Far Hills, N.J. (March 30) – The Golf Club of New England in Stratham, N.H., has been selected by the United States Golf Association as the site of the 2012 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. It will be the first USGA championship conducted in the state of New Hampshire. The dates of the championship are July 16-21.
“The opportunity to host the U.S. Junior Amateur is a major triumph for the state and the club,” said Craig Benson, former governor of New Hampshire and honorary chairman of the Golf Club of New England. “With the work we’ve done here at the Golf Club of New England, we finally have a venue worthy of joining the 47 other states that have shared the honor of hosting such an event. We look forward to hosting golf’s rising stars and hope to continue to be a part of the USGA’s rich heritage.”
Designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 2003, the Golf Club of New England (www.golfclubne.com) is located in southeastern New Hampshire on 450 acres of former farmland. The Golf Club of New England has hosted USGA qualifying for the 2004 U.S. Amateur and USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, the 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur and the 2006 and 2009 USGA Senior Amateur.
“The USGA is delighted to add New Hampshire to the list of states to serve as host for one of our championships,” said Jim Hyler, USGA president. “The U.S. Junior Amateur dates back to 1948 and its list of competitors is long and distinguished. The Association wishes the Golf Club of New England every success for the 2012 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.”
Only three states have yet to host a USGA championship – Alaska, New Hampshire and Utah. With Utah’s Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, near Salt Lake City, selected as the site of the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links and the Golf Club of New England named to host the 65th U.S. Junior Amateur, only Alaska will not have served as a USGA championship host after 2012.
The 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur will be contested July 19-24 at Egypt Valley Country Club in Ada, Mich. The 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur is scheduled for July 18-23 at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Wash.
The U.S. Junior Amateur is open to male golfers who are under 18 years old and have a USGA Handicap Index that does not exceed 6.4.
About the USGA
The USGA is the national governing body of golf in the USA and Mexico. The USGA annually conducts the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and 10 national amateur championships. It also conducts two state team championships and helps conduct the Walker Cup Match, Curtis Cup Match and World Amateur Team Championships.
The USGA also writes the Rules of Golf, conducts equipment testing, provides expert course maintenance consultations, maintains a Handicap System® and celebrates the history of the game. Since 1983, the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program has awarded more than $31 million to more than 400 research projects for better turf and a better environment at universities across the country. The USGA also funds an ongoing “For the Good of the Game” grants program, which has allocated more than $65 million over 13 years to programs that bring the game’s values to youths from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with disabilities. For more information about the USGA, visit www.usga.org.
Contact:
Pete Kowalski
pkowalski@usga.org
Web Address: www.usga.org
USGA Phone: 908-234-2300 ext.1322 (office)
908-216-8435 (cell)
