Eleven years in, Detroit City FC's annual golf outing isn't a novelty anymore — it's a fixture. On Monday, players, coaches, and community members took over Rouge Park Golf Course for a fundraiser that sends every dollar straight to the DCFC City Youth Travel Soccer Program.
That's not a small thing. Competitive travel soccer is expensive, and access is often the barrier that keeps kids out of the game. DCFC using their platform mid-season to chip away at that problem says something real about how the club operates.
Morris and Rodriguez team up on the course
Forward Ben Morris is back in the tournament after missing last year with an injury. His partner this time: midfielder Maxi Rodriguez. Morris, now in his fourth season with Detroit, is candid about his golf game — he doesn't play often, but he's convinced he's the best on the team with a club in hand. "Naturally gifted," his words.
Not every player is swinging. Some are riding along in the carts, which is probably the smarter move for anyone who values their hamstrings two days before a home match.
The setup for participants is solid — four 18-hole rounds with a cart, welcome bag, snacks, drink tickets, and a luncheon from Pablos Tacos to close things out. Raffle prizes round off the day. The point, though, is the check that gets written afterward.
Third in the East, and they still show up for the community
Timing matters here. DCFC sits third in the Eastern Conference with a 9-5-4 record and 31 points. They host Loudoun United FC — sitting 10th with just 18 points — on August 15, then follow that up with Tampa Bay Rowdies on August 22. A six-point week is very much on the table.
Running a community fundraiser in the middle of that run would feel like a distraction at some clubs. Morris doesn't see it that way. "We go to work, do training, everything's focused on that — and then even on the team events, we can get away from it, relax, and just kind of chill out while doing the community stuff."
Third place and still doing the work off the pitch. The Loudoun match will tell us more about their conference ambitions, but the golf outing already says something about the club's character.
