While golfers played the fairways at the College of Southern Maryland Foundation’s 35th Annual Golf Classic, 32 other participants took a different route to supporting CSM students: mini-golf-style putting challenges on the practice green at the event’s 10th Annual Sip and Swing.
The Aug. 6 event at Swan Point Yacht and Country Club paired the golf tournament, which raised a record $94,000 for scholarships and programs, with the Sip and Swing for guests who wanted a lower-key alternative to 18 holes. Golf professionals from Swan Point led participants through a short putting lesson before the putting contest began.
The Southern Maryland Women’s League has sponsored the Sip and Swing since it began in 2015. Andrea Sanford, the league’s past president and current communications chair, said the group’s continued involvement gives it another way to “stand behind CSM and Foundation’s commitment to creating opportunities for students.”
The league’s support of CSM students goes beyond the annual event. Since establishing its scholarship in 2009, the group said it has contributed more than $64,000 to scholarships for students who are single parents or from single-parent households and who demonstrate financial need.
After leaving the practice green, Sip and Swing participants moved to a wine tasting and food pairing led by sommelier Micheline Lopez-Estrada, a past CSM Foundation board member. Lopez-Estrada selected sparkling whites and rosés for the tasting and discussed their origins and flavor profiles with guests on the patio.
This year’s event also added a bouquet-building activity sponsored by Norwood Cottage Florals. Owner and flower grower Mary Ellen Howard walked guests through selecting stems and offered tips on seasonal flowers and arrangements.
CSM Foundation Board Chair Samantha Stratchko, a 2018 CSM graduate, described the event as combining fun and philanthropy. She said the Sip and Swing “serves a greater purpose by raising critical funds to support CSM students” pursuing their education.
Together, the Golf Classic and Sip and Swing have raised more than $1.6 million for CSM student scholarships and programs since the tournament’s founding, according to the Foundation. The Golf Classic has grown steadily in recent years, climbing from roughly $70,000 raised in 2023 to $80,000 in 2025 before this year’s $94,000 total, which organizers called the event’s best year yet.
The Golf Classic draws support from dozens of area businesses and community partners each year, with Marrick Homes serving as grand tournament sponsor. This year’s tournament sold out with 144 golfers, and included new contests alongside the traditional field.
The golf side of the day included its own highlights. CSM alumnus Brett Burroughs sank a hole-in-one, driving away with a new car provided by an event sponsor, and joined the tournament’s first-place foursome. Organizers also added new contests to this year’s course, including a hole where golfers could trade their driver for a cannon-style club and a “Beat the Hawk” challenge against a CSM golf team member.
CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson thanked the roughly 28 sponsors who backed this year’s event, led by a five-year, $100,000 pledge from Educational Systems Federal Credit Union.
The CSM Foundation is a nonprofit established in 1970 that raises and manages funds to expand access to higher education at the College of Southern Maryland, including scholarships and workforce development programs across the region.
