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The Killarney Lakeside Golf Course will be the host site for the inaugural Killarney Shamrocks Alumni Golf Tournament this upcoming weekend.
One of the organizers, Tyler Shiels, couldn't be more excited for what the weekend will bring. "It's the first ever Killarney Shamrocks alumni golf event and it'll be at the Killarney Lakeside Golf Course," he explains with a big smile. "It starts at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday."
When detailing how the event came about, Shiels says it all happened pretty naturally. "I think it's been talked about for a number of years now. Last year, we held another sporting alumni event and renaming of a ball field. It was brought to my attention that we should do something kind of similar for the Killarney Shamrocks. So, I gathered a few people and we talked to the executive of the Shamrocks, and they were all over it. It's climbed a big hill, we've got great support from local players and players from all over the place that are so excited to come back and see guys they maybe haven't since their playing days, it's special."
Coming up with the idea is one thing, but Shiels says he's completely blown away by the response. "I think overwhelmed is an understatement," he says with a laugh. "We had our first meeting a couple of months ago and it's a small group of us, there are five of us on the committee, and we were hoping to maybe get 100 guys, and we thought it would be a struggle to do that. Within the first two weeks, the tournament was full and since then, we're at 41 teams, so you're looking at 160-170 people. Some that are not golfers won't play, they'll ride around, but they still wanted to be a part of it. I'm very excited for what Saturday is going to bring."
Golf really is the backdrop for what this event is all about, as Shiels believes it's all about reconnecting and sharing those old memories. "The tournament itself is all about fun and the reason we can all get together, but really it's about what's going to happen throughout the day and after the golf is over, where people can reminisce about the playing days, talk about the bus trips and it's all going to be really exciting."
Having so many people coming to the area will also be a big boost for local businesses, which is another point of pride for Shiels and the organizers. "We have people camping, we have people staying in the hotel, people coming back to something they haven't seen for 15 or 20 years. We have a lot of local players still playing for the Shamrocks that want to be apart of the tournament, as well. It's a mix and we're hoping to get together Friday night and do a tour around the lake, showing the guys that haven't been around for a while what's different in our community."
For Sheils, this isn't just for the players, this is also for the fans, ones that can see some of their favourite players back in the community once again. "I think it's kind of where we will see our small community really step up. People want to be a part of this. Even random prizes, Killarney businesses have really stepped out. Our community loves the Shamrocks, it's a rich history of hockey and it's been years and years of success. Now, everybody get's to come back and relive the past. It's going to be a special weekend."