Field almost full for NIE golf tourney

MOSES LAKE - Entries close at 5 p.m. Friday for the Newspapers in Education golf tournament, scheduled for Saturday on the Links at Moses Pointe. Organizer Tom Hinde said room remains for a couple of four-person teams and a few individual players.

The NIE Golf Classic begins with a shotgun start at 10:30 a.m. and is sponsored by Horizon Credit Union in Moses Lake. Proceeds from the tournament are used to support the Columbia Basin Herald's Newspapers in Education program.

Tournament format is a four-person scramble with extra prizes at each golf hole. Golfers also receive a barbecue lunch, beverages and a gift bag.

The golf course hosted the 2005 and 2008 Washington Amateur championships, and presents a challenge to all golfers, Hinde said.

Other sponsors include Washington Trust Bank, USA Weekend magazine and Cleanpors Commercial Cleaning service.

Entry fee is $95 per player or $380 for a four-person team. Golfers who don't have a team will be assigned to one at the event, Hinde said.

The Newspapers in Education program provides free copies of the Herald to public and private schools. Any class in the newspaper's circulation area is eligible to receive newspapers, and more than 90 classes took advantage of the program in 2012-13. They included classes in Coulee City, Ephrata, Soap Lake, Ritzville, Moses Lake, Wilson Creek, Mattawa, Quincy, Othello, Royal City and Warden.

Teachers are asked to use the newspapers in classroom lessons, and write a letter detailing how they are used, Hinde said.

Golfers who want to enter the tournament can contact Hinde or NIE coordinator Jenna Erickson, 509-765-8882.