No, I haven’t broken in my golf shoes yet, but I can finally get some new-shoe blisters this Wednesday, June 25, when the Wood Dale Chamber of Commerce hosts their annual golf outing at Maple Meadows Golf Course, 272 N. Addison Road.

You might be thinking an “annual golf outing” isn’t an ideal golfing debut, but it’s a scramble game, and Chamber Treasurer Mike Melone assures me it’s a great way to tee off for the first time.

“A scramble means that everybody hits, they go find the best ball, and then everybody hits again from that best ball,” Melone said. “As long as there’s at least one person on a team who is somewhat good at golf, then the team will be just fine. Really, they’ll be fine no matter what because we play for fun. This isn’t a blood-and-guts tournament.”

Along with hitting from the best ball, a team score is recorded instead of an individual’s, so it doesn’t matter if someone is just breaking in his or her golf shoes.

Plus, even if that someone has a hard time getting near the hole, the Chamber is offering 5-foot stretchy strings for teams to purchase and use to move a ball 5 feet closer on one stroke — or the length can be split up among strokes.

“You can be a serious golfer and enjoy the day because it’s a good course,” Melone said. “You can also not be a golfer and enjoy the day because it’s a scramble, and we’ve got fun for every level of golfing.”

It’s just $125 per golfer, which includes: 18 holes, a golf cart, lunch and dinner. Non-golfers can attend just the dinner at $40 per person. Consecutive tee times will start at 11 a.m., with up to 80 golfers hitting the greens throughout the day.

Games usually end by 5 p.m., so dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. Along with golfing and networking, there will be contests like the longest drive or longest putt — not to mention the chance to win $25,000 for a hole in one.

There will also be a split-the-pot event for teams who purchase a pink ball to play with for the day.

“I’d really love it if someone won the $25,000,” Melone said. “That would be so great! We’ve been doing this event for at least 10 years, and no one has ever won it, so I think it’s about time.”

Registration by today at the Chamber office, 589 Wood Dale Road, is strongly recommended. Two- and four-person groups are preferred, but singles are welcome. Forms are available in the Chamber newsletter.

While registration to play is closing, there’s still time for local businesses to support this event through door prizes, goodie bags, raffle prizes, hole sponsorships and more.

“Local businesses make this outing a success,” Melone said. “Especially this year, the sponsorship from Suburban Bank & Trust and Itasca Bank & Trust has really helped.

“It’s because of them and other businesses that we are able to hold this event and raise funds for the Chamber,” Melone said.

This is the Chamber’s biggest annual fundraiser. The money raised is used to support Chamber projects, such as high school scholarships, Little League sponsorship, community assistance, food pantry donations and more.

To sign up or for sponsorship information, contact the Chamber office at (630) 595-0505 or Melone at the Wood Dale Bowl, (630) 766-6800.

“Come out and be part of community,” Melone said. “The Chamber is extremely community orientated; we do a lot for Wood Dale, so why not support this event? Whether you’re a golfer or not, this is a fun day.”

Border Bounding is a weekly column appearing on Thursdays. Ideas and items for the column can be e-mailed to hipychk73@yahoo.com.