The picturesque No. 3 at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay will challenge participants of the TGA's State Four-Ball Championship in July
photo by Paul Payne
One of the more heartwarming stories of the local golf scene this past year has been the growth of the PGA HOPE program.
PGA HOPE is the flagship military program of the PGA of America, designed to introduce golf to Veterans and active-duty military to support their social, emotional and physical well-being.
Under the leadership of Tennessee Golf Foundation Chattanooga Regional Director Lamar Mills, the local program now has over 100 alumni since kicking off in the fall of 2022 and has established a schedule of monthly play dates for program graduates
The PGA HOPE spring session that commences next Tuesday, April 2, has five openings remaining from the 30 available slots. The free six-week teaching and development program is hosted at the UTC Player Development Center on Hickory Valley Road. Go to PGA HOPE Registration for more information.
Additionally, Council Fire Club will serve as the host for the inaugural Tennessee PGA HOPE Championship on April 29. The event will feature PGA HOPE instructors from across the state bringing graduates of local programs competing in a nine-hole championship.
The inspiring stories about the impact PGA HOPE continues to make are stirring, helping Veterans regain a sense of community through the game of golf.
Jack McKenna Junior Clinic Filling Up: The Jack McKenna Junior Golf Day signup is currently open with more than 90 of the 120 available spots already registered. The junior clinic for children ages 6-17 on April 27 at the UTC Player Development Center will run from 9 a.m. until noon, with a new one-hour advanced skills clinic for ages 12-17 starting at 12:30 p.m.
Both the men’s and women’s coaches and golf team members from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will be assisting with instruction along with local PGA professionals. For more information and to register, go to McKenna Golf Day Registration.
PGA Junior League Coming This Summer: In conjunction with the local First Tee program, Mills also shared the news about a PGA Junior League being held this summer for junior golfers ages 7 to 13.
Along with golfers participating in the First Tee program, seven area clubs will also be forming teams. Those clubs include WindStone, Dalton Golf and Country Club, Black Creek, Valleybrook, WindStone, Council Fire, Cleveland Country Club and The Ooltewah Club.
Further details on this exciting opportunity will be announced as plans are finalized.
Bear Trace at Harrison Bay Chosen For TGA Event: The Tennessee Golf Association filled one of the openings on its 2024 schedule by naming Bear Trace as site of the Tennessee Men’s Four-Ball on July 23-26.
It will be the first TGA championship held at the course since the 2019 Match Play Championship was staged at the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout. Bear Trace was also home for both the State Men’s Match Play and State Senior Match Play tournaments in 2016.
“We’re excited to host the Men’s Four-Ball this summer. It will be very exciting to have the top amateur players from around the state competing again at Bear Trace,” said director of golf Robin Boyer.
The TGA also announced both the state Junior Amateur and Girls’ Junior Amateur events will be staged June 24-26 on the General’s Retreat layout at Hermitage Golf Course in Old Hickory.
That leaves only the Men’s Senior and Super Senior Match Play competition without a confirmed date and location on the TGA schedule.
CDGA Kicks Off Next Week: The Chattanooga District Golf Association will kick off its 96th season at Dalton Golf and Country Club with the North Georgia Four-Ball competition April 6-7.
Jeff Greeson and Brandon Cissom are defending champions in the open division, while Richard Keene and Chris Hall won last year’s senior title.
The Ooltewah Club Names New Professional: Tom Durbin was recently named as the Head Professional at The Ooltewah Club after serving in the same role as Cleveland Country Club.
The former Bryan College golfer grew up in England and earned his PGA Class A credentials in 2021. He replaces Greg Harnage, who moved Nashville to work at Tennessee Grasslands.
“The thing that interested me in The Ooltewah Club was the ownership and the direction they are heading,” Durbin said. “There’s a lot of exciting things happening at the club and I’m thrilled to help the club grow to become the best it can be.”
Long-Awaited Win for Tennessee Native: Peter Malnati, winner of last week’s Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour, was the 2009 Tennessee State Amateur champion hosted at The Honors Course. Malnati’s second tour victory came 3,058 days since his last win.
Malnati trailed Baylor School alum Keith Mitchell by two strokes entering the final round, but won by two over Cameron Young as Mitchell carded a final round 6-over to finish eight shots back.
The Dandridge native won his State Amateur title by four strokes over the legendary Tim Jackson, owner of 27 TGA career titles.
Remember the Name Blades Brown: The accolades continue to roll in for Nashville’s Blades Brown. The 16-year-old was recently named to the first-ever USGA National Junior Team.
The squad of eight boys and 10 girls will participate in bi-annual camps and international friendlies with the goal of helping elite junior golfers reach their full potential through world-class instruction, sports psychology and nutritional guidance.
Over the past year, the Brentwood Academy phenom has emerged on the national stage. He was the youngest low amateur in Tennessee State Open history last summer, and won the Tennessee Junior
Amateur by a gaudy 12 shots.
Brown later eclipsed a record held by Bobby Jones for 103 years when he became the youngest co-medalist at the U.S. Amateur, becoming the first player in Tennessee history to be named both Men’s Player of the Year and Boys’ Junior Player of the Year.
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com