South Walton Celebrity Golf Classic November 1-3

Golf enthusiasts will have the chance to hit the links with dozens of sports legends and other celebrities in the South Walton Celebrity Golf Classic November 1-3 at the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort.  Although this is the tournament’s 16th year, it marks the first time the event is being sponsored by Visit South Walton. Proceeds from this year’s tournament will benefit Working Warriors, which serves the military community by working with corporate America to provide jobs and economic independence to our nation’s heroes. The tournament will be televised on Fox Sports at various times following the event.

“We are so excited to have Visit South Walton as our title sponsor,” said tournament chairman Charlie Haje.  “Over the past 15 years, this event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy charities. Visit South Walton’s sponsorship will enable us to achieve even greater success in our fundraising goals by increasing awareness of this popular event.”

The event begins Thursday evening with a welcome gala at the gulf-front Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. At 10:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday mornings, golfers hit the links in a shotgun start on Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort’s Raven and Baytowne golf courses.  Friday night features a celebrity gala and auction at the Hilton Emerald Ballroom.  The weekend ends with a post-round cookout and awards ceremony. The deadline for registration is October 1. The format is five-player scramble with one celebrity randomly assigned per team. For the first time this year, a limited number of gallery tickets will be sold, allowing spectators to cheer their favorites along the course. Visit South Walton is giving away a foursome valued at $2,500 to one lucky winner on Facebook.

“Charlie Haje and his team have created an exciting golf event that Visit South Walton is proud to sponsor,” said Jon Ervin, director of marketing and communications for Visit South Walton. “The tournament embodies the lifestyle South Walton is known for – great golf in a beautiful coastal setting to benefit a worthy cause, with the added bonus of spending the weekend with celebrities and sports legends. We invite everyone who enjoys golf to make plans to attend and to enter our foursome giveaway.”

Among those committed to participating are baseball legends Bill Mazeroski, Phil Niekro, Frank Howard, Rick Cerone, Mackey Sasser, Von Hayes, Greg McMichael, Elroy Face, Sam McDowell, Chris Hammond, Brett Butler, Juan Bonilla, Greg Litton, Rick Reuschel, and David Ross. Football greats Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Jessie Tuggle, Zeke Bratkowski, Bob Brunet, Derrick Brooks and Jackie Burkett are on the roster, along with celebrated SEC basketball coach Wimp Sanderson. Several more well-known names from sports and other fields are expected to be added to the roster, and updates will be provided as commitments are confirmed.

To enter the foursome giveaway, go to Visit South Walton’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VisitSouthWalton, and click on the Giveaways & Getaways tab. Click on the Photos tab to view an album of this year’s participants and memorable moments from past events. For more information or to register, go to www.swcgc.com.