A group of local golfers captured the Tennessee PGA Pro Am at Sea Island last week. From left are Gary Chazen, Dr. Bill Moore Smith, Henrik Simonsen and Brandon Born.
photo by Contributed
Finally, March has arrived.
I’m always glad to say farewell to winter and last week’s weather gave us a taste of spring. We’ve been able to get out and enjoy golf this time of the year while those up north are still trying to dig themselves out from recent snow.
Think about this - we’re only five weeks away from the start of Masters week. Baseball spring training is in full swing and the Chattanooga Mocs basketball team is riding high into next weekend’s SoCon tournament on an 11-game winning streak with a league title under their belts.
We’ve got a lot to be thankful for, if you ask me. But it’s also time to turn our attention to the links and empty my golf notebook of various items of interest.
Simonsen Team Wins Sea Island Pro-Am
The Tennessee PGA Section kicked off its 2025 tournament schedule with the Spring Pro Am at Sea Island last week. Henrik Simonsen, Director of Golf at The Honors Course, joined teammates Gary Chazen, Dr. Bill Moore Smith and Brandon Born to win the three-day event by six shots.
Simonsen’s squad completed 54 holes at Island Resort in St. Simons Island, Ga. in 37-under 391. After finding themselves four back after shooting 8-under the first round, the quartet fired a blistering 16-under on the second day and capped their week with a final round 13-under.
Chattanooga Cup Finally Here
After returning to the local golf schedule in 2023 following a 17-year absence, the Chattanooga Cup showdown between local PGA Professionals and Amateurs will finally take place Monday at Black Creek Club.
The event was originally slated for last fall, but uncooperative weather and scheduling conflicts prompted delaying it until this spring.
Each team will consist of 16 golfers - six of which are seniors – in a 36-hole Ryder Cup-style format that will consist of fourball competition in the morning followed by foursomes in the afternoon round.
Team Amateurs will be captained by Mike Jenkins, with Richard Keene serving as vice-captain. Lamar Mills will serve as captain of Team Professionals with Mark Fermanian filling the role of vice-captain.
The Team Amateur will be comprised of Brandon Cissom, Seth Brandon, Chase Deck, Brendon Wilson, Keoni Vidrine, Steven Locke, Dylan Lillard, Mike Dunn, Andrew Weathers and Chris Wells along with Seniors Richard Keene, Jay Potter, Brent Henley, Shonn Weldon, Gary Davis and Joe Markham Jr.
The team of Professionals includes Matt Nuttall, Tom Durbin, Josh Wall, Brandon Arnold, Sam Marshall, Mark Fermanian, Shane Rhodes, Daniel Reinink, Jordan Douglas and Brian Anderson as well as Seniors Greg Lecker, Henrik Simonsen, Rob Riddle, Bruce Etter, Lamar Mills and Doug Amor.
Go to Chattanooga Cup scoring for live scoring and complete results.
Upcoming Junior Golf Opportunities
There are plenty of development opportunities for junior golfers over the next several weeks through various programs available locally.
First Tee Chattanooga: hosted at the UTC Player Development Center, First Tee kicks off its spring session this week for all skill levels from ages 6-18. Participants are grouped by age and previous experience under the guidance of a talented roster of certified coaches under the oversight of local First Tee director Tim Haralson. The cost for the six-session clinic is $125.
First Tee is also offering a one-day clinic for youth ages 7-10 on March 21 at Valleybrook Golf & Country Club. The workshop will run from 4:15 to 6 p.m. and is open to all skill levels. The cost is $25.
For more information on these clinics or to register, go to www.firstteetennessee.org and look for the Chattanooga offerings.
First Tee is also involved in introducing the game of golf to those who may lack the resources or access in coordination with the City of Chattanooga Recreation Department. The Inner City Golf Club is available to all ages at no cost at the Hickory Valley Road site. Sessions run from 4:45 until 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and equipment is provided. Instructional classes start this week, and will run through the middle of April. Those interested in participating should go to Inner City Golf Club sign up or contact city sports director Deon Brown at ddbrown2@chattanooga.gov.
Jack McKenna Junior Golf Day: The longstanding Jack McKenna Junior Golf Day will be conducted on April 26 at the UTC Player Development Center. With the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s and women’s golf teams and coaching staffs on hand conducting the clinic, offering skill demonstrations and signing autographs, the session runs from 9-12 for ages 6-11 and 9-1:30 for ages 12-17.
The free clinic is open to all skill levels and participants are grouped by ages. This popular event fills up quickly, so go to Jack McKenna Golf Clinic registration to sign up.
Drive, Chip & Putt Registration Now Open: The opportunity for junior golfers to showcase their skills at Augusta National Golf Club the weekend before the 2026 Masters tournament is now open for registration.
The nationwide junior skills competition for boys and girls ages 7 to 15 will conduct local qualifying at the UTC Player Development Center on June 12, with the winners there advancing to subregional qualifying at McLemore Club on July 29. The regional qualifier that sends winners to Augusta will be Sept. 7 at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. There is no cost to participate, and those interested can go to the following link to register Drive Chip and Putt
This Year’s CDGA Schedule
The Chattanooga District Golf Association schedule this season will feature one fewer event with discontinuation of the CDGA Four-Ball Match Play tournament. Last year’s competition was plagued with untimely weather interruptions that led to subsequent shifts in participant availability, delaying the conclusion to early October from the original August date.
CDGA leadership Mike Jenkins and Richard Keene decided the increasing challenges in scheduling the tournament warranted a sabbatical this year. Finding suitable open dates given the robust Tennessee Golf Association schedule in combination of local club championships resulted in decreased participation, and the rainy weather only complicated matters.
This season’s lineup of nine tournaments begins April 5-6 with the North Georgia Four-Ball at Dalton Golf & Country Club, and will conclude with the traditional season-ending Chattanooga TPC at Council Fire Club scheduled for Oct. 9-12. The organization’s flagship event, the Chattanooga Men’s Metro, will be hosted by Brown Acres Golf Club for the first time since 2007.
This year’s full schedule is:
April 5-6: North Georgia Four-Ball at Dalton Golf & Country Club
April 26-27: Cleveland Country Club Invitational at Cleveland Country Club
May 16-18: Signal Mountain Invitational at Signal Mountain Golf & Country Club
June 7-8: North Georgia Invitational at Dalton Golf & Country Club
July 11-12: Chattanooga Men’s Metro at Brown Acres Golf Club
Aug. 9-10: Brainerd Invitational at Brainerd Golf Course
Sept. 27-28: Moccasin Bend City Four-Ball at Moccasin Bend Golf Club
Oct. 4-5: Nob North Invitational at Nob North Golf Course
Oct. 9-12: Chattanooga TPC at Council Fire Club
Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com