This event which we run as a fundraiser for Higher Orbits is one I truly look forward to every year to spend some time in a unique setting with some of our cosmic colleagues. (Ok, so maybe a golf course doesn’t seem unique to many of you but when we spend so much time at conferences, a golf course in comparison, is unique!)
The first Golf Outing launched in 2021 at the Steeple Chase Golf Club in the Chicagoland Area. Why the Chicagoland area many people ask… well, the answer is not what you might first think if you know I am from the Chicagoland area originally. And while I am from there and I love to go back and visit, that’s not the reason. The reason is our 2 out of this world amazing catalysts for this event, Tech-Max Machining and Scot Forge and in particular at the start it was Jason Artner and Rich Malek who were our cosmic champions to make this happen.
Our first year was a blast with a modest amount of golfers, around 40, but we launched into it with full Higher Orbits flair! Astronauts Mike Foreman and Greg “Box” Johnson joined us for the event and everyone had a blast. So much so that before people had even left the event for the day, they were asking when was the next one! We took that as a good sign!
In 2022 we did our event in DC for a variety of reasons but always wanted to get back to the Chicagoland area to work with our cosmic colleagues there again.
So in 2023, it was back to the greater Chicagoland area thanks to our friends at Scot Forge & Tech-Max! Our event grew to around 70 golfers and Astronauts Mike Foreman and Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger joined us for the event. Golfing with an Astronaut is definitely one of the perks of this event! Ok, that along with some absolutely stellar space swag, donuts, cupcakes, fun food… what can I say? We treat the golfers like we treat our students at Go For Launch! so there is space swag galore, tasty rocket fuel (aka food) like pizza, tacos, and more! Also, of course, donuts and cupcakes! All musts! In 2023, the weather was SO hot. Pretty sure someone said it was the hottest day on record at our location last year…. BUT we all still had a galactically great time!
Now to this year… we went in search of a new venue that would be closer to Chicago for a variety of reasons. I asked new Higher Orbits friend Matt, who is an avid golfer in Chicago, for some suggestions of a few possible locations. He gave me a list of a handful of options and I started to research… one of the locations on the list really stood out to me because there was a space connection. Who’d have thought that would be the case?! And if there is a space connection, that had to be the obvious choice for our location, right?! RIGHT!
The Glen Club golf course was built on what used to be the Glenview Naval Air Station… and back in the day, Neil Armstrong was once stationed there… like I said, this location was meant to be, right!?
After my first conversation with the team at The Glen Club, I was absolutely out of this world excited about the fun we were planning for this event. Their team totally embraced our space theme and my over the top nature when it comes to making the event as spacey as possible with all the stars and blue one can find! So grateful to Anna and Kate for getting totally onboard for all of it with us!
So indeed, the event was full of nods to our them including donuts (Thank you Tech-Max for sponsoring) as well as cookies, cupcakes, and cake pops! (I told you it’s our goal to spoil our golfers with the same sort of treats we share with our students.)
Our golf outing has grown each year and this year we had 80 golfers register to golf. Thanks to the amazing support of our volunteers we got everyone checked-in so they could enjoy the donuts and some time on the practice range before it was time to tee off.
Thank you so so much to my Mom, my Aunt Laureen, Board of Directors Member (and dear friend) Natalie Christian, Go For Launch! parent George Spaniak, local volunteer Bob, and Space Kids Chirag and Stella for all their help with the event!
The weather wasn’t the best but it wasn’t too bad before tee time. Everyone got a chance to chat with each other and meet our Astronauts for the event Tony Antonelli & Steve Swanson. It was a chill morning and I will be honest, I made sure we didn’t start too too early because most of us are not morning people!
Then it was time to GO fore golf! Off the golfers went to hit the links and enjoy this gorgeous course… at least that was the plan.
Mother Nature had a slightly different plan. Rain went from a mist to a drizzle to real rain… BUT everyone’s spirits to support STEM could not be dampened! Some folks decided to forgo golfing the whole 18 holes and headed inside to the beautiful ballroom where they could enjoy some themed beverages, tasty food, celestial chats with cosmic colleagues, and bidding on the silent auction.
But some weather warriors stayed the course… literally!
I joked that we are like the space telescopes hunting for the Goldilocks planet for life… we are hunting for the Goldilocks Golf Weather (because we found the Goldilocks course – The Glen Club is it!) Last year’s outing was too hot, this year’s was too wet…. So next year’s hopefully will be just right!
My heart is so full from this event… for so many reasons.
First of all, I am so grateful to everyone who came out to support Higher Orbits. It was absolutely wonderful to see many repeat attendees at the event but also awesome to see some new faces! Biggest of thanks from the bottom of my heart to the Maleks, Jason Artner, and Nate Zeien for really making this all possible. I am more grateful to all of you than I can possibly express.
Out of this world appreciative to Tony and Swanny who had never been part of the golf shenanigans before but launched in full throttle and everyone had a blast!
And then there were a few elements that are sort of “come full circle” elements that bring such a smile to my face….
Many years ago (a bunch don’t ask me to determine exactly how many – ha!) I met Gerald Constable at Space Symposium. At the time he was working for a company called LJT & Associates and after chatting about what we do at Higher Orbits he wanted to make us one of the charities that received support from a golf outing their company ran annually on The Eastern Shore. I was thrilled and honored! This was the first time we were ever part of something like that. And ultimately it’s what spurred us even considering doing a golf outing ourselves. While Jerry has since retired (and the LJT Golf outing no longer exists) for the past 3 years, Jerry has driven from Ohio to our Golf Outing to support! SO AMAZING! Thank you, Jerry!
My mentor at Purdue who has continued to be a great mentor and inspiration to me Professor Steven Collicott and his wife also came out to golf for the first time with us! I am so grateful that he has been part of my Universe because honestly he’s a great influence on all that I decided to do with Higher Orbits.
And to have him at this event where 2 of my Space Kids were… my heart is so full! Oh, is the term Space Kids a new one for you? Well in case it is, here’s the deal with that… A handful of years ago our students who I had the privilege of taking to the International Science School in Australia decided to call me Space Mom and it stuck… so I call them all Space Kids. 💙 And I am so grateful that Chirag and Stella were able to support this event and share their stories with the attendees… that’s why we are doing this… to support them! Because they are going to do out of this world amazing things!
As you can tell, this event was a very special one to me and I am so grateful to ALL involved. Truthfully I would like to thank every single person individually but as this blog is already too long I will draw this to a close by saying…
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Thank you to all who were part of this in any and every way!
Oh… and save the date… May 13, 2025 is the next one!
