By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(Aug. 14, 2025) This summer and fall, tournaments will be held at the Ocean Pines Golf Club to benefit local charities and outreach programs.

First up on the community’s golf docket is the 18th annual Ernie Stiles’ Memorial Bavarian Hops Golf Classic, sponsored by the Ocean Pines Golf Members’ Council. The nine-hole scramble is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 22, with a 4 p.m. shotgun start at the Ocean Pines Golf Club.

The maximum number of players permitted is 72. The tournament organizers must receive registration by Monday, Aug. 18. An Ocean Pines Association-issued press release notes that entry forms may be hand-delivered to planners Don McMullen or Patty Curtin, or mailed to the Ocean Pines Golf Members Council, P.O. Box 1356, Berlin, Md. 21811.

This month’s tournament will raise funds for local charities Diakonia and the Worcester County Humane Society, the organizations most beloved by the event’s namesake, Ernie Stiles. McMullen, a golf member and organizer, said that over the nearly two-decade run of the golf competition, they have raised approximately $36,000 for local charitable groups.

Each year, organizers aim to secure at least $3,000 for the nonprofits. The Ocean Pines Golf Members’ Council also accepts in-kind donations.

“We have raised that money more so over the last six or seven years than in the beginning because we didn’t have a full field in the beginning,” McMullen said. “But it has grown. We hope to be able to contribute to those two charities again.”

The tournament’s entry fee is $25 per person. The competition is formatted as a two-person scramble for nine holes. Men play from the orange tees, while the women play from the charcoal tees.

The tournament organizers hope the contest will be a day of fun for all participants.

“On the first hole, we all raise our drinks to the sky and say ‘Nostrovia’ (to good health)

and attempt to down four drinks of our choosing during the round,” the OPA press release reads.

Furthermore, participants are invited to dinner at the Clubhouse Grille upon the conclusion of the scramble. Menu items available will be grilled Italian sausage for $13, pulled pork for $14, shrimp salad for $17, or a caprese sandwich for $14. Those prices do not include sides, tax, or tip.

The event is named after Ernie Stiles, who was a “big golfer,” McMullen said, and lived right on the Ocean Pines golf course on the 16th hole. The former OPA resident passed away in 2018.

“[Stiles] was huge about giving back to the community,” McMullen said. “He came up with the idea to have this tournament. There have been different charities over the years, but he liked [Diakonia and the Worcester County Humane Society], so we, as a golf community, concurred and continued his legacy as far as that’s concerned.”

The tournament is just another way that the Ocean Pines community aims to help the Eastern Shore.

“This tournament states how we like to give back,” McMullen said. “Our golf community here in Ocean Pines is always giving back to the community and to different local charities. This is a continuation of that. This is one we have annually, and we will continue to have to benefit our two charities.”

Also coming up is the 18th annual golf tournament to benefit the Worcester County Veterans Memorial at Ocean Pines. The event is planned for Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the Ocean Pines Golf Club.

Player registration is $150 per person. According to McMullen, the price includes green fees with a cart and range balls, a grab-and-go breakfast, door prize entry, lunch, and an awards goodie bag. Check-in for the event will begin at 8 a.m., with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. A lunch buffet and awards will follow at the Ocean Pines Yacht Club.

The tournament will benefit the outreach program at the veteran’s park. These include the field trip that every fifth grader in Worcester County takes each year to the grounds, which strengthens the area’s commitment to educating students about the impact of service members on the Eastern Shore and the United States as a whole.

For more information about either of the upcoming tournaments, individuals can contact McMullen at dmcmullen1@aol.com.