How does the Four Winds Invitational get it done? Volunteers prove the secret to success
SOUTH BEND — One golfer came away with the $30,000 first-place check Sunday when the $200,000 Four Winds Invitational, a 54-hole women’s professional golf tournament on the Epson Tour, ended.
But she wasn’t the only winner who needed to be saluted at South Bend Country Club, the venerable country club west of downtown which has hosted its share of national tournaments through the years.
South Bend Country pro Greg Helmkamp, his staff and the club membership assured another successful week as a golf host.
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Since the 18-hole layout designed and opened in 1916 by architect George O’Neil, South Bend Country Club has played host to the Western Open (1935), the Western Amateur (1938, 1951), the NCAA National Championship (1942), the Women’s Western Amateur (1936, 1962, 1992), numerous state championships and national qualifiers for the United States Golf Association.
And this past week, the Epson Tour — the Road to the LPGA — made its second straight stop at South Bend Country Club where Helmkamp, his staff and the club membership made the young women professional golfers from around the world feel at home as they chase their dream of playing someday on the LPGA Tour. That’s where the 2021 Four Winds Invitational champion Lilia Vu has ended up. The 24-year-old Vu, who was the Epson Tour’s player of the year and leading money winner, is 34th in money earnings with $526,446 in 15 events.
“Ninety-five percent of the work has been done by Greg,” said member Steve Studer, the club’s tournament coordinator and the principal liaison between the club, the Epson Tour and the Four Winds Casinos.
“We have incredible volunteers like Gina Hamilton, who oversees our volunteer group, and (members) Jim and Linda Grainger, who oversee the housing,” Studer added. “You know a couple of years ago, some of these girls were staying in the cars. Our club has stepped up — every player who needs a place to stay, we provide that.”
Hamilton, whose home is about a wedge away from the eighth tee of the course, not only is marshalling the volunteers but also hosted two foreign players this week — Milagros Chaves of Paraguay and Michaela Finn of Sweden.
“Last year, I only took care of the volunteer tent,” said Hamilton, who also makes a mean coffee cake for the volunteers who visit the tent where she is assisted by members Robin Aranowski and Carmen Piasecki, a notable women’s amateur player a couple of decades ago. “I guess when you do a good job, they ask you to come back and take care of all the volunteers. That’s what kind of happened this year — Greg asked me to come back.”
It was a no-brainer, according to Helmkamp.
“A tour event like this can’t be run without volunteers — there are so many jobs,” said Helmkamp, who previously was the right-hand man for retired Warren Golf Course pro and administrator John Foster before coming to South Bend Country Club in April 2021 just months after the tournament moved from Blackthorn to South Bend. This year, Helmkamp has been aided by his assistant Jeremy Julian.
“Gina’s communication and organizational skills for that position are huge,” Helmkamp added. “Gina took it upon herself to learn what she needed to do. This year, the volunteers knew what their shifts would be weeks ago. Gina’s been perfect for the job.”
Hamilton said that 49 club members and 69 others throughout the area stepped forward in some capacity — as player hosts, scorekeepers and even caddies — to make the players feel welcome and the tournament to run smoothly.
Aranowski’s husband Jim, in fact, carried the clubs for Chaves last week and supplied his local knowledge of putting the slick greens wonderfully prepared by course superintendent Nick Nate and his staff. Other member caddies included Anthony Kitchen, Tom Lord, Jeff Rea, Mike Flewelling and Gloria Niemier.
The Four Winds Casinos of South Bend, Dowagiac, Hartford and New Buffalo are the primary sponsor of the event, with the beneficiary being the Beacon Children’s Hospital in South Bend.
“Last year, we helped raise $100,000,” Studer added. “This year we hope to raise as much if not more (through additional sponsors, four pro-am fields and other events). Greg has done a great job on this tournament and so has Gina.”
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Volunteers help Epson Tour's Four Winds Invitational succeed
