Seckinger High School in Buford, Ga., will host a charity golf event, the Jaguar Turkey Shootout, on Nov. 23 at renowned TPC Sugarloaf in nearby Duluth, Ga. The event is slated to raise money for the new agronomy program at Seckinger, which hopes to construct a golf practice area on campus.

Craig Begalle and Jacob Medders, the Seckinger golf coaches and the leads on the agronomy program, hope that funds will allow for the on-campus practice facility to be built, bring more focus to the golf program and kickstart a new agronomy program that would be introduced into the AI curriculum. The proposed golf short game area will allow the team to practice without leaving the campus and provide a versatile space for PE classes and community events to introduce golf to elementary and middle school students. Begalle’s golf teams were having difficulty securing practice time at area courses and thought that building a short-game area with a combination of grass and artificial surface in an approximate 50-yard by 50-yard space would be a worthwhile project.

TPC Sugarloaf is just 17 miles from the school. Kyle Worthy, a 14-year GCSAA member, serves as director of agronomy at the Greg Norman-designed, 27-hole facility. The club hosted PGA Tour events from 1997 through 2008 and has hosted a PGA Tour Champions event, now known as the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, since 2013.

The future of the SKG Agronomy Club is dedicated to gaining student interest in plant science, turfgrass management and sustainable landscape design. Through hands-on projects, environmental AI, industry partnerships and golf course facility planning, students will be prepared for careers in agronomy, environmental science, landscape architecture and sports turf management. An overarching goal is to provide a feeder high school program for agronomy and landscape architecture institutions in higher learning, including the nearby University of Georgia. Activities will include guest speakers in the industry, field trips to local golf courses, engineering and design challenges and much more

“The SKG Agronomy project serves a dual purpose: It gives our golf team and those interested in learning a dedicated space to practice and provides a hands-on lab for our new agronomy program to study turf management and environmental impact,” Begalle said. With the growth of our golf program over the past five years and our region's need for young professionals entering the agronomy field, this initiative opens exciting new post-graduation career paths for our students.”

The tournament, planned by Perfect Golf Event, will feature a silent auction and hole-in-one prizes, including box tickets to the Atlanta Falcons’ 2027 home opener, season tickets for the Georgia Bulldogs’ 2027 season and tickets to the 2027 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Final Four. A $1 million shootout for the winning team and raffle winners will follow the round.