4,000 Golf Balls Blanket Nanaimo GC Putting Green

In a single day last month, 4,000 balls hit just one green at Nanaimo GC but it was not from an overabundance of accurate approach shots...

Actually, the balls were actually part of a charity drive where people “purchased” a numbered ball for $5 each.

The balls were then dropped simultaneously on the Club’s practice green from a fire truck ladder. The balls that either ended up in or closest to one of three numbered holes won a money prize.

With a late sales blitz, all 4,000 golf balls were sold before the March 27, 2021, drop date and the maximum possible $20,000 was raised for Nanaimo youth programs.

The “Ball Drop” fundraiser is not a first for Rotary Clubs around the province with both the Kelowna Rotary and the south island’s West Shore Rotary holding similar events in 2020.

An event like this takes more coordination and work than you might think. Kudos have to go to the organizers and the hand-cramped souls who numbered each ball with a Sharpie.

On their Facebook page, the rotary club commented on the strong support, “Thank you to everyone who purchased a golf ball, the support was fantastic.”

Congratulations to the winners:

1st Prize ($2,000) – Bob Bennie
2nd Prize ($1,000) – Denise Montgomery
3rd Prize ($500) – Jeff Middleweiss

Dave Miles took an Early Bird prize that included a round of golf for four at the Nanaimo Golf Club, a round of golf at Cottonwood Golf Club, a $50 certificate from Golf West, and two $25 certificates from Carlos O’Bryan’s!

Watch a video of the ball drop here.