Golfers across Ross County have until August 31 to sign up for the 48th Annual Good Guy - Bad Guy Golf Outing, a September 6 fundraiser at Dogwood Hills Golf Course that funds the county's Shop with a Cop program. Registration opens at 8 a.m. with a 9 a.m. shotgun start, and organizers are offering a hole-in-one shot at a truck alongside door prizes, skill prizes and trophies.
The tournament is organized by the Fraternal Order of Police First Capital Lodge #59, which represents City of Chillicothe police officers and Ross County law enforcement officers, according to the Chillicothe Police Department on Facebook. The lodge operates as a tax-exempt labor organization that also maintains a separate philanthropic arm, per ProPublica. Entry runs $60 per player or $240 per team, with fees covering greens fees, cart and lunch, which is being provided by Buffalo Wild Wings this year.
Teams looking to sponsor a hole can do so for $200, and other games and skins are available at additional cost, according to the Facebook announcement. Coughlin Chevrolet Buick GMC of Chillicothe, a regional dealership serving Ross, Pickaway and surrounding southern Ohio counties, is providing the hole-in-one truck prize. Registration payments are payable by check to F.O.P. First Capital Lodge #59 or by cash, and forms should be returned to Detective Jeff DeMint at 28 N Paint St., Chillicothe, OH 45601.
A Nearly Five-Decade Tradition
The Good Guy - Bad Guy Golf Outing traces back to 1978, making it one of the county's longest-running law enforcement fundraisers heading into its 48th year this September, per the Chillicothe Police Department's Facebook post. DeMint, a veteran detective with the Chillicothe Police Department, serves as the event's point of contact for tournament entries and hole sponsorships. He can be reached at 740-773-1191 or [email protected] for Shop with a Cop sponsorship questions.
Dogwood Hills Golf Course, the tournament's longtime home at 1193 Debord Road off U.S. Route 23, opened in 1991 as an 18-hole public course with a 6,212-yard, par-71 layout on hilly, wooded terrain, according to GolfPass. The course's narrow fairways and undulating greens are known to challenge local charity tournament participants year after year.
Why the Proceeds Matter
All proceeds from the outing benefit Shop with a Cop, a program managed by FOP Lodge #59 that aims to sponsor up to 75 children ages 5 to 17 each holiday season by pairing them with officers for shopping trips, according to a lodge post on Facebook from December 2023. The lodge coordinates with local social service agencies to identify eligible families across Ross County. Historically, the program has also drawn support from local charity Rock For Tots, Inc., Children's Services, and matching funds from the local Walmart store, per a 2015 post from the Chillicothe Police Department, with participation extending to Ross County sheriff deputies and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers.
The need behind the program is significant. U.S. Census Bureau estimates show roughly 15.7% of Ross County residents live below the federal poverty line, with child poverty under age 18 standing at about 18%, according to Census Reporter. Ross County sits in Ohio's Appalachian region, where poverty rates run slightly above the statewide average.
Tax filings show FOP First Capital Lodge #59 operates with annual expenses around $76,000, distributing funds to local youth programs, scholarships and 4-H groups across the county, according to Cause IQ. The golf outing's proceeds supplement that broader, year-round community outreach beyond the holiday shopping season.
Local Radio Host Plans to Show Up
Local radio personality Lori Graves announced on social media that she plans to attend and heckle participants at the tournament, adding some local flavor to the buildup for the September event. Community figures like Graves have often helped promote and add levity to Ross County's charitable fundraising drives over the years. Organizers are encouraging teams to pre-register before the August 31 deadline to secure a spot at the tee.
