Chamber Office Manager Lynette Brannan chaired the event that featured teams from Liberty Paper, Better Homes & Gardens (BHG), Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (FSNWR), Xcel Energy, Huse Orthodontics, Sherburne State Bank, Becker Furniture World, Country Lumber, Workhorse Construction and Grand Casino-Mille Lacs.

 

The foursome of Jason Huse, Mike Griffith, Joe Gruenes and Eric Stine for Huse Orthodontics outshot the other teams and finished the nine hole tournament with a -4 score. Each player for Huse received $65 for their successful day of golfing.

 

The tournament was played on the Local 9 side of Pebble Creek and the tournament featured a putting contest and two hole-in-one challenges. A raffle was held following the event at Hunter’s Ridge where players and guests enjoyed a chicken dinner served with salad, potatoes, finger sandwiches, chips and a beverage.

 

The raffle, which featured such items as a Keurig Coffeemaker, baskets with gift cards, a tool bag, a kids toy truck, an overnight stay at Grand Casino, t-shirts and sweatshirts, gift certificates and many other valuable items donated by area businesses, brought in $453 for the chamber.

 

The foursome of Josh Williams, Ethan Emmel, Damien Reinke and Jason Doying of Workhorse Construction finished  at three under for second place and $50 cash for each player. Stan Herkenhoff, Wanda Herkenhoff, Kyle Brannan and Carol VanHeel of BHG, FSNWR and Ameripride took home third place and garnered $40 per player for finishing at two under.

 

Tom Murphy of one of two Liberty Paper teams won the putting contest that featured golfers buying three putts for $15 and for each putt sunk, their name went into a drawing for half the pot. Seven contestants successfully knocked a ball or two into the hole but Murphy was the lucky draw and took home $65 in the event.

 

The tournament also featured a Fantasy Golf Scratch Card for $5 that had players scratch off one number per “hole” on the scratch card to try and bring home the lowest overall score. Wanda Herkenhoff tallied the best score of 32 and won half the pot of $80.

 

Mulligans were also offered for purchase to the participants for $5 each and the chamber brought in $100 from the competitors.

 

“It was another great year for the chamber golf event and fortunately we had good weather and a decent turnout,” said Brannan. “I’d like to express a huge thank you to all the people and businesses who helped make this tournament happen and we’re already looking forward to next year.”

 

The Chamber would like to thank Pebble Creek and Hunter’s Ridge for their hospitality and to all the sponsors and co-sponsors who contributed.

 

Co-sponsors (gave $300) were Grand Casino-Mille Lacs and Liberty Paper. Hole sponsors (gave $150) were CentraCare-Monticello, Anytime Fitness-Becker/Big Lake, Xcel Energy and Mn. House Rep. Jim Newberger. The hole sponsors got their names featured at specific holes on the golf course.

 

The sponsor for the putting contest was Country Lumber who gave the chamber $150 and had a sign exhibited featuring their company name. Becker Furniture World sponsored the golf carts used for $150. Water bottles were handed out at the chamber tent that was sponsored by American Family Insurance-Amy Chmielewski for $150.

 

Workhorse Construction sponsored the scratch card game for $50 and Sherburne State Bank and Pebble Creek Golf Course sponsored the two hole-in-one contests which reaped no winners.

 

The next Becker Area of Commerce Chamber meeting will be held Aug. 20 at noon at the Becker Middle School where members will participate in a “welcome” luncheon for new teachers beginning their school year in Becker. Brannon is still looking for area businesses or residents willing to donate items or business material to be included in the welcome packets distributed that day.