NEWS BRIEFS: 12th PGA Tour of Champions set at Sugarloaf April 22-28

Crowds cheer on 2023 tournament. Photos provided.

The Mitsubishi Electric Golf Classic returns to Sugarloaf Country Club on April 22-28 for the 12th year. Players on the PGA Tour of Champions will be present, such as Miguel Angel Jimenez, Stewart Cink, Ernie Els, Bernhard Langer, Steve Stricker, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk. 

The event is a premier golf tournament on the PGA Tour Champions, and benefits local charities through the Gwinnett Championship Foundation, Inc. It has raised over $4.1 million since its inception in 2013.

The Mitsubishi Electric Classic recognizes the recipients of its Volunteer of the Year honors for last year’s tournament. The volunteer program provides opportunities for hundreds of community residents to take a hands-on role in driving the success of the tournament.

From the 2023 tournament, key winners include Lanier Griffin (volunteer of the year); Stephen Ames (the tournament champion); Barbara Boll (volunteer leader of the year); and Neal Singer (volunteer chairman).

The 2023 Volunteer of the Year is Lanier Griffin (Standard Bearer), while the Volunteer Leader of the year is Barbara Boll (Hospitality). Last year, more than 500 individuals spent many hours on the course and behind the scenes of the annual PGA Tour Champions event, a tribute to the spirit of volunteerism that exists in the Gwinnett County community.

The tournament is currently seeking its final volunteers for 2024. 

Ashley Hamilton, senior tournament director of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, says:  “We are thankful to the men and women from across our community who contributed to the resounding success of last year’s tournament. Our volunteers are the engine behind our tournament, enabling us to provide an unparalleled environment for our fans and players alike. Their dedication and determination empower us to curate the best tournament experience possible.”

Individuals can register for a variety of roles in the communication, hospitality, marshals, player services, scoring, tournament services and volunteer services committees. The tournament will attempt to accommodate the committee preference of all volunteers, and a complete list of volunteer committees and their descriptions is available here.

In 2024, volunteers can choose from three different registration options, each with a parking pass and additional levels of promotion. The complimentary driver with license option includes a logoed t-shirt, volunteer parking pass, meals during shifts, a grounds badge and a 15 percent discount on merchandise. The standard bearer’s package includes those amenities in addition to a ball cap/visor, logoed clear backpack, volunteer pin and personalized credential, and it is available for $25. 

The volunteer option is available for $85, and it comes with the other tiered promotions and a logoed polo shirt, a quarter-zip pullover, and the opportunity to play the course post-tournament.

Hear ye, hear ye! Get your free recycling cart here

People living in unincorporated Gwinnett County can request a recycling cart free of charge. 

Gwinnett Solid Waste offers this resource to those currently receiving trash services. If you’re interested in curbside recycling services, order your free 65-gallon recycling cart by visiting GCSolidWaste.com.

NOTABLE

DOT plans two meetings on improving Highway 316

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will host two public meetings to present the initial analysis findings of and obtain community feedback on potential transportation improvements for the Georgia Highway 316 Planning Study.  

Meeting dates and locations are as follows: 

  • Wednesday, April 17 (4:30-6:30 p.m.) at the Dacula Park Activity Building, 2735 Old Auburn Avenue, Dacula. 
  • Tuesday, April 23 (4:30-6:30 p.m.)  at the Statham Community Center, 336 Jefferson Street, Statham. 

The study, a comprehensive examination of a 40-mile section of SR 316 from Interstate 85 in Gwinnett County to Georgia Highway 10 in Oconee County, aims to reduce crashes, improve mobility and support economic development. The study’s initial analysis showed that approximately 65 percent of the 40-mile corridor experiences crash rates higher than the statewide average. 

All informational materials are available on the study’s website at https://bit.ly/sr316planningstudy 

The study began in 2022 and is expected to conclude in the fall of this year. As part of the study, GDOT is completing a comprehensive Origin-Destination analysis, examining existing and future traffic growth and land-use data, and conducting stakeholder and public outreach activities. 

The two in-person public meetings follow several stakeholder briefings held in March with city, county, and business leaders as well as a cross-section of residents in Gwinnett, Barrow and Oconee counties. These stakeholder and public meetings make up Phase 2 of the study’s outreach activities. Stakeholder and public feedback from Phase 1 was incorporated, to the greatest extent possible, into the study team’s analysis findings.  

Separately but concurrently, GDOT is moving forward with a series of reconstruction projects to transform portions of Georgia Highway 316 in Gwinnett, Barrow, and Oconee counties into more of a free-flow facility. To learn more about these projects, visit Transforming State Route 316 (arcgis.com).

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