Above: With the Poplar River right behind them and the hills splashed in fall color, this foursome looked like they were thoroughly enjoying the day as they took turns putting. Left: Showing great form, Larry Christie watches his ball sail towards the green.
Larry Christie, age 80, took his 9-iron out of his golf bag, took a couple of practice swings, then hit the little dimpled white golf ball about 90 yards to the edge of the green. Not the best shot of his foursome, but a good shot for a golfer of any age.
Christie was one of many golfers enjoying the wonderful weather on Sunday, September 28 at the Superior National at Lutsen golf course, the spectacular site once again for the North Shore Health Care Foundation (NSHCF) Golf Scramble, the foundation’s biggest fundraiser.
With sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70s—the fall leaves splashed and dashed in reds and golds, yellows and oranges—it was a great day to be outside. No, it was a tremendous day to be outside and Christie and his group was enjoying every minute of it.
All in all, 23 teams of four took part in the 2014 tournament, two more teams than last year.
Christie’s wife used to serve on the board of directors for the Health Care Foundation, he said, and they owned a cabin in Cook County for 25 years before selling it and staying put in their Twin Cities home.
Above: Close but no cigar: Paula Sundet Wolf lined up and hit this 15-foot putt 6 inches shy of the hole in the North Shore Health Care Foundation golf tournament.
“I’ve been battling lung cancer for the last four years. I was never a smoker, but I got it anyways. I’m getting treatment, fighting it the best that I can. Doesn’t seem fair but there’s no use complaining. Today’s a great day to be out here, playing golf for a good cause. There’s people who have it a lot tougher than I do,” he said before heading back out onto the course.
Christie’s team has played in 18 of the 19 tournaments held, a record for teams. Bob Fenwick of Grand Marais and his far-flung relatives made up four teams this year, making up almost one quarter of the teams playing on Sunday.
Last year the NSHCF awarded 16 grants to a variety of nonprofits including: Cook County Higher Education ($5,000 for health care scholarships), Cook County North Shore Hospital ($1,800 for an art therapy program), Cook County Early Childhood Coalition-Cook County Schools ISD 166 ($562 to provide books), Oral Health Task Force ($5,000), Colvill Fire Department ($636 for medications for emergency kits), WTIP Community Radio ($5,000 contribution to the unexpected need to replace their transmission tower, which in vital times is used to transmit emergency signals) and $1,500 to the Cook County Council on Aging. These were just a few of the grants given out last year.
In her third year as director, Dori Betts said, “We had 27 amazing volunteers, plus the staff of Superior National helping out. The perfect weather made the day. We won’t know the final money raised until the last expenses come through, but it looks like an increase from last year.”
A few days after talking to Betts NSHCF treasurer Karl Hansen said it looked like the tournament raised in the neighborhood of $15,000, but that was still a rough estimate because not all of the expenses had been tallied up and paid for.
As far as the tournament results, Betts said, “We had a two-way tie for first place with a score of 53. The winner was determined by Greg Leland choosing Mountain 2 as the tiebreaker hole.”
The winner of the tiebreaker was the “Fenwick Number 4” team with T. J. Tozel, Greg Mattson, John Fenwick and Joey Boyce. The other team was from the Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. Players were Mike Sampson, Ralph Larsen, Lisa Zaller and Gail Rasmussen.
In its 21st year, the North Shore Health Care Foundation has raised more than $500,000 to “benefit health care for all who live, work, and visit in Cook County.”
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