Mountain Strong Golf Tournament raises $110,000 to benefit Arrowmont

The 10th Annual Mountain Strong Golf Tournament raised a record $110,000 to benefit Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. More than $360,000 has been raised since the tournament was first held in 2010. This year, 85 sponsors and 16 teams contributed to the event’s record-breaking success.

Golf tournament teams; image courtesy of Arrowmont

The annual tournament raises funds to support Arrowmont’s community and children’s art education programming – workshops, classes and scholarships for Sevier County kids and adults.

On September 26, 2020, sixteen teams gathered at the Gatlinburg Golf Course for a welcome address by Presenting Sponsor Isaac Ogle before a shotgun start. This year, teams competed for prizes at every hole and the top four teams received special gifts. Congratulations to Platinum Sponsor, Citizens National Bank, for fielding the winning team - David Moore, Bart Ogle, Isaac Ogle and Jake Throntveit! Each first place team member received a Golden Bear hat personally signed by Jack Nicklaus.

Golf tournament winners, Citizens National Bank; image courtesy of Arrowmont

The late Jean Cooper Ogle was honored at this year’s event. Tournament committee member Kappy Lapides contributed a testimonial to Jean’s love of art, architecture, and the community. She wrote, “During [Jean’s] lifetime she always took the opportunity to support and enjoy the beauty and emotion that art brings to people’s individual life experiences. Her love for Arrowmont was especially important to her not only for the art itself but for the educational experiences the School provides to local, regional, and national arts communities.”

This year marks the 10th Mountain Strong tournament that Margit Worsham has hosted. She said, “[the 10th Annual Mountain Strong Golf Tournament] was the most fun, successful and entertaining golf tournament we’ve ever held. And it was the most successful – moneywise – too! We thank everybody for their support.” Together with her husband Earl, Margit supported the 10th Annual Mountain Strong Golf Tournament in memory of friend and prominent community leader, Joe Clayton.



Arrowmont appreciates everyone who participated in the event. Special thanks to Presenting Sponsors Margit and Earl Worsham and Isaac Ogle, to Rick Tucker and the Gatlinburg Golf Course, the City of Gatlinburg, Chef’s Catering, all of the tournament teams, and Tournament Committee members Kappy Lapides, Courtney Malone, Isaac Ogle and Margit Worsham, chair.




The sponsors who contributed to the 10th Annual Mountain Strong Golf Tournament include:

PREMIER SPONSORS ($5000) Blalock & Sons, Inc., The Boyd Foundation, City of Gatlinburg, FirstBank, Susie and Tom Glenn, Carolyn and Dr. Steven Gottlieb, Robyn and John Horn, The SWAG, Margit and Earl Worsham in memory of Joe Clayton.

DIAMOND SPONSORS ($2500) Anonymous, Stacy and Steve Champagne, Food City, Kitty Helland and David Owen, Carol and Jerry Muszik, The Peddler Steakhouse & The Park Grill, Christy and Phillip Robinson, SmartBank.

PLATINUM SPONSORS ($1000) Martha, Jim, and Cassidy Barnett, Citizens National Bank, Clayton Homes, Inc., Janet and Tom Harper, Katom Restaurant Supply, IHOP, Maribel Koella, Ole Smoky Candy Kitchen, SCUD, Sevier County, Sevier County Electric System – Marathon Hot Water Heaters, Jane and Jim Sidwell, Carol and Jeff Stratton, In honor of Barbara Bullard, Zan and Steve Thompson, Patsy and Rich Wallace, Debbie and Ron Watkins.

GOLD SPONSORS ($500) The Appalachian Lodge, A friend of Arrowmont, Collier Restaurant Group, Cindi and Pete DeBusk, Fran Day, Fannie Farkles, Gatlinburg Convention & Visitor's Bureau, Ted Green and Morrey Atkinson, Marga Hayes and Joe McBride, Shirley and Dave Hogan, Emily Kile, Lee Lofton, The Old Mill, Deborah Coburn and Tom Rice, The Trust Company.

SILVER SPONSORS ($250) Beverly and Jim Bates, Compass Ventures, Charlcie and Harry Ford, Rick Lazes, Allen Newton, Park Place Condominiums, Nancy and Michael Potapov, Dr. Marie and Charlie Bly Smith, R.B. Summitt in honor of Robyn Horn and Margit Worsham.

BRONZE SPONSORS ($100) The Lodge at Buckberry Creek, Fayruz Benyousef Consulting, Katie and Tim Chandler, Inn at Christmas Place, Quinn Appliance, Tennessee Wood Flooring.

ARTISTS: Suzanne and Michael Allen, Arrowmont Staff (100% participation), Anne Baker, Robert Batey, Xander Batey, Rich Benjamin, Jim Bove, Anna Brooks, Margit Brooks, Dana Cohen, Tina Curry, Jasmine Day, Harry Ford, Ted Green, Marcia Goldenstein and Tom Riesing, Dr. Steven Gottlieb, Janet Harper, Robyn and John Horn, Bev Gwinn Jones, Maribel Koella, Marga Hayes McBride, Olivia Ogle, Deborah Coburn Rice, Allie Rich, Philip Rich, Susan and Andy Saftel, Zan and Steve Thompson, Kathy Tucker, Andrea Wilson, Margit Worsham.

IN KIND DONORS: Chef’s Catering, Citizens National Bank, Dollywood, Food City, City of Gatlinburg, Gatlinburg Golf Course, The Greenbrier – A Food & Spirit Outpost, Jan and Ira Lapides, Ole Smoky Moonshine, Orvis, Jack Nicklaus, Red Oak Bistro, Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, SmartBank, and Titanic Museum Attraction.



Founded as a settlement school in 1912 by the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, Arrowmont has grown into a national center for contemporary arts and crafts education, supporting learning opportunities for individuals of all skills levels and ages. Arrowmont is located on 13-acres in the heart of Gatlinburg, TN only minutes away from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. With access to tourist attractions, the convenience of a large city nearby, and a thriving arts and crafts community, Arrowmont offers a unique and immersive learning environment—an unexpected creative oasis amidst the bustle of a popular tourist destination. The heritage of the School is rooted in an approach to the arts that builds upon traditional arts and crafts, and the joy of making. People travel from across the nation and the globe to take classes at Arrowmont. More than 150 national workshops are offered annually, in addition to a full complement of community classes, children’s classes and ArtReach classes, which provide a day of art to over 1,200 local school children annually. In addition, Arrowmont is host to numerous gallery exhibitions, symposia and conferences.

Published October 21, 2020