On Friday, July 15, golfers from all over La Porte county gathered for a tee-riffic day at Briar Leaf Golf Course for the 48th annual Play Day golf outing, hosted by the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership (LEAP).
Although the outing has been a tradition for almost 50 years, LEAP only recently took charge of the event in 2018. LEAP’s involvement continued to expand the outing’s reach, causing the day to consist of two nearly sold-out flights.
“Two years ago, we went to a morning and afternoon flight so we could fit more teams in because it was just that popular. People don't necessarily like to be here all day, but coming out for four or five hours seems to work. This has become really popular. It’s really good for networking, and everything that we take in from this outing goes back into our communities,” said Lindsay Jongkind, LEAP director of marketing and communications.
With such a large turnout, the camaraderie between groups and businesses seems to blossom both on and off the course.
“I love golf personally, but I also love the fact that it's been such a popular event. We get so many businesses to come together and play, so it's a really good time. Everybody comes out, forgets about work for the day, and just enjoys a nice round of golf. That's the most gratifying part. We just appreciate everybody's participation, and we appreciate them coming out,” said LEAP President of Business Services Mike Riehle.
The legacy of the outing has made this a highly-anticipated event for many businesses involved in LEAP. The combination of a perfect networking opportunity and the chance to spend a day in the fresh air draws a remarkable crowd of both new and returning businesses.
“Many of these businesses play year after year, so they're ready to sign up when we start putting the information out. We've got 500 members throughout the greater La Porte area so this is a perfect opportunity for us to gather a big crowd. I think many of these companies look forward to the opportunity to come out and play and kind of enjoy the weather and each others’ company,” said LEAP Executive Director Bert Cook.
While its goal is to provide participants with a worthwhile experience, event organizers also benefit from the friendly atmosphere of the outing.
“It's a great day for the players to network and see their friends that maybe they only talk to on the phone or correspond through email. Here they actually get to see them face to face. It gets everybody out of the office. It's called Play Day, so it's just great to get out and play and have fun,” said Jay Williams, owner of Briar Leaf Golf Course.
The outing featured 10 hole sponsors, one non-profit hole, a hole-in-one contest, and over 30 tee sponsors. Hole sponsors set up tents on the course with information, free items, or snacks and had the opportunity to provide golfers with a quick break while spreading the word about their business.
CompressAir, a hole sponsor, offered free slushies and a game of Chippo to participants.
“I'm an ambassador for LEAP. Since I work for CompressAir and we're part of LEAP, we always come out here and we always have a really good time talking to the golfers. It’s nice to come out and get our CompressAir’s face known in the community. We're pretty big on being supportive in our community in any way that we can,” said Brittany Smith, director of marketing and communications for CompressAir.
The multitude of sponsors is a vital part of putting together an outing of this size, and organizers from LEAP are extremely appreciative of the support from the community.
“We really appreciate all the hole sponsors and tee sponsors that we have for this outing and our sponsors throughout the year. Without them we wouldn't be able to put on this outing or any of our other events,” said Jongkind.
Though the second flight of golf had to be canceled due to rain, spirits were still high as the first flight headed under a pavilion to enjoy lunch together.To learn more about the La Porte Economic Advancement Partnership, visit https://laportepartnership.com/.
