WEST END, N.C.–The Carolinas Golf Association has announced its 2006 schedule of championships and tournaments. The CGA is entering its 97th year of conducting state and regional championships for amateur golfers.
This year the CGA will conduct over 150 tournaments including: 28 championships, 30 CGA championship qualifiers, 13 USGA national championship qualifiers, four team match events, 64 one-day tournaments and 14 Tarheel Youth Golf Association events.
The CGA’s flagship event, the Carolinas Amateur Championship, will be contested July 12-16 at Kiawah Island Resort’s Turtle Point course in Kiawah Island, SC.
Designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1981, Turtle Point will be hosting their third Carolinas Amateur championship (1987, 92) and fifth CGA major championship (1989 SC Amateur Match Play, 2003 Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball). This year marks the 92nd playing of this event dating back to 1910.
In order to allow for a more flexible schedule for South Carolina mid-amateur golfers, the CGA has swapped dates for its Carolinas Mid-Amateur and North Carolina Mid-Amateur championships.
The 26th Carolinas Mid-Amateur will be contested at Musgrove Mill Golf Club in Clinton, SC on April 21-23. Musgrove Mill is annually one of the top 100 golf courses in the country according to Golfweek magazine.
The 13th North Carolina Mid-Amateur heads to River Landing in Wallace, NC for the second time. River Landing played host to this championship back in 2001.
The 55th Carolinas Four-Ball Championship returns to Camden Country Club in Camden, SC, May 3-7. The event has been conducted at Camden CC every year since 1950 except in 1953 (Country Club of Spartanburg), 1968 and 1985 (Red Fox Country Club), and 2000 (Florence Country Club). Camden Country Club will also host the 34th South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship set for June 14-18.
Mid South Club in Southern Pines, NC will host the 46th North Carolina Amateur.
A 72-hole stroke play championship, this event is set for June 15-18, the same week as the U.S. Open Championship. N.C. State junior Jerry Richardson of Burlington is the defending champion.
The 45th Carolinas Senior heads to Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington, NC, September 12-14. Bob Stringer of Blythewood, SC is the defending champion.
The Carolinas Mixed Team Championship is a new event added to the CGA championship schedule for 2006. Formerly under the CGA’s one-day program, this popular two-person event is open to male-female teams who are residents of one of the Carolinas. The inaugural championship heads to the beach September 2-3 at Ocean Ridge Plantation’s Panther’s Run course over Labor Day weekend.
The 12th Tar Heel Cup Matches and the 61st Carolinas-Virginias Team Matches will feature some of the best male amateur golfers in the region. The Tar Heel Cup, scheduled for April 3-4 at National Golf Club in Pinehurst, pits eight North Carolina amateurs versus eight North Carolina PGA golf professionals. The Carolinas-Virginias Team Matches heads to the posh Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, VA, October 20-22. Each amateur team is comprised of 16 male regular golfers and eight male seniors (over 55 years) from North and South Carolina and from Virginia and West Virginia. This will be Kinloch’s second time hosting this event (2002). Players for both of these team competitions are invited, based upon rankings and playing history.
The 40th Carolinas Father-Son Championship will be contested on Friday, July 28 at five Pinehurst, NC area courses. This event annually draws 450 Father-Son teams from all over the Carolinas. With 900 players competing, this event attracts the most entries.
The CGA has integrated its 9th Carolinas Parent-Child Championship with the Carolinas Father-Son. Longleaf Golf Club will play host to this family event on July 28.
In women’s golf, the 29th Carolinas Women’s Four-Ball championship will be held August 1-2 at Seabrook Island’s Ocean Winds course on Seabrook Island, SC.
Seabrook Island previously hosted the Carolinas Senior Four-Ball in 1979. The 9th Carolinas Women’s Match Play Championship will go to Cowans Ford Country Club in Stanley, NC. This championship will be the first CGA major for Cowans Ford. The CGA returns to Raintree Country Club (North course) in Charlotte, NC for the 8th Carolinas Women’s Senior, April 11-12. Raintree last hosted this event in 2002. Keith Hills Country Club (course I) in Buies Creek, NC plays host to the 3rd North Carolina Women’s Senior Championship from September 26-27.
In junior golf, the CGA has added a new event for girls. The Vicki DiSantis Junior Girls Championship is a 36-hole stroke play event for North and South Carolina girls between the ages of 12 and 18. The inaugural event will be played at Emerald Lake Golf Club in Matthews, NC on May 6-7. The 39th North Carolina Junior will be contested at Highland Country Club in Fayetteville, NC.
The event for boys and girls will be held June 20-23. This year will mark the fifth time that Highland Country Club has hosted the N.C. Junior (1975, 90, 91, 96) and its 11th CGA major with latest being the Carolinas Mid-Amateur in 2003.
The 2nd Dogwood State Junior (formerly Junior Championship of North Carolina) goes to Bermuda Run Country Club in Bermuda Run, NC on August 8-10. The 57th Carolinas Junior Championship (boys) heads down to the South Carolina low-country at Colleton River’s Dye course in Bluffton, SC on July 25-27. The 29th South Carolina Junior Match Play will be hosted by the Country Club of Orangeburg in Orangeburg, SC. This event marks Orangeburg’s eighth CGA major championship.
The CGA added nine One-Day Four-Ball Tournaments to its 2006 schedule. The two-person better-ball events are open to both men and women of all abilities. Teams may be comprised of any gender combination. Gross and net prizes will be awarded. First event is set for February 27 at the Old North State Club in New London, NC.
The Carolinas Senior Four-Ball One-Day Tournament Series has added 8 events to its 2006 schedule. The popular two-man, best-ball one-day tournaments open to seniors 55 and over historically have more entrants than spots available at most events. Teams are pre-flighted into three divisions based on total team handicap.
A complete list of CGA major championships, one-day tournaments, senior four-ball one-day tournaments, women’s one-day events, Tarheel Youth Golf Association (TYGA) one-day events, USGA qualifying events in the Carolinas, tournament entry forms and online championship entry registration is available on the CGA web site at www.carolinasgolf.org or by calling the CGA at 910-673-1000.
Contact:
Andy Priest
Carolinas Golf Association
apriest@carolinasgolf.org
