In a frosty blend of sport and charity, Mainers hit the ice for the first-ever Maine Ice Golf Scramble, turning winter golf into a fundraising event.<\/p>\n
OAKLAND, Maine \u2014 \u00a0It may be winter, but some golfers weren\u2019t letting snow and ice keep them off the course on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Players took to McGrath Pond for nine holes on ice in the first-ever Maine Ice Golf Scramble, a unique event combining winter fun with fundraising.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, Mainers are hardy, and people are playing indoor golf all the time throughout the winter anyway, so it\u2019s kind of a logical next step. Let\u2019s get outside and do it on ice,\u201d said Joe Piwowarski, director of member services and junior golf at Maine Golf.<\/p>\n
The event was organized by Maine Golf in partnership with the New England Sports Camps, bringing four-person teams together for a snow-covered scramble.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a fun chance to be out with my friends on the ice and raising money for a great cause,\u201d said Jen Seekins, a participant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every swing helped raise funds for scholarships to send kids to summer camp who might not otherwise have the opportunity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community is coming out and having fun, but all of their money is going towards making sure that kids who want to access the sport can,\u201d said Patrick Kearns, camp director at New England Sports Camps.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Maine Ice Golf Scramble aims to raise funds for youth camp scholarships<\/a><\/p>\n For players, the frozen pond presented its own challenges.<\/p>\n \u201cWith all the layers on, it\u2019s very restrictive,\u201d said Luke Hill. \u201cAnd the other thing is that when you hit the ground in golf, the ground helps you. Here, your club goes right under it like you\u2019re swinging out of a bunker every time.\u201d<\/p>\n Thivierge-Bonney and Setha Carbee, the day was less about the score and more about spending time together.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a nice date day,\u201d Sasha Thivierge-Bonney, participant, said.<\/p>\n \u201cTime away from the kids a little bit and having fun with each other and our spouses,” said Setha Carbee.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re gonna win, so\u2026\u201d Thivierge-Bonney added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some participants even found advantages to the icy conditions.<\/p>\n \u201cI actually am finding I\u2019m playing better out here on the snow. I love the roll you get when you hit the ice,\u201d Seekins said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a little tough swinging in bean boots and thick winter gloves, but everyone’s finding a way,” Piwowarski added.<\/p>\n Prizes were later handed out to the top scoring teams.<\/p>\n For more local stories, continue with us on our NEWS CENTER Maine+ streaming app.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n