Excitement builds for 2024 Hillview Swing For D Hills fund-raising golf

DAVID SCARLETT

The fourth edition of Hillview College’s Swing For D Hills fund-raising golf competition will get under way on April 20 at the Millennium Lakes Golf and Country Club in Trincity.

The tournament, organised by the Hillview College Golf Tournament Committee in association with the Hillview College Parent Teacher Association (PTA), serves to supplement the school’s infrastructure development, as well as to support the school’s sports clubs with equipment and facility improvements.

Last year’s competition raised over $125,000, which proved to be a valuable contribution to the school’s evolution as – in the past five months – Hillview, not reputable as a footballing school, has seen success having been crowned champions of the 2023 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Senior U-20 East Zone and reached the semifinals of the national stage in the division. They’ve also been excelling in cricket, swimming, basketball and chess.

Director of the Hillview Golf Tournament Committee, Rodney Phillip, wishes to make golf a more prominent sport at the college. As a golfer for 25 years, he deems the sport as “exceptionally challenging, which forces you to be better every single time you play.”

In an interview with Newsday, he said, “We thought that the golf tournament was an excellent initiative. I am very proud to say that the tournament has become more accepted and more profitable in raising funds for the school.

“Unlike a barbecue, which requires heavy capital, expenditure up front, preparation of meats selling and collecting tickets, the golf tournament is easier to arrange because we just book the venue for a small deposit and (receive) registration fees – easier.”

The committee also hosts a junior golf clinic for students to be introduced to the game and to develop their skills as. Phillip said this is used a stepping stone to inaugurate a new sport into the school’s system and produce golfers to participate in national competitions.

Nanda Bhattacharya, PRO of the Hillview College PTA, shared her delight in the success of the golf clinic last year. She said, “We had close to 60 participants; it was oversubscribed. Those who attended the clinic enjoyed it a lot and saw the value in it. Coming out of that, we now have the Hillview College Golf Club, which trains on Saturday mornings.”

The competition's format will be a two-player scramble with the team handicap being calculated based on 35 per cent of the team’s lower handicap member and 15 per cent of the higher handicap. Teams will contest 18 holes.

Prizes are guaranteed for the top 20 teams.

The morning’s tee time is 7.30am followed by the afternoon’s session, which will begin at 12.30pm.

After the action on the course, there will be the prize-giving ceremony and “After Par Tee” at 5.30pm, to be held at the Millennium Park Clubhouse.

In 2023, the tournament boasted 65 teams and the committee is expecting a similar turnout this year. Registration is open for golf enthusiasts who wish to partake for competition or for recreation.

Phillip, along with his team-mate Jai Chandool, won last year’s tournament and were runners-up in 2022. The duo are favourites to retain their title against what is likely to be a more talented field.

For their achievement, they received two 65-inch televisions valued at US$1,000 each. The second-placed team were awarded two tickets to Miami, as well as hampers.

Prizes for this year’s competition are yet to be announced, but contestants can expect awards of similar value.

Teams can register for Swing For D Hills via Hillview College’s Facebook page. For more information, interested participants can contact Rodney Phillip at (868)260-4562, Ian Badahoorsingh at (868)682-2037 or Neisha Badal at (868)689-5472.