More than 100 golfers help raise nearly $8,000 in Founders Tournament at the Hideout

A total of 108 golfers participated in the Founders Tournament on September 2 at the Hideout Golf Club in Monticello. The event helped raise approximately $8,000 for improvement projects at the golf course.
It was 64 years ago, in 1959, when the first golf tournament in Monticello took place on Labor Day weekend, so it made sense to honor the early golfers with an annual Founders Tournament at the Hideout.
The tournament was created to honor the community spirit that helped create a golf course. A great blend of volunteerism, hard work, government involvement, and industry assistance was needed to build the course and keep it in top form.
The Hideout is currently listed as the top-rated course in Utah and one of the 36 top public courses in the United States, according to Golfweek magazine.
The first project that the proceeds will go to is a shade structure on “Founders Corner” between the eighth green and ninth tee box. Organizers hope to complete the structure by the end of the playing season.
An additional project that is ready to go is a website featuring historical photos and stories at TheFoundersTournament.com.
It can also be accessed from the San Juan Record website at sjrnews.com. Click on the Founders Tournament button in the upper left corner of the home page.
Winners of the four-player scramble are Manuel Torres, Rafe Saunders, Kristyon Saunders, and Javlen Pierce.
Craig Leavitt is the Volunteer of the Year for his ongoing efforts to assist the course. Golf pro Jeff Simon stated that, year in and year out, Leavitt (and his tractor) are a great asset to the course.
A series of historical photos were displayed at the tournament. They are also available online at the website.
In addition to the entrance fees from the golfers, additional contributions were made by the Utah Department of Agriculture, Highlands Handyman, San Juan Health Services, Mike Judi, and the San Juan Record.
Just as in the early days of golf in San Juan County, the efforts of a large number of volunteers helped the tournament to succeed.
They include the organizing committee of Bill Boyle, Craig Leavitt, Scott Boyle, Bruce Adams, Jeff Simon, and Nathan Chamberlain.
Other volunteers include Dorothy Leavitt, Cassie Boyle, Lori Olson, Cindra Eardley, Jan Simon, Bayley Hedglin, David Lacy, Tony Wojcik, and many many more.
The tournament was sponsosred by the San Juan Record and Redrock92.