extremely important for KSC.
“The event can help make some money that can help offset some of the costs in the program, facility renovations, things like that, its huge for them,” she said.
It’s clear the tournament is always a success. In addition to serving the vital role for the Keene State athletic department, participants always seem to enjoy the event as a whole.
“It’s something that we look forward to every year,” Andrews said.
Zach Winn can be contacted at
zwinn@keene-equinox.com