Southwest Florida is living up to its reputation as one of the golf capitals of the United States.
The region is hosting three U.S. Golf Association qualifiers, one in April and two in May. Crown Colony in south Fort Myers is hosting the senior men’s 18-hole qualifier April 25 and the men’s 18-hole U.S. Open qualifier May 8. Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples is hosting the women’s 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier May 13.
The senior men’s open and the men’s and women’s U.S. Opens are three of the most prestigious events in golf.
The Florida State Golf Association selects the qualifier sites.
“There are several factors that go into selecting the host sites for all of our USGA qualifying,” said Darin Green, senior director of rules and competition for the FSGA. “The main thing is if the club is interested and available to host.”
Some clubs look forward to hosting, he said. “There’s a bit of a prestige to it.”
The FSGA has a check list when selecting a site. Is it a good location? Is it walkable? Is the course long enough and challenging enough? Does the course have enough golf carts for officials and caddies?
The course has to have a suitable practice area, clubhouse amenities and food and beverages, Green said. The course has to be available for practice rounds the day before the qualifier.
The course has to be in excellent condition.
“One of our biggest hurdles working with the club is maintenance,” he said.
One of Crown Colony’s greatest assets is it has Paul Bacon, a talented golf course superintendent to take care of the course, said club General Manager David Kent.
“He has the golf course in terrific shape on a daily basis,” Kent said. “It’s really fine-tuning on how the organization running the event would like to see the greens as it relates to speed.”
The FSGA pays the club a daily stipend and provides help. The stipend is nominal. It is to help offset some of the costs.
“I think the main reason behind hosting the event is not looking at the revenue,” Kent said. “it’s the prestige that the club has in knowing it has the opportunity to host one of the steps to participate in a national championship and a major.
Crown Colony has hosted U.S. qualifiers in the past as well as a LPGA tour event.
Grey Oaks has hosted other tournaments but never a USGA qualifier, said Grey Oaks Senior Director of Golf Marty DeAngelo.
“We were asked if we were interested,” he said.
The FSGA was familiar with Grey Oaks even though it hasn’t hosted many association events, Green said.
“It is known for having good golf courses and good conditions in the Naples area, so we were happy to get them on our schedule,” he said.
Grey Oaks has 54 holes. The women will play the newly renovated Pine Course.
“The course is in pristine condition,” DeAngelo said.
The tournaments are open to the public.
The women qualifiers automatically get a spot in the U.S. Open May 28- June 1 in Erin Hills, Wisconsin. The senior and men qualifiers will continue to a regional qualifier.
The tournaments are open to the public. Tee off times start at 8 .m.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.