Around the Green
The latest golf-related news, notes, and feature stories from the TGA.
Willow Brook CC to host State Senior Amateur
The Texas Golf Association is proud to announce Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler as the host of the 2013 State Senior Amateur Championship from October 4-6. This will be the third time the State Senior Amateur will be contested at Willow Brook, while the famed course has also hosted a Texas Amateur Championship.
At the heart of Willow Brook Country Club is an 18-hole course with an old traditional style and design, offering a challenging and gratifying experience for golfers of all levels. The golf course covers 159 acres, each of which is a mixture of beautiful Oak, Hickory, Gum, Willow, Ash, and Pine Trees with majestic rolling hills and quiet ponds. PGA Professionals from the 40’s and 50’s designed the original golf course. The most notable of these was Ralph Plummer. Golf course architect Joe Finger renovated and rerouted the course in 1979, adding what is now holes 4, 5, & 6. In 2001, PGA Tour Professional and Champions Tour Player, Mark Hayes redesigned and rebuilt the greens with Tiff Eagle Bermuda Grass and enhanced numerous holes on the course, adding length and difficulty while maintaining the traditional style of play on the course. The fairways and tees have a mixture of hybrid 419 and common Bermuda grass turf.
The championship consists of two divisions: Senior (55 years of age and older) and Super Senior (65 years of age and older). Each division will play from different tees/yardage with a separate champion being crowned in each division. Super Seniors must declare on their application if they wish to compete in the Senior Division.
To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements: be a male amateur golfer; belong to a club that is a member of the Texas Golf Association; have a GHIN Handicap Index of 6.4 or less for the Senior Division and 8.4 or less for the Super Senior Division; and have attained the age of 55 (65 for Super Seniors) by the first round of the championship.
The format for the championship is scheduled for 54 holes of stroke play. The field will be cut after 36 holes as follows: Low 48 scores and ties in the Senior Division and low 20 scores and ties in the Super Senior Division. For more details, click on the “Championship Information” link at the top of the page.
The format for the championship is scheduled for 54 holes of stroke play. The field will be cut after 36 holes as follows: Low 48 scores and ties in the Senior Division and low 20 scores and ties in the Super Senior Division. For more details, click on the “Championship Information” link at the top of the page.
Miramont Country Club played host to last year’s State Senior Amateur, which saw Dallas native, Chuck Palmer, pull out a one stroke victory over Owen Joyner. As 100 degree temperatures scorched the players Palmer calmly sank a birdie putt on the final hole to clinch the victory. Michael Hopson took home the Super Senior title as he finished just two shots ahead of Peter Kirchner.
