Bearden Golf Classic teeing off for 26th year
On Friday, May 1, at Willow Creek Golf Club, the Bearden High School fundraiser will write another chapter as it unites generations of Bulldogs.
“It’s amazing,” tournament chair Krista McIntosh said. “I’ve talked to guys in their 80s who are coming back, and it shows how much they love Bearden High School. It’s really great for them to intermingle and support the school in such a big way.”
One notable BHS alumnus, former Tennessee men’s basketball color commentator Bert Bertelkamp, has served as the host for more than a decade.
Bertelkamp — a 1976 Bearden graduate — became known for his infamous “Money!” calls after Tennessee 3-pointers.
Funnily enough, the event he hosts will be looking to bring in plenty of money in its own right.
The tournament raised more than $57,000 last year, per McIntosh. They are pushing for $60,000 this year and are looking to allocate the funds toward new tennis and pickleball courts at BHS.
The money is also used for teacher grants, computers for graduating seniors who cannot afford them and other items across the school.
“We raise the money then turn to the school and ask what they need or might want,” added Buddy Heins, a longtime member of the Bearden High School foundation. “It could be the English department, the soccer team, the band or theater department. We’ve tried to spread it around and help everybody.”
Heins credited McIntosh for her hard work in taking over the tournament and noted the impact of Janene Nordin and Margaret Heins-Laning, both of whom have spearheaded the event in years’ past.
“Margaret Heins-Laning has been involved since the get-go,” Heins said. “She helped coach the golf team years ago with her son, who’s my brother, and she has continued to get prizes and donations. Then Janene, she has really taken it to the next level, too, with bigger sponsorships.”
The event will take place that Friday at Willow Creek Golf Club, located at 12003 Kingston Pike.
There will be an auction at the tournament with prizes, such as golf packages, graduation seating, parking for sophomore students (which is not typically allowed) and prom packages, among other things.
Brown Bag will serve lunch, sponsored by the Clayton family, in the clubhouse from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
People can buy mulligans for $20 per player, and there will also be a hole-in-one contest sponsored by Phil Guthe Insurance, as well as a longest drive contest and a closest-to-the-pin contest.
In a funny twist, the “dog’s tail” — the team that finishes last — will receive one-hour golf lessons from Allie Knight, a former Bearden standout who gives lessons at Fairways and Greens.
To register or donate, visit this link: https://app.givebacks.gives/bhsgolfclassic26/Crowdfunding/Details. Or visit this one to participate in the auction that will take place: https://app.givebacks.gives/bhsfoundation2026auction/Campaign/Details.
