Play for the Playground
Play for the Playground
Bigfoot Park Golf to host 1st annual Sasquatch Cup for a Cause
Photos / Bigfoot Park Golf
Park golf. It’s an entertaining game that originated in Japan back in 1983. Park golf enables people of all ages to enjoy the sport of golf, but with a few adjustments. Think of it as a cross between golf and croquet; the game is played with one club, one ball, and the cup at the end is a bit larger than typical golf. Other than these small differences, the game is played the same, with the same mission in mind: Get the ball in the hole with the fewest number of strokes.
New Course map depicting both 9-hole courses. Photo and graphic work by Nadine Saviano Photography.
Now, what if I told you that you could play a game of park golf and support a good cause at the same time? Sign up for the Sasquatch Cup Tournament on September 21st at the newly created Bigfoot Park Golf, located at 5462 Robbins Road in Ellicottville, and be a part of something monumental! Proceeds will benefit the Ellicottville Playground Project.
EllicottvilleNOW spoke with course owner, Chad Neal, about how he came up with the idea and what everyone can expect at the one-of-a-kind fundraiser.
“I knew I wanted to host a tournament and make it special,” Chad said. “I did a charity event with my grand opening as well, so I decided to do it again with another community project. The playground was being talked about a lot so I chose that. It would be great to have an inclusive playground for all of the local and visiting kids to enjoy and I’m happy to help make that happen.”
Sasquatch Cup competitors will take to the course starting at noon with the coveted trophy (yep, a Sasquatch Cup) up for grabs. Cost to enter is $50 and includes club and ball rental, soft drink and sandwich bar. Part of the entry fee will be donated to the Ellicottville Playground, with the other part going towards a cash prize for the winner. Flights will consist of four people playing two rounds of 18, however, make note that this will be a single-player competition.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three golfers. Second and third place will each receive a brand new park golf club and ball, and the top spot winner will receive, as mentioned, the custom-made Sasquatch Cup trophy and a cash prize!
Don’t worry about losing your edge due to thirst or hunger. There will be refreshments available for all players (water, soft drinks, and Gatorade), and a sandwich bar with cold cut selections, cheese selections, lettuce, onion, tomato and rolls. Plus sides of potato or macaroni salad and chips.
And the fun doesn’t stop after the tournament. Once you finish up on the green, you can test your vocal prowess on the stage at the karaoke contest. “The karaoke contest will take place post-tourney and will be hosted by Gerald Jimerson, an old friend of mine,” said Chad. “The details aren’t quite nailed down yet but the winner will be determined by the crowd, and bragging rights is the prize as of now. We’ll also be doing a 50/50 raffle and a hole-in-one contest. It’s going to be a big day!”
Chad went on to explain that though the tournament is all in good fun, the cause it supports is the most important. “The Playground is a community-involved deal and it popped into my head as I thought about a charity. I’m all about our community. This is the second event and definitely not the last that I plan to have that involves helping out.”
Bigfoot Park Golf is in its first season of operation and will continue to welcome golfers through October, weather permitting. “We’re hoping to get some leaf lookers playing as the scenery here is amazing,” said Chad. “My first season has been great. Word of mouth always helps in our bubble of awesomeness! I am full of ideas and I know Bigfoot Park Golf will only get better and better!”
Sign yourself up to join the Bigfoot Park Golf Sasquatch Cup Tournament through their Facebook or call/text 716-541-4059. Venmo, Cash app and Zelle accepted. (Everyone who signs up gets a discount every time they play a practice round.) Come out and support a small local business along with a great community cause!
