Morton Golf Foundation supports The First Tee of Greater Sacramento Jr/Sr Funvitational

Friday, June 29th was another huge success when the Jr/Sr Funvitational was held at Haggin Oaks.

114 golfers gathered as each twosome was paired with a junior & senior player.

The competition was high as each foursome was playing for the “Team Spirit” award. This award builds sponsorship & camaraderie among players. Scott Smith & Natalie Groom won this award as they dressed up as a Masters golf caddie & PGA professional golfer (picture attached in next email). Every twosome participating was worthy of winning this award.

After all the golfers teed off in the 7:30 a.m. shotgun start the Morton Golf Foundation went to work on building their golf cart limo float. Their chosen theme this year was “Celebrate America”. As they approached each foursome on the course they introduced themselves & then asked if they wanted a snack. In order to win a snack you had to answer a question & be “Smarter than a 3rd grader”. Sample questions: How many stars on the American flag? What is our National bird? Which of our 50 states is the largest?
It was pretty entertaining & luckily we knew all the answers.

Get your “Team Spirit” twosome together for next June & we will see you there!

Happy 4th of July as you “Celebrate America” from your friends at Morton Golf Foundation!

20th Annual Haggin Oaks Easter Egg Hunt & FREE Pancake Breakfast

April 1st was a beautiful warm Easter morning as a dozen junior golfers and their parents gathered to help lay out 6,000 plastic eggs. It was time once again to celebrate Easter & give back to our local Sacramento community.

Each year the event continues to get more creative & fun with a craft table, coloring table & the famous bubble blowing contest. The newest contest added this year was a paddle board contest. After several juniors colored a wooden paddle it was time to play the old fashion game of paddle ball. That game gets harder as we get older but the music was playing and the excitement was in the air.

At 11:00 a.m. sharp the egg hunt for ages 0 -10 was held. The crowds were deep and the kids could hardly hold back. Two minutes later the 6,000 eggs filled with candy were picked up along with 250 golden eggs. The golden eggs contained a slip of paper indicating you won a prize.

Everyone left happy to enjoy the remainder of the Easter holiday with their friends & family.

We hope to see everyone back at Haggin Oaks next year on Easter morning to do it all again.

The Morton family continues to welcome you to Haggin Oaks Golf Complex anytime!

The 4th Annual Adult Sacramento Golf Marathon “100 Holes of Golf”

The Sacramento Golf Marathon was created to help raise money to fund junior golf grants given to junior golfers between the ages of 8 – 18.

These grants provide financial support for families to help junior players learn to compete, develop skills, enhance core values and build lasting relationships through the game of golf.

On Monday, November 13, 2017,  8 adults and 3 volunteers came together to play “100 Holes of Golf” to support the junior golf grant program. They had all been fundraising for the past few months asking anyone they know to help support this cause. The dollars flowed in and the rainy weather held off. In the past few years we have had some cold and rainy weather for this event. So we were pleased that in 2017, the day started off in the 50’s and went into the 60’s to make it a perfect fall golf day.

In the Sacramento Golf Marathon there are no rules. You simply need to tee off and get the ball in the hole. You can be as creative as your mind will allow. We had some individuals play all 100 holes while others invited friends to help them play 100 group holes. It was fun to watch when one of the foursomes all teed off at the same time and then kept the ball moving until it dropped into the hole.

Every year when the golfers meets at the end to talk about their round you always hear participants say things like, “It’s amazing how many good shots I had. I didn’t think about my swing.” So much fun was had during the Sacramento Golf Marathon as golfers played with good friends, while also enjoying the game with no rules and no lost balls. They were free to focus on the ease of their swing and moving on to the next shot.

We would like to invite anyone that would like to come and join in the fun and fundraising next year. Save the date and mark your calendars for Monday, November 5, 2018.

Help the Morton Golf Foundation raise money to support local juniors as they continue to grow with the spirit of golf.

For 2018 information as the fun continues, email Rob Siebers at rjjsiebers@gmail.com

SAVE the DATE
“Sacramento Golf Marathon”
November 5th, 2018

See you there!

2nd Annual Juniors Sacramento Golf Marathon at Bing Maloney

On October 28, 2017, Bing Maloney Golf Course hosted “100 Holes of  Golf” for the 2nd Annual Juniors Sacramento Golf Marathon on the Express 9 Golf Course.

 

Junior players and their families gathered early on Saturday morning, October 28, 2017, to play “100 Hole of Golf.” For the past few months these junior golfers have been collecting donations where 100% go back toward helping juniors play competitive golf and grow in their leadership paths.

Excitement was building as the Rietz Team all came with the same high socks on with a Halloween theme. I am sure that created more power for them each time they got up on the tee that day.

As the juniors and their families were having fun and playing their 100 holes of golf we traveled around the course with prizes of golf balls & hats to win keeping them energized.

The donations continue to roll in and their donation totals rise every day.

What a pleasure to see young golfers raising money to give back to the game of golf for all to enjoy and grow.

The 6th Annual Putting Party

Morton Golf Foundation congratulates the 2017 Putting Party winners, TEAM Willie Baroo

What a memorable night for the 6th Annual Morton Golf Foundation Putting Party. On September 20, 2017 on the MacKenzie Putting Green at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex, Sacramento Kings’ Superstar Doug Christie talked about his love affair with the great game of golf and offered his predictions for the 2018 Kings season. Leah Woods started the event with the singing of the National Anthem, and then it was time to putt. Everyone attending felt so lucky to have both Doug and Leah on hand to enhance the event.

22 TEAMS enjoyed a shotgun start on the putting course, playing a 5-person scramble format. Some of the holes produced many aces, and others produced only a few. At the end of the evening, two teams shared the lead with a wonderful score of 7 under par.

Congratulations to the 2017 Champions – William Land Golf Course putting under the name TEAM Willie Baroo.

The Morton Golf Foundation raises money through “The Putting Party” to support the Veterans’ Golf Program, Special Olympics of Northern California and the California Eagles Program. We were honored to have Chris Paulsen speak about his experience with golf and the PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) program following his military service. I think everyone in the room was touched by Chris and his story. What a wonderful reminder of the important role that golf plays in many of our lives!

Hope to see you next year for the 7th Annual Putting Party in September, 2018.

The Sacramento Golf Marathon “100 Holes of Golf” Benefitting the Morton Golf Foundation

The annual Sacramento Golf Marathon is coming to the Arcade Creek Golf Course at Haggin Oaks on Monday, November 13, 2017.

The Sacramento Golf Marathon is a fun and easy way to raise money to support youth, disabled and underserved in the Sacramento area.  Funds raised by this event will support organizations such as; Junior Golf, Special Olympics, Society for the Blind, Wounded Warriors and many more.

There are two easy ways to participate in the Sacramento Golf Marathon;

1. Make a tax free donation to the Morton Golf Foundation. Click on the link below to make a donation.

2. Put a team together to play in the Sacramento Golf Marathon.  A team can be 2 to 4 players.  The goal is to play 100 holes as fast as possible.  There are no rules, no lost balls (just drop another ball) and no score keeping.  Just track the number of holes you play.  And even better, if your team has 4 player, you need only play 25 holes per person and the 100 hole marathon is complete.  Raise funds by having family and friends support your efforts. A sample letter is  below. EACH TEAM MUST DONATE A MINIMUM OF $500.00 TO COMPETE IN THE SACRAMENTO GOLF MARATHON.

To enter your team in the Sacramento Golf Marathon please contact Rob Siebers at: rjjsiebers@gmail.com before November 1, 2017

Teams will meet at 6:30 am in MacKenzie’s Sports Bar & Grille at Haggin Oaks.

Donation Link:  http://mortongolffoundation.org/donations-sponsorships/

Sample letter:

Family, Friends and supporters


The 4th Annual Sacramento Golf Marathon (100 Holes of Golf) is right around the corner!  This year on November 13th at Haggin Oaks Arcade Golf Course I will join the many golfers participating in the Golf Marathon to raise funds for youth, disabled and underserved. The Morton Golf Foundation insures that 100% of the funds raised through the Sacramento Golf Marathon are donated to these causes!

Our goal this year is to raise +$35,000 and my personal goal is to raise $———. With your help we can support junior golfers, youth, disabled and underserved.  Over the past four years we have raised close to $100,000!!!

All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE and can be completed by going to the website below.  Any amount, however large or small is greatly appreciated and will go directly to help many of Sacramento’s youth
Please go to the Morton Golf Foundation website below:

Click on the following link: http://mortongolffoundation.org/donations-sponsorships/

  • Fill in name, email, address and phone information
  • Under contribution type, click donation button
  • Fill in donation amount and BE SURE TO FILL IN REFERRED BY/SPECIAL EVENT BOX  (fill in name of Marathon participant you are supporting)
  • Click Submit
  • Fill in credit card information
  • Click  “Donate”
  • Once donation is complete, you will receive your tax receipt via email.

Thank you very much for your consideration!

Special Olympics are Back at Haggin Oaks!

Morton Golf Foundation is proud once again to be a sponsor for the Special Olympics Northern California Sacramento Golf Regional Competition held at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex on September 15, 2017.

The sun is shining, the weather is cooler and the athletes are out! This is a very special day where we see Special Olympic Athletes come together for golf, sportsmanship & “fun”.

The fun starts when you arrive in the morning and see the athletes gather as TEAMS in their matching shirts to get ready for the day ahead. Several of the athletes perform golf skills at the back of the driving range while others play a round of golf on the Arcade Creek Golf Course at Haggin Oaks. No matter where they are and what they do, they all end up together to enjoy a BBQ luncheon at the end of the event as they share stories on how well they golfed.

Morton Golf Foundation continues to be eager to sponsor this powerful event. We see Special Olympic Athletes, Care Givers and Volunteers as equals all participating in the fun.

Friendships are made each year and the special part is to meet back again the following year.

Thank you Special Olympics Northern California from your friends at Morton Golf Foundation as we look forward to seeing you back next September!

Morton Golf Foundation Junior Golfer Makes First Hole-in-One

On Saturday, September 9, 2017, Courtney Cervellin was playing a junior tournament in the JTNC (Junior Tour Northern California) on the MacKenzie Golf Course at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex when she scored her first Hole-in-One!

Courtney approached the #14 tee box from the 4 oaks tee, 156 yards, par 3 and struck her 9 iron and it rolled right into the cup.

She has had this same shot hundreds of times… this time it just happened to go in.

When you see Courtmey, be sure to stop and congratulate her and let her know how proud everyone is for her.

Great job, Courtney!

Morton Golf Foundation Junior Richie Gibbs Wins Overall at El Macero CC

On Monday, June 19, 2017, when the temperature reached 110 degrees, The First Tee of Greater Sacramento had a tournament stop at El Macero Country Club for the Junior Tour.

The temperature might have been scorching but the junior players were ready to show off their golf skills.

Richie Gibbs, one of our own Morton Golf Foundation junior players, was proud to take home an Over All WIN for the age group of 14 – 18, shooting 71 for 1 under par.

Richie has been a volunteer for the Morton Golf Foundation since the foundation started 8 years ago. He is very happy and eager to volunteer for any and all events on and off the course.

As the Morton Golf Foundation continues to grow, look for Richie either in a volunteer status or playing on the golf course representing the Morton Golf Foundation. We are very proud of what Richie has accomplished and know there is a lot more on the horizon for Richie.

Morton Golf Foundation Alumnus Receives Award

Morton Golf Foundation Alumnus Sarah Debnekoff saves a life

sarah_groupA few weeks ago, Sarah Debnekoff’s mother, Pam, sent Jane Siebers a text asking if she and her husband, Rob, would attend a “Life Saving Award” presentation. This presentation would be put on by the Sacramento Metro Fire District and Anatolia Homeowners Association honoring Sarah Debnekoff. Immediately, they said yes. Sarah has been a volunteer with The First Tee of Greater Sacramento and with the Morton Golf Foundation since she was 9 1/2 years old.

Last summer, Sarah took a job as a lifeguard in her neighborhood community of Anatolia in Rancho Cordova, CA. There was an incident where a boy was drowning and Sarah saved him by giving him CPR while 911 was called. The boy is now doing well and enjoying life with his family.

sarah_lifesavingawardAt the age of 9 1/2, Sarah Debnekoff and her family moved to Sacramento. At that time, Sarah’s interest in golf peaked and they found local golf programs for Sarah through The First Tee of Greater Sacramento at the William Land Golf Course. Through this beginning, years of golf programs, tournaments, many friendships & mentoring began.

Sarah has had many accomplishments through her time with The First Tee of Greater Sacramento and Morton Golf Foundation. She has helped raise thousands of dollars for junior golf. One of her greatest achievements was winning a full ride golf scholarship to Morehead State University in Kentucky. Today, she is a junior and playing on the Women’s Golf Team. Also, when Sarah graduated from high school, she was awarded the “Community Service” Scholarship from Morton Golf Foundation to further her education. Her goal is to go into the health care field where she will continue to help and mentor others along her way.

Sarah is a remarkable young women that continues to live by the core values of The First Tee of Greater Sacramento and Morton Golf Foundation that she was taught as a child. Everyone at the Morton Golf Foundation is so proud of her and wishes her continued success as she continues her journey.