By DAVID THOMAS
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• August 7, 2009

As owner of Falcon Ridge Golf Course, Dave Gremmels organizes a number of charitable golf events.

But Gremmels calls Saturday's third annual Morgan McCarty Scholarship Golf Classic very special.

"As far as sheer numbers, it's pretty much the largest tournament we have," Gremmels said. "We've had tournaments for Union (University), Jackson Christian School and others but nothing like the McCarty Classic. This is a big thing."

The classic has raised $60,000 since its inception and had 200 players (50 teams) in 2008. The Classic has 36 teams and 144 participants scheduled for Saturday.

"Goodness, we have about 20," Gremmels said when asked about the number of events held each year at Falcon Ridge. "That is how we end up with a lot of charity events. We're in the business to do it."

Gremmels remembers when he was approached by the West Tennessee Children's Home to organize an event.

"I told them, 'Don't worry about it. Get your sponsors, and we will run it for you,'" Gremmels said.

The Children's Home now has two or three events each year.

"The feedback we get is more tournaments are held at Falcon Ridge because the tournament (directors) seem to get maximum participation in their event," Gremmels said.

Gremmels, 51, is originally from Rochester, N.Y., where he became a head golf professional at age 19 after dropping out of school at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

"I was at Rochester for seven years and finished school at State University of New York at Brockport," Gremmels said. "My degree was in finance, accounting and economics."

Gremmels moved to West Tennessee in 1986 when Dave bought Shiloh Golf Course in Adamsville.

"I wanted to stay in golf, and I wanted to go south. So I hooked up with McKay Real Estate in Lansing, Mich.," Gremmels said. "I came down and hocked everything I owned to buy Shiloh."

Gremmels not only changed his personal address but the landscape of Shiloh, which was a nine-hole course at the time of his purchase.

"I bought some (additional) land, and the course became 18 holes," Gremmels said. "And we built a clubhouse."