In golf and in theater you get only one shot and sometimes that’s all you need. Well, at least that is true for Jim Shaffer-Bauck who has a long and rich history when it comes to putting on the green and puttin’ on the ritz. He’s so familiar with he two subjects that he has found parallels in what otherwise appears to have little in common.

“I think in both arenas you have to become the character,” he said.

He attributes the first time he broke 80 in a golf game to “playing the part” of Tiger Woods after he watched the legendary player in the British Open.

“Both [golf and theater] are entirely mental, which makes them useful and healthy things to do,” Shaffer-Bauck said.

So it makes sense that Orcas Center has teamed up with the Orcas Golf Club for the last 18 years to fundraise for the arts.

The annual Orcas Center Golf Classic on Sept. 8 offers a full day of golf and friendly competition.

Shaffer-Bauck said the event was started by a group of golfers who were also instrumental in getting the Orcas Center built.

“It’s one of our best fundraisers, brings out a lot of people who might play a round of golf now and then,” he said.

Last year the Golf Classic netted $6,500, and Kara O’Toole, director of the center, said it’s their second major fundraiser.

After having several years of goofy golf games, this year’s event returns to the original tournament scramble format. There will be 18 holes of golf, starting with a continental breakfast, continuing with a brown bag lunch on the turn, and ending with the popular Burgers and Brew – by the Lower Tavern – and an awards ceremony on the deck.

As is tradition, there will be stage pieces from past Orcas Center productions throughout the green.

Shaffer-Bauck has been involved in helping set up the event, served as a previous chairman and participated as a golfer. For the last three years, he has what he calls the “enviable job” of decorating the course. He has spent hours digging around in the store house for the center, pulling out set materials and props.

“There is a lot of cool stuff,” he said. “There is a lot of history in there.”

And memories. Shaffer-Bauck has performed in nearly all of the plays produced at the center during its first 16 years. After years of playing golf and acting in plays, he has learned a lot about himself. The first time he auditioned for a play he nearly left because he was so intimidated. Then when he started playing golf, he noticed the same nervous energy. But he pushed through the fear – spending nearly every morning on the green and many nights under the theater’s bright lights.

“It was really kind of a benefit for me,” he said. “The theatre exposure is something I take with me in other aspects of life and trained me to think about things differently.”

Participation in the tournament is $75 and includes golf, all meals, and the awards reception. If you are a student player and would like to join a team, sponsorships are available to cover the cost. Those who are interested in raising funds for Orcas Center can also do so by sponsoring a hole for $300 and/or sponsoring a student player for $150.

For more info and to register and/or sign up as a sponsor call, 376-2281 ext. 4 or visit www.orcascenter.org.

This year’s event is sponsored by Orcas Center, Island Market, Islanders Bank, the Lower Tavern, and Orcas Island Golf Course.