Proceeds will benefit fire victims

The summer of 2018 has seen scores of fires throughout California, and fire season has not even started yet. Among the bigger ones are the Carr Fire, which has burned nearly 230,000 acres throughout Shasta and Trinity counties and is 90 percent contained, and the Mendocino Complex Fire, which has burned more than 404,000 acres throughout Colusa, Glenn, Lake and Mendocino counties and is considered the largest recorded fire complex in California’s history. People have been doing their part to help donate to those affected by the fires, and one Benicia resident and business owner is planning to raise money by playing eight rounds of golf over two days.

Robert Frost is the owner of Golf Somm, a business that conducts golf and winery tours throughout the Napa Valley. The business, which officially started over the summer, begins its tours at the Chardonnay Golf Course in American Canyon, where participants play golf and enjoy lunch and wine tastings. Afterward, they embark on a sommelier-led VIP tour of some of the Napa-area wines that Frost has partnered with, such as Quintessa, Turnbull Wine Cellars, Chateau Montelena Winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, Inglenook Winery and Silver Oak Winery.

The tour is a combination of Frost’s passions, particularly golf which he has been playing off and on since he was a kid.

“I played hockey growing up and it was kind of a natural transition,” he said. “It wasn’t until about four or five years ago that I picked it up and started playing pretty aggressively, and now it’s become kind of a way of life for me.”

Frost first became aware of the fires while golfing at Edgewood in Lake Tahoe.

“I was struck by how smoky it was,” he said. “The closest fire was about 250 miles away. It struck me how prevalent the issue was.”

Frost had been talking to his golfing friends about charities they were hosting through their businesses. He decided he would use his business to raise money for the fire victims with the proceeds going to United Way of Northern California.

Frost started with a GoFundMe campaign, which has since closed. He also is requesting donations through a Facebook page at facebook.com/donate/1859397410817412/. Finally, Frost will be raising money through a One Man Golf Marathon at Chardonnay Golf Course over the course of two days.

“I’m starting on Monday the 27th at 6:30 in the morning,” he said. “I play two rounds off the bat about 36 holes, and then I wait an hour and play another 18 holes, and then in the afternoon, I’m going to try and play 25 or something like that and get 75 on the first day. Then I wake up the next day and do the same thing.”

Altogether, Frost will have played 150 holes over 48 hours. All proceeds from the event will go directly to United Way.

The marathon will take place Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 27 and 28 at Chardonnay Golf Club, located at 2555 Jameson Canyon Road in American Canyon. For more information on the campaign, how to donate or the business itself, go to golfsomm.org.

Sharing is caring!