by Cali Bagby

Assistant Editor

For Jeremy Avondet, golf is the best game ever.

“It’s about honor and tradition,” said the Orcas Golf Club employee. “And as far as the tournament goes, you have an opportunity to help the community.”

The tournament he is referring to is none other than the annual Orcas Center Golf Classic, which raises funds for artistic endeavors at the center.

The event is Saturday, Sept. 6 starting at 9:30 a.m. at Orcas Island Golf Course. The fee for participation in the tournament scramble is $75 and includes golfing, bag lunch on the turn, burgers from the Lower Tavern and the awards ceremony. All proceeds benefit Orcas Center programming.

For more information or to register by phone, call 376-2281 ext 1 during regular box office hours – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from noon to 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Lower Tavern, Islanders Bank and Island Market.

The scramble is 18 holes and teams are made up of four people each.

“The way a scramble works is that everyone gets a shot and you get to shoot until the best one [in the team] gets in the hole,” said Avondet. “Everyone contributes to the game.”

What makes this year’s tournament special, according to Orcas Center Director Kara O’Toole, is that this summer marks the classic’s 20th anniversary. This also marks the last year Orcas Center will organize the event.

“Orcas Center will turn its attention to other fundraising efforts and special events,” said O’Toole. “It seems like the right time after 20 years and we think it will have a re-birth under the direction of the OIGC.”

The center hopes the classic, which nets about $4K every year, will continue.

“Over the years the classic has really been a ‘fun-raiser,’” said O’Toole. “It is an event that draws a different crowd of Orcas Center supporters than our usual theater-goers.”

As to why golf has turned out to be a winning way to fundraise for the arts, O’Toole cites a mutual love of the game and theater as the answer.

“In the beginning the golf classic idea took hold because many of Orcas Center’s Board members had a passion for both golf and the arts,” she said. “And as a performing arts center it is our job to produce successful events and experiences, so why not a Golf Classic? Another reason is: everyone is affected by the arts. The arts on Orcas add richness to all of our lives and we have multi-faceted arts supporters on this island who like to golf too.”