Naperville golf event cold but successful
Participants in the Naperville Park District’s annual Turkey Shoot golf tournament on Saturday morning had to contend with the event’s coldest weather in more than a decade.
The event was pretty much at full capacity, however, with 90 participants at Naperbrook Golf Course and 88 at Springbrook Golf Course, said Ed Provow, the park district’s director of golf services.
Each participant received a turkey, which he or she could choose to keep or donate to Loaves and Fishes Community Pantry in Naperville.
“When it comes down to it, we are all out here just trying to donate a few turkeys to charity, and feed a couple hungry families for Thanksgiving,” said golfer Nate Dimke of Joliet.
The event, held simultaneously at Springbrook and Naperbrook golf courses, got off to a slow start because of the heavy frost, Provow said.
“We’ve been spoiled with temperatures of 45 to 55 degrees. Today it was 25 and windy,” he said. “It was one of the colder turkey shoots in the past 10 or 15 years. People still showed up.”
Dan Hamburger of Naperville was philosophical about it.
“If you haven’t golfed in 27 degrees and snowing, then you are not from the Midwest,” he said.
The event started in the mid-1980s, Provow said.
“We get some new faces every year, but a lot of people are repeats. It’s kind of become a tradition,” he said.
The format is a scramble, also known as “best ball,” during which the five golfers on each team all take a shot. The best shot is picked as a starting point to move forward. The 18-hole course is converted into a nine-hole course for the event, which includes distances of up to 700 yards, Provow said.
Park district staff will drop off the donated turkeys at the pantry on Monday, Provow said.
“The annual Turkey Shoot is yet another creative way the Naperville Park District partners with Loaves & Fishes to help end hunger in our community,” said Jody Bender, the pantry’s director of community engagement. “Many families are in need right now — 210 received food just today — and we are so grateful for this support.”
Ÿ Daily Herald staff photographer Daniel White contributed to this report.