At a recent gathering of the Chattanooga District Golf Association leadership and area club professionals, it was noted that the organization is nearing a century since its formation.
The CDGA’s history is directly linked to the Men’s Metro tournament, which dates back to 1929. The CDGA has continued to thrive for the past 32 years thanks to the tireless stewardship of president Richard Keene and treasurer Mike Jenkins.
But there was a period where the CDGA’s survival was in peril. According to Jenkins, the strength of the organization today can be attributed to the efforts of Wes Brown Sr. to keep it afloat.
“If it weren’t for Wes Brown, there would be no CDGA,” Jenkins said. “It was about to die and Wes took it over and ran it for years. Because of his contributions, we decided to name the Men’s Metro Senior Amateur trophy in his honor.”
Brown, the long-time operator of Moccasin Bend Golf Course for more than four decades and winner of numerous city and state titles including the 1948 Tennessee Amateur, died in 2020.
Keene and Jenkins took over the CDGA reins from Brown in 1992, and little did they dream they would still be at the helm this many years later.
One of the legacies that the CDGA continues is its ongoing financial investment into local golf. The organization is a supporter of local junior golf programs such as First Tee, and is a regular donor to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golf program.
“I used to keep records of all the money we’ve given away over the years,” Jenkins said. “The Men’s Metro has always been one of our fund raisers to give back to the local golf community. It’s important that we continue to promote the game to the next generation.”
The CDGA schedule returns intact from last year’s slate, but there will be additional focus on the Men’s Metro. The recently renovated Lookout Mountain Club will host the event for the first time since 2013, but there will likely be increased demand in the senior division. Three days following the conclusion of the Men’s Metro, the course will serve as the site of a U.S. Senior Amateur qualifier on July 16th.
The U.S. Senior Amateur championship will take place at The Honors Course in late August, so there will surely be a premium on slots for the Men’s Metro in hopes of gaining familiarly with Lookout Mountain’s layout prior to the qualifier.
The Tennessee Golf Association also released its schedule for the year with the exception of four events that have yet to nail down their dates and location. After Chattanooga area courses served as host to TGA championships at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, The Ooltewah Club and Cleveland Country Club in 2023, local competitors will be required to hit the road to participate in this year’s tournaments.
The closest competition is the Men’s State Amateur on June 11-14 at Tennessee National in Loudon. This tournament was moved up on the schedule as the winner earns a spot in the U.S. Amateur to be held at Hazeltine National in Minnesota in August.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com
CDGA Events
April 6-7 North Georgia Four-Ball at Dalton Golf and Country Club
April 20-21 Nob North Invitational at Nob North Golf Course
April 27-28 Cleveland Country Club Invitational at Cleveland Country Club
May 17-19 Signal Mountain Invitational at Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club
June 1-2 North Georgia Invitational at Dalton Golf and Country Club
July 12-13 Chattanooga Men’s Metro at Lookout Mountain Club
August 10-11 Brainerd Invitational at Brainerd Golf Course
August 17-18 CDGA Four-Ball Match Play Semis/Finals at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club
Sept 28-29 Moccasin Bend City Four-Ball at Moccasin Bend Golf Club
October 3-6 Chattanooga TPC at Council Fire Club
Tennessee Golf Association Events
May 4-5 Men’s Mid-Amateur Four-Ball at Towhee Club, Spring Hill
May 21-24 Men’s Senior/Super Senior Four-Ball at The Links at Kahite, Vonore
June 4-6 Women’s Match Play at Westhaven Golf Club, Franklin
June 11-14 Men’s State Amateur at Tennessee National, Loudon
June 15-16 Parent-Child at Stonehenge Golf Club, Fairfield Glad
June 18-20 Women’s State Amateur at Belle Meade Country Club, Nashville
July 9-11 Tennessee State Open at GreyStone Golf Club, Dickson
July 25-27 Tennessee Women’s Open at Stonehenge Golf Club, Fairfield Glade
August 6-9 Men’s Match Play at Tennessee Grasslands-Fairvue, Gallatin
August 20-21 Women’s Four-Ball at Heatherhurst Golf Club-Brae, Fairfield Glade
August 20-22 Men’s Senior/Super Senior Amateur at Memphis Country Club, Memphis
Sept. 11-13 Men’s Mid-Amateur at Jackson Country Club, Jackson
Sept. 17-18 Women’s Senior & Mid-Amateur at Franklin Bridge Golf Club, Franklin
Dates and location for the following events have yet to be determined: Boys’ Junior Amateur, Girls’ Junior Amateur, Men’s Four-Ball and Men’s Senior and Super Senior Match Play
USGA Events
August 24-29 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at The Honors Course