The 2006 schedule boasts nine Invitational events to be held throughout the year. Part three of the five-part series focusing on the 2006 schedule highlights the courses, new and old, that will be visited during these exciting tournaments.
The Thunderbird International Junior will kick off the Invitationals May 26-29.The seventh annual event will be played on the Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. This par-72 course plays at a distance of 7,108 yards and is sure to challenge anyone who makes his or her way to the tee. Designed by legendary golf course architect Tom Fazio, the course opened for play in 1994 and has since hosted a number of world-class events. The 84-player field will have the opportunity to experience the desert as they make their way around this world-class facility.
June will bring about two more Invitationals at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and the FootJoy Boys Invitational. The Rolex Girls Junior Championship will be held in Park City, Utah, at the Glenwild Golf Club and Spa. Another Fazio-designed course, Golf Digest ranks Glenwild #1 in the state of Utah. Open in 2001, the course is sure to challenge the field. The FootJoy Boys Invitational will visit Forest Oaks Country Club in Greenboro, N.C., for the third straight year. Home of the PGA TOUR’s Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, Forest Oaks was redesigned in 2003 with the help of AJGA alumnus Davis Love III.
The Rolex Tournament of Champions is the next stop on the summer’s Invitational schedule. Hiwan Golf Club will host its first Invitational event after three years of hosting AJGA Open events. At nearly 8,000 feet in elevation, the prestigious course founded and hosted the Colorado Open PGA event from 1964-1991. Small, undulating greens and incredible mountain views will be awaiting the Rolex Tournament of Champions field.
The McDonald’s Betsy Rawls Girls Championship is scheduled to make its way back to Malvern, Pa., where it will again be held at White Manor Country Club. In its third year at the club, the field is already aware of the many challenges that are laid out before them. Previously home to the LPGA McDonald’s Classic, White Manor has recently undergone major renovations and is looking forward to another exciting year with the AJGA.
The HP Boys Junior Championship will be held July 24-28 at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge. One of the most prestigious events on the AJGA’s schedule, the HP Boys Junior Championship looks forward to the opportunity to once again return to Bay Hill, home of the PGA TOUR’s Bay Hill Invitational. Designed with wide fairways and many “risk and reward” options, Bay Hill will prove a challenge for the elite tournament field.
The 2006 Canon Cup will return to the host facility of the 2002 event, Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill. Originally a dairy farm set outside of Chicago, the course has become recognized as one of the best in the state. The Fazio design is certain to hold plenty of challenges for the 2006 Canon Cup teams. In addition to hosting AJGA events, it was also the site of the 1997 NCAA Men’s Division I Championship and the 1998 U.S. Junior Amateur.
Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora, Ore., will host the Nike Golf Junior Championship for the fourth straight year. Having previously hosted the Polo Golf Junior at Langdon Farms and the PING Langdon Farms Junior Classic, the course is now a challenge for the 12-15 year old junior all-stars. Settled just south of Portland, Langdon Farms offers wide fairways and quick greens, which will certainly provide a challenge for the tournament field.
The final event of 2006 will take place in November at the Polo Golf Junior Classic. This Invitational is traditionally held Thanksgiving weekend and will be held again at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simon’s Island, Ga. The Seaside and Plantation Courses will be utilized in both the stroke play and match play formats. No stranger to world-class events, Sea Island was the home of the 2004 Mid-Amateur Championship and will host the 2006 U.S. Senior Women’s Open. Before becoming the home of the Polo Golf Junior Classic, Sea Island hosted the 2003 Canon Cup. The Robb Report ranks Sea Island as the #1 Golf Resort in the U.S. The talented field that will be present in Sea Island will enjoy all the challenges that the course holds.
Coming Monday, part four of the five-part schedule release series will focus on the Nike Golf Junior All-Star Series. With new venues scheduled for the Series, it is sure to be an exciting season.
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