The Classic at Elmwood, the Joe August Match Play and the Mason City Amateur are now point events.

The Iowa Golf Association Board of Directors recently approved a recommendation of the Rules & Competitions Committee to sanction these new events for the annual Player of the Year races.  They are categorized as an “Additional Sanctioned Point Event”.

The Classic at Elmwood Country Club in Marshalltown is a new event that will be played under the stableford format.  It will be contested during the last weekend in April, making it the kick-off event for annual point races.  Stableford is a format in which golfers play traditional stroke play, but earn points per hole based on their scores with the highest point total being declared the champion.

The Joe August Match Play began in 1948 in Marshalltown, but has been held annually at Ames Golf & Country Club since 1993.  It is a Four-Ball Match Play event in which teams of two play a stroke play qualifying round and are then placed into a bracket based on their qualifying score.  They play match play over the weekend until a champion is declared.  The Joe August Match Play (named after the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member) will fall into the mid-July weekend where the retired Lake Creek Amateur once was held.

The third event added to the list of sanctioned point events is the Mason City Amateur.  It will be held over Labor Day weekend, making it one of the final opportunities for players to earn points toward the respective Player of the Year races.  The tournament has been played since 1951, moving around a bit on the calendar.  Previously played as a 1-day, 27-hole tournament, now that it is a point event, the event will be staged over two days and 36 holes.  Past champions of the Mason City Amateur include Iowa Golf Hall of Fame members John Jacobs and George Turner, and 2008 Iowa Senior Amateur champion Joel Yunek.

These events are additional to IGA conducted championships and USGA qualifiers, which are also point events for determining the Players of the Year.  This brings the total of “Additional Point Events” to 13.

Entry applications will be available for The Classic at Elmwood on March 1st.  The Joe August and Mason City Amateur entry applications will be available as soon as possible.  You can view information on all Additional Sanctioned Point Events at this site.

A full slate of terrific venues will be featured as part of the 2018 IGA Championship schedule. A link at the bottom of the page will allow you to view the entire schedule, including USGA Qualifiers.

In 2018, the Iowa Amateur will be contested at Tournament Club of Iowa, Polk City, which most recently hosted the 2017 Director’s Cup Matches. While this will mark the first Iowa Amateur held at TCI, they are no stranger to IGA “Majors”, having hosted the IGA Match Play three times (2006, 09, 15) and the Iowa Senior Amateur in 2013.

Tournament Club of Iowa is the only Arnold Palmer Signature Course in the state of Iowa. In 2003, Arnold Palmer and his team created TCI’s beautiful course layout in the 500 acres that cuts through the dramatic bluffs and running ravines between Big Creek Dam and Saylorville Lake. The Iowa Amateur will be held Monday – Wednesday, July 23-25.

The Iowa Women’s Amateur will be played at Burlington’s Spirit Hollow Golf Course (pictured above). Spirit Hollow GC hosted the U.S. Open Local Qualifier last year and last hosted the Iowa Women’s Amateur in 2007.

The terrain at Spirit Hollow is varied and elevation changes abound. Over 15,000 trees line the ample fairways.  Natural streams meandering throughout the course create a water hazard on eleven holes. Course conditioning is top notch with bent grass tees, fairways and greens. The greens are smooth, firm and fast. The Iowa Women’s Amateur will be held Thursday – Saturday, July 19-21.

The Preserve, Moravia, will host the men’s and women’s IGA Match Play Championship on Wednesday – Saturday, June 27-30. The Preserve is designed to suit golfers of every age and skill level, with a perfect blend of great golf and natural landscapes. The 7,000-yard course meanders through scenic prairie and oak savannas, and is Audubon-certified in recognition of its sustainable practices. The Preserve, which opened in 2008 and is part of the state of Iowa’s Honey Creek Resort, most recently hosted the 2015 IGA Four-Ball Championship.

The IGA will return to Burlington Golf Club, site of the 2017 Iowa Senior Amateur, for the 2018 Iowa Mid-Amateur Championship on Friday – Saturday, May 11-12. Burlington Golf Club, which can play up to 6,515 yards, is the oldest continuously operating golf club west of the Mississippi River.

Since 2013 the Herman Sani Tournament presented by Coppola Enterprises has rotated between Echo Valley Country Club and Hyperion Field Club.  2018 marks a return to Hyperion Field Club. The tournament will be held on its traditional dates – Fri-Sun, August 10-12. The championship features professional and amateur golfers with proceeds from the tournament going to the IGA’s Herman Sani Scholarship Fund.

Des Moines Golf & Country Club, now internationally known for hosting the 2017 Solheim Cup, will host the Iowa Senior Amateur Championship from Mon – Wed, Aug 20-22.  The exact course rotation has yet to be finalized at the 36-hole facility (the Solheim Cup rotation used a mix of holes from the North & South courses).  Des Moines Golf last hosted the state’s top senior event in 2010 and it is sure to be a big draw in 2018.

The Iowa Wife-Husband Championship will be held at Lake Panorama National Golf Course in Panora, which hosted in 2016 and 2017. The championship, set for Sept. 14-16, was previously held at Burlington Golf Club (2003-15) and Brooks Golf Course in Okoboji prior to that. The tournament will remain a 3-day format in which couples choose to play their two rounds on Friday & Saturday, Friday & Sunday or Saturday & Sunday.

The IGA will administer several USGA Qualifiers in 2018. Glen Oaks Country Club will host U.S. Open Local Qualifying in May, The Harvester Golf Course will host U.S. Senior Open Qualifying on the heels of the Champions Tour’s Principal Charity Classic in early June while Cedar Rapids Country Club will host U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifying in mid-June. Beaver Hills Country Club will host U.S. Amateur Qualifying in early July and Sunnyside Country Club in Waterloo will host U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifying in late July.  The U.S. Mid-Amateur qualifier has yet to be placed but should be announced soon.

In addition to those championships and USGA qualifiers already listed, the IGA will conduct events at the following venues – Spirit Hollow GC (Iowa Cup Matches), Veenker GC in Ames (IGA Four-Ball), Amana Colonies GC (Senior Match Play), Jester Park GC in Granger (Father/Son, Parent/Child), Otter Creek GC (IGA Women’s Four-Ball), Ames G&CC (Women’s Club Team), Sunnyside CC (Iowa Senior Women’s Amateur) and The Ridge GC in Sioux Center (IGA Club Team). The Women’s Forever 39 Match Play site has yet to be confirmed but will be announced soon.

The IGA will also host the Junior Girls’ 4-State in 2018 at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames.  This event features 5-girl teams from four states – Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska – with each state rotating as host each year.

IGA Member Play Days will be scheduled and announced at a later time.

Entries to all IGA Championships and Member Play Days will be available on March 1, 2018.  Entries are available for USGA Championships at a later date, which will be determined by the USGA and announced on their website.

Click here to view the 2018 IGA Championship & USGA Qualifying Schedule

J.D. Anderson and Terry Cook were the victors at the 2017 Briarwood Amateur.

Anderson, of Johnston, won the Open Division by three shots over David Combs of West Des Moines and Brian Allison of Norwalk.  Anderson opened the 36-hole event with a 5-under-par 67 then closed with a 68 to finish at 9-under 135.  Combs went 71-67 while Allison reversed that with 67-71 as they both finished at 6-under-par 138.

The win moves Anderson into first place in the IGA Player of the Year points race.  He currently has an 85 point lead (1005 to 920) over Gene Elliott of West Des Moines.

On the Senior side, Cook, of West Des Moines, played impressively over the two days.  He fired an even-par 72 to open then finished strong with a 3-under 69.  His 3-under total of 141 was two shots clear of Jay Slings of Ankeny and Ron Peterson of Urbandale.  Cook is currently 3rd in a tight race for the IGA Senior Player of the Year.

Click here to view full results of the 2017 Briarwood Amateur.