Author: iowagolf

2020 Ann Griffel Scholarship Award recipients named

June 1, 20200 commentsNews, Scholarships

The Iowa Golf Association (IGA) is delighted to announce the 2020 recipients of the Ann Griffel Scholarship Award (Griffel is pictured above in sport coat). Ellie Braksiek, Taylor Garvin, Anna Jensen, Allison Nuss and Morgan Nuss will receive a one-year scholarship of $2,000. These girls will join the group of 237 other students to have received this award since 1963.

Ellie Braksiek is the daughter of Rob and Heidi Braksiek. She is a graduate of Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, and will be attending Iowa State University in the fall to study business. She will compete for the Cyclones Women’s Golf Team. She is eagerly awaiting the opportunities ahead of her in Ames.

“I look forward to competing in the game I love while challenging myself in the classroom as well,” Braksiek said.

 

Taylor Garvin is the daughter of Gregg and Kelly Garvin. She is a graduate of Wilton High School and will be attending St. Ambrose University in Davenport in the fall to study biochemistry on a Pre-Dental/Medicine Track. She will play on the Fighting Bees Women’s Golf Team.

“I am honored to be selected for the Ann Griffel Scholarship and will continue to apply the same diligence to my collegiate studies and activities. I will represent her legacy well during my years in college and beyond,” Garvin said.

 

Anna Jensen is the daughter of Leon & Mary Jensen. She is a graduate of Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque, and will be attending the University of Northern Iowa in the fall. She will be a member of the Panthers Women’s Golf Team.

“I am forever grateful for the opportunities that golf has given me and I honestly do not know what my life would be like without it,” Jensen said.

 

Allison Nuss is the daughter of Marty & Carolyn Nuss. She is a graduate of New Hampton High School and will be attending the University of Northern Iowa in the fall, where she plans to study biology or exercise science. She will play on the Panthers Women’s Golf Team. Allison has aspirations to become a college coach or a teaching professional.

“Golf has been a really big part of my life, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities it has presented and for the exciting new adventures it will bring in this next part of my life,” Nuss said.

 

Morgan Nuss is the daughter of Marty & Carolyn Nuss. She is a graduate of New Hampton High School and will be attending the University of Northern Iowa in the fall, where she plans to study Mathematics Teaching. She will join her sister to play on the Panthers Women’s Golf Team. She has expressed an interest in giving back to golf through coaching.

“I have experienced hundreds of memories from competing as a player, and I believe the coaching side would be just as rewarding,” Nuss said.

The Ann Griffel Scholarship was established in 1963. It originated as just one $350 scholarship awarded by the Iowa Women’s Golf Association (IWGA) and has evolved into a $2,000 scholarship awarded to multiple high school senior girls who intend to further their education at an Iowa institution of higher learning, whether a college, university or trade school.

The Iowa Golf Association Foundation (IGAF) was established to preserve the game and develop more programs to promote the future of golf in Iowa. The IGAF awards the Ann Griffel scholarship each year. This scholarship was named after the long time IWGA President, Ann Griffel, who during her 23 year term started the Girls’ State Junior, Forever 39, State Wife-Husband and Senior Women’s Championships.

Palmer wins fourth Senior Match Play, Gorbell captures Super Senior crown

May 31, 20200 commentsChampionships, IGA Senior Match Play
Richard Gorbell (left) and Joe Palmer took home the big honors at the Senior Match Play at Veenker on Saturday

MAY 30, 2020 – Joe Palmer, of West Des Moines, won his fourth IGA Senior Match Play Championship on Saturday afternoon after a 3 & 2 defeat of Tom Schill, of Gowrie, in the final match at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames. Palmer joins Gene Elliott as the only four-time champions of the event.

Richard Gorbell, of Cedar Falls, won his first IGA Super-Senior championship when he defeated defending champion Steve Kahler, of Marion, in 19 holes.  Gorbell did it with a birdie on the first extra hole.

Palmer and Schill’s championship match got off to a fast start – fast as in time and not necessarily quality of golf. The two played the first 8 holes in 60 minutes before being slowed by some public groups of golfers on 9. Palmer had managed to secure a 1 up lead thru those fast first eight holes. 

“We were going too fast and I think our golf kind of suffered”, said Schill. 

When forced to take a bit of extra time is when Palmer took control. He won that 9th hole to go 2 up, then won 10 and 11 as well. His tee shot on the tough uphill par-3 11th was a thing of beauty. Palmer landed it just past the hole and it ran out to the back of edge of the green. That’s where the natural slope of the green took over and the ball slowly trickled back toward the hole, settling about 4 feet away for a birdie. 

Schill tried to swing the momentum with wins at 12 and 14, but another beautiful iron shot on the par-3 13th by Palmer threw a speed bump in the middle of Schill’s comeback plan. The back and forth across holes 11 thru 14 left Palmer at 3 up heading to the 15th tee. 

The two would tie the 15th after a nifty up and down from Palmer, then tie the 16th, giving Palmer his fourth crown. 

In the Super-Senior championship match defending champion Kahler nearly pulled off the repeat but Gorbell was just a bit too much down the stretch. 

Kahler held a 1 up lead thru 14 holes but Gorbell would birdie the difficult 15th and 16th holes to take a 1 up lead heading into 17. After a tie there the two went to the last where a subpar pitch shot from Gorbell led to Kahler’s par being enough to send it to extra holes. 

The two went to the back 9 for extra holes and it seemed as though Kahler would have the advantage after the tee shots because Gorbell’s ball settled in the right trees.  But a terrific recovery shot left Gorbell with about 50 yards into the hole which he would say later “was basically the same shot I just messed up on 18”. 

He didn’t mess it up this time. He flew his sand wedge to about 10 feet short of the hole, leaving a terrific look at birdie. After Kahler failed on his birdie chip Gorbell stepped up and drained it for the win.

In the President’s Bracket Brian Persson, of Elk Run Heights, defeated Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Mike McCoy, of Norwalk, 1 up.  Other flight winners included Tim Greteman, of West Des Moines, (First Flight), Greg Kramer, of Urbandale, (Second Flight) and Richard Jones, of Fort Dodge (Third Flight).

Click here to view complete results

2020 Herman Sani Scholarship Award winners announced

May 21, 20200 commentsNews, Scholarships

Herman Sani (right) is seen talking with Gene Sarazen in August, 1950.  Sani served as IGA President in 1929.

The Iowa Golf Association (IGA) would like to announce the 2020 recipients of the Herman Sani Scholarship Awards. Kyle Christy, of Orange City, Allison Nuss, of New Hampton, Morgan Nuss, of New Hampton, and Cole Davis, of Marshalltown, will receive a four year scholarship of $2,000 per year. Those individuals will be recognized at the Herman Sani Golf Tournament held at Hyperion Field Club, Johnston, Fri-Sun, Aug 7-9.

Kyle Christy (left), of Orange City, is a graduate of MOC-Floyd Valley Community Schools and is the son of Michelle and Greg Christy. Kyle plans to attend Northwestern College (Orange City) and study accounting or education.

“The game of golf is a large part of my life and has partly made me who I am today. It is a true honor to be called a Herman Sani Scholar, and I am so grateful to all the people that have helped me achieve this honor. I am looking forward to representing what it means to be a Sani Scholar at Northwestern College through academics, golf, and basketball.”

 

Allison Nuss (right), of New Hampton, is a graduate of New Hampton High School and is the daughter of Marty and Carolyn Nuss. Allison plans to study either business of exercise science at the University of Northern Iowa and play on the golf team.

“I feel very honored to have been selected as a 2020 Herman Sani Scholarship recipient. I am very humbled and appreciative, and want to thank the committee for selecting me for this great honor. Golf has provided me with so many opportunities, and I will do my best to represent what it means to be a Sani Scholar and an Iowa Golf Association member as I continue my academic and golf career at the University of Northern Iowa.”

 

Morgan Nuss (left), of New Hampton, is a graduate of New Hampton High School and is the daughter of Marty and Carolyn Nuss. Morgan plans to attend the University of Northern Iowa to study education with a focus on mathematics. She will also play on the women’s golf team

“I am incredibly thankful to be receiving the Herman Sani scholarship. This scholarship is a very distinguished honor in the state of Iowa, and I am truly grateful to have been chosen as a recipient. I will do my best to uphold the standards of the scholarship as I continue on to the opportunities that lie ahead.”

 

Cole Davis (right), of Marshalltown, is a graduate of Marshalltown High School and is the son of Kendra and the late Trent Davis. He plans to attend the University of Houston and pursue a Bachelors of Business Administration Degree in Finance. Cole will play for golf for the Cougars.

“I would like to thank the Herman Sani Committee for selecting me for this scholarship. It is truly an honor to be presented this scholarship and I couldn’t be more appreciative. The Iowa Golf Association has always been special to me, so to be selected for the Herman Sani Scholarship really means a lot to not only me but my family as well.”

 

The Herman Sani Scholarship Program was established in 1958. Herman Sani had a passion for golf and young people. Sani was the first director of the Iowa Golf Association and served the organization for over 30 years. This scholarship was created in his memory with the purpose to assist Iowa students to further their education. As of 2020, 187 college-bound students have been awarded this four-year scholarship.

Most of the scholarship money comes from the generous donations by individuals and corporate sponsors. Since 2013 the Coppola family of Norwalk has contributed $250,000 to the Herman Sani Scholarship Fund. The Iowa Golf Association and point events from around the state also make significant contributions to the fund. For more information about the scholarship visit our website at www.iowagolf.org/scholarships.

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Steve Spray passes away

May 18, 20200 commentsNews

Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member (Class on 2009) Steve Spray passed away Friday, May 15, 2020 in Chesterfield, MO. Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 19 at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Indianola. Read his full obituary here: https://www.overtonfunerals.com/obituary/john-spray

A native of Indianola, Spray began his amateur career with a win in the 1958 Iowa Junior Amateur and gained national fame by winning the 1959 Western Junior. For college he went south to Eastern New Mexico University and won individual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Championships in 1962 and 1963. Spray won a total of five of Iowa’s designated majors and was the Iowa Player of the Year in 1962 & 1963. His wins included the 1963 Iowa Amateur, 1962 Northwest Amateur, 1962 & ’63 Central States Amateur, and the 1963 Tournament of Champions. Spray also continued to make his mark on the national scene with quarterfinal appearances in the 1960 and 1963 U.S. Amateur. After these accomplishments as an amateur, Spray decided to test his skills at the professional level.

He won the 1966 Waterloo Open, the 1972 Herman Sani and also notched wins at the New Mexico and Arizona Opens in 1973.

Spray competed with notable success for several years on the PGA Tour highlighted by his win in the 1969 San Francisco Open and a fifth place finish in the 1968 U. S. Open, won by Lee Trevino at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y. During his PGA Tour career Spray appeared in three Masters, seven U.S. Opens and six PGA Championships.

Read more about Spray in his Iowa Golf Hall of Fame bio here: https://iowagolf.org/hof-spray-steve/

IGA Championship Season, Senior Match Play set to go May 28th

May 14, 20200 commentsChampionships

The IGA Rules and Competitions Committee has recently approved moving forward with the IGA Senior Match Play Championship at Veenker Memorial Golf Course on the originally scheduled dates of May 28th thru 30th.  The format of the event will be modified slightly.

The altered format will include no shotgun starts.  All play will be started in tee times off the 1st hole. Stroke Play qualifying will be held on day 1 (May 28th), with matches being played on days 2 and 3 (May 29 & 30).  We will determine brackets (flights) of 16 rather than 32 in order to finish play on the originally scheduled dates. All players will play on day 1 and have a match on the morning of day 2.  All bracket play will be single elimination. 

Many other policies will be in place for the championship, in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic. The specifics of those are being finalized and will be communicated to all players in days leading up to the championship.

We are excited to host the first event of 2020 and get things moving forward again.  If you are considering participating in the Senior Match Play we extended the entry deadline by one day, to Thursday, May 21st.  Click here to sign up.

 

Donate to Youth on Course through Birdies for Charity

April 22, 20200 commentsNews

Donate thru Birdies for Charity to increase your gift by 10%

CLICK HERE TO MAKE A DONATION (but please read below first)

We are excited to announce that the Iowa Youth on Course program is now one of the charities available to donate to through the Principal Charity Classic Birdies for Charity program.  Many of you have supported our Youth On Course program with donations in the past and we are hopeful that you will continue to support that program in 2020.  The best part is, doing it through BFC will result in a 10% increase to your donation.

Any donation that is made through BFC is increased by 10% through a matching fund. That means your $50 donation turns into a $55 donation or your $100 becomes $110.

NOTE: you will have two options when donating. You can give a flat donation (most people do this) or you can pledge a certain amount per birdie made during the PCC (typically there are between 700-900 birdies made in a year).

Finally, a few items for you to be aware of as you donate through the PCC-BFC portal:

  • If you have never donated to the program, you will set up a profile with a username and password first, then you will be able to proceed with your donation.
  • During the profile set up, you do not need to worry about the “Organization” field unless you wish to identify your business entity as a donor.
  • On the page when you input your gift amount be sure to select “Iowa Golf Association Foundation-Youth on Course” as your charity from the drop-down. The link we have included in this email should self-populate that, but please make sure.
  • Upon completing your donation, you will receive an email that will serve as your tax receipt letter from the Birdies for Charity program.
  • GO TO THIS LINK to get started and make a donation.

 

RATHER PAY WITH A CHECK? You can and the 10% match will still happen.  Here are the details:

  • Make the check out to: “Principal Charity Classic” but include “IGAF-Youth on Course” in the memo line.
  • Please also include a note that says  your donation is for the IGAF-Youth on Course charity.  There are many different charities that utilize this program so please be sure you identify us!
  • Send to:
    • Principal Charity Classic
      Attn: Birdies For Charity
      PO Box 93905
      Des Moines, IA 50393

Thank you very much for your consideration in donating.  If you have any questions at all please contact Chad Pitts at the IGA ([email protected]).

 

Boone’s Jim Curell passes away

April 20, 202033 commentsNews, Uncategorized

Schroeder-Stark-Welin Funeral Home in Boone will be live streaming Jim Curell’s service on Friday, April 24, at 10 a.m. This can be viewed from their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/SchroederStarkWelin/

 

Jim Curell, 67, of Boone, passed away Sunday afternoon, April 19, 2020. Curell, affectionately known as ‘The Legend’, was a household name on the Iowa golf scene for over 50 years.

Curell was described recently by Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Rick Brown as being a gentleman golfer in the truest sense of the word.  He had a homemade swing that produced outstanding results.  He was  a three-time winner of the Lake Creek Amateur (1979, 1981, 1999), twice a champion at the Northwest Amateur ((1982, 1988) and low amateur at the Iowa Open (1992). Curell also was victorious at the 1980 Tournament of Champions and 1987 Iowa Mid-Amateur. Curell earned IGA Player of the Year honors in 1979.

Once Curell entered the Senior Division, he was still a force to be reckoned with – winning the 2005 IGA Four-Ball Senior Division with partner Bruce Gervais, 2011 Senior Match Play and was the 2014 Iowa Masters Senior Division champion. Curell was the IGA Senior Player of the Year in 2010 & 2011 and twice qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur (2010, 2011).

In addition to his wonderful playing record, Curell gave back to the game that had given him so much.  Upon his retirement from Redeker’s Furniture in Boone, he began helping maintain the grounds at his home course, Honey Creek.  He also served in a volunteer capacity on the committee that administers the Iowa Masters at Veenker each year.

Curell will be remembered by all golfers as having a true passion for the game of golf and as one of the most respected players to play on the IGA circuit. Our sympathies go out to Curell’s wife, Kim; sons, Andy and Ryan and grandchildren, Alex, Josie, & Will.

A small, private service will be held for family on Friday, April 24, at Schroeder-Stark-Welin in Boone. A memorial celebration of Jim’s life will be announced for a later date this summer. Memorials may be made to the family and will be used to memorialize Jim with a stone bench to be placed at Honey Creek. You can view Curell’s obituary by clicking here.

We encourage you to share your favorite memories of “The Legend” in the comments section below.  We will share these memories with Kim and all of Jim’s family. 

2020 Hall of Fame Induction Rescheduled to Sept 10

April 20, 20200 commentsNews, Uncategorized
The 2020 Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines on Thursday, September 10th.

The induction ceremony for the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame “Class of 2020” has been set for Thursday, September 10th.

The new date for the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2020 Induction Ceremony has been set.  Beth Bader, John Benda and Judd Gibb will join the Hall of Fame on Thursday, September 10th during a ceremony held at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines. The ceremony was originally scheduled for April 16th but was postponed due to concerns about the coronavirus with travel and congregating in large groups. 

The induction of the three will bring the total number in the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame to 86. Read about the accomplishments of the three inductees by clicking the link at the bottom of this page.

Tickets to the September 10th ceremony are $50.  Food will be served prior to the induction ceremony taking place. You can sign up to attend by clicking here or you can call the IGA office at 515-207-1062.

The general schedule is as follows:

  • Thursday, September 10th
  • Wakonda Club (3915 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50321)
  • 6:00 p.m. to approx 7:30 p.m. – Social hour and dinner
  • 7:30 to approx 9:00 p.m. – Induction ceremony
  • 9:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. – Mingle and take photos

Click here to read about Beth, John and Judd’s various accomplishments.

SIGN UP TO ATTEND THE CEREMONY

Plans for Copper Creek Golf Course include enclosed driving range

April 16, 20200 commentsNews

Kenneth Hodges, who through Copper Creek Club LLC bought the Pleasant Hill golf course in March, said he is talking with TopTracer Range about installing its technology at the driving range and enclosing the bays, a move that would allow the range to be operational much of the year. TopTracer Range is owned by Top Golf Entertainment, the popular indoor golf venue.

Hodges said he’s planning to construct a building that would be about 200 feet long and 14 feet tall and would include 20 bays with garage-like doors that open to the range. The bays would be heated in cool months and air-conditioned in the summer, he said. Patrons would be able to order dinner and drinks from the clubhouse that would be delivered to the range.

Click here to read more from the Des Moines Business Record

IGA postpones events until May 28th

April 15, 20200 commentsChampionships, IGA Four-Ball, IGA Senior Match Play, Iowa Mid-Am

IGA postpones Mid-Amateur, Women’s Mid-Am series, Four-Ball events

The Classic also postponed

APRIL 15, 2020 – The IGA Executive Committee, upon recommendations from the Rules & Competitions Committee, recently determined to postpone the first three IGA events on the calendar – the Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship, the first Women’s Mid-Amateur Series, and the IGA Four-Ball Championship.  In addition, officials at Elmwood CC have determined to postpone The Classic, the first sanctioned point event of the year.

The IGA Senior Match Play, scheduled for May 28th thru 30th, was discussed but it was determined not to postpone this event at this time.  The committee will meet again on or around May 1st to determine if that event should be postponed.  This essentially means that IGA events have been postponed until May 28th.

The new dates for the postponed events are as follows:

  • Women’s Mid-Amateur Series event #1 (Irv Warren GC, Waterloo) – Sat, June 6th
  • IGA Four-Ball (Whispering Creek GC, Sioux City) – Wed, Thurs, Aug 19-20
  • Iowa Mid-Amateur (Sunnyside CC, Waterloo) – Thurs, Fri, Sept 3-4
  • The Classic (Elmwood CC, Marshalltown) – Sat, Sun, Sept 19-20

We are grateful for these host clubs and courses and their willingness to work with us to establish new dates for these championships.  They are tremendous supporters of our events and they have been wonderful to work with during these unusual times.

Anyone who has already entered any of these events and has determined that the new dates would not work for them will be issued a full refund.  Please email Nate McCoy at [email protected].  If you can still play or are not sure yet if you can still play on the new dates, we ask that you remain in the field until you determine for certain that you cannot play, at which point a full refund will be issued.

For those that have not yet entered, entries are open for all of these events.  We encourage you to get signed up to play at (click here to do so).

Finally, we hope that all of you and your families are doing well and staying healthy.  We very much look forward to seeing everyone on the golf course this summer.

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