Norman Ott
The 2019 Community Auction and the Team Championship Tournament were held on Nov. 15 and 16, respectively. The main purpose of these events is as fundraisers in support of the SunBird Golf Course. Historically, the tournament, now known as the CRAB (Canadians, Roadrunners, Americans, and Bandits) Tournament, was started in 2008 as a fundraiser for the course. The proceeds from that tournament were used to improve golf course sand traps.
The concept of adding an auction in conjunction with the tournament and held on the day before became a reality in 2013. The auction immediately generated a lot of interest among the golfing community and, in the succeeding years, among the general community as well. It would be remiss to not mention that much of the initial and following success was due to the talent and ideas of Joel Sybesma, a former resident and professional auctioneer. Also, it should be mentioned that the successes are also due to the participation of the community and their donations of items to be auctioned and to the many local businesses that have donated goods and services.
Adding to the successes of the previous years are the results of this year’s auction and tournament which generated a total of $14,340 after expenses. The portion from the auction was $11,060. The remainder came from player entry fees, 50/50 drawings, and other cash donations. As in the past, the proceeds from these events go to the course for special projects or for purchase of needed equipment. This year, the money has been designated for sand trap improvement on the back nine holes. Looking back, since the inception of the tournament and the later addition of the auction, these events have generated approximately $144,000, with the important auction representing about 60% to 65% of the total. Again, many thanks go to the SunBird community for their participation and support of these events.
The tournament portion of this weekend event saw 27 four-person teams representing the sponsors—the Canadian Club, the Roadrunner Club, the Americans, and the Bandits Club. Each foursome contained a representative of one of the clubs playing a head-to-head stroke competition. The club with the most points at the end of the competition was declared the winner. For the fifth year in a row, the American team won the event and earned bragging rights for the coming year. Could it be a dynasty? We’ll have to wait for next year to see, as plans are already being made for the 2020 edition of the CRAB Tournament and the accompanying auction.