Golfers celebrate all things Scottish at Kilted Classic

For most golfers, khakis and a polo shirt are standard attire for an afternoon on the course.

But for more than 30 of the individuals attending the ninth annual Chicago Scots golf tournament, a kilt is the apparel of choice.

“It's extremely unique,” said Frazer Donaldson, one of the event's co-chairmen. “It really promotes Scottish culture.”

The Kilted Classic, a fundraiser for the Illinois St. Andrew Society and the Scottish Home, begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 1, at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge.

“The event was started maybe 15 years or so ago and kind of tapered off in popularity,” Donaldson said. “We resurrected it nine years ago and we've been getting more and more golfers ever since.”

The 18-hole tournament draws more than 100 golfers each year, an attendance organizers hope to exceed at the 2011 event.

“It's just a fun event,” said Tim Hatton, event co-chairman. “We do different things during the day. It's not just a round of golf.”

While golfers are not required to don kilts, the event closely focuses on many aspects of Scottish culture.

The afternoon begins with a lunch and shotgun start to the tournament. A bagpiper accompanies the players onto the course and Scottish beer and whiskey tastings are available throughout the round.

Prizes are awarded for longest drives and closest to the pin. In the “Beat the Scot” contest, players try to beat Chicago Scots President Gus Noble on a par three hole. A raffle and silent auction follow the golf tournament.

The afternoon event costs $190 per golfer and includes both lunch and dinner, beer and whiskey tastings, and course fees.

The St. Andrew Society, the oldest charity in Illinois, funds the Scottish Home, a facility in North Riverside committed to caring for the elderly.

Organizers believe the charitable spirit of the event is what draws golfers to the greens in such large numbers.

“I believe it's just the way we put it on,” Hatton said. “More people are apt to enjoy it.”