The entry form for the Des Moines Men’s City Championship is now available. Waveland will once again host this event.
Play is conducted on Friday, August 17 thru Sunday, August 19 in Open and Senior Divisions. Players are guaranteed at least two tournament rounds.
The 2018 Iowa Girl’s High School State Golf Tournaments are underway today (May 29). They will conclude with the final round tomorrow.
The four classes are spread across four golf courses in Iowa. 1A is being contested at American Legion GC in Marshalltown, 2A at Lake Panorama National GC in Panora, 3A is at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames and 4A is at Elmwood CC in Marshalltown.
Click here to follow the scoring, as all sites will be updating scores about every six holes.
Dennis Bull of Norwalk and Charles Jahn of Sperry are competing this weekend at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball in Jupiter Hills, Florida. They are not partners, however.
Bull is teamed up with Andrew Price of Lake Bluff, Illinois while Jahn’s partner is Sam Range of Waterloo, Illinois.
There are 128 sides competing in two rounds of stroke play (May 19 & 20) to make the top 32, which will comprise the match play draw.
The Classic, the new modified stableford competition taking place at Elmwood Country Club in Marshalltown, gets underway this weekend. 67 golfers are scheduled to compete in the inaugural tournament.
This will be the first Iowa Golf Association point event played under the stableford format, in which players earn points per hole based on their score. In this case, the administrators at Elmwood CC have modified the traditional stableford point system as follows:
This modified scoring system will put a premium on making birdies and eagles and should make for some exciting “go for broke” golf.
Play will begin on Saturday with the first 18 holes and conclude on Sunday with the final round. There is an Open and Senior Division. In addition to a trophy and gift certificate, the champion will receive the “White Jacket” with The Classic logo embroidered on the chest.
Click the image above to read a feature on Tom Chapman, Sr. (pictured above) by Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member Rick Brown. Chapman, Sr., will be inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 19, at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines.
The Iowa Golf Association has partnered with a national organization that will benefit junior golfers as well as IGA member clubs. It is called Youth on Course and it was started in 2006 by the Northern California Golf Association. At its most basic level, it is a program that subsidizes rounds of golf for juniors at participating courses.
The concept is this: A junior age 6 to 18 can join Youth on Course for a $15 yearly fee. That gets them access to any participating Youth on Course facility (there are over 700 nationally) to play a round of golf for $5 or less. Then the participating course receives a subsidy for that round (usually another $5). Participating courses can put restrictions on days and times when the YOC rates are available, making it an opportunity for to help grow future golfers plus drive additional business during non-peak hours.
We see the program as a “link” between the Iowa PGA Swings with Kids (Golf in Schools) program and the competitive Iowa Junior Tour. It essentially eliminates the financial barrier for a junior player to play an actual round of golf. We are certain there will be kids who get introduced to the game through Golf in Schools, then utilize Youth on Course to start playing real rounds.
Kids can sign up now for the yearly membership. Simply click here to start that process.
One requirement for the juniors is that they complete an online life/course curriculum. It takes about 20 minutes to complete and it covers some basic FAQ’s, golf course etiquette and rules tips.
We are currently working to “on-board” participating courses. Some of you have already agreed to participate, and we are very grateful for that. If you have not yet heard about this but think it would be of interest to your facility, please give us a call and we can fill you in on more of the details. We would love to have a majority of Iowa courses offer this program.
Finally, this is a program that will be administered under the IGA Foundation, the 501(c)(3) arm of the IGA. For the first two golf seasons (2018 & 2019) the subsides to the golf courses will be paid by Youth on Course national. Beginning in 2020, the IGA Foundation will be paying those subsidies. Therefore, we are taking donations for this program. Usually, the subsidy to a course is $5 per round, so if you donate $100, you are paying for 20 rounds of golf for juniors. Click here to donate.
You can find complete information here or you can look for Youth on Course under the IGA Foundation menu item.
We have no doubt that the Youth on Course program will be a home run. We have a responsibility to do everything we can to support and grow the game. This program develops new golfers and that benefits everyone involved in the game of golf. It was a “no-brainer” for us.
The Iowa Golf Association has made some changes to it’s flagship event, beginning in 2018. The Iowa Amateur will hold two qualifiers to identify golfers who will join the exempt players into the final field at the Tournament Club of Iowa.
The payment structure has been adjusted to encourage more players to try to qualify. Those who enter a qualifying event will pay $85. The players that make it through qualifying to play in the championship proper will then pay an additional $65 fee ($150 total). Players who are exempt will enter the championship proper at TCI directly and will pay the full $150 entry fee at the time they enter.
Additionally, the field size at the championship proper at TCI will be reduced from 156 to 132 players. This was done to to insure adequate pace of play during the championship, allow for more flexibility with weather and also to insure the necessity of the qualifying events.
“In the past, when we would bring 156 players to the championship proper, we would schedule qualifiers and then either cancel because we only had 156 total players enter, or we would have 80-90% of those in the qualifiers making their way through to the championship, which seemed a bit silly,” stated IGA Executive Director Chad Pitts. “This would cause undue strain on the member courses that had agreed to host when we would cancel a qualifier. Sometimes, that meant they could have hosted another outing or event on those days.”
“Granted, we may still have to cancel or have a very high qualifying rate even with reducing the field to 132, but the chances of it happening are drastically reduced”, added Pitts.
The qualifying events will take place at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames on July 11 and Amana Colonies GC in Amana on July 13. The championship proper will be contested at Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City from July 23-25. You can find entry information here.
During FOX Sports’ presentation of the U.S. Open from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (pictured above) in June, Rolex will present the final hour of coverage in this uninterrupted format and support a rich, interactive media history experience that will launch in April on usopen.com.
Innovative Broadcast Experience with Uninterrupted Coverage for Golf Fans Highlights Extended USGA-Rolex Partnership
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. – Continuing a relationship that began in 1980, the USGA and Rolex have extended their partnership, assuring that together they will continue to steward some of golf’s greatest moments for the long term.
Through activation across broadcast, digital, social and emerging media, the USGA and Rolex will deliver new ways to promote and celebrate the game and its rich history.
“Rolex’s support through nearly four decades has been instrumental in helping us drive the game forward,” said Mike Davis, CEO/executive director of the USGA. “We are excited that the continuation of our partnership will expand our impact on golf around the world and elevate and celebrate our championships’ iconic venues, legendary champions and signature moments in innovative ways.”
This will be most clearly seen through the uninterrupted broadcast of multiple USGA championships. Beginning in 2018, Rolex will be the exclusive presenting partner of coverage for eight USGA championships on FOX Sports and FS1, including the U.S. Women’s Open, the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur. Rolex’s commitment will ensure an uninterrupted broadcast of these events, providing golf fans hours of continuous live golf action as history unfolds.
“We are excited to further FOX Sports’ commitment to innovative and immersive viewing experiences for our audiences, as well as targeted messaging for our partners,” said Bruce Lefkowitz, executive VP of ad sales at Fox Networks Group. “These uninterrupted broadcasts give us the opportunity to innovate and differentiate our telecast, while capitalizing on the unique nature of the USGA championships to provide viewers with more live action and new perspectives on the golfers and championships.”
The innovative format will allow FOX Sports and the USGA to deliver more golf content to fans around the world, while providing Rolex the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to the amateur and professional game. Features and video vignettes highlighting signature moments, legendary champions, and the iconic venues that make up these championships will be seamlessly integrated to further entertain, engage and educate the audience.
With involvement at all levels of competition, Rolex has a longstanding and enduring relationship with the game of golf.
“Our deep commitment for over 50 years to championing the great game of golf and fostering individual excellence have hallmarked our USGA partnership, which stands as one of the longest and widest reaching,” said Arnaud Boetsch, Rolex SA Director of Communication and Image. “We are proud to showcase the greatest moments in golf together and to foster our commitment to developing this great game for years to come.”
During FOX Sports’ presentation of the U.S. Open from Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (pictured above) in June, Rolex will present the final hour of coverage in this uninterrupted format and support a rich, interactive media history experience that will launch in April on usopen.com. The innovative digital destination will honor the history and legends of the game and further the celebration of all U.S. Open champions and the grand stages that identified them as the world’s best players.
Rolex will also continue to serve as the lead partner for Rules of Golf content and remains committed to supporting the work being done to modernize the Rules of Golf globally.
The full USGA on FOX broadcast schedule, which will be released this spring, begins with coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open Championship May 31-June 3.
“The winner in this partnership, ultimately, is the fan,” said Davis. “Uninterrupted live golf coverage across eight of our championships is unprecedented. We are excited for the viewer to see the creativity of FOX Sports and be inspired by the stories that unfold across our championships.”
About the USGA
The USGA celebrates, serves and advances the game of golf. Founded in 1894, we conduct many of golf’s premier professional and amateur championships, including the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open. With The R&A, we govern the sport via a global set of playing, equipment and amateur status rules. Our operating jurisdiction for these governance functions is the United States, its territories and Mexico. The USGA Handicap System is utilized in more than 40 countries and our Course Rating System covers 95 percent of the world’s golf courses, enabling all golfers to play on an equitable basis. The USGA campus in Liberty Corner, New Jersey, is home to the Association’s Research and Test Center, where science and innovation are fueling a healthy and sustainable game for the future. The campus is also home to the USGA Golf Museum, where we honor the game by curating the world’s most comprehensive archive of golf artifacts. To learn more, visit usga.org.
About Rolex
Rolex, the Swiss watch brand headquartered in Geneva, enjoys an unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise the world over. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 400 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports, exploration, the spirit of enterprise, and the environment through a broad palette of sponsoring activities, as well as philanthropic programmes.
The 2018 Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines on Thursday, April 19th.The Iowa Golf Hall of Fame “Class of 2018” is set to be enshrined on Thursday, April 19th. Larry Gladson of Cedar Rapids, Ivan Miller of Eldora, Charlie Burkart (deceased), Tom Chapman, Sr. (deceased) and Bill Sheehan (deceased) will join the Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines.
A social hour will be held beginning at 6:30 p.m., including heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. The induction ceremony will be at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Anyone is welcome to attend the ceremony at a cost of $40/person. You can order tickets online (see link at the top of the page) or you can send an email to [email protected] to RSVP. You can also call our office at 515-207-1062 with any questions or to sign up to attend.
2018 will mark the 5th time Glen Oaks Country Club has hosted the induction ceremony since the IGA revitalized the Hall of Fame in 2006. The last time they hosted was in 2012.
The five individuals to be inducted will bring the total number in the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame to 79.
Ivan Miller
Known as the ‘Minnow King’, Ivan Miller was credited with well over 100 golf tournament titles across the state of Iowa during the 1970-80s.
Miller, an art teacher by trade, spent every weekend in the summer traveling to as many as three one-day events. His dominance at these events earned him the ‘Minnow King’ moniker.
Miller, the IGA Player of the Year in 1978 and 1980, also had success in larger events too – winning the 1980 Northwest Amateur and Iowa Masters. He also won the 1982 Fort Dodge Amateur.
Miller also mentored many golfers during his teaching days, as he served as golf coach in Eldora for over 40 years.
As described in his nomination, “Miller was the full package with tremendous power, high-flying irons and a great short game. With a push of his glasses up on his nose and a hitch of his trousers, he unleashed if not the most winning career in Iowa golf history, then one of them for sure.”
Larry Gladson
Larry Gladson, Head PGA Golf Professional, Elmcrest Country Club, Cedar Rapids, has been a fixture in the game of golf in the state since the mid 1980s.
Gladson, who has mentored 13 current PGA members and 9 Head PGA Golf Professionals, has instructed many junior golfers who have gone on to play collegiate golf. Four of his juniors have gone on to play professionally, including his most famous pupil, Zach Johnson.
In 2011, Gladson assisted in organizing the Zach Johnson Foundation Classic, which annually includes over 150 volunteers, 130 players, and over 3,000 spectators. The event raises over $750,000 annually for children around Cedar Rapids.
Gladson has also been honored for his work as a teacher and for his involvement with the Iowa Section PGA. His accomplishments include:
-2014 President’s Award presented by Iowa High School Golf Coaches
-2013 #1 Teacher in Iowa by Golf Digest
-2008, 2013 Ping Club Fitter of the Year
-2005 Golf Digest and Golf Magazine Top Teacher by Region
-2004 Iowa PGA Teacher of the Year
-1992-2001 Iowa PGA Board Member
-1998-1999 Iowa PGA President
-1994, 1998 Iowa PGA Golf Professional of the Year
-1998 Iowa Golf Association Golf Professional of the Year
-1996 Iowa PGA Bill Strasbaugh Award (mentoring fellow professionals, service to PGA, service to community)
-1987, 1993, 1995 Iowa PGA Merchandiser of the Year
In a letter of recommendation for Gladson, Iowa Golf Hall of Fame Member Zach Johnson said, “When I think of my childhood golfing days, Elmcrest CC comes to the forefront. This club fostered my love for the game, cultivated my passion for competition, instilled the proper values golf demands, promoted the game as “fun”, and allowed me to chase my dream. Larry Gladson created all of these notions. He taught me more than the basic fundamentals. He taught me much more important ideals like patience, humility, integrity, and selflessness. For lack of a better term, Larry is the ‘model-pro’. I am confident the many Elmcrest kids that earned college golf scholarships, became club professionals, playing professionals, or just golf enthusiasts are thankful for his wisdom and direction. I certainly am.”
Charles (Charlie) Burkart
Charles (Charlie) Burkart, who was involved in golf at an early age and would become a golf pro in Iowa City, began his career in the early 1930s when he borrowed money to buy a driving range – the first such thing in Marion, Iowa. Later a gentleman by the name of Nick Carter built a daily fee golf course in (then) Kenmore in 1934 and hired Burkart as Head Professional. In July of 1947, several prominent businessmen leased the golf course from Mr. Carter, thus forming Elmcrest Golf & Country Club.
Burkart was there from the beginning and for 42 years of service to the community and the membership of Elmcrest, retiring in 1975.
Burkart was known as an excellent player for his flawless swing and record-breaking rounds of golf. One of his greatest contributions to the game was his love of children and his efforts to involve them by organizing youth clinics and programs. Burkart spent many of his hours working patiently with junior golfers, diligently teaching them golf etiquette and the skills to play the game. His belief in sharing and passing down the traditional ‘grand old game’ served to make him one of the great promoters of golf in Iowa.
Burkart was a life member of the Professional Golfers Association of America and Past President of the Iowa Section of the PGA. He truly believed and exemplified the Code of Ethics of the PGA, which states that the name “Professional Golfer” must be a synonym with pledge of honor, service and fair dealing, professional integrity, fidelity to the game, responsibility to employers and employees and others. Charlie lived by these rules.
Today the memory of Charles Burkart lives on. The Charlie Burkart Scholarship Fund, administered by the Iowa Section PGA, formed in 1984 by his daughter, the late Lynn Hendryx and former Elmcrest professional Larry Hartzell.
The Burkart Scholarship is a $1,500 scholarship renewable each year for four years. Scholarship winners are selected on the basis of their interest and activity in golf, the potential for future contributions to the game, leadership skills/community involvement, then on their academic/professional ability and financial need.
William (Bill) Sheehan
William (Bill) Sheehan was a force on the fairways of Iowa in the early 1900s. From 1909-1912 he captured the Iowa Amateur three times (09, 11, 12). During the same timeframe he was the Des Moines City Champion (1909-1912), including a 7&6 win over Fred Carr for this fourth title in a row in 1912 at Waveland Golf Course.
His four Des Moines Men’s City titles are third all-time behind Jon Brown and Bob McKee. He was especially dominant during his time, especially when you consider how few tournaments there were to play in back then.
Tom Chapman, Sr.
Tom Chapman Sr. was a legend in Iowa amateur golf. He spent his life in Iowa, except for his stint fighting in World War II. It was after the war when his amateur golf career really took shape.
His college golf career at the University of Iowa was interrupted by the war where he was a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps. Tom flew the Burma campaign in Southeast Asia. In off hours he played cards with members of his squadron – one of those men was Lee Marvin, who would become a star in Hollywood. On returning to Iowa City, and the University of Iowa, he became captain of the golf team.
For more than two decades he was a dominant force on the Northwest/North-Central golf circuit playing from his home base in Sioux City, Mason City and Fort Dodge. Considered one of the longest hitters of his day, Chapman, Sr., won many tournament titles in Northwest Iowa, including three Ft. Dodge Amateurs (1954 in a tie with Bill Black, 1956 and 1962).
Chapman, Sr., joins his son, Tom Chapman, Jr., in the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame.
The Iowa Golf Association (IGA) is excited to offer two P.J. Boatwright Internships – a 9-month and a 3-month – in 2018. Working under the direction of the IGA Executive Director and senior staff, the interns will learn about all aspects of amateur golf administration.
The IGA is an Allied Golf Association (AGA) of the USGA and is the governing body for golf in the state of Iowa. It exists as a non-profit organization that works to preserve, protect and promote the best interests and spirit of the game. As “caretakers” of the game the IGA works to preserve the rich history of golf in our state and to provide numerous services that benefit all that play the game in Iowa.
In 1991, the USGA established the P.J. Boatwright, Jr. (pictured above) Internship Program. This program is designed to give experience to individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in golf administration, while assisting state and regional golf associations in the promotion of amateur golf, on a short-term, entry level basis.
The deadline to apply is February 5, 2018.
Click here to view the job description along with instructions for applying.