The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

The Baha Mar Resort Foundation hosted an inaugural golf invitational this past weekend at the Royal Blue Golf Club.

The 18-hole course, which was designed by Jack Nicklaus, featured play among golfers from many different organisations vying for a chance to win first place honours but also to give back to a worthy cause.

The Baha Mar Foundation raised $100,000 from local sponsors at this first golf invitational and all proceeds from the competition will be donated to initiatives and organisations in local communities. The event saw over 42 teams with a total of 84 players play in a two-scramble format.

Melvern Williamson, Baha Mar Resort Foundation Manager, talked about the purpose of this year’s event.

“We planned this to ensure that we are always doing our part,” she said. “It is our corporate responsibility we feel to make sure that we are always doing what we can and this being the first will continue for years to come knowing that we can always give back.”

She added that the support from the various companies that sponsored them was overwhelming.

This first golf invitational was sponsored by John Bull, Sysco, Deltec Bank & Trust Limited, Caribbean Bottling, Commonwealth Bank, Bahamas Waste, Encore, Young’s Fine Wine and others.

On the day, the two-person team of John Davis and Kristen Visalli from DTEC Plant Services won the competition with a total net of 52.6. Bahamasair’s Ian Sweeting and Rodwell Knowles finished in second place. Trevor Knowles and Colin Lightbourn of Caribbean Bottling finished the competition in third.

John Zaremba, senior vice president of casino operations and first time golfer, talked about his experience at the event.

“It's fantastic, the weather could not be better and we are at Royal Blue – which is a phenomenal golf course. And I am with a bunch of friends and we are enjoying the day as we are doing it for a great cause. The foundation is a tremendous opportunity to assist everybody on the island and I am happy to be apart of it,” Zaremba said.

Brenton “Boo” Rolle, first time participant and founder of Fix It Enterprises, talked about why he decided to participate and sponsor the event.

“We are a family with Baha Mar,” he said. “We deal with all the drainage stations and giving back is a part of FIE’s mantra… I am from the inner city community and I know what it is like in the community and giving back is very essential as we believe in sponsoring, and partnering.”

Larry Wilson, chief financial officer at the New Providence Ecology Park, said they decided to partner with the Baha Mar Resort Foundation because it aligns with what his company does as they are into clean energy, green waste and trying to improve the environment.

Although Wilson said he is not the best golfer, he enjoyed the event and format because it was a lot of fun to compete with friends.

The Baha Mar Resort Foundation Golf Invitational did not only give an opportunity for sponsors to enjoy themselves and give back but junior golfers did as well.

Georgette Rolle, head of the Fourteen Club Golf Academy, talked about the experience of the juniors.

“With our youth golfers here, because of all they have been afforded through the Foundation, most times youth will not have the opportunity to learn the importance of giving back. But the juniors that are here today did not have to be forced to come out which shows they are learning the true meaning of what it means to give back,” Rolle said.

The Baha Mar Resort Foundation will look to continue its charitable efforts with more events like these in the future.