Ohana Golf Tournament Brings the ACC Family Together

True Ohana is not just getting together for a golf tournament but instead is the connection that occurs when friendship and camaraderie becomes so strong that you feel like “family.” That was so much in presence at the ACC Ohana Golf Tournament that everyone enjoyed “da kin sore mouth” that comes from smiling all day long. It is said that “happiness is contagious” and that certainly was the case.

ACC Board Chair Jean Shiomoto welcomes golfers while ACC’s Michael Selland, Darrick Lam, and Kala Haley-Clark look on.

On the golf course, there was the Ohana of 155 golfers piling out of the vehicles in the nearly dark chilly early morning hours of the morning to register and enjoy a nice hot burrito and cup of coffee donated by Darrick in memory of his grandfather who taught him how to play golf. There was the Ohana of making that perfect shot or having one of your Ohana teammates do it. There was the Ohana of what used to be a bunch of mostly mid-age male golfers becoming and growing into a collection and young, mid-age, senior men and women of different levels golf experience and skill.

Rather than individual play like most other golf tournaments, the Ohana tournament was a friendly Ohana competition of teams playing together sharing the best shots to record a team score. The Ohana tournament had the most mixed teams, the most teams outfitted with their own team uniforms, the most newbie teams both to ACC tournament play, to ACC and even to golf. Even with all the new teams, there was still two-thirds of the teams that have played in multiple tournaments over the years and about a third that have played in nearly all the 13 previous ACC Tournaments.

Behind the scenes, Ohana was in full bloom. It was Mark and L&L making 150 musubi, General Produce donating bananas, Jean stuffing goodie bags, Lynn and some of her lady friends making scores of cookies and hosting the somen refreshment stand, Holly and Debi doing the bolo toss, Russ serving as a spotter on a Par three, Barry taking care of signage, Russ and Don working with Teal Bend. It was Teal Bend getting out tables and chairs for registration, Stephen collecting registration forms, developing the tee sheet and checking in players, it was Michael and Kala, brand new ACC staff persons coming out to help early morning when it was still dark, and many more others doing this in the Ohana Spirit just for the fun of it. Oh, it was Jeannie, Jeff, Jonathan and the photographers, Ted doing the Program and Jean writing a welcome message, and Darrick and Jean greeting all the golfers. Of course, there was the Ohana of the golf committee of volunteers under the leadership of Don and Brian. As with every Ohana, there are others who didn’t get mentioned. My personal apologies to each and everyone.

Written by one of the Ohana who did not get mentioned. Haha, it was a Great Ohana Day.