By Matt Nelson, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — Firefighters will soon be trading in their helmets for golf clubs.
The Hightstown Engine Company No. 1 will hold its 16th annual Golf Classic at the Peddie Golf Club on Aug. 27.
The golf classic will be played as a shamble, which combines a scramble with the basic elements of stroke play.
In this type of golf, the best score among all the members of a team on each hole counts towards the scorecard.
John Archer of Hightstown is the Golf Committee chairman for this year’s event and has been in charge of the Golf Classic since its inauguration.
”It’s a great time. We don’t make a lot of money at it, but we just make some money that can help defer costs for the fire company. It’s the players that help make it for us,” Mr. Archer said.
Mr. Archer is a former chief of the fire company for 10 years and says that with the way the economy has been, times are tough.
”I know exactly what the town gives us and how long that lasts, which is usually seven or eight months of the year without help,” says Mr. Archer.
” We typically get somewhere between 90 and 110 golfers for our annual event, but since the economy hasn’t done well, we were lucky to get 60 golfers for this event.”
Members of Engine Company No. 1 will help work the event from cooking the food and selling beverages to the golfers while they play on the course.
”The Peddie Golf Club has helped us tremendously. It’s been a very good run and I also believe this could be my last year running the event. Sixteen years is a long time; it’s a lot of work,” says Mr. Archer.
The fire company is able to seek out businesses in East Windsor and Hightstown to sponsor holes.
”This really helps us get some of the costs out of the way. We have a lot of expenses to cover for the event. It’s about $2,300 to run it and the hole sponsors usually cover it,” says William H. Havens of Hightstown, who is the hall manager of Engine Company No. 1.
Mr. Havens also says working the Golf Classic is a “labor of love.”
Cost will be $125 per person or $500 for a foursome. Each player will receive golf fees with a cart, lunch from 11 a.m. to noon and dinner at the Firehouse Ballroom at 5 p.m.
Reservations for foursomes will be taken only after the full payment is received. Substitutes of foursomes will be allowed until the final week.
Lunch will include hot dogs, hamburgers and beverages. Refreshments will also be served throughout the day on the course. Registration takes place at 11 a.m. and a shotgun start will be at noon.
There will be cash awards given out to the top three foursomes for the longest drive, straightest drive and closest to the pin.
For more information, contact Mr. Archer at 609443-1920, or 609-847-1637. Checks should be made to the Hightstown Engine Company No. 1.
Hightstown Engine Company No. 1 is also looking for sponsors. Any business or association that wishes to sponsor a hole or a tee may send a check for $100 to Hightstown Engine Company No. 1 and should include a copy of the company business card. Checks may be mailed to John Archer, 148 N. Main St., Hightstown, NJ, 08520.
