On Monday, I had the pleasure of participating in the 11th Annual Golfing with the Phil tournament hosted at the Members’ Club at Woodcreek. I’ve been lucky enough to have played in this tournament many times, and I love it so much that, for the past several years, I’ve served as the event’s co-chair with Tom Fortson of Terminix. Our goal is to raise funds for the ongoing operations of our world-class South Carolina Philharmonic and to have a darn good time doing it! Thanks to the efforts of the Phils’ dedicated staff, our sponsors, and the participating teams, I’m pleased to report that the event was a success on both counts!

Our major sponsors for this year’s tournament were Terminix, McDaniels Auto Group, and Any Lab Test Now!, with delectable in-kind contributions from Doc’s BBQ (lunch) and Graham’s Catering (dinner). As a local foodie, I was especially delighted to meet Graham Fortson, Tom’s grandson, who just opened his own catering business. Though still a young’un, he already has a wealth of experience and culinary talents, and I predict he will be another rising star in the ever-improving Columbia food scene!

As always, it was an honor to be a part of Golfing with the Phil and to support such a remarkable organization. The South Carolina Philharmonic is truly flourishing under the leadership of Maestro Morihiko who, since joining on in 2008, has taken the Phil to new limits and grown it into one of the finest performing arts groups in the state. If you haven’t been to a concert yet, you’re missing out on some of the finest entertainment South Carolina has to offer! The SC Philharmonic’s season begins October 12th with “Visiones de Musica” in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, and their full schedule is available here. I hope to see you there!