Shawano Lake and its connecting waterways are so important to the local economy, residents and other users that when Shawano Area Waterways Management holds its annual golf outing, you can be sure the fundraiser will be well-attended.
Beautiful weather doesn’t hurt, either.
The 2026 golf outing was held at Golden Sands Golf Course in Cecil on June 9.
“We had our best year ever. Gross proceeds are more than $41,000, and we have a more stragglers coming in yet,” said Todd Dobberstein, SAWM’s president. “We usually net about half, so I’m confident we will net more than $20,000 this year.”
Last year’s golf outing netted $17,778.
The outing had a full slate of 144 golfers. In addition to 18 holes, they also participated in a variety of contests, raffles and an evening meal.
Shawano Lake, the Wolf River and the connecting channel are enjoyed by many, whether for fishing, boating, swimming or other water-based recreational activity.
“The waterways mean so much to the community,” Dobberstein said, when discussing the success of the golf outing. “Those who enjoy it come out and support it.”
“It’s a big community thing,” added Bart DeFere, a member of SAWM’s board of directors. “Many people come from out of town. It’s a lot of word-of-mouth.”
Support comes from property owners, community residents, friends and family, as well as businesses.
“There are a lot of businesses that do business with others because of the waterways,” Dobberstein said.
Charlie’s County Market was the title sponsor. Hole-in-one sponsors were American Marine and Motorsports, Prime Powersports and AbbyBank.
Proceeds from the golf outing go into SAWM’s general fund, but Dobberstein said the group is working to save up some funds for its next big project.
“Last year, we bought a new weed harvester, and that’s been great,” he said. “Now we need to save funds for a full lake aquatic plant survey. These surveys can cost upwards of $50,000. We get some help from the DNR, but it costs a lot just to maintain what we do now as far as what we can spray and where we can spray and cut.”
He said the DNR does a good job of supporting associations, but the lakes and rivers are best maintained at the local level.
DeFere has been on the board for about six years, but he has been the chemical applicator for more than 30 years.
The board is made up of volunteers. The only ones who get paid are those who provide professional services.
“My family has had a place on the lake since 1971, and I’ve been a full-time lake residents since 1988,” he said. “Before SAWM, the lake and the waterways were a mess. We really helped clean it up. We regularly work with the DNR for grants and testing that improves the cleanliness of the lake.”
Shawano Lake is shallow compared to many other lakes, and that makes weed control a bigger issue.
“You don’t want to get rid of all the weeds, because that’s not good for fish and wildlife,” DeFere said. “There’s always something more to be done. It’s never ending, trying to maintain a clean and navigable waterway. We try and mitigate the problems as best we can.”
Eurasian water milfoil and curly-leaf pondweed are the invasive species of the biggest concern.
As for the golf outing, DeFere said everyone in his foursome won a prize this year, an unusual occurrence. He also said each member golfed better than last year, but with a chuckle he didn’t say how much better.
The golf outing is the only fundraiser for the group. It’s always the second Tuesday in June, switching each year between Golden Sands and Shawano Lake Golf Course in Shawano.
SAWM has been around since the early 1980s. The late Doug Knope started the golf outing a few years later in 1986.
Dobberstein has been involved with SAWM for about 15 years, serving as president since the past six years.
“We’re a very active association in the summer months,” he said.
Only half of the lake’s 1,200 property owners are members. Residents can join for $50 a year. Visit www.sawm.org for a membership form.
kpasson@newmedia-wi.com
