A tradition since 1951

As the summer months roll around, many of us find that we spend long hours on the golf course and short hours with our families. To help our colleagues get away from the course for a day with the family, the Northern Ohio GCSA began offering a family picnic in August. This tradition has been in place since 1951, attracting as many as 140 participants.

Presently, the day begins early for our two chefs Jack and Tammy Hopkins. Tammy spends most of the week slicing and dicing all of the condiments while Jack polishes up his cooking equipment. They arrive at Dover Lake Water Park at 9:00 a.m. to set up and get the grill fired up. By the time the guests begin arriving at 11:00 a.m., Jack is ready to start the feeding frenzy. He cooks from 11:00 a.m. until the park closes at 7:00 p.m. There isn’t a hungry soul in the place by the time they leave.

The kids and the adult kids spend the day laying in the sun and playing on every water attraction they can find. They take a small break mid-afternoon to join everyone back at the pavilion to find out what wonderful gifts they will receive this year. Another tradition is that the NOGCSA purchases a gift for every child that attends.

Every year our members look forward to this wonderful day with family and friends. Geoffrey Blind says, “It’s my favorite day of the summer,” while Tim Cunningham so fondly sees it as “A fun filled day for the entire FAMILY”.

Submitted by Michelle L. Frazier, CGCS.

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