Southaven fundraiser Par Wars blends golf, pickleball for chamber foundation

Southaven’s Par Wars will mix golf at Olive Branch Country Club with pickleball powered by Bangers on Monday, May 4, giving the Southaven Chamber Foundation a fundraiser built to pull in more than one kind of recreational player. Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux is the presenting sponsor, and chamber materials describe the event as an annual golf and pickleball tournament, using the line, “Two tournaments. One mission. Pick your weapon.”

The format is the point. Organizers are leaning into a May the Fourth theme, and later chamber reporting said the day will include a Star Wars-themed costume contest, networking opportunities and limited spots. Sponsorships are still open at title sponsor, hole sponsor and game sponsor levels, a sign that the event is being designed as both a community gathering and a revenue driver for the foundation. Chamber calendar listings also show the event window in two versions, one from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and another from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., underscoring the all-day scope of the fundraiser.

That long runway matters because Par Wars is built around crossover appeal rather than a narrow tournament-only crowd. Golf brings one recreational audience, pickleball brings another, and the shared social setting gives both groups a reason to register for the same day. The chamber has pitched the event as its most epic tournament in Southaven history, a framing that fits the playful branding and gives the fundraiser a bigger personality than a standard charity outing.

The event also builds on an existing chamber tradition. Visit DeSoto County listed a 4th Annual Golf & Games Tournament in 2025 at Olive Branch Country Club and noted that participants were joining after the chamber’s third annual golf tournament the year before. That progression shows how the chamber has expanded the concept from a pure golf day into a broader games format without losing the local business and civic core that makes the event usable for sponsors and participants alike.

Walk-On’s brings another layer of local recognition. The restaurant opened its Southaven location on March 17, 2025, at 6715 Snowden Lane, and the Southaven Chamber directory lists Alan Gant as the owner/contact there. For retreat operators and local hosts, Par Wars is a useful model: pair a familiar sport with a second activity that shares the same social energy, wrap it in a clear theme, and tie the whole day to a visible community purpose. That combination makes the event easier to market, easier to sponsor and easier to sell as an experience instead of just a competition.