MSU President's Column for Traill County Tribune

May 5, 2018

Annual golf events provide social and fund-raising opportunities

The weekend of June 15-16 marks the 43rd annual Mayville State University Golf Classic. Activities are planned at Forest Hills Golf and RV Resort in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. The Mayville State Golf Classic is the oldest medal play university golf tournament in the world. The “Classic” has become a gathering place for golfers and non-golfers alike. Mayville State alumni and friends from all over the country make Detroit Lakes their destination each year for a reunion with family and friends.

Activities will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday morning, June 15, with a four-person scramble. This event is being organized by the Mayville State University Comet Athletic Club, and proceeds will go to athletic scholarships for Mayville State student athletes. Both men and women are encouraged to play. This event will feature a hole-in-one contest. Those who participate will have an opportunity to win $10,000 for themselves, and $10,000 for Mayville State! Presentation of awards will begin at 2:30 p.m., along with a meal for all participants.

The traditional scholarship event and social for all alumni and friends of Mayville State will begin at 3 p.m. Friday at Forest Hills, 22931 185th St., three miles west of Detroit Lakes on Hwy. 10.

The main golfing event is planned for Saturday, June 16. Start time for the medal play tournament is 10 a.m.

The Mayville State Golf Classic has been of great benefit to Mayville State University over the years, as thousands of scholarship dollars, academic and athletic, have been donated to students pursuing their educational goals at Mayville State. In addition, the tournament has served as a place where Mayville State alumni and friends can meet and renew acquaintances. Year after year, people from near and far get together at the “Classic.”

Gene Gaffney of Detroit Lakes is serving as the tournament manager again this year. He has been involved with the MSU Golf Classic since its inception in 1976. Paul Maltrud served in the role of manager from 1976 until just a few years ago. Among those who are assisting again this year are Mayville State alumni Denny Hopman, Del Hultgren, Paul Maltrud, Jim Hedstrom, and Chris Lindberg. These gentlemen have been involved for years, some more than others, and are joining forces with several more alumni who are volunteering their help on the day of the tournament, including Broc Lietz.

We are truly grateful to all who have organized, worked, and helped to make this important activity happen each year. We are equally grateful to the many Mayville State alumni and friends who spend the “Classic” weekend in Detroit Lakes participating in the fun and festivities of the annual Mayville State University Golf Classic. To register online or download the registration materials, go to www.mayvillestate.edu/golfclassic.

Golf enthusiasts will have another opportunity to play in support of Mayville State in July. The Comet Athletic Club will sponsor the seventh annual Harvey McMullen Memorial Open, formerly known as the North Valley (Hoople)-Comet Connection, Friday, July 13 at the Mayville Golf Course. Harvey, who passed away in 2015, is a Mayville State icon and a native of Hoople, N.D. He was one of the original organizers of the annual event, which from time to time has been held in Mayville and in the northern Red River Valley. To register for the four-person scramble, go to www.mayvillestate.edu/mcmullenopen or contact Scott Parker at 701-788-4706. Proceeds from this tournament go to the general athletic scholarship fund.

The Around the Horn Golf Classic to benefit baseball at Mayville State is scheduled for Friday, August 10 at the Mayville Golf Course. Information will be available soon at www.mayvillestate.edu/aroundthehorn.

We’d love to have you join in the fun of these golfing events for Mayville State alumni and friends. For more information on each of these opportunities, go to www.mayvillestate.edu or contact the MSU Foundation at 701-788-4750.