Despite the current state of the economy, the ninth annual Anson County Chamber Open is on schedule for to tee off on Friday morning, April 17, and Chamber executive director Lynn Edwards said she is confident this year's tournament will be on par with years past. The morning session will begin at 8 a.m., with the afternoon session starting at 1 p.m. The tournament will be held at Twin Valley Country Club in Wadesboro.

The golf tournament is one of two major fundraisers that the Chamber holds each year; the other, the Big Game Hunt tournament held two days after Thanksgiving.

Edwards admitted that so far, golfers have been slow to register for the tournament, which she attributes to the sluggish economy. "But it has been better than I expected, given the economy," she added.

The entry fee— which includes lunch, cart, golf and mulligan— is $65 per person. A $10,000 prize will be handed out for a hole-in-one, as well as other prizes for "Closest to the Pin," "Longest Putt" and "Longest Drive."

Golfers can register either as teams or as individuals. "We still have some spots open in the a.m. and a few in the p.m., too," Edwards pointed out.

The Chamber is also still looking for sponsorships. Levels begin at "bronze" ($130), which includes the sponsor's name on the hole sign, one registration and one mulligan, and can go up to a "corporate" sponsor level for $1,000, which includes two special location signs with the business name, two teams and eight mulligans.

"We are looking for a fun day," Edwards said. "In the past few years, this really has become the premier golf event in Anson County."

For more information, contact the Anson County Chamber of Commerce at 704-694-4181 or ansonchamber@windstream.net.