The Ocean Pines Golf Members’ Council (OPGMC) continues its fundraising efforts for its annual scholarships, despite having to cancel its signature event, the Ocean Pines/Taylor Bank Scramble scheduled for July, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, last year, raised $11,000 for scholarships for local high school students.

 

Instead, OPGMC Scholarship Committee Chairman Bob Long said much of the money received this year has come from small donations from Ocean Pines golf groups.

 

Long credited Scotty Wheatley, chairman of the annual golf tournament, with helping to raise a record amount last year. The organization awarded scholarships of $4,000 in 2017, $5,000 in 2018 and $7,000 in 2019.

 

“In early March, Scotty was full of optimism about our 2021 fund and was hoping we would again have a big increase. A week later, we all were under some form of quarantine and that optimism faded,” Long said.

 

This year, Long said the OPGMC decided to award $6,000 in scholarships to five graduating students, representing about half of the scholarship fund balance. “The remaining money would remain in the fund to insure we had something to award in 2021,” he said.

 

After canceling the golf tournament, Long said the Scholarship Committee began looking for new ways to raise money.

 

“Our members have been very supportive and generous. Things are not looking as bleak as they did a couple of months ago,” Long said. To date this year, he said the Members’ Council has raised $6,600.

(June 17, 2020) “Teamwork” was the word of the day, as Ocean Pines officials held a grand opening ceremony for the new Golf Clubhouse on Wednesday morning. 

The Ocean Pines Board approved the project in April 2019 at a guaranteed maximum cost of $1.6 million.

Salisbury architectural firm Davis, Bowen and Friedel, Inc. developed plans for the roughly 7,200 single-story building, which includes a large meeting room and space for a new restaurant, along with an outdoor deck, pro shop and club-fitting area.

Absolute Demolition of Ocean City took down the former two-story clubhouse last May, and the Whayland Company, based in Laurel, Delaware, began construction in October.

The project officially wrapped last month, at a final cost of about $1.49 million, General Manager John Viola reported during a recent Board meeting.

 (May 28, 2020) The Ocean Pines Golf Members’ Council recently awarded five scholarships totaling $6,000 to local high school seniors.

 

The scholarship committee of the Golf Members’ Council each year honors students who have exhibited an interest in the game of golf, and who demonstrated exemplary academic and extracurricular records.

 

Much of the money raised each year comes from the Ocean Pines/Taylor Bank Scramble. Since 2017, the Golf Members’ Council has awarded $22,000 in scholarships to local students.

 

Bob Long, scholarship committee chairman, said awards are given on behalf of Ocean Pines Golf Club members, who support the fund throughout the year.

 

“While the committee and the membership is saddened not to have the opportunity to present these scholarships in person this spring, it is hoped they will have the chance to meet these young people on the golf course in the not too distant future,” Long said.

The 2020 recipients of the Ocean Pines Golf Members’ Council Scholarships are: