GCSAA national championship set for Houston area courses

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and for the upcoming Golf Course Superintendents Association of America members-only golf event, that is certainly the case. GCSAA is introducing a new name and format – The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic. Few golf competitions can match the sheer number of participants attracted by this event as nearly 600 GCSAA members will compete for top honors at five Houston-area courses, Feb. 5 through 7.

The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic are played in conjunction with the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show, Feb. 6 through 11, in New Orleans. Slated for five courses in and around The Woodlands in Houston, the new format allows players to select the competition that best suits their game. Accomplished golfers can test themselves against GCSAA’s finest in the National Championship. For a more relaxed competition, players can select the Golf Classic, which has players of all abilities. The Golf Classic also includes a Four-Ball before the competition kicks off.

For the 12th consecutive year, The Toro Co. will partner with the association to present the annual GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic. Toro has been the sole partner of this event since 1995.

The National Championship will be limited to the first 100 players with a 5.0 handicap index or less. Conducted at The Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club (home of the Shell Houston Open), the 54-hole, stroke-play event will be played Feb. 5 through 7. The introduction of the new 54-hole format replaces the previous 36-hole format.

The reigning GCSAA Champion, along with past champions from the last five years, will receive an annual invitation to participate in the Trans-Mississippi Golf Championship, where the likes of PGA Tour professionals such as Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Dean Beman and Bob Tway, among others, have carried home the championship trophy.

The Golf Classic starts with the Four-Ball Feb. 5 and the 36-hole competition Feb. 6 and 7. The Golf Classic will be limited to the first 480 players with handicap indexes from 0 to 36, participating in 10 flights. Golf Classic participants will compete in both gross and net competition within their respective flights using the point quota scoring system. Flights in the Golf Classic will rotate courses on Monday and Tuesday between Panther Trail Golf Club at The Woodlands Resort, The Oaks Course at The Woodlands Resort, Blackhorse Golf Club (North Course) and Gleannloch Farms Golf Club (Paddock to Gleann Course).