Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
WORLAND – The Green Hills Golf Course Foundation will be holding their second annual Green Hills Golf Course Foundation Tournament along with a raffle on May 28.
According to Foundation Vice Chairman Ernie Skretteberg, the Foundation was created after he was approached by Donnie Bjorhus with Sagebrush Sports, LLC, about starting a foundation after regular golfers at the course found themselves constantly wondering what could be done to improve the course, and how to begin the process.
“Donnie approached several of us regular golfers about putting together a foundation that’s mission was to provide a revenue stream for the course, to go above and beyond what the City of Worland was able to provide for day-to-day operations,” Skretteberg said. “Mr. Bjorhus, through his profession as a Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) professional, was aware of what the folks in Buffalo were doing to improve their course – and we made the decision to employ that business model in developing the Green Hills Golf Course Foundation.”
The course is owned by the City of Worland who contracts with Sagebrush Sports LLC for operation and management of the course.
Skretteberg explained that the Foundation board was formed with Richard McKamey as president, Skretteberg as vice president, Valarie Bjorhus as secretary/treasurer, Tammy Marshall and Duane Whitlock as members and Donnie Bjorhus as the PGA professional/golf course liaison.
According to Skretteberg, their first formal meeting was May 12, 2020, where they worked on a vision statement and agreed that the Foundation is to serve as a non-profit corporation, and they set up the Foundation as a 501(c)(3) for charitable donations purposes.
“I believe that the registration and certification process was completed by the end of 2020,” Skretteberg said. “From that point, six subsequent formal foundation meetings have been held, where a master listing on course improvements was developed. And, as a result of those meeting resolutions we embarked on a concerted and concentrated funding process of raising capital through our kick-off Foundation Tournament where seed money was raised to start our campaign for our ongoing Green Hills Golf Foundation, Inc. cash raffle.”
Skretteberg explained that the “50/50” raffle is an opportunity for the community to win a large sum of cash, with an anticipated drawing date of May 28, in conjunction with the second annual Green Hills Golf Course Foundation tournament. He explained that they are hoping to sell enough tickets to get to the $150,000 goal, with a chance for a lucky ticket holder to win $75,000 in cash. Skretteberg added there are also different payout levels for other ticket holders.
Tickets are being sold for the raffle at local businesses.
According to Skretteberg, they have a long wish list of course improvements.
“As a Foundation, we have been able to take care of some of the items on our list,” he said. “It’s a long list, and one that is growing – but as a Foundation Board, we fervently believe that we can raise the necessary capital to fund these needed investment through this raffle and future fundraising ventures, in our efforts to make Green Hills Golf Course a true, hidden gem of the Big Horn Basin.”
One of the projects the foundation has completed is adding stone tee-box markers on all 18 holes in 2021. These were purchased by the foundation and the labor was donated by volunteers.