In only a few short years, the Women Fore Women Golf Tournament has become one of the most popular single-day events for the local golf community.
Not only did the 2022 edition of the event completely sell out a little over a week after opening for entries, sponsors of all sizes were also quick to sign on in support of their cause -- scholarships for local athletes moving on to post-secondary education ventures.
And when the tournament teed off on Saturday morning at the Hillcrest, more than 100 players took to the course for a day of fun in the gorgeous sun, enjoying the unique format and camaraderie on the course.
While who wins the tournament is almost secondary to everything else going on during the day, the champions this year had quite the connection to the competition.
“Yep, I set this whole tournament up just so I could win it,” laughed Women Fore Women organizer Bev Barber, who with partner Jacquie John took top spot in the event. “I had an awesome partner today who pulled our fat out of the fire more than once, and she was a last-minute replacement, too.”
Barber had planned to play the event with her daughter-in-law, but when that fell through, John stepped in to fill the open spot.
“I was probably going to play anyway and I ended up playing with Bev and we used to work together, so it turned out pretty well,” John said.
The turn of events was also unique in that John played a large role in getting Barber involved in the sport more than two decades ago.
“When I started golfing 25 years ago, she was one of the reasons I fell in love with golf,” she said. “She brought me out one night after work and we both got a birdie on number six, and I’ll remember that forever. Now I’m totally addicted to golf.”
The event is played in a unique format that features six holes of Texas scramble, six holes of alternate shot and six holes of best score. The goal is nothing but having a good time, and that goal was certainly reached.
“It’s so much fun,” John said. “You have to kind of pay attention a little bit, though, because after the sixth hole you have to switch. But it’s a lot of fun and a really great time with all the ladies.”
One just has to look at the sponsor board to get an idea of how much Women Fore Women has taken off -- you’d almost be hard-pressed to find a Moose Jaw business that’s not involved given the long list of everyone who helps out however they can.
“I'm always shocked at how well it goes,” Barber said. “This is our third tournament, we missed one because of COVID, but I’m always totally amazed by the businesses of Moose Jaw that support us.
“Every year I have nightmares that we’re not going to do well, but then we end up with prizes for everybody, lots of door prizes and it’s just amazing how well the businesses in Moose Jaw support us. They give generously and they deserve a big thank you for this tournament’s success. Without them we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”
Then there are the players themselves. On top of the local crew from the Hillcrest Ladies League, folks from all over the province are quick to sign up once registration opens.
“And we start hearing this time of year ‘when’s your tournament next year so we can sign up’,” Barber said with a laugh. “People are already thinking about next year and we’re still trying to get over the year.”
Now, on to the reason everyone was playing.
Barber and fellow organizer Deb Negraiff expect the tournament to raise over $13,000 this year once all is said and done, which means they might even be able to get a bit creative with their scholarship offers this year. Three athletes -- Mya Viczko, Malea Kletzel and Summer Okerstrom -- were presented with $2,000 scholarships this past spring, and that could change for the better in 2023.
“We’ll have our team meeting in September and that’s where we’ll make that decision,” Barber said. “Deb will give us recommendations and then our Hillcrest Ladies League will see what we’ll do. But I think we’re going to have some very special ideas for scholarships next year
“Education is extremely expensive and that $2,000 made a big difference in their lives. So we’re really excited we can help them out. It’s amazing every year and we’re so fortunate to live in a community that is so giving and caring.”
