By Barbara Palmgren
Recent Shalimar Pointe Men’s Club Champions TJ Vidinha (2026) and Ray LeBlanc (2025) joined with Bryan Mills to organize a four-person scramble fundraiser for the Eglin Air Force Base Chiefs Group. This annual June tournament is one way this organization can support the military and local community.
This organization is composed of the Chiefs at Eglin who want to be sure that their random acts of kindness for those who live on base and in the community have financial support. Rachael Hemelo, Enlisted Leader for the 692 squadron at Eglin, explained this to me after the shot gun start when golfers headed to their respective holes. Are unforeseen extra hospital care expenses needed? Is there a fire in the home? Is there an accident where short term food or supplies can help? Is there a mentoring project that needs supplies? Does the Armament Museum need volunteer work done outside and inside? Ask no more, the Chiefs Group is there to support!
The golf tournament consisted of a scramble format with each of the four-person team hitting a drive and then deciding which drive was the best. Then, each person hit the next shot, made a decision about which shot was the best, and the format continued until the putt went in the hole. Scores should typically be low and in golf, low is good. And, why not? Hitting the best ball and having one of four shots from which to choose, should make each team feel as they are pro golfers on the tour!
Other fun opportunities also were set up along the 18-hole golf course. There was a longest drive contest, a hole-in-one contest, closest to the Pin and even a “heckle hole” where fans got to scream and heckle golfers on the tee box. Can a golfer perform under that kind of pressure? Chiefs from Eglin have NO problem with pressure!
In between all this fun was the Scotty Cameron Putting Contest of Shalimar Pointe’s Putting Green. No one was able to sink a long, long, putt but there was a winner who came inches from the hole. Who says putting isn’t difficult? When the prize is an $800 putter, it’s worth a long, long shot to a tiny, tiny hole.
The first place team, last names only posted only was: Vidinha, Smith, Coley and Nunez with a low score of 51. Congratulations of course to all the golfers who came out on a hot day in June to an unforgettable golf scramble.
