Designed by renowned Tom Fazio, Bright’s Creek will host the inaugural Saluda Historic Depot Golf Tournament on Monday, Oct. 17, 2016 during one of the most colorful times of the year.

Not only will you enjoy playing on one of the “top residential courses” in the country, you will have fun competing for first, second and third place prizes plus closest to the pin, fewest putts, and longest drive for both men and women. There will also be two special Hole-In-One opportunities to win a new car, courtesy of Bryan Easler Toyota and $10,000 cash, courtesy of Mike Gilliam Agency, Nationwide Insurance in Hendersonville.

If you are looking for an opportunity to support the depot and promote your business, there are several sponsor level options from which to choose. Major sponsor levels are: Engineer, Conductor, and Brakeman, plus hole sponsorships and flag/pin sponsorships. Each level includes many features and a complete description for each level is at SaludaHistoricDepot.com under Events.

“We hope to make this an annual event for the depot during one of the most beautiful times of the year on one of the most breath-taking courses in the country that just happens to be in our back yard,” says Judy Ward.

Registration is easy by visiting SaludaHistoricDepot.com and clicking under Events. You can download the entry application and print the form and send to savesaludadepot@gmail.com or fax to 828-749-3490. There is a PayPal option to pay with a credit card. You can also send completed forms and payment to Saluda Historic Depot, P.O. Box 990, Saluda, NC 28773. You may also pick up an entry form at Thompson’s Store, 24 Main Street, Saluda. The registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 3.

The Saluda depot sits on historic Main Street at the crest of the steepest mainline standard gauge railroad in the United States, and is a contributing structure on the National Register of Historic Places in the listing for the Saluda Main Street Historic District.

A group of citizens formed a 501(c)3 non-profit and purchased the building in June 2016, and has created a railroad and heritage museum to celebrate and memorialize the town’s railroad history and its beginnings. This golf tournament and other fundraisers are necessary to pay off the loan, operate the museum, and maintain the authentic building.

The museum is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. and includes seasonal exhibits, Saluda Grade “O Grade” and “G Grade” train dioramas of the different railroad eras in Saluda. There are also videos of trains that came up the Saluda Grade, and a gift shop. The Saluda Historic Depot is located at 32 W. Main Street, Saluda.

For more information, please contact Judy Ward at 828-674-5958 or judyward@charter.net or Kay Garell at 321-258-9111 or kgarell@gmail.com.

– article submitted by Cathy Jackson