With 2008 winding down, the AJGA is already well into preparation for 2009’s tournaments. Here are some highlights of the 84 tournaments that make up a very exciting 2009 AJGA schedule.
Preseason Events
Eight events in 2009
Medicus will once again sponsor the AJGA’s preseason series, consisting of eight events that occur before the summer schedule gets into full swing. St. James Plantation in Southport, N.C., will host an AJGA event for the first time when the Medicus Preseason Junior at St. James Plantation takes place March 27-29 on The Members Club Course, an 18-hole Hale Irwin Signature Course.
Junior All-Star Events
Ten events in 2009
The Junior-All Star series, specifically designed for AJGA members ages 12-15, will make a stop at The Refuge Golf Club in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., for the fourth year in a row when the Junior All-Star at Lake Havasu comes to town, June 1-4.
Later in the summer, the AJGA will return to Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa., for the CorseMax/Philadelphia Runner Junior All-Star, Aug. 10-13.
The top competitors in this series will meet up at the Mayors Junior All-Star Invitational, Oct. 9-12, for the second consecutive year at The Country Club at Mirasol.
Open Events
Fifty-three events in 2009
Easter Weekend will be a busy time for the AJGA once again, as returns to Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club, The Traditions Club at Texas A&M and Longbow Golf Club are set for Open tournaments, April 9-12.
There are plenty of new venues to take a look at in 2009. The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs, Colo., appears on the AJGA schedule for the first time, hosting the AJGA Colorado Junior Open, June 1-4. The AJGA Flossmoor Junior Open will take place at Flossmoor Country Club in Flossmoor, Ill., July 20-23. Indiana also gets a new event as the AJGA Notre Dame Junior Open will be held at Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Ind., July 27-30. Rockaway Hunt Club in Lawrence, N.Y., returns to the AJGA slate, hosting the Lessings's AJGA Classic, July 6-9.
The Ohio State University Golf Club returns to the AJGA schedule when it hosts the Nationwide Insurance Junior presented by the Memorial Tournament, July 6-9. The Scarlet Course hosted the Rolex Tournament of Champions in 2007 and is sure to provide a great test for an Open event.
For a little international flavor, El Camaleón Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, returns for the third consecutive year to host the Mayakoba Junior Golf Classic, August 18-21. Mayakoba is home to the PGA TOUR’s only event in Mexico and provides a unique opportunity for junior golfers to play a professional tour course outside the United States.
Invitational Events
Thirteen events in 2009
Four of the 13 Invitational events in 2009 will be visiting new host venues. A new all-girls invitational will take place Jan. 16-19, at Ginn Reunion Resort – Independence (Watson) Course in Orlando, Fla., which is one of the host courses for the 2008 Polo Golf Junior Classic.
An AJGA Invitational will return to the west coast when Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., hosts the Rolex Girls Junior Championship, June 15-18. California will be hosting an invitational for the first time in 11 years.
After hosting an Open event the last two seasons, Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau, Mo., will be the home of the Rolex Tournament of Champions, June 30-July 4. Dalhousie Golf Club, a Nicklaus Design course, was named the No. 1 golf course in Missouri in Golf Digest’s rankings for 2007-08.
The 20th annual Canon Cup moves west in 2009 to Forest Highlands Golf Club in Flagstaff, Ariz. This exciting event pits the 20 best juniors on each side of the Mississippi River against each other in match play competition. The Canon Cup will be played on the club’s Canyon Course, nestled at 7,000 feet among majestic pines and groves of mature oaks and aspens, and the West Team will go for its fifth consecutive title.
No matter which level of junior golf you plan on playing during the 2009 season, the AJGA’s slate of tournaments gives all its members the chance to play at some of the country’s greatest golf courses.
In addition to the new courses noted here, the AJGA will be returning to some of the traditional stops, including Boyne Highlands, Coosa Country Club, Moon Valley Country Club, Bellefonte Country Club, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Mission Hills Country Club.
Take advantage of the early schedule release and start planning your year in junior golf now. Early membership sign-up for 2009 is also available now-click here for more information. As always, continue to check ajga.org for the latest information on where the AJGA will be headed in 2009.
View the entire 2009 AJGA schedule
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