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Amateur Open Club
A unique, new golf competition in St Louis and all MetGA regions aims to benefit Youth on Course. The Amateur Open promises to make every round of golf exciting and rewarding through a summer-long competition. Golferscan simply post their scores from their rounds to get on a region-wide leaderboard and win gift certificates to local golf establishments.
How it works:
1. Men and women 21 years and older can register in the Amateur Open of STL Club for $50 (if you already have a handicap, you can still register on the platform by paying $30); Players can use special promo code WEL20 for this inaugural season and save $20. 2. Pick a partner and play on any course and set of tees; golfers can compete as a team or individual or both ($5 for each competition). A portion of this fee will directly benefit Youth on Course in Kansas City. 3. Get on weekly and weason leaderboards by posting your hole by hole scores on GHIN app or by uploading the picture of your completed scorecard 4. Play a minimum of 8 rounds between June 29 – Sept. 6 to become eligible for season points race prizes. 5. At the end of the season there will also be an 18-hole Amateur Open Championship.
The idea
The Amateur Open is made up of working professionals
who are eager to grow the game. “We are really passionate about the game especially since it makes competition across skill levels possible, more so with the World Handicap System,” said club founder, Som Chilukuri. “We realized that there is no real platform for golfers to connect with a larger picture across a region or season. Leagues are typically limited to a course and a group. We thought it would be really cool to make each round count for every golfer.” The club emphasizes three main themes - celebrating the “compete with yourself ” aspect of the game - creating winning possibilities across skill levels - and fostering a vibrant community of recreational, yet competitive golfers. “Golf to us is an avenue to unify people in a great competitive setting with no barriers at all on skill levels, age, and gender or whatsoever,” Chilukuri said. “And with The Amateur Open, we are able to do that without needing to physically come together at a single event or course”
The Support
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association supports The Amateur Open values and mission to create competitive golf opportunities, while bringing the community together. MetGA has consulted with The Amateur Open to provide league management best practices, making it a certified
MetGA League. The Amateur Open is also supported by an advisory panel from Incub8 Startup Studios, a Silicon Valley-based technology incubation company. www.incub8.vc
Youth on Course
“We are excited that 10% of each round’s proceeds will directly benefit Youth on Course,” said Curt Rohe, MetGA executive director. Youth on Course allows junior golfers in our region to play at participating facilities for only $5 (or less) per round. This program allows junior golfers in our community access to playing golf they otherwise would not have. Learn more at youthoncourse.org. Interested in learning more about The Amateur Open? Visit theamateuropen.com to register.
