October 2019 Keeping Golfers Connected in TN, KY, MS, AL, NC
October 2019
Bear of a Trace Nicklaus designs highlight Tennessee Golf Trail Pages 2-4
The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain The Bear Trace at Tims Ford
The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay
Inside!! Attention-getter: First Tee’s Kayli 5 Lucas receives national acclaim Northern Michigan exposure: Boyne 10 Golf Experience is unique destination Anchor down: Vandy’s Augenstein 22 charges into senior year
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The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay
Jack Nicklaus’ Fingerprint on Tennessee Golf
Bear Trace golf courses highlight what Tennessee Golf Trail has to offer By Justin Onslow Associate Tee Times Editor The Tennessee State Parks golf courses – collectively, the Tennessee Golf Trail – are unlike what typically comes to mind when considering “state park” courses
Mike Nixon, Tennessee State Park, Director of Golf Operation
“Eight of our green surrounds are on water’s edge. Keep your camera ready, always a photo opportunity here.” - Robin Boyer in any other state. From Montgomery Bell to Henry Horton to Fall Creek Falls, the quality, value and overall experience are tantamount to any number of more exclusive, private tracks elsewhere in the state. Chief among them, the Bear Trace golf courses that comprise one-third of the Tennessee State Parks courses on the Tennessee Golf Trail. Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain and Bear Trace at Tims Ford are as different as they are similar – all were designed by Jack Nicklaus in the late-1990s, yet all three courses have their own distinct feel. Just as the state of Tennessee has its own diverse geography, the Bear Trace golf courses are samplings of what one might find in each region of the state. And, of course, the Nicklaus name links
“Our course provides a great escape, no homes, no roads, just scenery and wildlife in abundance.” - Paul Carter
Name and title: Robin Boyer, PGA Professional/GM Course, Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Hometown: St. Louis, Missouri, residing in Ooltewah, Tennessee How long at Bear Trace: 20 Years here at Harrison Bay Are you a Class A: Yes, PGA Class A
them all. “They’re all Jack Nicklaus signature designs,” explains Mike Nixon, Tennessee State Parks Director of Golf Operations since 2011. “That means something. That has a connotation and a value that
Name and Title: Paul L. CarterSuperintendent at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Director of Agronomy, Tennessee Golf TrailDirector of Golf Course Superintendents Association Hometown: Wise, VA How long at Bear Trace: Arrived in 2001 Are you a Class A: Yes, GCSSA Certified Class A Grasses on course: Champion on greens. Tifway 419 on all rest of course.
goes along with each golf course.” Take Tims Ford, for instance, which is situated on its own 300-plus-acre peninsula on Tims Ford Lake in Franklin
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Name and title: Kelvin Burgin- PGA Professional/ GM The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain Hometown: Somerset, Kentucky How long at Bear Trace: for the past 16 years Are you a Class A: Yes, since June 2002
and Moore counties. The course has a links-style feel with wide open spaces – very unlike the tree-lined and hilly course at Cumberland Mountain – that wears Nicklaus’ signature touches on its sleeve. “You can see Nicklaus’ touch all around it,” Nixon says of Tims Ford’s layout. “You can tell he’s been there.” It features myriad greens that are open in the front, and when it comes to playability, it may be the most player-friendly of the trio. Still, that doesn’t mean Tims Ford is a prohibitively easy course, nor are Harrison Bay or Cumberland Mountain. “They’re fun, they’re challenging and they’re different,” Nixon adds. “They can be as difficult as you want to make them.” Nicklaus’ design links all three courses, and while each one is vastly different in several ways, there’s another common bond that each course shares – a common thread that runs through every course on the Tennessee Golf Trail: quality. Tims Ford and Harrison Bay feature warm-weather grasses that hold up especially well to Tennessee’s warm summertime climate. Cumberland Mountain, located in Crossville on the
“Our scenic course plays like two different courses. The front nine is wide open, the back nine is tight.” - Tim Brock
October 2019
Name and title: David (Tim) Brock, Superintendent at The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain Hometown: Crab Orchard, Tennessee How long at Bear Trace: I have been at this course 20 years Are you a Class A: Yes, a GCSAA Class A Grasses on course: Bentgrass greens fairways, tees, rough all cool season
Cumberland Plateau, features fescue and Bentgrass, which are better suited for the temperate climate. In each case, the Bear Trace courses are impeccably maintained, with a particular focus on the greens. “I’m a big believer in the ‘greens theory,’” Nixon admits. “If your greens are good, you’re going to get some play. If you’ve got good greens, people are going to come. We not only have good greens, but the rest of the golf course is really good, too.” That’s true across the board. Each Bear
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Trace course boasts well-kept driving ranges and practice areas, fully stocked pro shops, snack bars for breakfast and lunch, liquor licenses and what Nixon calls some of the best staff around. “Overall, you’re going to have a good time,” he adds. “You’re going to be waited on by a friendly staff, and the golf course is going to be great.” Given the affordability each course offers, “great” is an understatement. Harrison Bay, in Hamilton County, is the most heavily trafficked of the Bear Trace offerings and costs just $60 per round (with cart) on weekends during peak operating season. From November to the end of March, that drops to $50, with senior rates and discounted weekday rates coming in well below that. Those rates are on par with Tims Ford and Cumberland Mountain, as well. It’s
“ We have beyond the shadow of a doubt, the best bentgrass greens anywhere. Pure golf here in a natural setting..” - Kelvin Burgin
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a veritable steal to play Nicklaus-designed courses at those rates – to say nothing of the stand-alone quality each course offers.
Spotlight: Harrison Bay
The longest (7,111 yards from the tips) and arguably most challenging of the Bear Trace courses, Harrison Bay also gets the most traffic due to its proximity to Chattanooga. It was the second Bear Trace course to open, and it blends many of the design and geographic elements of Tims Ford and Cumberland Mountain. Situated on a Lake Chickamauga inlet, Harrison Bay has views of the water – through heavily wooded surroundings – though the water rarely comes into play during a typical round. The course features Bermuda greens and fairways, and, while perhaps the hardest of the three Bear Trace courses, greens fronts are generally wide open to allow for a variety of approach shots. Of the three, Harrison Bay best blends hilly topography, trees, views of the water and what you might expect from a typical Parkland golf course.
The Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain
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Harrison Bay is also one of just 12 golf courses in the country with a Golf Environmental Organization (GEO) distinction and has won Golf Digest’s Green Star Award for promotion of environmental solutions. In additional, every Tennessee Golf Trail course has received Audubon International certification for its efforts in environmentalism and wildlife preservation.
Spotlight: Tims Ford
Where Harrison Bay incorporates rolling hills design elements, Tims Ford really features them. Something of a linksstyle course, Bear Trace at Tims Ford is an altogether different playing experience. It’s a little shorter (6,763 yards from the tips) and a lot more wide open. “Tims Ford is links-like in a way,” says Nixon. “It’s one big peninsula. It’s not heavily wooded; it’s got a far more open feel than either of the others. “You could probably put Tims Ford anywhere from Nashville – it could be on Percy Priest just as easily – to anywhere west of the Tennessee River and you wouldn’t know it.” That doesn’t mean Tims Ford is ordinary, however. It’s been lauded as a top destination to golf in Tennessee since it opened in 1999.
Spotlight: Cumberland Mountain
While you might be able to find similar design and geographic elements in Harrison Bay and Tims Ford, Cumberland Mountain is the Bear Trace track that
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“Our layout is surrounded by Tims Ford Lake, we are like a “virtual island ”. Check out the picturesque aerial view. Seeing is believing!!!” - Jared Melson mostly stands on its own. Situated in the hills of the Cumberland Plateau, elevation changes and a heavily wooded landscape define what has been perhaps the most acclaimed of all three Bear Trace courses on the Tennessee Golf Trail. It was named Tennessee’s No. 1 public golf course as recently as 2013, and Golf Magazine added it to its list of “One of the Top 10 You Can Play in North America” when it opened in 1999. It’s fairly long (6,928 yards from the tips) and features a bevy of natural features with which to contend. It’s also Name and title: Jared Melson, just a couple hours from downtown Class “A PGA Member, Head Golf Professional at The Bear Trace Nashville.
As part of the Tennessee Golf Trail
Nearly every one of the six additional courses on the Tennessee Golf Trail (Henry Horton, Fall Creek Falls, Montgomery Bell, Paris Landing, Pickwick Landing and Warriors’ Path) have conference centers, inns and restaurants on-premises. In fact, Montgomery Bell and Pickwick Landing are currently undergoing renovations that should be completed by April 2020, and new lodges are being constructed at Paris Landing and Fall Creek Falls, to be completed in the spring of 2021. With the Tennessee Golf Trail Annual Pass, golfers can experience everything
The Bear Trace at Tims Ford
at Tims Ford Hometown: Fayetteville, Tennessee How long at Bear Trace: I began here at The Bear Trace Tims Ford in January 2013 Are you a Class A: Yes, PGA Class “A” member
those six courses – as well as the three Bear Trace courses – have to offer. It’s a $2,000 fee for the pass ($1,800 for seniors), which includes cart fees and is good for 12 months at all nine Tennessee Golf Trail facilities. The Bear Trace courses, while different from one another and certainly different than their other six Tennessee Golf Trail counterparts, are part of what makes the trail so unique and, to put it
Name and title: Chad Garrett, GCSAA Superintendent at Bear Trace at Tims Ford Hometown: Estill Springs, Tennessee How long there: I arrived here in 2004 Are you a Class A: Yes, GCSAA Class A Member Grasses on Course: Champion Bermuda Greens, 419 tees, fairways, and roughs.
“Come enjoy a challenging round of golf, while taking in the serenity of playing on a peninsula. Our views of wildlife and tranquil waters will be enjoyable to all golfers.” - Chad Garrett more bluntly, special. Just ask Nixon. “State park golf courses generally have a connotation of being just that,” he opines. “It’s a park golf course; it’s so-so at best. It’s just a part of the park and nobody cares about it – we’re different than that.” So, while Bear Trace has its own moniker and is its own brand, Harrison Bay, Tims Ford and Cumberland Mountain are all very much a part of the Tennessee Golf Trail, and they have more in common with the other half-dozen courses than they ultimately have differences. “Bear Trace is part of the Tennessee Golf Trail,” says Nixon. “It’s going to keep its monikers and it’ll be the Bear Trace. But we’ve got some pretty good designers in Joe Lee and Mr. [George] Cobb (who designed Fall Creek Falls and Warriors’ Path, respectively). We’ve tried very hard to make sure all our courses are fun places to play.” To learn more about the Tennessee Golf Trail and the Bear Trace courses of the trail, visit tnstateparks.com/golf.
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From tHE Editor By Gregg Dewalt
First Tee’s Kayli Lucas garners national attention Some notes from around the world of golf: Gallatin’s Kayli Lucas and The First Tee of Tennessee got some well-deserved national attention ahead of her appearance in the PGA Tour Champions Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach. Lucas was one of 78 players from First Tee chapters around the country selected to play in the annual event, and no doubt she has one of the most unique and amazing stories of any of this year’s participants. Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press chronicled Kayli’s journey to golf that began in an orphanage in Nanjing, China after she was found abandoned outside an equipment factory and adopted by Lisa Lucas, who was in a 20-month process of adopting a baby girl. The tour’s website also has a video chronicling her story. Lisa Lucas told the Associated Press that Kayli “is a miracle all the way around,” overcoming numerous health issues early in life. “She was about nine months when we got her and from the lack of human touch, she could barely hold her head up,” Lucas said in the AP story. “Two weeks before we left, she was sitting up on her own.” A friend invited Kayli to The First Tee,
PUBLISHER Joe Hall pgegolf@bellsouth.net EDITOR Gregg Dewalt ASSOCIATE EDITOR Justin Onslow SENIOR EDITOR David Widener widecard@aol.com
and she asked her stepfather, Greg Borchers, to show her how to swing a club before her first lesson. “She had this eagerness to learn the game of golf,” Josh McDade, executive director of the The First Tee of Tennessee, said. “That was something you could tell. After class, she’d be hitting balls on the range, putting and chipping on her own. You can separate kids from who’s there because they
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want to be there. She has a great spirit about herself.” According to the PGA Tour Champions website, Kayli also got a pretty good pairing for the tournament – Davis Love III.
Morristown’s Millstone Golf Club closing
Citing financial reasons, one of east Tennessee’s long-standing golf facilities announced it would close in mid-October. The Millstone Golf Club, a nearly 30year old public facility in West Morristown, will close on Oct. 13, club officials announced in late September. George McGuffin, a club co-founder and owner, told the Morristown Citizen-Tribune that the course never recovered from the economic downturn of 2008. “Our revenues went down and didn’t come back,” he told Citizen-Tribune staff writer Shawn Singleton. According to the Citizen-Tribune, Millstone Golf Club was the host club for most of the area’s high school golf teams and also for Walters State Community College and Carson-Newman University. The course once hosted between 50-60 events annually, but that has dwindled to between 30 and 40. The course opened in 1995 and has hosted then-Nike Tour qualifiers from 200006. McGuffin said early on, as many as 35,000 rounds a year were being played at Millstone. The Citizen-Tribune said there are no immediate plans for redeveloping the property.
Louisiana’s Audubon Golf Trail expands
Louisiana’s Lieutenant Governor Billy
Nungesser recently announced the state’s acclaimed Audubon Golf Trail has added three more courses to its fold, bringing the number of courses to 18 on the trail. The new courses are LaTour Golf Club, located in Mathews, Louisiana, Oak Knoll Country Club in Hammond and Kosati Pines Golf Club at the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder. LaTour is a David Toms design, while Oak Knoll is in the Northshore golf community. Kosati Pines is ranked No. 4 on the Golf Digest list of Best in State for 2019-20. “We are very excited about the expansion to Louisiana’s very own Audubon Golf Trail that offers players excellent golf venues 12 months out of the year,” Nungesser said in a news release. “Only in Louisiana can you experience the courses of Arnold Palmer, David Toms, Trent Jones Sr., Pete Dye and the most magnificent designer of all, Mother Nature. As home to the Audubon Golf Trail, Louisiana is more than great food, festivals and music – it’s great golf too.
New Huntsville Korn Ferry Tour stop seeks volunteers
The Huntsville Championship, a new Korn Ferry Tour stop slated for April 2026 at The Ledges in Huntsville, Alabama, has opened registration for those wanting to volunteer at the tournament. The $80 registration fee includes a golf polo, hat, jacket, weekly tournament credential, complimentary food and beverage in the volunteer headquarters, and an invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation Party. Volunteers who complete two or more shifts also receive a complimentary round at the course, which is rated among the best in Alabama. For more information, go to huntsvillechampionship.com.
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“Best Course You Can Play” - GolfWeek
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October 2019
Jackson claims record 23rd TGA title; Harris is Super Senior champ Tennessee Golf Association JACKSON, Tenn. – Even at 60 years old, Tim Jackson is making history. His latest feat came at Jackson Country Club. Jackson – the winningest amateur golfer in Tennessee Golf Association history – became the first player to sweep the three state senior tournaments hosted by the TGA as he claimed the 49th annual Tennessee Senior Amateur Championship. The Williston, Tennessee, native also won the Tennessee Senior Match Play and the Tennessee Senior Four-Ball (with teammate Buzz Fly) during the 2019 season. The haul puts Jackson – a three-time USGA national champion as well – at 23 state titles for his career, the most of any amateur golfer in TGA history. “It’s nice to hit your goals for the year,” Jackson said. “Unfortunately I didn’t get to play in the State Amateur Doug or the State Match Play – I Harris was disappointed not to play in those – but I was pretty happy with how I played this year. I’ve been pretty consistent all year.” When asked what keeps his competitive fire burning strong all these year, Jackson replied, “Just knowing that I don’t have much of a window left … As long as I’m still healthy and injury free, I’m going to show up and give it my best and see what I can do until my number is up.” Jackson turned in a three-day total of 2-under, 214 (73-71-70) to win by five strokes over runner-up Tom Paulsen of Gallatin. Collierville’s John Fisher was third at 220, while David Apperson (Memphis), Dan Barton (Germantown) and Jeff Golliher (Knoxville) tied for fourth at 222. An opening-round 1-over, 73 left Jackson in fourth place, but experience told him that patience would be key for the long, hot week of golf ahead. “I knew the scores were going to be high,” Jackson noted. “The golf course was playing pretty difficult. If I could just be patient, particularly patient on the greens, and just dial it back – not try to make so many of them but just work on the speed. That worked out pretty well for me.” Jackson made his fair share of putts in the final round, though, recording five birdies to along with three bogeys for a closing 70. Paulsen turned in the only other red number in the final round as he carded a 1-under, 71. His day was highlighted by his third career hole-one as he aced the 167-yard, ninth hole using a 7-iron.
Tim Jackson
Ken Lee (Manchester) and David Salyers (Jackson) tied for seventh at 224. Ed McDugle of Memphis (225) and defending tournament champion Steve Golliher of Powell (226) rounded out the top ten. In winning, Jackson was extremely complimentary of the playing conditions of Jackson Country Club. “The course … I don’t think I’ve played a course this firm and fast since a USGA championship,” he said. “I can’t remember one of the (TGA) events being this difficult. The fairways played much more narrow due to the firmness, the rough was penal and the greens were super fast.” “It was a very difficult test this week, so I feel happy to beat Old Man Par. It was just really a pleasant surprise to come here and find the golf course like this.”
Harris claims Super Senior title
Doug Harris entered the final round of the Tennessee Super Senior Amateur with a commanding lead and he made it stand at Jackson Country Club. The Franklin, Tennessee resident turned in a three-day total of 1-over, 217 (72-71-74) to win his second Tennessee Golf Association state title by six strokes over Ed Link of Memphis. Larry McGill of Ooltewah (224) finished third, while Kevin Mullins (Savannah) and Doug Ryerson (Mount Juliet) tied for third at 226. Harris won the Tennessee Senior Four-Ball in 2010 with Dennis Vaughn at The Ridges. Harris also claimed the Tennessee Section PGA’s Tennessee Senior Open at Stonehenge in 2015.
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Spotlight: Country Hills Golf Club Jimbo Hicks, PGA Professional Original hometown: Goodlettsville Family: Wife, Starr, daughters, Hannah and Rachel, step-daughter Melissa, and 7 grand kids Previous position: Head golf professional at Long Hollow Golf Course for 15 years Tee Times: When did you take up the game of golf? Hicks: When I was 10 years old, my buddy, David Burnette had a 7-iron, and his sister a 5-iron. We would hit balls to trees in their backyard. David because a golf pro at Brentwood CC under Herschel Spears. Another neighbor was golf professional Jerry Moore, and another neighborhood fellow, Johnny Bridgeman who was and still is the head golf professional at Brentwood CC. Tee Times: When did you decide to make golf a career, when did you acquire your Class A PGA? Hicks: I decided in college (MTSU), and while I never played in college, I felt I was good enough. I turned pro in 1987 and achieved my Class A PGA status in 1991 Tee Times: Do you give instructions, would this be what you enjoy the most about being a PGA Professional? Hicks: Yes, I have been teaching 35 years. I can fix a swing in 5 minutes. I get a lot of satisfaction because I love helping my students. If someone is interested in improving their game, they need to come see me. Tee Times: Do you get to play much golf, if so with whom? Hicks: I arrived at Country Hills Golf Club on May 1, this year. I actually opened Country Hills, let me think, 1990 or 1991, so this is a
true homecoming, and feel like I have come full circle. Tee Times: Do you have much time to play golf these days? Hicks: Almost every Monday for the past 35 years, Daryl Edens (pro at Shelby Golf Course) and Tim Herd and I, and different guys to fill out the foursome have played so many different courses and enjoyed it immensely. This year, we all have slowed down for a variety of health reasons and age. I love playing with friends, but my game has gone south. Lol. Tee Times: We hear you reunited and now work with a friend? Hicks: Yes, Brad Shirley, director of golf at Country Hills Golf Club, we two go way back, my college roommate at MTSU in the early 80s and we both worked at Brentwood CC. Tee Times: What is special about Country Hills Golf Club, why come play this course? Hicks: Country Hills is a happy place because all of the staff as well as our customers care about and have a passion for the game of golf. Brad is a great PGA Professional as well as a super guy. Rusty, who has been here 20 plus years is fantastic, and well I, who wrote the book on “customer service�, loves what we do and it shows. Come out and play Country Hills, we are eager to greet you, and invite you to enjoy our course and a fun round of golf!
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Simonsen, Kok team up to win E-Z-GO Pro-Pro Tee Times report CHATTANOOGA - Henrik Simonsen and Johan Kok made a slew of birdies and held on to win the E-Z-GO ProPro Championship at the Black Creek Club in late August. The Simonsen-Kok pairing opened
Results
Pos Team Total 1 Kok/Simonsen -21 2 Melson/Hunter -19 T3 Bailey/Rebne -16 T3 Botts/Whitehead -16 T3 Hudson/Reeves -16 6 Johnson/Personett -14 T7 Brock/Cox -13 T7 Jones/Bateman -13 9 Wood/Johnson -12 T10 Burgin/Corder -11 T10 Flenniken/Snell -11 T10 Hutcherson/Vance -11 T10 Moran/Mullins -11 T10 Wyatt/Chapman -11
with a 61 in soft conditions and added a 62 in the second round to win by two shots. The team of Jared Melson-Braxton Hunter finished second, while three teams finished tied for third, five shots behind Simonsen-Kok, whose winning score was 21-under 123. It was a wire-to-wire victory for Simonsen-Kok,, who birdied their final six holes in the first round to lead by one shot over three teams that finished with 62. Melson-Hunter shot 63 in the second round for a 36-hole total of 125. When Simonsen-Kok made their only bogey on No. 17, their lead was reduced to one shot. But they closed with a birdie to secure the two-shot win. The team of Chris Dibble-and Randy Helton won the one-day shootout in the second round with a 65. That prize was available for teams that did not cash in the primary purse. The teams of Ryan Botts-Lee White-
(l-r) Henrik Simonsen, PGA, EZ GO Rep, Jim Newton, PGA, and Johan Kok, PGA. head and Mike Vance-Mike Hutcherson won the True Temper Skins Game on the first day. Vance-Hutcherson eagled the 10th hole, while Botts-
Whitehead In the second round, the team of Audie Johnson-Loren Personett scored the only skin with an eagle on No. 4.
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The great (Michigan) escape Boyne Golf Experience provides unique golf experience By Joe Hall Tee Times Publisher Because there are so many great golf destinations across the Southeast – think Florida, North and South Carolina and the Gulf Coast, sometimes it’s easy to forget that there are plenty more across the country that offer diverse playing opportunities. Michigan is one of those, and a recent trip to Boyne Michigan
Bay Harbor Links No. 3
Arthur Hills No. 13 in early fall exceeded my expectations. I have always heard that Michigan has more golf courses per capita than any other state, and that’s probably an accurate assessment. There also are plenty of ski slopes too. The jumping off point for the Boyne Golf Experience, as it is
known, is Traverse City, which is located in northern Michigan. From Nashville, that means a stop in Chicago and another flight into Michigan. The Boyne Golf experience has 10 golf courses within just a few miles from each other and each had its own characteristics and features. An overlooked aspect of golf in Michigan is the significant amount of daylight during the summer. It’s easy to get in 36 holes when the sun doesn’t set until 10 p.m. The area has some beautiful landscape and while it is not mountainous there are ski slopes on any good size elevation with the golf course at the base, so it is a destination 12 months of the year. After a full day of playing golf or visiting the many area attractions you are treated to a beautiful sunset with Lake Michigan mocking an ocean for the scene. We played five of the 10 area courses, and each was a treat in its own distinct way. Each of the five had a different look and playability. And the golf was
fantastic. Here’s a brief synopsis of each course we played:
Donald Ross Memorial Comprised of a selection of the greatest holes ever designed by one of the sport’s greatest course designers, the Donald Ross Memorial is the golfing equivalent of a “greatest hits” compilation. The course represents a labor of love, which started as an inspiration, led to years of travel, play and heated deliberation, and culminated into one of the country’s most satisfying courses. A round of golf here looks, feels, and plays every bit like a true Donald Ross design.
Arthur Hills course: A signature course that lives up to the legendary reputation of its namesake, the Arthur Hills course is widely recognized as one of the finest in Michigan and a bucket list essential for avid golfers, both regionally and throughout the U.S. With its wide, bunker-dotted fairways, narrowing approaches
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The iconic Donald Ross No. 13 and fascinating greens, this scenic course provides excellent playability for golfers of all abilities.
The Heather course: Named 2018 Michigan Golf Course of the Year and 2019 National Course of the Year It’s not hype. It’s not pretense. It’s a fact: The Heather has earned its reputation as one of the finest championship courses in the entire United States. Bearing all the markings of its legendary designer, this Robert Trent Jones, Sr. course has tested the finest names in the game since 1966, playing host
to Michigan Amateurs, AJGA Championships, the Michigan State Pro-Am, and The Celebrity Tour. The Heather has been named the 2018 Golf Course of the Year by the Michigan Golf Course Association (MGCA). The Heather has also been awarded the 2019 National Golf Course of the Year by the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). Links/Quarry Taking its lead from the dramatic courses that hug Ireland’s North Atlantic coastline, The Links is situated on
The Heather Course No. 4
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the beautiful Lake Michigan shore, with miles of uninterrupted views up and down the lakefront. Accented by towering bluffs and windblown dunes, The Links 9 demonstrates Arthur Hills design at its finest, combining the course’s unique topography with the native environment to achieve golf ’s greatest promise as both a sport - and a lifestyle. The Quarry epitomizes Arthur Hills’ unique ability to leverage existing terrain in the creation of something distinctive and spectacular. Located in and around the remains of a massive shale quarry, this one-of-akind course claims some of the golfing world’s most dramatic features, from 40-foot gorges and stone cliffs to natural ponds and a gentle waterfall. But beyond the scenery, The Quarry is golf at its finest - rewarding well-planned tee shots, and approaches that hit their spots. The Alpine at Boyne Mountain: There’s good reason The Alpine course plays host to the
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annual Tournament of Champions. With its spectacular mountainside setting and panoramic views toward Deer Lake, its setting is every bit as breathtaking is its legendary design. From its elevated start to its finish at the 18th hole, The Alpine trends down the mountainside - presenting a diverse array of hazards and a layout that tests every aspect of your game. And consider this fair warning: once you’ve tried The Alpine, you’ll want to face it again and again in an endless pursuit of the perfect round. One of the added benefits of golf in northern Michigan in late June was the escape from the South’s oppressive heat. During our brief time there, temperatures barely flirted with 80 degrees. Add that to the great golf, 16 hours of daylight, beautiful sunsets over water, plenty of excellent restaurants and super accommodations, Boyne Golf should definitely be on a short list of must-visit golf destinations. For more info go to: https://boynegolf.com/
Boyne Mountain Alpine No.12
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Corey Green and the Experience of 10,000 Hours By Justin Onslow Tee Times Associate Editor
It’s a way that helped Green nurture his own golf game. A largely self-taught golfer, he took up the game during his freshman year of high school after having broken his back playing football a year prior. He could no longer play football, and his high school basketball coach gave him two options: golf or run cross country. “I didn’t want to run cross country, so that’s how I started playing golf,” he jokes. Green’s uncle played in a lot of local tournaments, and while he wasn’t an instructor by trade, he helped Green figure out some important things about his own golf game – none more important than perhaps the most fundamental of all fundamentals. “I played my first year on the golf team my freshman year left-handed, because I am lefthanded,” Green explains. “I played really awful that first
year. I went out and practiced with my uncle a little bit the following spring and got some lessons. He gave me a right-handed club and told me to hit and said, ‘you’re not left-handed. You need to get some right-handed clubs.’” From there, Green took to the game of golf in earnest, and he’s gotten to the point where teaching the game is just as important to him as playing it. The 10,000 Hour Rule. If you do something enough, expertise follows. Now, Green not only passes along his expertise to his GOLFTEC students, but also his newest student at home: his three-year-old son, Grady. “The first thing I taught him is the basics and to hold the club properly and stand properly, and we’ll go from there,” he says. Green still isn’t sure if Grady will end up being a righty or a lefty on the golf course. But given his experience (both personal and professional), it’s safe to say Grady is in good hands.
The “10,000 Hours Rule” suggests that, in order to become an expert in any given area, a person must practice for about 10,000 hours. By that standard, Corey Green is certainly an expert at improving people’s golf swings. Green, a new addition to the GOLFTEC family at the Cool Springs location in Franklin, Tennessee, has been with GOLFTEC since June. Before that, he spent about six years at Golfsmith (and later Golf Galaxy) as a club-fitter, observing people’s swings and helping them find the perfect equipment for their build and mechanics. After watching thousands of swings, it stands to reason that Green has just about seen it all, and he knows exactly how to tweak each one. “It doesn’t matter your skill level, seeing yourself on camera and seeing the Tyler Hirsch motion measurement numbers of your own swing is so, so helpful,” Hometown: Brentwood he says of GOLFTEC technology. “It the game of golf? s: When, and who introduced you toHirsch) took me out Time Tee doesn’t matter if you’re a scratch d (Dave Hirsch: I was a teen and my dad, Davi golfer or a 30 handicap. Everybody can to learn and play. growing up? benefit from it.” Tee Times: Did you play team golf ally. I do play an ation That technology is critical to what Hirsch: No, I have always played recre occasional tournament for charity. ng to GOLFTEC? GOLFTEC does in teaching students. ns before comi Tee Times: Had you been given lessorience with lessons and a coach, Green, though, has spent so much GOLFTEC is my first expe No, ch: Hirs time observing swings with more other than my dad. taking lessons, and what conventional methods that he brings a Tee Times: How long have you been rare blend of old-school and modern to impresses you about this system? hs now. I really for about 2 mont his teaching approach. Hirsch: I have been taking lessons are. The data gives the coaches softw all with n actio inter the enjoy “When you’re used to looking at flaws and make you a better a real strategy on how to attack your people’s swings and working with player. them so long without the technology, you find, having taken GOLFTEC Tee Times: What improvement do y Green? the technology is so helpful,” he adds “I lessons with Core is he very knowledgeable can’t stress that enough. When you’ve Hirsch: Corey has been great! Not only ct my flaws. I feel my corre to how on tive gone so long without it, I have to remind about golf, but seems intui months. Corey is very short two just in good the myself sometimes to reference back to game has changed for a positive manner... in and ly quick ss acro point his it. Sometimes I just like to do it the old- hands on and gets Corey and GOLFTEC, with e rienc expe my but , hard is The game of golf me great friends! fashioned way.” rewarding. In addition, we have beco has been
Corey Green
Personal Coach Corey Green (L) asks his student Tyler Hirsch to point out what he saw when viewing his own video.
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October 2019
Choose to be confident By Gregg Steinberg Austin Peay University Confidence is as fickle as an eight-year-old boy in a candy store. One moment he wants to try the sweet gummie bears and the next he will gobble up the sour chews. Good shots on the golf course create the sweet air of invincibility. However, a couple of bad shots can sour your attitude as well as the perception of your golf ability. Once we begin to lose our confidence, it is difficult to gain that sweet feeling back again. After a couple of bad shots, it seems as if the game has become our enemy and nothing will work. All we think about is how we are going to miss the next shot.
In Fact:
The toughest mental skill to possess is remaining confident when your game takes the train south for the day. The toughest mental skill to possess is remaining confident when your game takes the train south for the day. However, no matter how poorly you are playing, you can always choose to remain confident. Confi-
dence is within your power over every shot! One of my favorite stories to illustrate this key mental game point is from Tom Watson. Most remember his remarkable chip-in on the 17th hole at Pebble Beach, but more important to his victory was his thought process on the greens. On the seventh hole, he missed a two-foot putt. It did not even touch the cup. However, he did not lose confidence in his putting, but merely told himself that even great putters miss an occasional easy one. Hall of Fame greats like Watson choose to remain confident regardless of the situation or past disasters. You can see that mental process today with Brooks Koepka - a future Hall of Famer. No matter how bad he hit his last shot or what score he just received, Brooks always looks like he is supremely confident ready to make a birdie on the next hole. Brooks always chooses to be confident! Centuries ago the founder of philosophical thought, Rene Descartes, wrote that we have the capacity to think whatever we choose. If you make the correct choice, then the chances are much greater you will become a better player and the player you want to be. Dr. Gregg Steinberg is a professor of sport psychology at Austin Peay State University. He has worked with many PGA pros and col-
legiate teams including Vanderbilt and Belmont. Get your free mental game e-book at www.masteringgolfpsychology.com and if you have any questions e-mail Dr. Gregg at mentalrules24@msn.com.
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Top (L-R): Anthony Cordes, Clint Colbert, Rex Ross, Jacob Tilton, Greg Edwards, Tanner Farr. Bottom: Dan Merriman, Gus Wagoner, Tyler Hays, Luke James, Jack Sargent, and Peter Vitiello
October 2019
Tennessee regains the Cup!!! 2019 CHAMPIONS
Left: Garrett Campbell, Adam Forgey, Joey Batuello, Tre Mullins, Chris Weilandt, Andrew Bateman. Right: Mike Vance, Marshall Talkington, Alex Cox, Casey Flenniken, Dave Ambrose, Ryan Botts.
The Tennessee and Georgia teams are comprised of the top ten Assistants’ Cup point leaders, plus two Captains choices. This is the 25th Assistants’ Cup Matches, which started in 1995 to create a fun yet competitive event between the two Sections. Another goal of the Cup Matches is to raise money for a charity of the host team’s choice.
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Top (L-R): Chris Weilandt, Marshall Talkington, Ryan Botts, Mike Vance, Adam Forgey, Garrett Campbell. Bottom: Tre Mullins, Dave Ambrose, Casey Flenniken, Alex Cox, Joey Batuello, and Andrew Bateman
The format was three rounds of match play, with four-ball and foursome (alternate shot) matches both played on Monday and singles matches on Tuesday morning. One point will be awarded to the winner of each match, with ties being split. Tennessee had to obtain a total of 12.5 points to regain the Cup!
Tennessee High School Golf Championships Hosted by WillowBrook Golf Club
September 30 October 16, 2019 Coming in November Tee Times complete results and highlights all divisions
October 2019
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Around Nashville Fairways Wayne Evans
Superintendent of Sports/ Golf Clubhouse Operations As summer slides kicking and fighting into fall, temps have finally tumbled out of the high 90’s and showers are falling on our Nashville Fairway courses. Notwithstanding that, we here, staffs in administration, and staffs both inside and out on our courses, have been told over and over, how great our courses are. Having conducted the James H Fyke, Men’s, Women’s and Senior Amateur Champions, we see golfers that we might not otherwise see. Over and over we hear the accolades, something we appreciate. We wrapped up the Senior James H. Fyke Men’s Championship recently and a very familiar face and great player, Doug Harris, won this tournament named in honor of Jim Fyke, our former Director of Parks Harpeth Hills . On hand to present him with his trophy 2424 Old Hickory Blvd. • 615-862-8493 and prizes were Mrs. Jim Fyke(Becky) and our own John Holmes, Assistant Director McCabe of Parks. We love the participation of Mr. 46th & Murphy Rd. • 615-862-8491 Fyke’s family, and their being here means so much to all who knew him and what he Percy Warner did for golf in this metropolitan area . Forrest Park Dr. • 615-352-9958 Weather is great and our courses are in super shape, come see us soon. Shelby - Wayne 20th & Fatherland • 615-862-8474
We Love Our Golfers!!!
Two Rivers
Two Rivers Parkway • 615-889-2675
Ted Rhodes
1901 Ed Temple Blvd. • 615-862-8463
VinnyLinks
2009 Sevier Street • 615-880-1720
(L-R): Becky Fyke, Doug Harris, 2019 JHF Senior Men’s Amateur Champion, and John Holmes, Assistant Director of Parks, shown here at clubhouse at Two Rivers Golf Course.
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Riverside Golf Course Superintendent Jeff Cooper
Hometown: Knoxville, Tennessee Family: 2 sons, 2 daughters 2 grandsons Tee Times: When did you arrive at Riverside Golf Course? Cooper: August 27th 2018 Tee Times: Tell us more about your background Cooper: I moved here a few years ago and starting working at Windtree golf course as a crew member and worked my way up to assistant superintendent. Our superintendent left and I became interim superintendent. Windtree closed and I moved over to Pine Creek as an assistant superintendent. Last year the opportunity to come to Riverside came open for the superintendent position and I gladly transitioned. Tee Times: Name your grasses, fairways, tee boxes, greens and rough. Cooper: Bent grass greens, Bermuda fairways and tee boxes, the rough is a mix of fescue and bermuda Tee Times: Name your staff Cooper: Charlie Booher, Ray Hildebrand, David Cooper, Ben Wilkes, Phillip Martin, Rick Stephens, Gage Drennon, and Mason Malone Tee Times: What upgrades have you and your crew undertaken since you arrived? Cooper: Over the last few months we have improved the greens, rebuilt the sand traps, added some sand traps, and added a new pond on No 15. In addition, the No. 6 hole has a new fairway. A major undertaking has been
the number of trees that have been cut and trimmed to improve the aesthetics and in some case the air flow around the course. The new ownership has committed to across the board upgrades, countess projects that are ongoing for the good of this course and its golfers who choose to play here. Tee Times: What do you love most about being a golf course superintendent? Cooper: I enjoy making all of the upgrades to the course, maintaining all the work we have done, knowing that we are improving this fine old course, adding to its beauty, playability, and enjoyment for all. Tee Times: Tell us why any golfer will love playing your course. Cooper: For starters, upgrades, new water features, beautiful, esthetically pleasing landscaping, greens and fairways that look and play beautifully. The new owners and the Rager Family, caretakers of this course for so very long, are thrilled with what they are experiencing. They are getting excellent feedback from our golfers. From the beginner to the advanced golfer, juniors to seniors, everyone will enjoy Riverside. And we are not done (L-R): William Drennon (Gage), Phillip Martin, Ben Wilkes, yet; we are on track for more to Superintendent Jeff Cooper, And Rick Stephens. Not pictured: Charlie come in 2020. Booker, Ray Hildebrand, David Cooper, Logan Wilson, and Mason Malone
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Robinette, Gilbert, Tucker, Rowe claim TGT junior titles T
he Tennessee Golf Trail Junior Championships are in the books, and a good time was had by all at our Henry Horton golf course. Neil Collins and his staff were excellent hosts, and Kevin Snell, and his staff had the golf course in pristine condition for our event. Mother Nature was our friend, although it was a tad warm, but a slight breeze helped everyone out, as it was just enough to cool things down for our juniors and many of their families. It was really good to see all of the families come out to cheer their favorites on, and get an up close and personal look at how these young people make their way around the course on their own. With green speeds approaching 11 on the Stimpmeter the youngsters had to learn quickly how to manage the green speeds and get the ball below the hole as soon as possible. There were many great learning experiences during the day, suitable circumstances to show each other how sportsmanlike gestures are seen by others during the heat of competition, and an opportunity to make new friends that could last a lifetime. It was one more reason that golf is the greatest game for a lifetime of enjoyment. Seth Robinette of Warriors Path led the way for the Boys 17 and under division with a really well-played 74, while Bailey Gilbert of Montgomery Bell had an equally impressive 77 that took first place in the 17 and under girls division. Carson Tucker of the Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain won the Boys 13 and under division with a fine 80 and Macey Rowe of Montgomery Bell defended her 13 and under girls championship. It certainly seemed like a fun day for all and we look forward to next year. Details of that event will come out in February, so watch tngolftrail. net for more details on the event and other
Neil Collins/ PGA/GM, Henry Horton, seen here with Macey Rowe, Montgomery Bell and Macey Rowe, the 14 and under champion
Neil Collins checks out scoreboard while Tim, our intrepid scorekeeper, posts scores.
goings-on at the Tennessee Golf Trail. Neil Collins and Seth Robinette Warriors Path 17 and under champ
PGA Professional/Manager Neil Collins /Henry Horton presents Carson Tucker, of Cumberland MT, 13 and under champ with his trophy.
PGA Professional/Manager/ Neil Collins of Henry Horton, presents Bailey Gilbert, Montgomery Bell’s 17 and Under champion with her trophy.
Renovations under way
Tennessee State Parks will be enhancing the Tennessee Golf Trail in the spring. Montgomery Bell and Pickwick Landing Inns have started construction on our lodge renovations. Newly designed rooms, restaurants, and other amenities are being added and should be
completed in April. We will have a new line of Golf Packages to offer and look forward to having everyone visit these fine courses—but you don’t have to wait, we are still open for business everywhere. So, come and visit any of our fine Tennessee Golf Trail courses as often as you can, as fall golf in Tennessee is spectacular. Also, ground breaking for completely new Lodges at Fall Creek Falls and Paris Landing State Parks will be happening in coming weeks. and we can’t wait for these new facilities to open. These will be the biggest upgrades for Tennessee State Parks in many, many years and everyone is excited to see these projects come to fruition. As always, come see us on the Tennessee Golf Trail and support your Tennessee State Parks, they are the best! - Mike
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October 2019
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When in Doubt, Simplify your Game By Grayson Kirkham In all the years I’ve studied the game of golf, I’ve come across thousands of swing tips. These bits of wisdom have come from a variety of locations including friends, coaches, golf instructors, golf magazines, Golf Channel, and YouTube videos. While there’s no single key to playing good golf, I do believe most golfers would benefit from a small piece of advice: keep the game simple. This isn’t a new concept, but it’s worthy of remembering. Golf is mentally draining, perhaps more-so than any other sport. Therefore, it’s crucial for a golfer to feed their brain with only the most essential information necessary to play good golf. Complex swing theories can be useful to understand the science behind golf and the swing, but they have no place on the golf course. If a player thinks of the golf swing as a move that’s complicated and difficult, then it will only continue to be difficult. Simple, positive thoughts and keys are the only thing you need on your mind when you play golf. For example, Sam Snead, arguably the most natural swinger in golf history, kept his swing thoughts to a minimum. While he took the time in his practice sessions to understand the intricacies of his game, on the golf course he had but one thought: the takeaway. Snead said all he thought about when he played was taking the club back with the feet and hands together simultaneously. It doesn’t sound like much, but a
The legendary Sam Snead had a simple mental trigger simple approach to playing golf. like this was all it took myths in golf, but to kick Snead’s extraordinary muscle these four in parmemory in gear. To keep your game simple, it’s impor- ticular are important to understand. For tant to understand the things in golf that instance, if a new golfer were to spend all their practice time trying to ensure are absolute and the things that aren’t. • To ensure consistent contact, the they’re not coming “over the top” in their club must strike the golf ball before its swing, he or she may neglect more important factors such as getting a proper strikes the turf (Absolute) • A golfer cannot hit solid shots with shoulder turn or making solid contact. The next time you play, try to minian “over the top” move at the ball (Not mize your swing thoughts. Maybe the Absolute) • Hitting the golf ball on the “upswing” with a driver reduces spin and will give the ball more roll upon landing (Absolute) • At the top of your backswing, the lead wrist must be in a flat position and not cupped (Not Absolute) There are many examples of facts and
Tee Times Associate Editor Justin Onslow scored his first hole-inone while playing a round with family at Black Gold Golf Club in Sugarcreek, Ohio over Labor Day weekend. Onslow used a 6-iron to ace the 189yard par 3 No. 13. He was playing with his brothers, Matthew Onslow and Andrew Onslow, and his brother-in-law, Glen Karrenbauer.
Snead understood as well as anyone the importance of a good shoulder turn.
only key you need is to think about getting your left shoulder under your chin in the backswing. Or, you may just need to imagine yourself squashing a leaf in front of the ball with the clubhead to ensure that ball-first contact. It doesn’t matter which swing thought you choose, as long as you don’t give yourself too much information. Remember, don’t amplify golf. Simplify it!
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October 2019
A Golfing Moment… Trace Hall lands on No.17 Island Green at TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course
It is estimated that more than 100,000 balls are retrieved from the surrounding water every year, courtesy of professionals and tourists alike.
TPC Sawgrass’ signature hole is the Stadium Course’s 17th, known simply as the «Island Green,» It measures only 137 yards (125 m) from tee to green (requiring only a pitching wedge for most pros), but it consists of nothing but a 78foot (24 m)-long green with a tiny bunker in front of it..
Trace Hall eyeballs the No. 17 Signature green. What is he thinking? “ I have three options, the small bunker, the water, or….the green.”
Yesssssssss!!!! I decided on the third option, the Island Green! Anyone can land in the water…
Golfing buddies, business associates, and WITNESSES!
(L-R) Trace Hall, Derek Roberts, De Thompson V, and Randy Butler
is Tee Times I... Trace publisher, Joe Hall, and Tee F YTimes distribution manager, Susan
Lawrence’s son.
Send me your “Golfing Moment…” Email : gregg.dewalt@peoplepc.com - Gregg - Editor - Tee Times
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October 2019
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(L-R): TPGA President Jim Vernon , PGA, shown here last year at the TPGA Annual Meeting with Braxton Hunter, PGA. He congratulates and presents Braxton with his pin. Braxton Hunter is with Fairways and Greens.
Receiving their Class A PGA Membership requires a significant amount of effort and dedication. The commitment they have to make in order to be elected to membership requires years of education and work experience. Year after year, one of my favorite days is when we hand these men and women their PGA Membership pins at the TPGA Annual Meeting. It is our opportunity to recognize them for the tremendous passion they have for the game of golf and accomplishing their own goals. Congratulations to each and every Austin Moeller, PGA Bristol, VA one of them. The Olde Farm Golf Club - Clayton 2/1/2019
Kevin Ashley, PGA Chattanooga Lookout Mountain Golf Club - 6/3/2019
Nathanael Overman, PGA Nashville Wyndemere Country Club 2/1/2019
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Jason Bell, PGA Lakeland Chickasaw Country Club 3/1/2019
Bryan Bentley, PGA Kingsport Pine Oaks Golf Club 4/1/2019
Christopher Pierce, PGA Marshall Talkington, PGA - Lebanon Jackson Hermitage Golf Course Jackson National 7/1/2019 Golf Club - 6/3/2019
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Jake Finn, PGA Bristol, VA The Olde Farm Golf Club 1/3/2019
David Haase, PGA Knoxville Fairways and Greens Golf Center - 8/1/2019
Skylar Thompson, PGA Woodstock, GA The Honors Course 1/3/2019
Alex Cox, PGA Old Hickory, TN The Golf Club of TN 9/2/2019
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returned with an eighthplace finish. Reid Davenport shot 211 in the 54-hole event and had Vanderbilt’s top finish a tie for 13th. The Vanderbilt women tied for second place at their own Mason Rudolph Championship, firing a 54-hole total 868. Houston won the event at 866, with Clemson tying the Commodores for second place. From left, head coach Greg Allen, Jayna Choi, Abbey Carlson, Celina Chattanooga finished 10th. Sattelkau, Virginia Green, Morgan Baxendale, Tess Davenport, Abby Carlson topped Auston Kim, Louise Yu and assistant head coach Emilie Meason. Vanderbilt’s team effort, tying for second place at 4-under par 212. Teammate Morgan Chattanooga’s Connor Connor Nolan Baxendale was a shot back at Nolan was named South213. ern Conference Golfer of Chattanooga’s Esme Hamthe Week after tying for ilton led the Mocs, tying for 17th place at the Graeme 14th place at 218. McDowell Classic played Vandy also finished sevat Birmingham’s Greystone enth at the Windy City ClasGolf and Country Club. sic, a 15-team field. Nolan shot 73-71-72 to Auston Kim paced the help the Mocs finish in Commodores, tying for eighth place in the 19-team sixth place in the individual tournament won by North standings at 213. South Florida. Carolina won the tournaChattanooga also finment. ished 13th at the loaded Vanderbilt’s fall sea15-team Carpet City Classon got off to a great start at the sic. Included in the field were Cougar Classic in South Carolina John Augenstein (left) secured the Walker Cup-clinching Georgia Tech, South Carolina, point for the USA with a 4-and-3 victory over Thomas where it edged Wake Forest by Alabama, Clemson, TennesPlumb. (Walker Cup/Chris Keane) one shot and SEC rival Florida by see and Florida and North two shots thanks to late birdies by Florida. 10 singles matches to run away with the title. the record-setting duo of Kim and A.J. Lintunen paced the Mocs Augenstein was the only U.S. team member to Louise Yu, who finished 1-2 in the indiwith a T25 finish at 222. play in all four matches. vidual standings. Kim shattered the program scoring Trevecca’s Lexie Shaw, a In tournament news, Augenstein made his record on the strength of rounds of 65senior from Knoxville, colfall debut with the Commodores at the Nike 69-66 for a 16-under 200 total. That’s lected her first victory, firing Collegiate and promptly came up with a sec- four shots better than the previous best rounds of 74-74 to win the ond-place finish in the high-profile tourna- of 204 set by Jacqui Concolino in 2006 Lexie Shaw Flyer Women’s Collegiate at ment played at Pumpkin Ridge. at the Wildcat Invitational. the Cog Hill Golf Club. Shaw’s Augenstein’s 10-under 203 was one shot It was Kim’s second collegiate victory. winning 148 total was five behind Oklahoma’s Logan McAllister and it Yu shot a program 8-under 64 in the shots clear of the runner-up and it was a perhelped Vanderbilt to a fifth-place finish. final round to finish second behind Kim at 207. sonal-best 36-hole total. Kim and Yu each birdied the final hole to enGot some college golf news? Email gregg.deEarlier in the fall, Vandy’s men’s golf team able the Commodores to leapfrog past Wake walt@peoplepc.com with story suggestions. traveled to California for the Carmel Cup and Forest to claim the win.
Augenstein shines for US team, Commodores Tee Times report Based on the results of two high-profile late summer events, Vanderbilt senior John Augenstein is set up for a fantastic finish to his collegiate career. First, he made it all the way to the championship match before falling short at the U.S. Amateur. Then, Augenstein, of Owensboro, Kentucky, had the clinching point for the U.S. team in the Walker Cup. Augenstein, who was 2-1-1 in the matches, closed out Thomas Plumb 4 and 3 to seal the first win for the U.S. team on European soil since 2007. “I did not know that my match this afternoon was the clinching point,” said Augenstein. “You know, when I was on the tee box, I did look at my caddie and say, this could be the clinching point because I had seen the scoreboard on 13 and I knew there was a lot of red up there and I didn’t know when those matches were going to be closed out or whatnot, but I felt like it was going to be somewhere close. But yeah, I mean, it really doesn’t matter who clinches it. The fact is that we’re a team and we won the Walker Cup for each other and for the United States and whoever else that we’re representing. It was really cool, and it was a special moment, but I did not know exactly that I had clinched it.” The U.S. trailed going into the final day, but won 2.5 points in foursomes and then won 8 of
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October 2019
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Golf for a Good Cause
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Ray Stevens Charity Golf Classic on tap for mid-October By Justin Onslow Tee Times Associate Editor The fourth-annual Ray Stevens Golf Classic is the same great tournament with a new twist this year. The event, which encompasses both an evening at The Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom in west Nashville and a four-man scramble at Temple Hills Country Club, will be split between Oct. 13 and Oct. 21, respectively, to allow for the tournament’s namesake – Ray Stevens himself – to enjoy a special celebration the day before the tournament. “We usually do the auction and concert on the Sunday night before [the tournament], but this year, Ray is being inducted into the Country Music Hal of Fame on the 20th,” says Don Jennings, who has been the tournament director for the event since its inception four years ago. The auction and concert ($75 per attendee), taking place at The Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom on Oct. 13, begins with heavy hors d’ouevres and a live auction from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. That will be followed by a live show by Stevens, which concludes around 9 p.m. With Stevens’ induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame on Oct. 20, the four-man scramble will be held the following day, with check-in and practice time from 9-11 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The scramble will kick off at noon with barbecue provided by Corner Pub in the Woods in Bellevue after the tournament concludes. Both the tournament and the evening at The Ray Stevens CabaRay Showroom benefit some terrific causes: Augie’s Quest (ALS), Shriner’s Hospital for Children and the Employ-
Ray Stevens
ment Partners Care Foundation. Over the last three years, per Jennings, the tournament has raised about $108,000 for those charities. Included in that sum is the proceeds of last year’s auction. This year, the auction promises some terrific items on which to bid, included guitars signed by Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, various Grand Ole Opry artists and the 2019 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees. In addition, there will be golf trips from “all over the United States,” per Jennings, that attendees can bid on. The entry fee for the fourman scramble is $800 per team ($200 per golfer), with two complimentary meals included. Golfers will also have a chance at three separate hole-in-one contests with prizes provided by Andrews Cadillac (a car), Mikey’s Motors (a custom golf cart) and Ford of Murfreesboro (a truck). To learn more about the event or to sign up for the auction and scramble, visit classic.als.net
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