Husbands and wives. Fathers and sons. Brothers and classmates. People from out of state. Long-time friends and new acquaintances. People closely connected to Timothy, and some with no connection except through their hosts. These are the people who made up the 220 participants in the 2024 Timothy Christian Golf Outing on September 16th at Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora, IL. As you can see, the participants represent a broad cross-section of the Timothy community, which is one of the things that makes this event unique. It’s more than a golf outing. It’s part family reunion, part homecoming, and part celebration.

It has been my honor to participate in 13 Timothy golf outings over the years, and it’s always a highlight of early fall. I have watched the event grow from a single, not-quite-full afternoon session to two full sessions. This year, the morning session had 84 participants, and the afternoon session included 136 golfers, for a combined total of 220 participants. Each year, the planning committee, led by Director of Advancement Bob Venhousen and Director of Advancement Events Ann Oglevee, evaluates every aspect of the outing and adjusts to make improvements. The event continues to grow in popularity.

Once again, Stonebridge Country Club provided a perfect setting. The course routes through rolling hills and wooded areas, surrounded by various residences. The fairways were firm, the greens were fast, and the staff were gracious hosts.

While the golf outing offered plenty of opportunities for friendly competition—from team play to putting and hole contests—the competition was secondary. The whole event was filled with people enjoying each other’s company and supporting Timothy’s athletics program. Timothy dad Nate Plasman captured the spirit of the day, saying, “Once again, this year, the [Timothy] golf outing was a wonderful day of fun, fellowship, and philanthropy, focused on supporting the Timothy Athletic Department and teams. The Timothy community’s generosity and camaraderie made for a special day. Meeting several [student] athletes stationed at various holes on the course was a highlight.”

The purpose of the golf outing is to raise funds for Timothy’s entire athletic program. In fact, the event provides over 80% of the athletic department’s budget. Athletic Director Jack LeGrand put it this way: “At Timothy, we like winning trophies. But as followers of Christ, those trophies aren’t the true prize. The true prize is how our coaches use athletics as a training ground for life—to build champions for Christ.”

Over the years, the funds raised from the golf outing have allowed us not only to update essential items like uniforms and equipment but also to invest in extras that elevate the quality of our athletic program. Previous outings have helped us purchase state-of-the-art weightlifting equipment, the “Gator” tractor for hauling equipment to various athletic sites, new softball dugouts, new bleachers in the Hoving Gymnasium, netting around the baseball fields, and last year, two new mini-buses for team transport.

The purpose of Timothy athletics is what drives the spirit of the golf outing. Behind everything we do is the goal of building strong Christian leaders through athletics, and that spirit is evident to newcomers. Timothy father Brian Potempa hosted a foursome made up of friends he met through his son’s participation in high-level youth hockey. None of them had a connection to Timothy, but one of those friends, Kevin Magnuson, shared this about his experience: “It was an honor to play in the Timothy Christian Golf Outing and Fundraiser at the beautiful Stonebridge Country Club in Aurora. All participants could see and feel the Trojan school spirit, positivity, and commitment to academic and athletic excellence throughout the event. I hope to tee it up again for Timothy next year!”

That’s true for all of us who make up the broad range of participants in the Timothy Golf Outing. Save the date for the next golf outing: Monday, September 15, 2025, at Stonebridge Country Club. Hope to see you there!