Swing your clubs at annual Calcutta

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
 
Grab your golf clubs and head to the Newcastle Country Club because the seventh annual Calcutta fundraiser is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 29-30.
When Jeff Virchow of Edward Jones first moved to Newcastle, he knew he wanted to do something to improve the course of one of his favorite hobbies: golfing. 
“I really enjoy golfing,” Virchow said. 
Virchow said the golf course was in rough shape when he moved here in October of 2011, so he decided to join the Newcastle Country Club board to see what could be done. Financially, the facility was doing “okay,” he said, but the club was struggling a little bit. So, Virchow took it upon himself to change that. 
That’s when the annual Calcutta was born. Approximately $6,000 was raised for the golf course the first year, according to Virchow, and each year it has grown. Last year, an impressive $25,000 was raised, and he hopes to repeat that again this year. 
“Every year it has grown,” Virchow said. “It’s turned into a pretty significant fundraiser for the course.”
And this year is no exception. With 29 players signed up so far, it’s already predicted to be the largest participation yet. Virchow said he might have to cap the sign-up at 30 just so there will be enough time to play. 
“We’re going to have more teams than ever before,” Virchow said. 
Individual golfers can sign up for $100 each or a team can register for $400, and on Saturday morning, they will tee off at 10:30 a.m. Virchow said, however, that he might have to bump up the start time to 10 a.m. in order to finish the 18-hole tournament in time for the evening festivities. 
During the day, free brats and all-you-can-drink beer will be offered, and that evening a dinner will be served. This year, Virchow said, a full pig will be smoked for a pork dinner, followed by the auctioning off of the teams. Although the schedule is tentative, depending on how long the tournament lasts, the auctions will probably start in the 7 to 8 p.m. range, Virchow said. 
The auction is “open to the public,” meaning anyone can “gamble” on the team they think will do best on Sunday — they don’t have to be on a team to bid. The top-three teams from Saturday will receive cash prizes (varying each year depending on how much is raised through the auctions). First place usually falls between $600 and $800. 
Twenty percent of the auction revenue goes directly toward the course, and the remaining 80% is used for the prizes, which vary from year to year but can include hats, golf balls, coolers and other items. 
“The prize money is extremely large,” Virchow said. Last year, the auction brought in $35,000. This attracts many outsiders to participate in the Calcutta. 
The top teams will again receive a cash prize (although how many top teams receiving a prize depends on the auction). Last year, the first-place team walked away with $10,500. 
Over the years, over $100,000 has been raised for the golf course, and it gives both the locals and out-of-towners a fun way to spend their weekend. 
“It’s been fun hosting the tournament,” Virchow said.