Published: July 01, 2008 03:30 pm      

Community invited to hit the links for LHC

Clear skies and dry conditions make for perfect golf weather, and Suzanne Whicker, executive director of Leadership Hendricks County, said she expects just that for LHC’s 12th annual golf outing next Tuesday at Twin Bridges Golf Club in Danville.

Thirty-two teams and 50 volunteers are expected to participate in the outing, which kicks off with registration and a pork burger lunch at 11 a.m. Golf play begins at noon.

“It’s great,” Whicker said. “Our participants have liked this golf outing more than they do any other. We always treat them well and everyone has a really good time.”

The format of the 18-hole event is a Florida Scramble — meaning that each foursome plays off their best shot, but the player who hit the best shot must sit out the next.

Whicker said prizes and awards for categories such as Hole in One, Closest Shot to the Pin, and Longest Drive will be given when the outing concludes with a buffet dinner catered by Red Dog Steakhouse of North Salem.

The outing benefits Leadership Hendricks County, a non-profit organization that teaches leadership skills to local adults and youth.

“It’s a year-long program,” Whicker said. “We take people away from their jobs one day every month for a year and show them things in the community that they might not have been able to see before.”

Whicker said the program introduces participants to key facets of the community such as state and county government, and the healthcare and park systems.

“I call it a helicopter view of everything that goes on in the community,” Whicker said. “When you walk away from this class, you’ll be a much more informed citizen of our county, be a better informed voter, and have better knowledge of how taxes are being spent. It’s also a great networking opportunity.”

Leadership Hendricks County was founded and 1993, and seven years ago it added a similar youth leadership program for high school sophomores.

“We chose sophomores because we wanted them to be able to continue to help out in their schools for the next couple of years,” Whicker said. “But they are also past being green freshmen so they are already a little bit used to high school.”

Graduates of Youth Leadership Hendricks County are invited to participate in LHC’s youth and philanthropy program as juniors and seniors.

kevin.leibrock@flyergroup.com



Just the facts

WHAT: Leadership Hendricks County golf outing

WHEN: 11 a.m. July 8

WHERE: Twin Bridges Golf Club in Danville