Cypress Landing holding 9th-annual Military Appreciation Day

Published 6:39 pm Thursday, March 30, 2017

CHOCOWINITY — Cypress Landing is holding its ninth-annual Military Appreciation Day on Saturday. The Chocowinity golf club is inviting 90 active-duty military service members from bases around the area.

Those in attendance will be traveling into Beaufort County from Camp Lejeune, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Cherry Point Air Station, the U.S. Coast Guard base in Elizabeth City, and even from the Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia.

Thirty Cypress Landing club members will be joining the military members as they form groups of four and hit the links. Each foursome will have three military members and a club member.

“We give a day of food and fun,” head golf professional Jeremy Shadle said. “We’re able to thank them for their service. … It’s a community effort. The community really gets out and supports this. There are around 100 volunteers from the community.”

The usual hole flags donning the Cypress Landing logo will be replaced with American flags. The club is staffing people to look after the flags so that none of them touch the ground.

“There’s someone stationed on every hole,” Shadle said. “I’ve got a team of people volunteering that are going to take the flag out of the hole and hold it while the players are putting so that the flag doesn’t go on the ground. It’s a nice thing. You see it in the PGA. It’s a nice touch. It’s a really cool day.”

Retired Maj. Gen. Gordon Nash will serve as the event’s chairman.

“Things have gone very well when the general is in charge,” Shadle said.

Hardee’s is sponsoring a breakfast beforehand. Juice, coffee and biscuits will be the fuel for the afternoon of golfing. Roberson Foot Care in Washington will be sponsoring the day’s lunch, too. Goodie bags and drinks will be provided.