Dalhousie finds AJGA funds amid tougher conditions

Nothing seems to be a given under the current economic conditions, especially when it comes to landing sponsors for a sports event or team.

The Dalhousie Junior Championship last year was able to clear $25,000, an amount that was split between the American Junior Golf Association's grants program and local charities, which were primarily Southeast Missouri's high school golf teams.

Now comes the hard part: doing it again in 2008.

"It is a little more difficult," said Cord Dombrowski, managing member of Dalhousie Golf Club. "We're picking some different spots to look for some support. Virtually everyone other than the major sponsors from last year have anted up again, and some have offered to do a little bit more."

One of those doing more is a relatively new group called the Friends of Golf Society. A contributor last year with some teams in the junior-am fundraiser tournament, FROGS this year will put up $15,000 for the AJGA event, slated for Aug. 11 to 14.

"I'm thrilled," Dombrowski said. "It's going to be a nice ongoing relationship, I'm sure."

Montgomery Bank returns as one of the main sponsors for the event, which lacks the $30,000 title sponsor, which is why Dalhousie has its name on the event.

"It's a challenge" to get that money from one sponsor, Dombrowski said. "We all knew that, so we split that up into three or four major sponsors."

Pepsi did not renew its sponsorship, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau was only able to make its significant commitment last year to help get the event off the ground.

"Going into this year, we didn't have any surprises," Dombrowski said, "just a different set of challenges that every business has."

Part of the challenge has been the economy.

But Dombrowski said the event is on the same pace as last year, when the amount raised led the nation.

"To raise more money for junior golf in our area than anybody in the country," he said, "is a testament to Cape.

"I spoke with an AJGA board member and he asked, 'How's it going?' I said, 'Well, we're just a little uncertain whether we will hit the same revenue numbers we did last year.' He said, 'That's OK. If you don't, that's OK, you guys did so well last year.' But you know how we are around here. Everyone loves a challenge and will chip in, so it will work."

Dombrowksi said a half dozen new contributors have come on board, prompted by increased awareness of the event.

Area golf coaches attended Wednesday's news conference to kick off the tournament countdown and spoke about the economic impact of the event on their programs.

Gregg Choate of the First Tee youth program said his organization received $2,000 and was able to buy more than a dozen sets of youth clubs and more than 25 standard sets.

"You can't work if you don't have the tools," Choate said.

Central coach Dick Wadlington said his program received $4,000, which was used for new Ping bags, golf shirts and may be able to help the team's transportation expenses in the future.

Jackson coach Zack Walton, who completed his first season, said his kids were envious of the new duds and bags for Central and Notre Dame and hopes to get a larger chunk of the proceeds, which last year were given out based on volunteer participation. But he also said any exposure to high-level golf helps, a sentiment with which Saxony Lutheran coach Carroll Williams agreed,

"The money was beneficial -- no program is fully funded by any of the schools -- but there's some other benefits that equal the money or outweigh it," Williams said. "A lot of players don't understand that when you shoot 80, 85 at New Madrid or Malden, that's not good enough to get up the line. This event expands their education to a lot of things they didn't get to see until it came to Cape. This spurs them to play more junior golf."