The Insperity Invitational / Patrick Reed AJGA Junior Championship presented by Callaway Golf has earned three 2016 awards by the American Junior Golf Association: Tournament of the Year, the Charitable Giving Award and the Junior-Am Fundraising Award. The event has earned the Charitable Giving Award for the third consecutive year.
Each year, the AJGA presents awards to the tournaments with the best individual hospitality, Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament, charitable giving and volunteer base. Awards are also given to the events with engaged media and social media participation. Finally, the AJGA recognizes the year’s most outstanding golf professional, superintendent and general manager, as well as the most improved event, best new event, best Junior Golf Hub Preview Series tournament, best ACDS Junior All-Star Series tournament, best Invitational and overall tournament of the year. Tournament awards for the 2016 season will be presented on-site at 2017 tournaments.
The Insperity Invitational / Patrick Reed AJGA Junior Championship presented by Callaway Golf was honored for providing the best overall experience for tournament participants, families, AJGA staff and volunteers with the Tournament of the Year award. The event also exceeded expectations in its charitable contributions and in its Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament as a part of the Transamerica Junior-Am Series.
“It’s amazing the culture that we’ve developed here,” said Co-Tournament Chairman Bob Lewis. “Our sponsors are incredible. Insperity Invitational, Patrick Reed and Callaway getting involved in this tournament has been a great catalyst. We’ve also had great support from our country club and our membership. It’s not just that we have a lot of volunteers, we have a lot of financial contributors.”
The Insperity Invitational, a Champions Tour event hosted at The Woodlands Country Club, has brought the same level of excellence in its sponsorship from the Champions Tour to its AJGA event.
“I’m very pleased that we have an AJGA event here and we try to put the same level of quality on that event as we do our Champions Tour event,” said Bryan Naugle, executive director of the Insperity Invitational. “We’re proud of where that money goes. I can’t tell you how many thank-you letters I have received over the last couple of months.”
Annually one of the top fields of any AJGA Open tournament, the committee has promoted the AJGA’s mission and the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant to gain full involvement from members at The Woodlands Country Club. In 2016, the tournament contributed more than $122,000 to charity with a large portion going to the ACE Grant.
“We really communicated not just the opportunity to play in a Junior-Am, but the opportunity to give to a great cause in the ACE Grant,” Lewis said. “The way that the AJGA creates values, builds character and provides opportunities for college, that is what we’re all about. The depth of involvement that we have from our membership is incredible.”
In addition to the significant charitable giving, the Insperity Invitational / Patrick Reed AJGA Junior Championship presented by Callaway Golf also provided the players, families, AJGA staff and volunteers with a fantastic overall experience. Complimentary meals were provided to players and their families on multiple days and ice cream treats were offered in the clubhouse all week. Players also received a signed tournament flag from Patrick Reed and additional tournament gifts from Callaway. The tournament also hosted a College Coaches Panel during the Parents Meeting, set up individual driving range stalls, and even arranged for air hockey, shuffleboard and ping-pong tables in the Players Hospitality Lounge. To top it off, participants were treated to live music before and after the Junior-Am Fundraising Tournament.
“For a lot of us that are retired and play for the love of the game, you see that same love of the game in the kids,” Lewis said. “It really is a cause that our club really believes in and you always go away feeling really good about what we’ve accomplished.”
The tournament will return in 2017 at The Woodlands Country Club June 19-22.