This year's Cumberland County Golf Championship, slated for Oct. 13-15 at Gates Four Country Club, will again focus on youth development and education. Undoubtedly, utilizing golf to develop young people's interest in education and sports offers numerous benefits. In this case, the biggest one is to ensure this 55-year-old Cumberland County Golf Championship tradition survives for future generations.

The CCGC is committed to maintaining the tradition while supporting countywide literacy and promoting golf at all the local golf courses, high schools, universities, and colleges. The annual CCGC is a prestigious golfing competition that recognizes and crowns the most outstanding golfer in Cumberland County.

In addition, the CCGC fosters character development, promotes physical fitness, enhances social skills, and provides local youth with multiple educational resources and opportunities. To this end, the 2022 CCGC, held at Kings Grant and Gates Four, donated $5,000 to the Kidsville News Literacy and Education Foundation to provide reading and educational resources to Cumberland County children.

Engaging young people in golf ensures the sustainability of the CCGC while preserving its integrity and popularity. Introducing young people to local sports traditions and values is essential. Golf courses, businesses, and organizations that sponsor the CCGC tournament invest in these young golfers knowing that early involvement will cultivate a lifelong passion for the game and the CCGC. It will also assure the future of the CCGC as the oldest and most continuous golf tournament in North Carolina. Teaching the rules, etiquette, and respect for the game ensures the sport's integrity is upheld. Our CCGC Champions, past and present, pass this knowledge down through generations, preserving tradition and heritage while embracing new trends and technologies. Nine-time CCGC Champion Billy West and eight-time champion Gary Robinson are two near-perfect examples of men motivating and inspiring young people.

Mac Healy, the owner of Healy Wholesale, Billy Richardson of the Richardson Law Firm, and Kevin Lavertu, General Manager of Gates Four Country Club, know the value of education and tradition as it pertains to the quality of life of the Fayetteville community.

These men continue to provide direction and financial support to the CCGC, ensuring its survival after The Fayetteville Observer newspaper dropped it as a sponsored event in 2016. And, with the CCGC focused on education and youth development, they have committed their support for the next three years. In addition, Ashley and Thomas Kelsey of Transworld Business Advisors have also joined the ranks as Title Sponsors.

To these great businesses and all the CCGC sponsors and supporters, we say thank you! Thank you for allowing us to be a vital part of this 55-year-old tradition, and thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.