“We have three of the top courses in the state in our backyard, which makes golf popular,” said Nathan Uffens, director of sales at the Silverdale Beach Hotel and planning head for the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce’s quicksilver Golf Tournament fundraiser. “When tournaments are run properly and people are excited to put them on, they have a great return on investment.”

“The popularity of golf in this area and the wonderful golf courses here make it a natural for fundraising,” agreed Rebecca Wilson, director of development and community relations for Kitsap Mental Health Services Foundation, which has been holding a golf tournament each summer for nearly 13 years. “It’s also a great way to build camaraderie among sponsors and participants.”

Most fundraiser golf tournaments are set up for play with four-person teams, “scramble” style. Registration fees in this area hover somewhere around the $100 range, and that fee typically covers greens fees and cart rentals, as well as a host of other golf-related goodies, making this a fairly painless way for golf enthusiasts to donate money to a good cause. In addition to the tournament itself, there are also frequently a range of other contests and activities, and, depending up the how well-sponsored the tournament is, the prizes can be extremely impressive. For example, the Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming tournament features a hole in one contest with a Ford Mustang as a prize.

Here’s just a sample of some of the fundraiser tournaments that are going on around Kitsap County this season.

Quicksilver Golf Tournament

This will be the second year that the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce puts on the quicksilver Golf Tournament to raise funds to pay for the chamber’s quicksilver hydroplane race weekend. The tournament will take place at McCormick Woods on Thursday, May 3. For more information visit www.silverdalechamber.com or call (360) 692-6800.

R.G. Johnson Golf Memorial

The sixth annual R.G. Johnson Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, May 12, also at McCormick Woods. This tournament serves as both a memorial of Randy Johnson, who died of melanoma, but also to raise money for melanoma research. Since its inception the tournament has raised more than $65K to help create awareness and find a cure for the disease. More information and registration forms can be found online at www.rgjohnsongolfmem.golfreg.com.

Holly Ridge Center Golf Tournament

Prudential Northwest Real Estate is the title sponsor of the 7th Annual Golf Classic Benefiting the Holly Ridge Center, to be held on Wednesday, June 13 on Gold Mountain’s Olympic Course. Proceeds from the tournament go primarily to fund the center’s medical and autism programs for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities. Details and registration forms are available online at www.hollyridge.org/events.html.

Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Scramble

The 20th annual Gig Harbor Peninsula Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Scramble will be held Friday, June 29, location still to be determined. Funds go to support the Chamber’s activities. Registration for this tournament closes May 29. For more information or to register call (253) 851-6865 or email executivedirector@gigharborchamber.com.

Kitsap Home Builders Association (HBA) Golf Tournament

The Kitsap HBA’s golf tournament is perhaps the longest running tournament in the area, closing in on 30 years. This year’s tournament will be held Friday, July 13, at Rolling Hills Golf Course in Bremerton for the tenth year. The tournament, which started out as a fun event for HBA members, has since evolved into one of the organization’s major fundraising events. More information about this year’s tournament is available by calling the HBA at (360) 479-5778.

Kitsap Mental Health Services’ (KMHS) Golf Classic

Another long-running tournament, the 13th Annual KMHS Golf Classic is sponsored this year by Kitsap Bank. It takes place on Wednesday, August 15, on both courses at the Gold Mountain Golf Complex. Proceeds from the tournament are used to fund various KMHS programs. Additional information and registration forms are available online at www.kitsapmentalhealth.org or by calling KMHS’ development office at (360) 373-5031.