Pro/Super Invitational

Elcona Country Club hosted its third Pro/Super Invitational April 28 for the benefit of the Wee One Foundation. Opened in 1956 and designed by Bill Diddle, Elcona is home to an 18-hole parkland-style course.

The event was previously held by the PGA at rotated host sites but ended a few years ago. Superintendent Ryan Cummings and head golf pro Zach Dryer decided to bring the event back and host it at Elcona.

“We had kind of said, ‘Hey, we should host that every year. We should get it going again, because it is a lot of fun,’” Cummings says. “It’s a great way to network and for Zach to talk to fellow golf professionals and, for myself, fellow superintendents.”

The tournament returned in 2023. While considering options, Dryer had another idea. What if the tournament was for something more?

Proceeds from the event are now donated to two organizations — the Wee One Foundation and PGA Hope. The Wee One Foundation was founded in 2004 in memory of superintendent Wayne Otto and distributes funds to those in the industry dealing with medical issues. PGA Hope introduces the game to veterans and active-duty military members. In even-numbered years, profits go to PGA Hope; in odd-numbered years, to the Wee One Foundation. That means this year’s tournament will benefit Wee One, which has proved close to Cummings’ heart.

“The Wee One Foundation does such great work for our superintendents and their families that, for whatever reason, have some health issues that burden them financially, and this foundation just gives back so much to those families,” Cummings says. “It’s just a great thing to be a part of.”

The event has grown in both participation and funds raised each of the last two years. In 2023, more than $4,000 was raised among 26 players, and more than $6,000 was raised last year. This year, Cummings says the field should reach 50 to 75 players.

The tournament is a day for superintendents and their pros to come together and have fun. But that’s nothing new for Cummings and Dryer.

“We just try to make each day fun and try not to make it a job,” Cummings says. “The old adage, you never work a day in your life if you enjoy what you’re doing, that’s kind of what Zach and I try to instill in our staff every day and with our relationship personally.”

Cummings and his team prepare for hosting the tournament the same way they would for a high-end tournament. “That late April window is the beginning of our prime conditioning season, so we go all out,” he says. The tournament falls on the same weekend as the club’s opening men’s event.

Hosting the event is another way Elcona can give back to the turfgrass community. It provides an opportunity for superintendents in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan to gather at Elcona, which is what excites Cummings most.

“It’s providing them that refuge,” he says, “to get away from their golf course and their day-to-day grind from their facility.”