Paul Payne: My Look Back At Chattanooga’s Top Golf Stories From 2023

During my years attending UTC back in the early ‘80s, I worked my way through college as one of Chattanooga News-Free Press sports editor Roy Exum’s “pups” – the somewhat affectionate, otherwise humbling term given to the cadre of part-timers that overpopulated the desks in the sports department.

This was during the heyday of Chattanooga having two thriving daily newspapers, and the competition was fierce. Both publications battled for superiority on local “scoops”, and the coverage was unrivaled for a city the size of Chattanooga.

One particular area of emphasis that resonated with me was how the local golf scene was highlighted. Sam Woolwine headed the golf beat for the News-Free Press, while Eddie Davidson was doing the same for the rival Chattanooga Times. They treated each local tournament as if it was The Masters, and a full page was dedicated each Sunday to the events and personalities that made up the fabric of our area golf landscape. Having your accomplishments written by one of these legendary scribes served as a sense of validation.

After moving back to Chattanooga in 2016 having lived elsewhere for 33 years, it was a wonderful to reconnect with many of those who made my time at the News-Free Press such a memorable time in my life. Those former “pups” are now getting old enough to apply for Social Security, and have moved onto successful careers elsewhere. Some have become Hall of Famers for their journalistic contributions. Last year we started a monthly ritual of gathering for lunch at a downtown eatery to reminisce and recreate a band of brothers, and many of us were on hand to join Woolwine in celebrating his 80^th birthday over the summer.

Since my return home, it dawned on me that few stories were being written on local golf. Where there were once two newspapers, there’s now only one. Times have changed in print journalism with shrinking staffs and limited space. I approached this publication’s founder, John Wilson, back in January about trying to resuscitate some coverage of local golf, which he graciously agreed would be a good idea.

While my efforts will never compare to those of who’ve carried the baton handed down from Woolwine and his successors, it’s a start. It’s been a joy telling these stories and connecting with many wonderful people over the course of the year, people like Mike Jenkins, Bruce Etter, Lamar Mills, Doug Stein, Billy Buchanan, Richard Keene, Henrik Simonsen and many others who’ve dedicated countless years in making Chattanooga golf a thriving community.

I thought it would be fun to look back at this past year and reflect on some of the compelling storylines from 2023. From the unveiling of extensive improvements to two of the area’s flagship courses, the success of a quartet of golfers with local ties on the PGA Tour, the resurgence of programs promoting junior golf and the way golf is changing the lives of military veterans, this was a banner year for local golf.

So, here’s my personal glance back at some of the events - in no certain order - that resonated with me this past year. It just proves that Chattanooga area golf is alive and well with plenty of stories begging to be told.

Restorations, Renovations, and Rebirths

The unveiling of the extensive restoration of the Lookout Mountain Club in June was the culmination of a process that began nearly a century ago. Thanks to the relentless crusade of Doug Stein and the late Rev. King Oehmig, the historic course was finally “completed” to reflect the original design of Seth Raynor prior to his death in 1926. While the basic routing was unchanged, the finished product has drawn rave reviews on a national scale.

Another of our local treasures, The Honors Course, showed off the fabulous handiwork of architect Gil Hanse as the course celebrated its 40^th anniversary. The top-rated course in Tennessee was on display while hosting the John T. Lupton Memorial and the prestigious Southern Amateur, serving as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming 2024 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship.

One of the long-standing staples of our golf community, Valleybrook Golf & Country Club, has been given new life. A multi-million-dollar renovation is planned that will bring needed work at the Hixson club that once hosted PGA Tour events. Having Valleybrook once again vibrant is good for Chattanooga’s golf scene.

The owners of McLemore announced in September their plans for The Keep, the second course at the Lookout Mountain resort that already features the popular Highlands course. To witness what Duane Horton and his pals at Scenic Land Company have done over the past few years to the community formerly known as Canyon Ridge is nothing short of spectacular. After a sneak preview of The Keep and hearing their vision for the course, I suspect the finished product will be on a different level that will make McLemore a highly-sought golfing destination.

Area Pros Rack Up State Awards

When the Tennessee PGA Section handed out its annual awards recently, Chattanooga area professionals were recipients in five of the nine featured categories. Council Fire Club general manager Chris DeBusk won the top prize as PGA Professional of the Year, while Lamar Mills with the Tennessee Golf Foundation, Matt Adamski with Sweetens Cove, Mark Fermanian with Chattanooga Golf & Country Club and Rob Riddle with McCallie Golf Learning Center were also awarded by their peers. That’s a pretty hefty haul for the Chattanooga chapter, making this area the envy of the rest of the state.

Local Courses Host Major Events

The Honors Course, site of the 117^th Southern Amateur in addition to the John T. Lupton Memorial, wasn’t the only local club to host notable events this year. The Tennessee State Amateur Championship was staged at Chattanooga Golf & Country Club for the 15^th time, while The Ooltewah Club hosted its first Tennessee Golf Association event when the Women’s Mid-Amateur and Women’s Senior Amateur tournaments were held there in September. Council Fire Club, having hosted the Tennessee State Open and State Amateur the two previous years, entertained the showdown between state’s best amateurs and professionals when the Tennessee Challenge Cup took place in October and Cleveland Country Club conducted the Tennessee Senior Match Play.

Advances in Junior Golf

With the naming of Tim Haralson as local director of First Tee Chattanooga and thanks to the tireless efforts of outgoing Tennessee PGA Section president and local TGF head Lamar Mills, a strong emphasis has returned in promoting local junior golf in the region. In addition to First Tee, initiatives such as Kids Play Free underwritten by PGA Tour member Scott Stallings, the Sneds Tour, the Jack McKenna golf day at the UTC Player Development Center, and the local Drive, Chip and Putt competition that sends its finalists to Augusta National, the future is bright for local junior golf under the current leadership.

Honoring Military Veterans

One of the major initiatives under Mills’ guidance has been the addition of PGA HOPE, a program that enables military veterans to create community through the game of golf. The stories of struggling veterans who have been given a sense of hope through the gathering with their comrades for the teaching clinics and playing dates will stir your soul. Not only have lives been changed for some of our local heroes, but the connections with their fellow veterans have created a new sense of purpose for many.

Mocs Soar In Woodruff’s First Year

The arrival of men’s head coach Blaine Woodruff to UTC from Pepperdine made a huge impact in his first year at the helm. The Mocs advanced to the NCAA Tournament last spring, and won two of their four fall tournaments while finishing second in the other two to earn a national top 20 ranking. With a loaded roster of returnees, expectations are high for the Mocs entering the spring season.

Return of the Chattanooga Cup

After a 17-year absence, the season-ending tournament featuring the area’s top amateurs and professionals in a Ryder Cup-style event finally returned with Council Fire serving as host. The amateur team claimed this year’s title, and Black Creek Club is already booked as the site for next year’s expanded format.

Baylor Alums on PGA Tour Flourish

It’s almost mind-blowing to consider the amount of golf talent that passed through Baylor School under coach King Oehmig’s tutelage. Four of his protégées finished in the top 120 of the FedEx Cup rankings with Harris English (38), Stephan Jaeger (56), Keith Mitchell (64) and Luke List (119) all having outstanding seasons. List won his second career Tour event at the Sanderson Farms Championship in a playoff this fall, while English finished runner-up at the Arnold Palmer Invitational among his five top 10 finishes. Mitchell closed with five Top 10s, while Jaeger had his best year with a pair of Top 10s.

Introducing ‘The Gibby’

The Ooltewah Club, in conjunction with the Tennessee Golf Foundation, hosted a high school co-ed tournament called ‘The Gibby’ in August to honor Gibby Gilbert. The Chattanooga native was a three-time winner on the PGA Tour including a runner-up finish in the 1980 Masters tournament before claiming another six wins on the Champions Tour. The goal is to raise enough funds to endow a pair of scholarships to be awarded each year to deserving high school seniors. Madison Butler of Boyd-Buchanan and Tyler Tate from Ooltewah were each given a $5,000 scholarship to be used at the school of their choice next fall.

New Course Records Established

Record-setting rounds were posted at two of our most challenging layouts with championships hanging in the balance. Walker Cup member Nick Gabrelcik of the University of North Florida fired a final round 64 to win the Southern Amateur at The Honors Course, equaling the previous mark set by Travis Vick at the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur.

University of Tennessee golfer Jake Hall mastered the historic Chattanooga Golf & Country Club to win the Tennessee State Amateur championship, recording an impressive final round of 61 to eclipse the previous record of 62 held by Adam Mitchell and PGA Tour veteran Henrik Stenson.

Top Local Performers

After winning the Tennessee Mid-Amateur title the previous year, Brendon Wilson jumpstarted a year filled with area superlatives in February by claiming the prestigious Gasparilla Invitational in Tampa, Fla.

Several local golfers won multiple times in Chattanooga District Golf Association (CDGA) events, led by Brent Henley and Joe Markham with three wins each in the senior division. Markham claimed victories in the Signal Mountain Invitational, the North Georgia Invitational and the Brainerd Invitational, while Henley won the Nob North Invitational, the Chattanooga Men’s Metro and teamed with his brother, Kip, to secure the Moccasin Bend City Four-Ball senior hardware.

Keoni Vidrine had a pair of open division trophies with wins at Brainerd and partnering with Wes Spillers to earn honors in the Moccasin Bend event.

Tom Baird captured his third consecutive Tennessee Super Senior Match Play title, becoming only the seventh golfer in state history to win the same TGA event three years in a row. The Chattanooga Golf & Country Club member also was senior champion at the Chattanooga TPC – joining open division winner Andrew Weathers - in addition to claiming super senior honors at the Men’s Metro tournament.

Other local golfers earning bragging rights at statewide events included Kip Henley, who claimed the Tennessee Senior State Open, Katie Woodruff won the Tennessee Women’s Mid-Amateur title and McCallie senior Thad Whitfield earned the title in the Tennessee Junior PGA championship to go along with his victory in the Signal Mountain Invitational. Whitfield was also joined by East Hamilton High School golfers Griffin Law and Tucker Wick as members of the victorious squad in the Tennessee Junior Cup competition.

Several golfers represented Chattanooga well in national competitions. Blakesly Brock, winner of the 2021 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, advanced to the Round of 16 in this year’s edition and also competed in the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Mark Harrell participated in the U.S. Mid-Amateur, narrowly missing the match play bracket. Junior golfers Whitfield and Law both qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, with Law falling in a playoff to earn a slot into match play.

2023 CDGA Results

Thanks to the tireless efforts of CDGA leaders Mike Jenkins and Richard Keene, the organization continues to flourish in providing a forum for local competitions. It’s hard to imagine the countless hours these two men have invested in pulling all this together, but it will surely hit home once they’ve decided it’s time for someone else to take the reins.

Here’s a look back at the winners from this season’s events:

North Georgia Four Ball: Jeff Greeson, Brandon Cissom (Champions); Richard Keene, Chris Hall (Senior Champions)

Nob North Invitational: David Noll Jr. (Champion); Brent Henley (Senior Champion)

Cleveland CC Invitational: Oliver Lewis-Perkins (Champiion); Bob Rice (Senior Champion); Richard Brame (Super Senior Champion)

Signal Mountain Invitational:Thad Whitfield (Champion); Joe Markham (Senior Champion)

North Georgia Invitational: Ethan Day (Champion); Joe Markham (Senior Champion)

Chattanooga Men’s Metro: Cody Godfrey (Champion); Brent Henley (Senior Champion); Tom Baird (Super Senior Champion)

Brainerd Invitational: Keoni Vidrine (Champion); Joe Markham (Senior Champion)

CDGA Four-Ball Match Play: Sport Allmond, Jay Potter (Champions); Stewart Lawwill, Tim Burns (Senior Champions)

Moccasin Bend City Four-Ball: Keoni Vidrine, Wes Spillers (Champions); Brent Henley, Kip Henley (Senior Champions)

Chattanooga TPC: Andrew Weathers (Champion); Tom Baird (Senior Champion)

(Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com)