ESTEVAN – The Estevan Oilfield Technical Society's (OTS) Oilwomen's Golf Tournament, to be held on July 21 at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course, has seen a resurgence in interest this year.
Tanya George, who is a committee member and treasurer for the event, said they had a head start in promoting the competition. Last year's tournament had just 58 golfers, and this year they are at 120, as of Monday morning.
"The response from the community as far as donations coming in, it's been excellent," said George.
She admits they are surprised with the surge in interest, because they weren't really certain if the industry had bounced back after last year's numbers. The total number of entries is inline with what they used to have.
The tournament will have a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. and it is a Texas scramble. Each team of four has to have at least two women who work in the oil and gas sector or who have retired from the industry. The other two can be oilwives, someone who is connected to the industry or even someone from the community.
"Our biggest focus right now is just making sure two women on the team are oilwomen," said George.
Prizes will be handed out after the tournament. The Estevan OTS will sponsor the top prize, which used to be decided based on score but now is drawn at random. George noted everyone is there for fun and relaxation. Additional team prizes will also be presented by drawing names.
There is a fundraising component for the tournament, thanks to a 50-50 draw and raffle tickets for door prizes. The beneficiary of this year's tournament has not been decided, as people have brought forward some options to tournament organizers.
George views the event as a great way to get women out of the office, come together, network and meet new people.
"It's just a day of golf and relaxation … especially in recent times, recent years, it's been a little stressful for a lot of people, so we really encourage women to take part in these events. It's a great way to get out of the office."
