Athens Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual golf benefit at the Athens Country Club, 7606 Country Club Rd, Friday, with the theme “Back in the Saddle” to promote new beginnings for local businesses amid COVID-19.
Athens Chamber is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) founded in 1977 by business leaders who recognized there needed to be a central place to support the business community of Athens through collaboration. It includes local businesses of many sizes.
The golf benefit normally takes place in May to kick off the summer, but the chamber realized early on that it would need to be postponed to the fall. The teams are formed by local businesses and their leaders, and anyone who is part of the chamber of commerce can make a team.
“There are 15 teams, and 60 golfers total, which is good for the situation this year,” Dani Underhill, president of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, said. “The benefit gives businesses an alternative work environment. You can have conversations while you golf and team build.”
Athens Chamber and the Athens Country Club have worked together to brainstorm how to take proper precautions to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The chamber is working closely with the Athens County Health Department to ensure the safety of all participants.
“The Athens Country Club is proud to host and collaborate this gathering alongside the chamber of commerce,” Carter Rice, food and beverage manager at Athens Country Club, said. “It’s been a joy to work with their staff to provide this event of this caliber for the people of Athens after the months we have all been through.”
The event is normally done in a shotgun scramble style, where all teams start golfing at the same time. Underhill said the chamber recognized early on that this year would have to be different. Each team will have a designated tee time. Every golfer will be provided a mask, and each cart will include a bottle of hand sanitizer.
“We went into it with open eyes,” Underhill said. “We recognized that no matter how many precautions we take, the individuals who come are responsible to follow the guidelines. Everybody’s gotta play by the same playbook.”
Golfers must keep the CDC-enforced distance of six-feet apart, and if they do not keep their distance between each other, they must at least have masks on at all times. Volunteers and hosts will be wearing masks the entire day. Normally, a volunteer drives around with refreshments. This year, someone will be providing drinks to golfers at a concession stand.
“Our goal is to capture hope for what our businesses have been grasping for,” Underhill said. “There have been many difficult decisions our businesses have had to make surrounding COVID.”
Underhill said the list of sponsors is smaller this year because she and the chamber did not want to ask for much during a time of turmoil for local businesses. The Athens branches of Holzer, Wendy’s and Merchant National Bank are the three major sponsors along with other supporting sponsors.
“I’m still very gracious to the sponsors who helped make this happen, and I hope anybody who is reading this aims to love Athens and keep it local,” Underhill said.
