Although the day started with a 90 minute rain delay, it ended up with both beautiful weather and a great turnout for the first annual Fennimore Alumni Golf Outing, held at the Hickory Grove Golf Course on Saturday, July 19.
Proceeds from the event went toward the Fennimore Community Scholarship Foundation. The Foundation was established in 1984, awarding their first scholarship in 1986, so this year marks the Foundation’s 40th anniversary, “sort of,” according to JoAnn Wiederholt, Fennimore Community Scholarship Foundation President.
She went on to say that every graduating student from Fennimore High School who applies is guaranteed to receive at least one scholarship.
As for Saturday’s golf outing, Wiederholt stated that 184 people, or 46 teams of four, competed Saturday and even with the rain delay, went on “pretty much as scheduled (time wise).”
“Our past golf outings have had a record of 14 or 15 teams, so 46 teams was pretty impressive,” Wiederholt explained.
The only requirement was at least one member of a team had to be a Fennimore High School alumni.
“It was a whole new crowd, compared to our previous golf outings,” Wiederholt stated. “Lots of younger people this time, many of whom probably have received scholarships through us in the past. It was nice to see the younger generation who have benefited from the foundation now supporting us.”
Last Saturday’s nine hole tournament had a “Heaven and Hell Format” with “some holes being easier (big cups, forward teeboxes, etc.), while others were a challenge with obstacles,” according to foundation member and golf outing chairperson Seth Henkel.
Examples of the “challenging holes” Henkel gave were, on hole two, was on the movie, “Happy Gilmore,” where golfers had to tee off running and use a hockey stick to putt, and on hole three, golfers wore “beer goggles” which gave golfers the vision and balance of someone with a .13 blood alcohol level.
Wiederholt stated that the event had lots of community support through sponsorships and donations toward the event’s raffle and silent auction which had 25 items each, most of which were donated by the community.
After the 46 teams went through both “Heaven and Hell,” first place went to the team of Adam, Brady, Evan, and Reid Larson.
The teams of Nate Wood, Jim Feldhacker, Brian and John Marrish; Joe Carl, Mitch Carl, Coby Zwiefelhofer, and Jake Weinkes; and Jacob Henkel, Teagan Napp, and Druw and Austin Fifrick ended up in a three-way tie for second place.
Both Henkel and Wiederholt stated it was a “great first year” for the event with a “rough estimate” of nearly $9,000 raised toward the Fennimore Community Scholarship Foundation. Wiederholt went on to state that a donation from the funds raised will be made to the Maroon and Gold Athletic Club “to support them for all the support they’ve given us.”
Future alumni golf outings are scheduled to be held annually during the third weekend in July, with next year’s alumni golf outing scheduled for Saturday, July 18, 2026.
