Kelsey Jewell is pictured with Dennis Thurlow, Ballard Nash, Tom Heikkinen and Jason Lauzier of Team Summit Springs, winner of the Chamber Cup at the 21st annual Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic.

Oxford Hills Chamber tourney raises $23,381

PARIS – More than 124 friends, colleagues and cross-town rivals played golf against one another as part of the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce’s 21st annual Golf Classic.

The event, which was held at Paris Hill and Norway country clubs on Sept. 8 and 9, brought in $23,381 for the chamber. Kelsey Jewell, executive director of the chamber, reported that preliminary estimates show about $14,765.18 in profit.

“While this event was serious, it was really more about local business than about golf,” said Jewell. “This is the chamber’s only exclusive fundraising event all year long and, as a nonprofit, we rely on the success of the tournament. The chamber increased revenue this year by over $7,000 from last, and I couldn’t be more pleased. This will go a long way in supporting efforts to increase the bottom line of member businesses.”

Thirty-one foursomes played in the scramble-style tournament throughout the two-day event. Teams played 18 holes of golf on Saturday at one of the clubs and played another 18 holes at the opposite club on Sunday. There were between 15 and 16 teams playing at both clubs on both days.

Jewell, the chamber’s Golf Committee, the chamber board of directors and other volunteers solicited donors, registered teams, gathered raffle prizes and took care of many tournament-day logistics.

Dave Mazzeo and Mike Cloutier, golf pros at Norway Country Club and Paris Hill Country Club respectively, tallied scorecards, distributed cart rentals, facilitated putting contests and marked longest drive and closest to the pin competition winners.

Saturday afternoon featured an after-play reception at the Norway Country Club, where Paul Roy of Turner just barely missed a chance at $5,000 in a putting contest.

After play on Sunday afternoon, all tournament participants were invited back to the Paris Hill Country Club for a banquet and awards ceremony. Event volunteers moved the banquet inside the clubhouse when a downpour started at noon.

Participants had a barbecue chicken dinner and received more than $4,000 in cash and raffle prizes. Awards went to the top three teams in both the net and gross score categories.

First-, second- and third-place finishes in the low net division went to the following teams: Schiavi Home Builders, Oxford Title and Paris Cape Realty, respectively, while first, second and third finishes in the low gross division went to the following teams: Summit Springs Golf Course, Steve’s Lawn Care and Team Paul Roy, respectively. The team from Summit Springs Golf Course won the tournament and, thus, the Chamber Cup, which they will hold onto until they have to defend their title at next year’s event.