Desert Oasis Golf Tournament tees off tomorrow

MOSES LAKE - This year marks the 50th annual Desert Oasis Women's Golf Tournament. The event gets underway today with a practice round and a putting contest at 4 p.m. at the Moses Lake Golf and Country Club.

Reservations will need to be made for a no host dinner at the Pillar Rock Grill following the days' activities. Tournament play takes place Thursday and Friday. Registration for both days is 7 to 8:30 a.m.

There will be a hosted light breakfast at 7 as well with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. Lunch will be served on the turn Thursday. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Lunch on Friday will be served after play concludes. Raffle prizes and awards will be presented afterward.

The golf tournament came about a half century ago to provide a venue for women who lacked an opportunity to play on the links at the Moses Lake Golf Club.

"Back 50 years ago, the Moses Lake Golf Club was dominated by men. Women couldn't golf on Wednesday and Saturday and so a group of about 50 women who wanted to take up golf started the tournament," Loretta Legault, an organizer of the Desert Oasis Tournament, said. "So they formed the GALS group (Grant, Adams, Lincoln, Spokane counties) and started traveling around to the different golf courses in each county recruiting women to come play in Moses Lake."

The tournament has grown over the years, with 124 golfers competing for the 2013 bragging rights.