The Ponoka Kinsmen Club hosted their fourth annual Hole in One Charity Golf tournament on May 23 and according to organizers it was a huge success.
“The support from the community was absolutely brilliant, we sold out, the sponsor level increased and we were blessed with the weather this year,” said Greg Rowland the co-chair of the golf committee. “We are fortunate because if it was too cold people wouldn’t have had as much fun and we are comparing it to last year when we got snowed out.”
He thought that this was their best tournament yet with 192 golfers participating, which was the most that they have ever had.
Darren Gunderson a Lacombe Kinsmen made a hole in one on hole number three, the Ponoka Ford Hole.
“We’re glad that we had a hole in one and we are glad it was a fellow Kinsmen, we are appreciative of their support. We are glad it happened because it just shows people that hole in ones do happen,” said Rowland. “We have had a lot of people hit pins over the years but this is the first one to go in.”
He said that when it happened there was a lot of screaming going on at the tee box. He said that they originally thought that someone made a good putt but once they realized the noise was coming from the tee box he knew it was a hole in one.
The event raised over $30,000, which the Kinsmen will put towards to main community projects. The first is to rebuild the current outdoor skating rink. The goal is to re-build it in the summer of 2008 and have it ready for this winter. The Kinsmen are also working with the Kinette Club to re-build a new playground in the Riverside area at a value of $100,000.
Rowland thinks that it is important to continue to improve the community with projects such as these.
“We are carrying on the tradition of our alumni who helped make this community a better place to live with their efforts in building the current pool, the tennis courts, the Kinsmen Recreation centre and various playgrounds around Ponoka,” said Rowland.
Story by the Ponoka News