Par above the rest | Golf

If there was one thing made abundantly clear at the 4th annual Oelwein Alumni Golf Tourney Saturday morning at Hickory Grove Golf Course in Oelwein, it’s that Oelwein High School alumni are a ‘par’ above the rest.

Over 75 OHS alumni gathered on the patio of Hickory Grove Golf Course on a slightly rainy Saturday morning to play a round of golf in support of Oelwein’s Husky Booster Club. The alumni raised around $1,912 in support of the next generation of Husky athletes.

Annually, the group honors those alumni who left a notable mark on the Oelwein community. Among those names included Arnold “Hap” Vyverburg, Gene Fuelling and Tim Mahoney, the latter hosting a golf clinic the night prior at no cost with freewill donations towards the Booster Club with a donation match.

“Hap finished with a record of 42 and 5 his last two season as a head coach,” emcee Dan Stasi told the crowd when reading through the nominees. “[…] He was my 6th grade basketball coach. I was never a threat to become a great basketball player myself, but I had so much fun playing for Hap in basketball and I’ll never forget it.”

Fuelling, another beloved name to the Oelwein community, was the second nominee, known for his selflessness and his positive, can-do attitude.

“Gene played a key role in many great things for Oelwein over the years,” Stasi said. “He was very, very passionate about this town and Northeast Iowa, making it a great place to live.”

“What Gene did for Oelwein was remarkable. He gave to this community tirelessly for all kinds of things,” he continued.

Fuelling was involved on the Northeast Iowa Community College Board of Trustees and the Foundation, Mercy Hospital Foundation, Greater Oelwein Area Charitable Foundation, Little Husky Learning Childcare Center, was director of the Williams Performing Arts Center, past president of the Oelwein Rotary Club, Oelwein Area United Way, and was trustee of the Covenant Health Systems. His work earned him a place in the Iowa Volunteers Hall of Fame in 2003 for outstanding service to his community.

“There was nobody that didn’t like Gene,” this year’s organizer Marty Rosenstiel added.

The last nominee was Hap’s grandson, Tim Mahoney.

“We were so honored. I’ve been getting on his case when we have dinner in Scottsdale, and I said ‘You need to come back and get back into the community,’ and I was just kind of kidding, and he took me up on it,” Rosenstiel said. “By God he did it, doing it all on his own dime.”

“Golf has given me everything,” Mahoney said, emotionally. “Hap, great coach, great grandfather. If I can be just as good as him, I’ll be good. What he’s done for the community… I met my wife through golf and she’s still with me 36 years later… Both of our daughters golf — golf has given me everything.”

Mahoney, a professional golf player, coach and 1980 OHS alum who has been featured 11-plus times in Golf Digest and was named Sports Illustrated’s top U.S. golf instructors, also offered 30-minute private lessons for silent auction to benefit the cause as well.

Community events such as these, especially on Iowa’s top 9-hole golf course of the year, are just one of the many reasons Oelwein’s Huskies are a ‘par’ above the rest.

PHOTOS: 2026 Oelwein HS Alumni Golf Tourney

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Nominee Gene Fuelling’s grandson, Corbin Fuelling, tees off in honor of his grandfather.