Lady Antebellum bring golf, music together

En-Joie Golf Course’s 18th green is an unconventional venue for a concert, but the experience on Friday night was also unconventional.

Country trio Lady Antebellum took the stage at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in front of a sold out crowd of children, teenagers and adults alike. And though many attended for different reasons, all showed that the event is a much-awaited gathering occasion for friends, family and even high school classmates.

Lisa Paulin, 42, of Endicott, brought her son, Michael, 8, to the show for his first concert experience.

“This is something to do, to get out and meet people,” she said. Paulin comes to see the show every year, she said, even though she’s not a big fan of country music — often the genre of choice for the event’s headlining act.

Paulin was excited to see Sam Hunt, who took the stage just before 8 p.m. Friday as Lady Antebellum’s opening act. Hunt got the crowd dancing with hits like “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time” and “House Party.”

Cindy Harris, of Endwell, attended the event for the first time Friday, and was very excited to see Lady Antebellum perform. She and friend, Maria Leska, of Endicott, dropped off their children at college earlier in the week, and dressed up for the night out together.

“This was our big outing,” she said.

Lady Antebellum released their self-titled debut album in 2008, and have built on their success in the years since with hits like “Need You Now,” “Just a Kiss,” “We Owned the Night” and “American Honey,” earning bandmates Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood seven Grammy Awards as well as honors from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.

The band did not disappoint Friday night.

Lady Antebellum took the stage just before 9 p.m. and played a long list of hits for the sold out crowd, including most of their own written tracks, and a few covers.

The band’s cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” had most of the crowd singing and waving their phones in the air.

With upbeat tracks like “Downtown,” small children and adults alike danced along on the course, and occasionally bumped into people they hadn’t seen in years, forming impromptu high school reunions.

Dan Connerton, 26, of Binghamton, said he loves coming to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. “It’s just a great place for people to come together that haven’t been together in a long time,” he said.

Packed tight on the 18th green as Lady Antebellum played some of their greatest hits, the band members paid tribute to the golf tournament hosting the concert, using golf clubs to hit signed balls into the crowd.

“Playing on a stage like this and seeing amazing golf is pretty much heaven,” band member Hillary Scott said, bringing a cheer from the crowd.

Follow Katie Sullivan on Twitter @ByKatieSullivan.