Woodbury Is Hitting The Links In Honor Of Dick Stafford

Long-distance drives, precise puts and perhaps a slice or two will be on display Aug. 15 at Eagle Valley Golf Course when the Woodbury Veterans Memorial Council hosts a golf tournament in memory of community pillar Dick Stafford.

Stafford—an integral member of the Washington County community as a former commissioner for 12 years and a county auditor and treasurer for decades—died Feb. 24 at St. Joseph's Hospital in St. Paul during heart surgery. He was 81.

Among his many accomplishments, Stafford helped establish the Woodbury Yellow Ribbon Network, a grassroots citizen group that seeks to engage community members in support of military service members, their families and veterans.

Bruce Nettleton, vice chair of the Woodbury Veterans Memorial Council, said the tournament will start at 1 p.m., and the cost to participate is $110. Registration for the tournament starts at noon. 

The tournament will be a scramble format, meaning players will be on teams of four, and every player on each team will shoot from the location of the “best ball” on each shot.

“Nobody really ends up with a bad score that way,” Nettleton said.

Prizes will also be awarded for the top male and female teams, and there will be giveaways for those who accomplish individual feats on the course, such as hitting the straightest drive during the tournament.

Proceeds from the event will help pay for the Woodbury Lions Veteran’s Memorial, located at campus.

Nettleton said Stafford was vital in getting the memorial, which serves as a site for everyone to reflect on the sacrifices of our veterans, built in Woodbury.

He said the council had to take out a loan from the city in order to pay for a portion of the memorial, and fundraisers like the golf tournament help pay down that debt. The council also sells pavers at the site that anyone can purchase and have engraved for fallen or active members of the military.

Nettleton said he and Stafford came up with the idea for the golf tournament to help pay for the Woodbury memorial when they were golfing in a “Tee It Up For The Troops” fundraiser at Oak Marsh Golf Course in Oakdale last year.

“We thought, ‘We should do something like this for the veteran’s memorial,”’ he said.

After Stafford passed away, Nettleton said it just made sense to dedicate the fundraiser to him.

Those who would like to sign up for the tournament can do so by clicking here and filling out the form.