World's Best Golfers Ready For East Lake Return

EAST LAKE — The professional golf world converges on the East Atlanta area each September for the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola at East Lake Golf Club. The top 30 players on the PGA Tour all come to Atlanta looking to capture the FedEx Cup and the $10 Million prize that goes with it.

East Lake Golf Club, which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2004, is not only a historic golf club, but a philanthropic one as well. The golf club's founding sponsors have contributed more than $18 million to the East Lake Foundation (the Foundation) to help transform one of the nation's worst public housing projects into a thriving, mixed-income community. Net proceeds from golf club operations and the Tour Championship are funneled back into East Lake community programs to help families succeed.

On Wednesday, crews were busy setting up at the club in anticipation of this year’s event, which begins with practice rounds next Monday-Wednesday (Sept. 16-18). The 72-hole tournament begins on Thursday, Sept. 19.

Since 1998, the Tour Championship has donated more than $15 million to charity, both locally and nationwide, with its primary local charities being the East Lake Foundation and The First Tee.

The Foundation was established in 1995 to lead the revitalization of the East Lake neighborhood. Working in a series of strategic partnerships, the Foundation has developed The Villages of East Lake, an award-winning mixed income community; the Charles R. Drew Charter School; the East Lake Family YMCA; the East Lake Sheltering Arms Early Learning Center; the Charlie Yates Golf Course and a new Publix grocery store. The Foundation and its partners sponsor many programs designed to create and nurture a healthy, whole sustainable community where every family can excel and achieve.

Click the following link for a story on the East Lake Foundation that was aired on CNBC: Miracle at East Lake

Additional tournament information can be found here. Ticket info is here and there is complimentary tournament admission for military including active, Reserve, military retirees and dependents to this year's event. 

As part of the tournament, Web.com is hosting the Small Business Forum on Friday, Sept. 20 at East Lake Country Club 16th Green Executive Club Tent. The free event is an opportunity for Atlanta area small business owners to learn how to elevate their online presence. Topics that will be discussed include building a website, website content, SEO, eCommerce and social media content.

See here to register for the event.

The PGA Tour contributed to this story