Fairway Outreach was founded approximately twenty-five years ago with the goal of giving youngsters from diverse backgrounds a chance to enjoy the great game of golf in a wholesome setting where the Christian faith is at the core of our values. Fairway Outreach has a longstanding relationship with The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and hundreds of our youngsters have attended The FCA Golf Camps over the years.
Fairway Outreach’s history is full of such heart-warming stories including our humble beginnings. Bobby Foster, founder of Fairway Outreach, started the program with eight youngsters from Carolina Children’s Home. Bobby taught these youngsters the fundamentals of the game on Sunday afternoons and then took them to a Fellowship Of Christian Athletes Golf Camp in Pinehurst, N.C. Some twenty years later one of those youngsters and his wife came up to Bobby and his wife, Carolyn, at a movie theater. After all the introductions were made, the young man said, “Mr. Foster, I just want you to know that I still play golf and I’ve taught my wife how to play.”
There’s also the story of Danny Priester. Danny was introduced to golf through Fairway Outreach and then played golf for legendary coach, Harry Huntley, at A.C. Flora High School. He then played on the golf team at The US Military at West Point, where he was also on the boxing team. Danny, who is now a Captain and has served our country in Iraq, visits our kids when he's in Columbia. He's always an inspiration as he speaks of his Christian faith, and the valuable lessons he learned at West Point and in Iraq regarding perseverance, leadership and teamwork. He always closes his talks by telling our youngsters, “I might be quite a bit older than you guys, but I’m still a member and always will be a member of Fairway Outreach."
Will Godfrey started with Fairway Outreach seven years ago as he wanted to learn how to play golf. Will has indeed learned to play, and became the second youngest person to win the Columbia City Men’s Golf Championship in 2011. Will is now attending Francis Marion College on a golf scholarship, and has also joined the Marine Reserves.
Will’s Dreher High School teammate and fellow Fairway Outreach participant, Devon Kilgore, excelled in the classroom and earned a full academic scholarship from Clemson.
Fairway Outreach was initially funded through profits from The Columbia City Golf Tournament. The tournament has continued to help fund the program for the last twenty-five years.
