Last week was the championship bout of our LKG Regional Chamber Fall Mini-Golf League. We battled one week of cancellation due to rain, forcing us to double up and play two rounds in one night the following week. We also had to postpone our championship from Tuesday to Thursday night last week, again due to rain. Despite having to argue a bit with Mother Nature, nothing could dampen the spirits of the mini-golf teams.

I pride myself on being a professional and conducting business in an appropriate fashion. I endeavor to keep my work life and my personal life very separate. However, I must admit that interacting with Chamber members, staff and board members in an after-hours, relaxed environment that has nothing at all to do with the business of the day is quite liberating. I love to see business owners, managers and employees interacting in a playful, non-stressful way.

Something that came out of both the Spring and Fall Mini-Golf Leagues is team building. I have been part of leading and participating in team building retreats that are often costly and, despite the fact that they are intended to do the opposite, can sometimes cause stress. The camaraderie achieved by playing a game together is amazing. We had teams good-naturedly jabbing at one another. Mini-golf league truly leveled the playing field in more ways than one. I want to thank Lynn and Johnny Norton and the team of Lakeside Mini-Golf at The Corner Lot for having the idea for the mini-golf league and allowing us to have six weeks of fun! Lake Gaston Sign & Graphic Company did a fantastic job of printing the team t-shirts. Angela Leonard of Carolina Images made a beautiful trophy. Special thanks to the man we call “The Commish,” Bill Owens of Ace Hardware, for crafting our league rules and creating the match line-up each week. The matches were very close from the beginning. However, in the end, it came down to a face-off between Food Lion vs. Norton’s at the Lake and RE/MAX at the Lake vs. the Chamber in the semi-final round. Norton’s and the Chamber were defeated. The final round pitted Food Lion against RE/MAX. The game was hard fought, but lots of fun. In the end, just one point separated the teams with Food Lion emerging as the victor.

Of course, I think that, win or lose, all teams felt like winners, simply because they were able to spend time together outside of work, let loose and have some fun, friendly competition. Besides, who wouldn’t love having to play mini-golf once a week? We are really fortunate to have this fun venue in our region, offering a great time for all ages. Need a place to work off some Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham with the kids or grandkids? Make sure you see when Lakeside Mini-Golf will be open over the holidays.

If you want to get in on the fun, look for us to announce the Spring Mini-Golf League dates after the New Year! Don’t miss out!