Author: iowagolf

Buerman, Parmenter take home top honors at IGA Mid-Am Series Event #1

Julie Buerman (above right) of Cedar Rapids took home the victory at the IGA Women’s Mid-Am Series Event #1, held Saturday, May 13 at Gates Park Golf Course in Waterloo. Buerman won the stableford tournament with 50 points, five points ahead of the field, with back-to-back birdies on holes 2 and 3 and a 76 on the day.

Runner-up Laura Leszczynski of St. Charles posted a 40-41 round of 81, scoring 45 points. Ankeny’s Karli Kerrigan and Des Moines’ Kelly Grimes finished tied for third, scoring 44 points each, with Kerrigan coming out on top after the tiebreak. Dubuque’s Rose Kubesheski and Wever’s Ashley Neuweg tied for fifth with 42 points.

In the Net Division, Urbandale’s Ardrae Parmenter (above left) won with 55 points. Buerman finished second with 53 points, followed by Cedar Falls’ Margene Grady and Grimes in a tie at 52 points. Leszczynski rounded out the top five with 51 points.


Gross Division
1. Julie Buerman 50
2. Laura Leszczynski 45
T3. Karli Kerrigan 44
T3. Kelly Grimes 44
T5. Rose Kubesheski 42
T5. Ashley Neuweg 42
Net Division
1. Ardrae Parmenter 55
2. Julie Buerman 53
T3. Margene Grady 52
T3. Kelly Grimes 52
5. Laura Leszyczynski 51

Hoyle / Stith pull away for win at 27th IGA Four-Ball Championship

Just when things looked to get interesting, the side of Charlie Hoyle / Tyler Stith (above) left no doubt on who would be holding the trophy at the conclusion of the 27th IGA Four-Ball Championship hosted by Burlington Golf Club.

Birdies on #16 and #17 by Stith and a par on #18 by Hoyle gave them a comfortable three-shot win over a trio of teams. Hoyle / Stith posted rounds off 62-67 for a -15 total.

“This is the first one of these going in the trophy case,” Stith said. “I knew the course a little bit and I knew with his (Charlie) length he could hit a lot of drivers. I had to manage the course a little more. We felt like there weren’t as many birdie holes on the back nine to start out on Friday. We took off after that and that set us up for today (final round).”

Hoyle echoed Stith and commented that staying in the correct positions around the BGC layout was critical.

“I am generally a long hitter, so for me it plays a little different, but you can’t get out of position.” Hoyle said. “You’re playing defensively if you do. We tried to hit as many greens as we could. Tyler made some clutch shots coming down the stretch.”

After a chip-in birdie on the 16th hole, Stith found himself above the hole on the 17th. A spot that doesn’t lend itself to much success, yet Stith had a feeling this was his time – and it was.

“I knew I was going to make it.” Stith said. “I told him I got this. I felt at that moment I was going to make that putt. It crept in on the edge. Something came over me the last few holes and I was able to execute some shots that we needed. For the most part, we did a great job of staying under the hole all week. 

In the Senior Division, the side of Jay Gregory / Jeff Collett (right) collected the win, but it wasn’t easy.

Gregory / Collett, who shot rounds of 67-66, had to overcome a hometown team of John O’Neill and Micheal Mathiasmeier in a playoff that lasted three holes.

“They hung in there tough and I made a 20’ putt from above the hole on our third playoff hole.” Gregory said.” I finally got one to go in. You had to be very careful on the greens. If you got above the hole it was tough, but the greens were fantastic. We made a lot of birdies over the two rounds. ”

In the Super Senior Division, there was little left to doubt when then the dust had settled. Bob Brooks and Jim Butler (left) paired up to win by an astonishing 12 shots, following a pair of 66 rounds (-12). The side of Brooks / Butler only had to count a pair of bogeys over the 36-hole event – which came on the 10th hole both days.

Click here for full results

Four advance from U.S. Open Local Qualifying at Glen Oaks CC

(From left) Josh Bousman (73), Brandon Bauman (73), Lucas Scherf (74) & Jack Dumas (74) advance from U.S. Open Championship Local Qualifying hosted by Glen Oaks Country Club on May 1.

Brutal.

To put it lightly Glen Oaks Country Club played tough for the field on Monday, during U.S. Open Local Qualifying. Strong, gusting winds (30-40+ mph), cooler temperatures and championship course conditions left many scratching their head after their round and several just glad to have ‘weathered’ the day.

Professionals Josh Bousman (Clinton) and Brandon Bauman (Las Vegas) fared the best, posting 73 (+2) to share medalist honors and advance to Final Qualifying. Both players were successful in keeping the big number off the scorecard, as each had only one score higher than double bogey and added five birdies to the mix, on a day that sent scores sailing.

“This was one of the hardest rounds of golf I have ever played,” Bauman said. “I tried to pick a spot on the driving range to get a feel for the wind. No matter what direction the wind was, you had to take it flat out one shot at a time. I practically had to start it out of bounds on #12, in order to hit the fairway. You had to make a few birdies to have a chance on Monday. There’s no way you could par all 18 holes, you were going to make a bogey here and there.”

Bousman closed out his day with three straight birdies (on holes #7-9), which he commented were holes he thought he could attack.

“It was a grind out there,” Bousman said. “There weren’t any holes you could just put it in neutral. I switched golf balls (on Monday) to keep my spin down into the greens. I knew #7, #8 and #9 were my best chances to make birdie, so I was just trying to get to that stretch with a chance. I wasn’t trying to think too far ahead. I actually left my eagle putt on my last hole just short. I had a lot of birdie opportunities and tried to stay below the hole as much as I could, so I could be aggressive on the greens. I didn’t have any three-putts on the day.”

Rounding out the final two of four qualifying spots included a pair of Drake University golfers, Lucas Scherf and Jack Dumas, who both posted 74 (+3). Scherf collected four birdies in his round, while Dumas found pars to be his friend – making 10 total on the day.

Earning 1st Alternate on Monday was Tracy Vest (Iowa City) by way of a four-hole playoff that began with five total players who posted 75 (+4). Sam Meuret (Waukee) earned 2nd Alternate. 

Click here for complete results

Work begins at Golf House Iowa site

It is starting to take shape.

Earthwork and general grading of the site for Golf House Iowa began on Monday, April 17, near Norwalk’s Echo Valley Country Club. The creation of Golf House Iowa will provide a permanent home to preserve, promote, and protect the game of golf in our great state. Plans are in place to include the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, a space for educating golfers, areas to promote and teach the game, and office space for the Iowa Golf Association, IGA Foundation, Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association and First Tee – Central Iowa.

As of April 13, $4.23 million has been raised for the $5 million project – but we still need your help in securing the project without having to finance remaining funds to reach the $5 million dollar goal. For more information on ways you can support the efforts of Golf House Iowa visit https://iowagolf.org/golfhouseiowa/.

 

Bombers Golf Breaks Ground in Johnston

From left – Jeremy Kies, Superintendent, Mike Larson, Director of Engineering, Adam Tillgren, Project Manager, Greg Schulte, Project Director, Bry Wisecup, Marketing & Customer Care, Allen Stoye, Owner of the Future Bombers Golf, Cory Larson, Sr Vice President and Owner of Keen, Matt Hironimus, Project Engineer, Dustin Waters, Sr Vice President and Owner of Keen, Matt Frandsen, President and Owner of Keen, Jeff Scandrett, Director of Operations.

Bombers Golf, a premier entertainment destination for golfers and non-golfers alike, held its groundbreaking event in Johnston on April 11.

The new Bombers Golf facility will be located at 5225 Merle Hay Road and will be a three-level, 75,000-square-foot family entertainment center that will offer, climate-controlled hitting bays overlooking a 270-yard driving range, a state-of-the-art arcade, 16-lane bowling alley and attached hotel.

The Johnston family entertainment district will also feature numerous bars, restaurants, a conference and event space, and outdoor activity space complete with walking trails and a kayak launch.

Construction on the new facility is expected to be completed in Fall of 2024.

Bombers Golf’s expansion into Johnston is part of the company’s continued growth strategy, bringing the popular entertainment destination to more communities across the country.

“Bombers Golf is excited to be investing in the Johnston community and bringing a new and exciting entertainment option to the area,” said Bomber’s owner. “We look forward to serving local residents, businesses, and visitors with a unique and memorable experience.”

USGA Announces Amateur Championship Qualifying Modifications

Changes to U.S. Amateur, U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior qualifying will be introduced in 2024

In an effort to continuously enhance and evolve the competitor experience, the USGA is announcing significant modifications to its amateur championship qualifying model for the first time in more than 20 years. These changes, which will take effect for the organization’s four premier amateur championships beginning in 2024, will allow the events to retain their openness while ensuring that high-caliber players are provided ample opportunity to earn a spot in the field and that qualifying can be conducted at the highest level among growing entries and field sizes.

“The openness and aspirational nature of our championships is a defining characteristic of USGA championships,” said Brent Paladino, senior director, Championship Administration. “As the number of entries and qualifying sites have continued to increase on a yearly basis, we looked at ways to evolve our structure to ensure the long-term sustainability of qualifying without excessively burdening Allied Golf Associations (AGAs) and host clubs. These revisions will provide players with additional pathways to our championships through traditional qualifying, expanded exemption categories and performance in state, AGA, regional and national amateur championships.”

In 2022, the USGA accepted 44,737 total entries and collaborated with AGAs to conduct a combined 678 qualifiers across 15 championships.

The most significant revisions for 2024 are to the U.S. Amateur, which will move from a one-stage, 36-hole qualifying format to a two-stage qualifying format with 45 18-hole local qualifying sites and 19 18-hole final qualifying sites. Other adjustments include:

  • Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
  • Expansion of World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR) exemption category to top 100 ranked players (previously 50);
  • Establishment of local exemptions, which include top finishers in USGA championships, state/AGA amateur championships and top 600 WAGR players.

Changes to the other championships’ qualifying structures are outlined below:

U.S. Women’s Amateur 

  • Modest reduction in qualifying sites through the establishment of geographic rotations;
  • Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
  • Expansion of WAGR exemption category to top 50 players (previously 25).

 

U.S. Junior Amateur / U.S. Girls’ Junior 

  • Alignment of qualifying structure to encourage AGAs to conduct joint or concurrent qualifying;
  • Exemptions for state, AGA, regional and national junior amateur champions based on established criteria and historical WAGR event power rankings;
  • U.S. Junior Am expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 100 (previously 85);
  • U.S. Girls’ Junior expansion of WAGR age-filtered exemption category to top 50 (previously 40).

There will also be a lowering of Handicap Index® limits across all four championships and modifications to the performance policy that will be announced later. Determinations on the individual state, AGA, regional and national championships that will be part of the 2024 exemption criteria will be published prior to the release of entries for the respective championship.

The modifications will result in a net reduction of 94 qualifying sites, while providing more opportunities for players to earn a spot in a USGA championship through expanded exemptions, state/AGA amateur championships and traditional qualifying.

Entries for 2024 USGA amateur championships will open next spring. The 2024 U.S. Amateur will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.; the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur will be held at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla.; while the 2024 Junior Amateur will be held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; and the 2024 Girls’ Junior will be played at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Calif.

IGA member courses beginning to open

The following IGA Member Courses have communicated they either are or will be open:

-AH Blank Golf Course (Des Moines) – Currently open
-Amana Colonies Golf Club (Amana) – Hope to open Friday, March 31, at the latest, hopefully sooner if conditions firm up.
-Bright Grandview Golf Course (Des Moines) – Currently open
-Buena Vista University Golf Course at Lake Creek (Storm Lake) – Goal as of right now is to be open April 1, walking only until April 8.
-Cedar Creek Golf Course (Ottumwa) – Open with carts, greens have been mowed twice. Spring Rates ($22.00 pp includes 1/2 cart) will prevail until April 1.
-Coldwater Golf Link (Ames) – Plan to open April 1.
-Copper Creek Golf Course (Pleasant Hill) – Plan to open Wednesday, March 22. Tee times will range from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the time being. Course will remain open as weather permits. Additionally instructions such as cart path only and 90 degree rule will be provided for golfers at check in.
Finkbine Golf Course (Iowa City) – Plans to open Friday, March 24.
-Gardner Golf Course (Cedar Rapids) – Opens Wednesday, March 22. Tee times available, carts limited.
-Griswold Golf & CC (Griswold) – Planning to open March 29.
-Harvest Point Golf Course (Oskaloosa) – Open with carts available for rent. Will be open for the remainder of the season. Tee times are always recommended as they work with lots of high school and college teams. Please call before traveling – 641-673-5120.
-Highland Park Golf Course (Mason City) – Planning on opening the March 31, depending on weather of course. Tee times all 7 days of the week and currently 8 a.m., to sunset are our hours of operation
-Jester Park Golf Course (Granger) – Currently open
-Majestic Hill Golf Course (Denison) – Open 11 a.m., each day weather dependent.
-Prairie Links (Waverly) – Will be opening on Wednesday, March 22, at 11 a.m. The plan is to be open everyday, weather permitting. Greens fee with cart is $40 through April 14. Tee times are available at www.prairielinksgolf.com or by calling 319-242-7675.
Rice Lake Golf & Country Club (Rice Lake) – Plan to open Saturday, April 8.
River Valley Golf Course (Adel) – Planning on opening March 30, weather permitting. Discounted rates will be utilized through April.
-Sandburr Run (Thomson, IL) – Currently open – 7 a.m. to dark
-Terrace Hills Golf Course (Altoona) – Currently open
-The Legacy Golf Club (Norwalk) – Currently open and hope to stay open indefinitely. Shoulder Season Rates are in effect through Thursday, April 6. Reservations can be made online. Carts are currently restricted to the paths only. The driving range is currently not open, but hoping it will be soon.
-Tournament Club of Iowa (Polk City) – Hope to open Friday, March 31, at the latest, hopefully sooner if conditions firm up.
-Twin Pine Golf Course (Cedar Rapids) – Opens Tuesday, March 21. Tee times available, carts limited.
-Valley Oaks Golf Course (Clinton) – Open with carts. Spring rates apply – No tee times til April.
-Veenker Memorial Golf Course (Ames) – Will be opening for the season starting this Friday, March 24.
-Veterans Memorial Golf Club (Clear Lake) – Is open for walking to start.
-Wandering Creek Golf Club (Marshalltown) – Opening March 22, at 11 a.m. with carts
-Waveland Golf Course (Des Moines) – Currently open
-Westwood Golf Course (Newton) – Currently open

** Note – Private Clubs are not listed **

Click here for more information on all of our member courses.

Be sure to check back for updates to this list!

Feel free to email [email protected] with
updates to your course/facility opening this year!

‘Up and Down’ the Iowa Golf Scene – Pettersen sets sights high

Bella Pettersen Overcomes Adversity on Her Way to the Summit of Girls Golf in Iowa

Bella was all smiles after capturing the Iowa Junior Girls 2022 Championship by 11 strokes.

For North Liberty golfer extraordinaire Bella Pettersen (right), the challenges of playing at a high-level begin far before she reaches the golf course. The 2022 Iowa Golf Association Junior Girls Player of the Year is afflicted with a rare condition called juvenile enthesitis arthritis.

The disease, which first struck the 17-year-old in middle school, causes inflammation of joints which leads to pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of motion in the areas where tendons and ligaments connect to bone.

“The condition affects your walking, sitting and standing, and that’s before you try to swing a golf club,” said Pettersen, during a recent telephone interview with Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene.

“I’ve tried just about everything – from taking three baths a day, to every medication possible, cortisone shots, using a trainer, to even a chemotherapy drug used by cancer patients,” she said.

Pettersen is currently taking an infusion to provide some relief to the condition that impacts her ability to practice or even walk the golf course. Later this year, Pettersen is scheduled for a special surgical procedure on her hips that is being counted on to alleviate the chronic condition and allow full pursuit of future golf dreams.Physical ailments aside, Pettersen is focused this spring on setting new goals and achieving new heights to add to an already well decorated golf resume. Two years ago, Bella burst onto the Iowa girls prep golf scene when the Mike and Debbie Pettersen family relocated to North Liberty from Fountain Hills, AZ. As a freshman at Iowa City Liberty, she won nearly every event, earned Mississippi Valley Conference player of the year honors and qualified for the Class 4A state tournament at Otter Creek in Ankeny, where a pair of 71’s parlayed into a third-place finish in the medalist standings. Last spring, she was equally dominating, repeating as conference player of the year and shot a 36-hole score of 149 to again finish third in the state meet medalist race.

“I love winning,” said Pettersen, who was introduced to the game by her older sister, Madasyn and started playing golf at age three.

She played in her first tournament, the Girls Classic in Rockford, IL, before she reached the age of five. That tournament, a four-hole event, would be the launch of a junior golf career that has spanned three states and competition at the local, state, regional and national levels. The well-seasoned high school prep has competed and won titles sponsored by the Illinois Junior Golf Association, Junior Golf Association of Arizona, Iowa PGA Section and the Iowa Golf Association. But her biggest thrill to date came last summer at the American Junior Golf Association’s (AJGA) Bass Pro Shops/Payne Stewart Junior Championship played at Buffalo Ridge Golf Course in Hollister, MO. Pettersen fired a 72 to win the qualifier and gain entry into the tournament, where rounds of 76-75-70 gave her a 54-hole of 221 and earned a fourth-place finish on a national stage.

“It was a great thrill to play so well in such a big event,” said Pettersen, who noted that her arthritis was kept in check to play four straight days of competition on a challenging course.

That tournament capped off a remarkable 2022 season for Pettersen, whose standout performance earned her the Iowa Golf Association’s Girls’ Player of the Year honors. Bella captured the Iowa Junior Girls’ Amateur championship in runaway fashion with an 11-stroke victory by shooting a 54-hole total of 223 at Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City. She teamed up with Addison Berg of Swisher to capture the IGA’s Four-Ball title in dominating fashion at Veenker in Ames. Pettersen also finished third in the Iowa Girls’ Junior PGA tournament and seventh in the Iowa Women’s Amateur.

Sisters Madasyn and Bella Pettersen have both battled Juvenile Arthritis throughout their golf careers.

“I’m competitive by nature,” said Bella, who combines hard work, grit, determination and desire as attributes to fuel her performance on the course and as she battles her condition. “I’m driven to succeed but have to balance my health with my golf. I can’t beat balls on the range like other players but that’s allowed me to put tons of work on my short game. “

Bella also draws inspiration from her older sister, Madasyn, whose promising golf career was cut short by a similar arthritis condition. Madasyn was a junior girls’ golf prodigy in Illinois, becoming the youngest player to win the Illinois Women’s Open in 2015 at age 15. She also became the youngest player to qualify for that tournament at age 10, holds the record for most Illinois Junior Golf Association championships with 15 and at one time was ranked 50th worldwide as a junior player. As her condition worsened, Madasyn’s Division I golf career was curtailed. Today, she is a process engineer for the Iowa City-based pulp and paper manufacturer Loparex.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Bella has higher aspirations.

“I exceeded all of my goals in 2022 and will be setting them higher this year,” she said.

Looking down the road further, Bella would like to play Division I golf and a dream goal would be playing professionally. For now, she’s enjoying high school, taking college-level courses at Kirkwood Community College, working part-time at Plato’s Closet in Coralville and plans for a career as an anesthesiologist. She also offers the following advice for those who are battling disabilities and other conditions.

“You have to learn that it’s ok not to be ok,” she said. “Find something you love, work hard and stay with it. You can still do amazing things.”

North Liberty’s Bella Pettersen burst upon the Iowa Girls Golf scene in 2021 and is now setting higher goals after being named the IGA’s Girls Player of the Year in 2022.


“Up and Down” the Iowa Golf Scene

A regular feature column written by IGA Foundation board member Mark Gambaiana, Up and Down the Iowa Golf Scene is designed to take the reader beyond the headlines and scoreboards to share stories of those who help make Iowa golf so rich and rewarding. Profiles will spotlight those who advance the game through volunteerism, service, extraordinary achievement, competition, human interest and the many other dimensions of golf in Iowa.

Click the links below to read previous Up and Down features
– IGA Rules Official Sean Flanders
– R&A, USGA Champion Gene Elliott
– Nervig Reflects on Decades of Service to The Iowa Masters
Arseneault Finds Fulfillment in Life’s Next Chapter After Competitive Golf
Ivan Miller remembers the days of the Minnows
Kinney adjusts to life on tour
Standard Golf’s roots run deep

USGA to offer free Rules of Golf webinars

Denny Samuelson

With golf season starting to open around the country, the USGA rules team would like to provide IGA members with two free rules of golf workshops. These workshops will cover two of the most widely used rules golfers come across every day, free relief and penalty relief. These beginner workshops will be taught by two senior members of the USGA Rules team in Ben Schade and Kathryn Belanger.

Free Webinar Schedule

Wednesday, March 15, at 4:30 PM CDT – Free Relief (taught by Kathryn Belanger)
Registration URL – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/728091531068943447

Wednesday, March 22, at 2:00 PM CDT – Penalty Relief (taught by Ben Schade)
Registration URL – https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2889187133020834394

IGA Course Rater Jane Suiter passes away

The Iowa Golf Association was informed that volunteer IGA Course Rater and tournament player Jane Suiter passed away on Tuesday, January 24.

Jane was born on June 21, 1948, in Waterloo, Iowa, the daughter of Alfred and Luella (Austin) Schneider. She was a 1966 graduate of Don Bosco High School in Gilbertville, Iowa, and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa, and master’s degree from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Jane enjoyed playing golf, and even had a hole-in-one at St. Andrews Golf Course on Sept. 7, 2021. Suiter volunteered as a Course Rater for the IGA for several years.

Family will greet friends and family from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Marion. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion.

Click here to read Suiter’s full obituary

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