WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The history and tradition of the annual Jones Cup at Colonial Williamsburg’s Golden Horseshoe Golf Club is nothing compared to the pressure of disappointing a teammate, particular when he is your father or your son.
Named in honor of the legendary golf course architects who designed the two Colonial Williamsburg Resort Collection’s courses – Robert Trent Jones Sr. and son Rees Jones – the Jones Cup is more than the typical father-son golf tournament. Now in its 17th year, scheduled for the weekend of July 14-15, the Jones Cup has evolved into a family team-building exercise, largely because of the modified alternate-shot format used for the final round.
“Every time we send teams out to play alternate shot, they always find out new things about each other’s character,” Glen Byrnes, host professional and director of golf, said of the oldest championship played at the Golden Horseshoe. “We call it the ‘relationship format’ because of the way it seems to strengthen the bond between the two. It’s a unique experience. The teams are out there, depending on one another, feeling like they will fail the other with a bad shot. But it also makes the good shots doubly rewarding.”
The 36-hole twosome tournament is open to teams of (natural or adopted) father and son, grandfather and grandson, as well as stepfather and stepson, or father-in-law with a son-in-law. Each player must have a USGA handicap index, or verification in writing from his home club. Entry fee is $240 per player, which includes a welcome packet, golf and cart for both rounds; one practice round (available July 9-13, cart not included); use of the practice facility prior to each round; and tickets to the Saturday cookout following the first round.
A 9 a.m. shotgun start will begin play both days. The first-round format is twosome better ball on the Green Course, designed by Rees Jones, with the alternate-shot round on the Gold Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Hotel rates start at $119 per room, per night at the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel and Suites.
Opened in 1963, the Golden Horseshoe Gold Course combines panoramic views with intriguing and often-difficult shot demands. At 6,817 yards from the back tees, the Gold Course is an enduring example of traditional golf course architecture – walkable and free of surrounding real estate development.
The Green Course opened in 1991 and proudly claims a subtle meld of virtues. The 7,120-yard, par-72 layout has clearly established its own identity. It has achieved its goal of enhanced “playability” and tends to be the favorite among middle- and high-handicappers, compared with the somewhat more challenging Gold Course next door.
The Colonial Williamsburg Resort Collection, which includes the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club, is owned by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the private, not-for-profit educational institution that preserves and operates the restored 18th-century Revolutionary capital of Virginia. Purchase of Colonial Williamsburg resort services and products supports the Foundation’s preservation, research, and educational programs.
Williamsburg, Va., is located within an hour’s drive of Richmond or Norfolk, and 150 miles south of Washington, D.C., just off Interstate 64.
For tournament registration or more information visit www.goldenhorseshoegolf.com or call (757) 220-7696. For room reservations visit www.ColonialWilliamsburg.com, or call toll-free (800) 447-8679.
Contact:
Barbara Brown
(757) 220-7280 bbrown@cwf.org
Karen Moraghan
(908) 876-5100 kmoraghan@hunter-pr.com