Brooksville Elks golf tournament raises at least $18,500 for local charities

At least $18,500 is headed to three organizations that serve Hernando County residents after Brooksville Elks Lodge #2582 packed Southern Hills Golf Club with 116 golfers and support from more than a dozen businesses.

The third annual Charity Golf Tournament, a four-person scramble held Tuesday morning, May 12, 2026, was built to benefit The Life Center, Youth & Family Advocates New Beginnings Youth Shelter and K9 Partners for Patriots. Organizers said the final total was still climbing because raffle-ticket sales were not finished, but the event already had a firm fundraising floor from registrations and sponsorships alone.

That money matters because each of the named recipients fills a different gap in the local safety net. The Life Center helps meet community needs tied to hunger and homelessness. New Beginnings Youth Shelter provides emergency support for vulnerable young people. K9 Partners for Patriots pairs veterans with rescue dogs through a training program the nonprofit says is free to veterans and serves people living with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and military sexual trauma.

The tournament’s pricing structure helped generate the base total. Player registration was $150, a team of four cost $560 and hole tee sponsorships were $130. Raffle prizes included baskets, golf bags, a foursome at a Tampa-area course and a cooler of cheer, all of which helped draw players and sponsors into the fundraiser.

Brooksville Elks member Gary Ashness said the event grew from an idea business owner Dana Cutlip had nearly four years ago as a way to bring members, guests, friends and local businesses together. Cutlip had said the lodge’s first tournament in 2024 included 18 holes of golf, a cart, reception, breakfast, lunch and range balls.

Brooksville Elks Lodge #2582 has been part of the county’s civic landscape since it was chartered in 1978. The lodge moved to its current home at 13383 County Line Road after buying the building from the Slovenian American Club in 2014, and a March 2026 profile listed 341 active members.

The Elks’ national charitable mission centers on stronger communities, youth development and support for veterans, and the Brooksville lodge’s latest tournament showed that mission in local terms: cash raised on a golf course, then redirected to food, shelter and veteran services in Hernando County.