Over 100 golfers gathered at the Michigan City Municipal Golf Course on Sunday afternoon for one of the city’s oldest traditions – the Annual Michigan City Golf Tournament, sponsored by Horizon Bank.
Spread across 13 flights, 109 golfers across all skill levels took part in the tournament, which is always a fun but highly competitive affair. Some participants ran solo, while others brought along friends and family to support their efforts to win their flights.
“This is about giving back to the members and players that have played with us forever,” said Marty Nieman, tournament director and the course’s golf professional. “There are people that look forward to this every single year and everybody appreciates it, so we do our best to make it the best experience possible for the players.”
Thanks to Horizon Bank’s sponsorship, Nieman said that the city has been able to maintain one of the lowest tournament entry fees around (just $60 dollars), increase the prize pool, and even offer prizes such as a $10,000 bonus for an individual who manages to hit a hole-in-one on hole six.
“Before I took over organizing there were years where we were down to 50 players, then Horizon became our corporate sponsor,” he said.
“Thanks to their donation, we were able to lower the green fees to next to nothing, and then we didn’t charge any green fees at all, just the tournament fee. We’re where we are now thanks to Horizon, without them, we’d have been in trouble. It’s awesome to have them as our sponsor.”
Heavy storms over the week presented a unique challenge to Nieman this year, with many parts of the course left flooded. Thanks to some clever reorganizing by Nieman and his team, they were able to chart a set of holes that could be played safely and competitively.
“Marty and his crew did what they had to do to keep everybody playing and keep the tournament going,” said Brett Antisdel, one participating golfer. “It’s much appreciated, there were a lot of golfers that really wanted to get out here and finish the tournament out.”
Antisdel is a Michigan City Golf Tournament veteran, having started taking part enough years back that he cannot pinpoint a date. He said that it is a favorite among the community as it gives them a rare chance to show off their skill – with prizes on the line.
“Most of the time we’re just out playing with our buddies, no one really sees what you do,” he said. “Here, you’re center stage with people of your own caliber. You’re able to show what you’ve got, but you can also wind up showing where you’re lacking!”
To learn more about Horizon Bank, visit www.horizonbank.com. For more information about the Michigan City Municipal Golf Course, visit www.michigancitygolfcourse.com.