by LARRY HALL
AMELIA ISLAND, Florida – The line forms each summer at The Amelia Island Club’s Long Point Course.
Golfers arrive early carrying clubs and wearing smiles, but before anyone heads to the first tee, they stop to shake hands with tournament founder Mark O’Day. Registration itself is part of the experience. Mark personally welcomes every golfer while volunteers ensure everyone is checked in and ready for the day. Nearby, tables overflow with raffle prizes donated by generous sponsors – tempting participants to purchase arm length raffle tickets.
Each participant receives a commemorative Lou Gehrig No. 4 jersey, buys an armful of raffle tickets, catches up with old friends, and begins what has become one of Amelia Island’s most anticipated annual traditions.
While the golf is exceptional, no one is there simply to play.
They’ve come to celebrate the life of John O’Day and help fund the fight against ALS.
The ALS Amelia Island Golf Classic has become far more than another charity golf tournament. It is a celebration of friendship, family and hope, while raising critical funds to support research aimed at finding a cure for ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
ALS remains one of medicine’s most devastating neurological diseases. Although tremendous progress has been made in understanding the disease, there is still no cure. While many Americans associate ALS with baseball legend Lou Gehrig, on Amelia Island those three letters immediately bring to mind John Louis O’Day.
After a courageous four-year battle with ALS, John passed away in 2002. Yet his influence continues to touch countless lives today.
Born and raised in Cut Bank, Montana, John spent 31 years with IBM before retiring to Amelia Island in 1996 after years of vacationing there. An avid golfer and one of the original members of The Amelia Island Club, he was elected as the club’s second president in 1999. Together with several friends, he also founded the Bad Golfers Association (BGA), a lighthearted organization that still exists today and reflects John’s sense of humor and love of the game.
FROM FAMILY REUNION TO TRADITION
Following his father’s passing, son Mark O’Day founded the ALS Amelia Island Golf Classic in 2005 as a way to honor John’s memory, raise awareness of ALS, and support research toward a cure.
What began as a small gathering of family and close friends has grown into one of northeast Florida’s premier charity golf events.
Today, friends and relatives travel from Montana, California, Colorado and throughout the country to reunite each year in John’s memory. Those who have played since the beginning continue to return, and first-time participants quickly discover they have become part of something much bigger than a golf tournament.
Perhaps no one better illustrates that spirit than Tom Oden. A participant in every tournament until this year when health issues prevented him from playing. Nevertheless, Tom still attended, purchased an armful of raffle tickets and made another generous donation to ALS.
That kind of dedication says everything about what this event has come to mean.
Over the past 22 years, the tournament has raised almost $700,000, with every dollar benefiting The ALS Association through research, patient services and the ongoing search for a cure.
A DAY UNLIKE ANY OTHER
I’ve had the pleasure of participating in the ALS Amelia Island Golf Classic for several years, and each time I leave convinced that this is far more than another charity golf outing. This year, my foursome included Kevin Adams, Todd Nuckols, Charles Litrico, and me.
Before the shotgun start, golfers gather around the practice green for the annual putting contest. Sponsored this year by Delta Air Lines, the contest awarded a $500 prize to the winner and generated plenty of fun & excitement before the competition even began.
Then it was time to head for the first tee. Each golf cart was stocked with a generous gift bag filled with hats, golf balls, tees, snacks and other tournament essentials – a thoughtful touch that reflects the care put into every detail of the event.
GOLF WITH A PURPOSE
Playing the very-private Long Point golf course is a privilege in itself, as this is the only outside event allowed by the club each year.
Normally reserved for members and their guests, the beautifully conditioned course winds through maritime forests before emerging onto several breathtaking holes along the Atlantic Ocean. For many participants, the opportunity to play this outstanding course is reason enough to enter.
But the tournament offers much more than great golf.
Along with the traditional contests expected at a first-class charity event – including a $25,000 hole-in-one prize and long-drive awards – players also enjoyed some unique features. One oceanfront par three allowed golfers to purchase a hole-in-one for a $250 donation benefiting ALS. Another hole featured a TrackMan swing analysis station where a golf professional reviewed players’ swings using advanced video technology and provided swing tips.
Our foursome managed a surprisingly good round, posting a gross score of 14-under par and a net score of 20-under. We even led the digital leaderboard through the front nine before the back nine reminded us why we’re weekend golfers. By day’s end, we had slipped to a respectable sixth-place finish.
Frankly, none of us minded. Winning wasn’t why we were there.
PERFECT FINISH
Following golf, everyone gathered for what many consider the perfect ending to an unforgettable day – lots of food and drink!
A dinner buffet featured everything from fresh shrimp and oysters to prime rib and an impressive dessert selection. Awards were presented, raffle prizes were distributed, and the 2026 tournament champions – Marcella Taylor, Ronald Taylor, Chris Cain and Joe Burns – were recognized for their outstanding play.
Yet the day’s greatest success had nothing to do with the leaderboard.
When asked what means the most to him after organizing the tournament for nearly a quarter century, Mark O’Day didn’t mention the golf, the prizes or even the money raised.
Instead, he reflected on the event’s true purpose.
“I’m most honored by the awareness this event has raised in the community about this devastating disease and the hope for a cure. I’m equally proud that this tournament provides a meaningful way for people to contribute to The ALS Association and help fund the research that one day may end ALS forever.”
Those words perfectly capture why this tournament continues to thrive.
Yes, golfers enjoy one of Florida’s finest private courses. Yes, they leave with full stomachs, raffle prizes and wonderful memories. But beneath it all is a son honoring his father, a family preserving a legacy, and an entire community joining together to help families facing one of life’s most difficult diagnoses.
More than two decades after John O’Day’s passing, his legacy continues to inspire hundreds of golfers every year. Nearly $700,000 has been raised in the fight against ALS, but perhaps the tournament’s greatest accomplishment is ensuring that John’s life – and the hope of finding a cure – are remembered by everyone fortunate enough to spend a day at Long Point.
If you’d like to become part of this remarkable tradition, visit www.alsgolfamelia.com for information about the 2027 ALS Amelia Island Golf Classic.
You’ll experience an outstanding day of golf, make new friends, and become a part of a tradition.
But, more importantly – you’ll help make a difference!
(Larry Hall, a Jacksonville, Florida-based golf writer, is a member of Golf Heritage Society, Golf Writers Association of America, Historical Writers of America, International Network of Golf and Golf Travel Writers of America. He can be reached at: bgtriptips@gmail.com)
