The “members only” signs that line the road winding up to hole 1 of the Skaneateles Country Club did not apply Monday May 24, as golfers chipped for charity at the annual Charity Golf Tournament.
“I think it’s a wonderful networking situation,” said volunteer Jo Werner. “You bring people from the community in from all walks of life and they come together because they care about the community and doing good things.”
According to Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sue Dove, the tournament raised approximately $12,000 for local projects — $3,600 will go to the Skaneateles Chamber’s Economic Development/Community Docks Program, $3,600 to the Skaneateles Lions Scholarship Program and $4,800 to Tri-County Lakes Pure Water Association for milfoil eradication.
Jo Werner’s husband, Bob, is treasurer of the Tri-County Association.
“I met some people that I know have been very interested in the milfoil situation, and I met them today,” Jo Werner said.
The tournament was put on by the Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club.
“Five or six years ago we decided to merge our tournaments into one and work together, and it’s worked out great,” Dove said. “We have a lot more manpower, and plus, there’s just so many tournaments out there that we thought it was just easier on the community, on all our sponsors, to not be asking twice.”
The tournament’s cash prizes of $200 went to the winning teams in three divisions. Winners in the men’s were Dan Michael, David Wood, Jim Navarra and Chris Welch; in the mixed, Larry Rothenberg, Jake Rothenberg, John Menapace and Amy Menapace; and in the women’s, Eloise Luchsinger, Sandra Schmidt, Candace Searing and Dove.
Larry Palmieri won $345 in the 50/50 raffle and donated it all back to milfoil eradication.
In a day of contests, none were more enticing than the one being monitored by Bob Werner. As a volunteer, his task for the day was to watch the first hole for a hole-in-one — good for a prize of $10,000.
He sat at eye level with the hole throughout the day, set up about 200 yards from the tee, perfectly content to keep his expectations low.
“I don’t think you get more than one hole-in-one or two holes-in-one in the whole county all summer long,” Bob Werner said.
“It just happens often enough that you feel like, well, there’s a chance,” he added, before likening hitting a hole-in-one to winning the lottery.
Bob Werner was optimistic, however, about clearing Skaneateles Lake of its remaining milfoil. He said the Milfoil Eradication Project, now in its fourth year, has worked its way down the lake and only has a few miles at the south end left to clear. The milfoil at the north end of the lake is more difficult to get to, but he feels its removal is within reach.
“If we get enough funding, we should be able to finish off this year,” he said.
A former science professor at SUNY-ESF, Bob Werner spoke of the milfoil removal process. About 15 divers, funded by the eradication project, pull the milfoil out at the root. Then they place the “little root ball” in a hose.
“When you get the roots going, all the rest of the plant just goes zipping up with it. And it works,” he said.
Milfoil reproduces by a process of fragmentation, so by removing it in its entirety, there is no chance of the plant spreading.
“We know how to do this removal, and the lake is low enough in nutrients that the milfoil should not come back real quickly,” Bob Werner said. “I think we can get it under control and keep the lake really pristine.”
After a sunny day of golf, participants were welcomed inside for a free wine tasting courtesy of Anyela’s Vineyards. It was also cocktail hour at the bar, where local band Tumbleweed Jones was setting up to take the stage.
The music was provided free of charge, but, according to lead singer and guitarist Dave “Wally” Walton, the gig had its perks.
“This is the only way we’d ever get in the place,” Walton said before the show.
While Tumbleweed Jones has been around for nearly 20 years, Walton said they have started to gel recently. They were asked to play by tournament chair Randy Stockweather after performing one Thursday at the Blue Water Grill, a weekly gig they have had since February.
“We thought this was a good way to keep the momentum going and, you know, play in front of a bunch of people who could potentially hire us,” Walton said.
