Teeing it Up
The NFC Charity Golf Tournament Is More Than A Competition
Every industry has conferences. Many have golf outings. But very few have an event that consistently builds professional relationships as consistently as the National Framers Council (NFC) Regional Meeting & Charity Golf Tournament.
At first glance, it looks like a great day on the golf course. There is a regional meeting, a keynote presentation, excellent meals, friendly competition, and plenty of opportunities to enjoy time outdoors with peers. But look a little closer and something much more valuable becomes apparent. The real purpose of the event isn't golf—it’s building relationships that help framing companies become stronger long after everyone leaves the course.
That is the reason so many framers, suppliers, component manufacturers, and industry partners return year after year.
This year's event at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City, MD, brought together approximately 90 attendees from across the industry despite temperatures climbing into the upper 90s. Open to both members and nonmembers, the event combined education, networking, and friendly competition while raising funds to benefit the SBCA’s 501 (c)(3) charitable organization, the SBCA Foundation & Endowment.
Starting with Conversation, Not Competition
The event began before anyone even teed off. Monday evening's NFC Regional Meeting provided members an opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends while welcoming first-time attendees into the organization. The atmosphere was relaxed, making introductions easy and conversations natural.
Following a happy hour and industry updates, Zack Fritz of Sage Policy Group provided attendees with an economic outlook. Fritz shared his perspective on housing trends, labor markets, inflation, business investment, and the broader economic outlook affecting residential construction. His presentation provided attendees with a practical context for the decisions they will make throughout the coming year while sparking thoughtful discussion about the current business climate.
The evening concluded with dinner. The meal was excellent, but the real value could be found in the conversations that occurred at every table. One framer shared how they solved a difficult labor challenge. Another talked through an equipment issue affecting production. Others compared builder expectations, discussed safety culture, exchanged recruiting ideas, or explained how they were adapting to changing market conditions.
As Jacob Knott of Ace Carpentry observed, "The golf is fun, but the conversations are really what make the event worthwhile. Whether it's talking business, sharing ideas, or simply getting to know people better, I always leave having met someone new and with a better understanding of what's happening throughout the industry."
A Morning Built Around Relationships
Tournament day began early with breakfast, coffee, and more opportunities to catch up before players headed to the practice green. One of the most entertaining traditions of the NFC Golf Tournament is the Bottle Bonanza Challenge, in which participants attempt to putt golf balls into bottles of their choice to win them. Equal parts skill and luck, the contest has quickly become a crowd favorite and gets everyone laughing before the competition officially begins.
Players also had the opportunity to purchase Cheat Packs, complete with a mulligan, foot wedge, and hand toss, adding another layer of fun to the tournament. Throughout the day, golfers competed in a Hole-in-One contest featuring a $10,000 prize, while a 50/50 raffle kept excitement high from the first tee through the awards ceremony. While scores certainly matter to some participants, winning is rarely what people remember most.
The Magic Happens Between the Holes
Anyone can schedule a meeting, but it’s much harder to create an environment where honest conversations happen naturally. That is exactly what makes the NFC Golf Tournament different.
Four or five hours walking a golf course together creates opportunities that simply don't exist inside a conference room. Conversations begin on the first tee, continue during cart rides, pause for a shot, and immediately pick back up walking toward the next green.
Without realizing it, attendees move well beyond traditional networking. Instead of exchanging business cards, they exchange experiences. Instead of talking about what their companies do, they talk about what keeps them awake at night. Instead of discussing only successes, they openly discuss challenges—everything from labor shortages to safety culture, from scheduling to material availability.
These conversations are remarkably candid because everyone understands they are working toward the same goal of improving the framing industry. Competitors in one market quickly become collaborators when they realize someone hundreds of miles away has already solved the same problem they are currently facing. That willingness to help one another is what separates NFC from many other industry organizations.
Knott believes that one of the organization's greatest strengths is openness, saying, "The NFC does a good job of creating an environment where people are willing to share ideas and experiences. You can learn a lot just by listening to conversations and hearing how others are approaching similar challenges. It's a great opportunity to learn from others while building relationships that continue after the event is over."
"It's a great opportunity to learn from others while building relationships
that continue after the event is over.”
Partnerships That Last
One of the most valuable aspects of the golf outing is how naturally associate (supplier) members become part of the experience. Sponsors are not isolated behind exhibit booths or limited to brief presentations. Instead, suppliers, framers, and other industry partners spend meaningful time together throughout the event. They eat breakfast, ride in golf carts, share lunch, and celebrate together at the awards reception.
Those hours spent together create authentic conversations that become trusted business relationships. Many long-term partnerships throughout the framing industry have started during a round of golf at an NFC event, because that is when people have time to truly get to know one another rather than simply exchange introductions.
That collaborative atmosphere is equally valuable for the industry's supplier partners. Randy Funk of Parksite/DuPont Tyvek, a returning tournament sponsor, said his team continues to support the event because it creates opportunities that simply don't exist elsewhere.
"The food, location, camaraderie, and networking are unmatched for this group of industry professionals," Funk comments. "It provides a great opportunity for our team to reconnect in a relaxed atmosphere with the people that we support every day."
Funk also praised the professionalism behind the event, noting that, "The event planning team never disappoints. Every year the event runs like a well-oiled machine." He added that Parksite and DuPont Tyvek are proud to be returning sponsors and are already looking forward to next year's event.
Building a Stronger Industry
Lunch, featuring grilled burgers and brats, provided another opportunity for teams to reconnect before heading back onto the course. By this point, most conversations had shifted away from golf entirely. Participants compared regional market conditions, discussed hiring strategies, shared ideas for improving productivity, and exchanged lessons learned from implementing new technologies or refining operations.
While one foursome explored a framer's successful recruiting effort, another debated how to improve employee retention. Multiple groups talked about how they have used NFC's FrameSAFE program to strengthen their safety culture. What’s remarkable is that very little of this information would likely be shared during a formal presentation, yet these conversations often produce the biggest takeaways attendees bring back to their companies.
That spirit of openness has become one of NFC's defining characteristics. New members quickly discover that they are welcomed immediately into discussions rather than left standing on the sidelines. Experienced members go out of their way to introduce firsttime attendees to others on the course, helping them build relationships that continue well beyond the event itself.
More Like a Reunion Than an Awards Banquet
By the time golfers gathered for the afternoon awards reception, the atmosphere felt less like the conclusion of a corporate event and more like a reunion among friends. Attendees celebrated tournament winners, won raffle prizes, and continued conversations that began the previous evening.
Introductions were made between new and old friends, leading to the exchange of phone numbers and email addresses. Plans were made to visit one another's operations, and future collaborations were launched. The welcoming culture at the NFC Golf Tournament left a lasting impression on everyone.
Bruce Jones, a retired framing company owner, believes that sense of connection is exactly why the event matters. "I feel that having the golf outing is important for our Mid- Atlantic members and vendors to attend if just to stay connected to each other," he says. "As a retired owner, I was so happy to see everyone that day and realize they are just happy to be there, meet their competitors, and be able to talk to each other. It's the best kind of networking you can do."
The Real Return on Investment
Every attendee left with different memories. Some may remember a long putt, winning a raffle prize, or taking home a bottle from the putting challenge. But the greatest value of the NFC Regional Meeting & Charity Golf Tournament wasn't only realized on the golf course. It will take place months later when someone encounters a difficult challenge and knows exactly whom to call. It may be another framing contractor who has already solved the same operational problem, or a supplier who can recommend a better solution. It may simply be an old and trusted friend willing to offer honest advice.
Members consistently say the greatest benefit of the National Framers Council is not a publication, presentation, or meeting, but the people. The golf outing simply reinforces that belief every year.
It reminds everyone that the framing industry is at its strongest when its professionals are willing to learn from one another, share ideas freely, and work together to raise the standard of the craft. The pride attendees take in quality construction, professionalism, safety, and continuous improvement is evident in nearly every conversation.
The scorecards will eventually be forgotten, but the relationships built over two days at Turf Valley will not. They will continue to strengthen businesses, solve problems, and elevate the framing industry long after the final putt drops.