HHIJGA reaching out to past for alumni tournament

After more than three decades of putting on tournaments, the Hilton Head Island Junior Golf Association certainly has no shortage of alumni.

Enough for a grand reunion? Organizers would like to find out.

With the HHIJGA’s first alumni tournament nearing its June 11 date, co-chairman Larry Kellogg said Wednesday they’re still hearing from players whose whereabouts had fallen off as they moved on to other stages of their lives, both in the Lowcountry and elsewhere.

“To this day,” Kellogg said, “we’re still learning about people we should have contacted weeks ago.”

The event is set for Old South Golf Links, with an 11 a.m. shotgun start. Though Kellogg said the event has reached its initial target of 70 players, several spots remain available for late entrants.

Participants must have graduated high school and have either played in HHIJGA events, been a player’s parent or have an affiliation as a donor or sponsor. Registration fees are $90, with any leftover proceeds split between the HHIJGA and South Carolina Junior Golf Association.

“We didn’t want it to be a fundraiser. We want it to be a fun-raiser,” said Kellogg, who spent 13 years as the HHIJGA’s director and came up with the concept as a way to keep young adults in touch with the game.

“Everyone’s concerned about the loss of young adults. It’s economics, the income isn’t there, they start families. So getting them out on the golf course has become a challenge.”

He added, though, that the response within the local golf community “has been great. They want to see it succeed.”

The biggest obstacle, Kellogg said, has been in getting word out to hundreds of former participants stretching back a generation. The association’s database goes back less than a decade, and even many of those have relocated as they head to college, careers and family life.

“There are so many people that we’re still just hearing about,” he said.

A couple of high-profile recent alumni have thrown their support into the event, though, with Bryson Nimmer, Andrew Orischak and Coley Davis set to play with their dads.

“We’re encouraged enough and have enough support that we’re definitely going to do this again next year,” Kellogg said. “I think this will build into a good story over the years.”

For more information, call Kellogg at 843-705-5164 or Chris Lane at 843-301-4428.

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 1:20 AM with the headline "HHIJGA reaching out to past for alumni tournament."