Natalie Patrick golf tournament gives back

Pretty much every golf tournament held in Havre, from June to September has a great and worthy cause behind it.

That's one of the great things about our community. People like to step up and help.

Saturday morning at the Prairie Farms golf course in Havre, two teams attempt to put on the first green, while playing in the annual Natalie Patrick golf tournament.

And one of those tournaments is the annual Natalie Patrick Memorial Scramble. The tournament, in honor of Natalie Patrick, the daughter of Tom Patrick, who passed away some years ago, is a big event on the golf calendar each year, and it's one that, thanks to the Patrick family, as well as the entire Hi-Line golf community, winds up doing a lot of good for our town and our area.

The 1tth annual Natalie Patrick Scramble was held at Prairie Farms golf course on Saturday, and as always, it was a big event, raised a lot of money and was a special way to honor the memory of Natalie.

"We started this about two years after Natalie passed away," Tom Patrick said Saturday afternoon. " But it was just something that we thought was a good idea. People had given money when she passed away, so we just decided we wanted to do something to make the pot bigger and be able to give it back to everything Natalie was interested in."

And according to her father, Natalie was interested in and involved in many things, and it's those interests which the tournament now gives back to.

Over the years, the Natalie Patrick Foundation has donated proceeds to such things as high school band, the art department, speech and debate, the high school golf team, the Havre Play Mobile, and the local Boys and Girls Club. The foundation is also working on setting up a college scholarship in Natalie's honor.

"Natalie was always big into the community," Tom Patrick added. "She was always involved in a lot of things, and was always giving her time and effort, so that is how this tournament really got started."

As for the golf tournament, it started over a decade ago and was held at the Chinook Golf Club. Four years ago it was moved to Prairie Farms, and during its 11-year run, the tournament has received donations and donated prizes from over 100 local businesses. Each and every year, the event is completely full, which is 24, four-person teams, and there are 13 teams on the waiting list. There are 11 teams which have played in all 11 tournament's.

"The community really helps us out and helps put this together," Brett Patrick, Natalie's brother said. "And then we are able to put the money right back into the community, into things my sister loved."

"We have been at full capacity since day one," he added. "We also have a waiting list of teams wanting to get in, but everybody loves the tournament and nobody ever backs out. But we are waiting, and when they open up 18 holes, we will add another 24 teams. The money goes right back into the community and into the youth."

And while the Patrick family has been so generous with the community, the generosity of the golfers playing in the event and the sponsors never go overlooked either. The tournament features plenty of payout and prizes as well as a 50-50 putting contest where have the pot is also donated back to the foundation.

And it's all about the foundation and each and every year people are always happy to help out, pitch and play a little golf in the sun in the process. And it's all for not only a great cause, but in the memory of a great individual.

"We have all kinds of prizes to play for," Tom Patrick said. "And we try to make it where everybody walks away with something, that is how it has been from the start."

Note: Havre Daily News sports writer Daniel Horton contributed to this story.