Volume 13 | No. 6
The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association
Issue 6 | August 2026
The Metropolitan
Inside the Issue 4 Curt’s Corner A message from the Executive Director
18 Rules Center Ball on Retaining Wall
10 Amateur Series
Three Events this month - #3, #4, & #5
An Allied Golf Association of the USGA providing a variety of golf services to clubs and golfers in the Metropolitan St. Louis, Central, and Southern Illinois region.
12 USGA
5 By The Numbers Qualifiers
Play
Who made it through U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying
13 From the
Metro to USGA
Three members competed in national championships
6 Metropolitan Amateur
Bryant Breaks through for Second Title
Yardage Book 14 The Bogeyman That’s Just St. Louis!
8 Southern Illinois
22 Keeping Up
with the USGA
What Goes Into Deciding Each Hole’s Degree of Difficulty?
24 World of Golf
See who championed events around the world
Foundation Normandie caddies take a trip to PGATour Playoff event
9 USGA Qualifiers
2
Player of the Year Standings
Day
Warren wills his way into a win
Who made it through U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying
20 POY Standings
27 BMW Dream
Amateur
16 Sup’s On
The Valley Report: Late Summer Edition
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association
28 Normandie
Reimagined
An update on the renovation project of Normandie GC
WHAT WE DO: • Provide GHIN Handicap Service to 140+ Member Clubs under the World Handicap System • Provide the USGA Course/Slope Rating service to our Member Clubs • Regional authority on the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status • Conduct twelve (12) Metropolitan Championships each season • Conduct USGA Qualifying for eight (8) USGA Championships each season • Conduct three (3) Championships in Illinois • Conduct The Amateur Series of Events for golfers of all ages and abilities
METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Amateur Championship Open Championship Women’s Amateur Championship Junior Amateur Championship Senior Amateur Championship Four-Ball Championship 9-Hole Championship East Side Amateur Normandie Amateur (hiatus during construction) Old Warson Cup (Match Play Championship) Shogren Cup (Match Play PGA Pros vs. MAGA Amateurs) Sobbe Cup Mid-America Junior Cup Amateur Series
ILLINOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Southern Illinois Amateur SIGA Championship Tony Stevens Cup
USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS
U.S. Open • U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball U.S. Amateur • U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur U.S. Mid-Amateur • U.S. Senior Amateur U.S. Women’s Open • U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
The Metropolitan
Metropolitan Staff Executive Director
Curt’s Corner
By The Numbers
Issue 6 | August 2026
Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org
Director, Member Services
Curt Rohe - Executive Director
Caroline Buchan - caroline@metga.org
Foundation Executive Director Walker Hill - walker@metga.org
Controller
Melisa Simpson - melisa@metga.org 2026 PJ BOATWRIGHT INTERNS Cannon Wolk Gabby Dethrow Emma Wyeth
EXECUTIVE BOARD Officers Scott Engelbrecht - President/Treasurer Mike Marquart - Secretary At Large Members John Bugh Emily Dannegger Stan Grossman Rick Meyer, Jr John Moore Mick Wellington Advisory Committee Skip Berkmeyer - Chair Brad Carpenter Jay Delsing Shawn Jasper Chris Kovach David Pfeil
4
Greetings golfers, members, and readers! As I write this, I am hopeful we are getting through the final heat wave of 2026! Thankfully, we have no events on the Metropolitan calendar to start September, allowing us to miss the worst of the heat. Getting through the Metropolitan Amateur in August is always the peak of our season. This year’s championship was one of the most challenging of the 27 I have had a hand in during my career. Weather played a significant factor, delaying play for half a day on Friday and throwing us way off schedule. However, St. Albans was extremely flexible and accommodated that delay to ensure we completed a full 54-hole championship. It was yet another example of the great member clubs we have the pleasure of working with to conduct our events! I have gotten the question a lot lately: “Things must be slowing down for you, right?” Well, after the Amateur, things do start to taper off and we head down the stretch of another season—but slowing down? I’m not so sure! With the 2027 season just 229 days away, we are fully into the planning stages to secure venues for next year’s 31 events. And then there is the Normandie project... Another question I get often is, “When is the opening date?” The team’s primary focus right now is wrapping up golf course construction— getting everything grassed and greens seeded heading into the winter. That is Priority #1. Please continue to follow along at NORMANDIEREIMAGINED.COM for updates, and check out the Metropolitan Golf Foundation on social media to watch our progress.
THE METROPOLITAN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
On the tournament front, I am excited to return to Quincy Country Club on September 9 & 10 for the Metropolitan Senior Championship. It has been a few years since our last visit, and following some recent renovations and tree removal, I hear the course is in spectacular condition. While I’m a bit disappointed in the size of the field—St. Louis seniors missed an amazing opportunity to play this gem of a course—the George F. Meyer Trophy will nevertheless be presented to a very worthy champion on September 10th.
Dan O’Neill MVGCSAA John Thorman
Finally, be sure to check out the details in this newsletter regarding our upcoming Metropolitan Member Trip to Pinehurst this March! We have put together a fantastic itinerary to experience the Cradle of American Golf.
EDITOR Caroline Buchan
As always, thank you for taking the time to read The Metropolitan. Keep it in the fairway!
132- The setup for the 2026 BMW Championship at 132
Bellerive Country Club last month was 132 yards longer than the 7,316 yards Bellerive presented for the 2018 PGA Championship. And yet, Wyndham Clark went lower on the longer track, winning the recent BMW by three shots with a total of 17 under par. In 2018, Brooks Koepka captured the PGA Championship with a total of 16-under. Keep in mind, there were 58 players averaging 300-plus yards in driving distance on the PGA Tour in 2018; there were 123 topping as the season was wrapping up.
66- The number of times the Masters Tournament has been
won by a left-handed swinger - which is the most of all the major golf championships. The number includes only three players, because Phil Mickelson owns three of the titles, Bubba Watson has two and Mike Weir has one. Among the other majors, the British Championship has had three lefty winners, including Mickelson, Brian Harman and Bob Charles. The PGA has two championships won by lefties, but only one player to accomplish the feat - Mickelson has done it twice. A left-hander has never won the U.S. Open, which brings us back to our number - Mickelson has finished second in the championship six times.
68- The number of years Memphis has hosted a PGA 68
Tour event. The city first welcomed the pros in 1958 by staging the Memphis Open. In 2019, the event gained World Golf Championship status. In 2022, the PGA Tour christened the Memphis stop as the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the leadoff tournament for the playoffs. And now, in 2026, the PGA Tour has informed Memphis it will no longer have a top tier event in the Tour’s new Championship Series. Next year will be the last edition of the FedEx St. Jude, bringing to an end seven decades of PGA Tour support from the city and $86 million raised for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
70- This is lowest 18 hole score ever made with one club. 70
The 2-under par card was turned in by Thad Daber while using a 6-iron. Daber accomplished the record in 1987 while competing in the World One Club Championship in Cary, N.C. at the Lochmere Golf Club. Navigating the 6,197-yard par-72 course without handicap strokes, Daber beat the previous record score of 73 set by Tommy McArdle in 1984, also with a 6-iron.
465 465 Some things remind you that, even though you might
be able to play on some of the same golf courses as the PGA Tour types - they are in a league of their own. And this number is one of those things. The number relates to the longest drive listed in the PGA Tour’s 2026 statistics (through Aug. 31). And it belongs to Marek Fleming, whose tee shot during the second round of the U.S. Open traveled 465 yards. Wyndham Clark is next on the list with a 446-yards blast, while Bryson DeChambeau is third at 427. Now, it’s important to note these are the longest measured individual drives, not average driving distance. Wind, firmness, slope, etc. can come into play. Nonetheless, boys and girls, 465 yards is 465 yards.
88
This is an especially significant number where Ben Hogan is concerned, and notable in surprising ways. For one, it is the number of major championships that Hogan won between 1948 and 1953. That is, he won eight of the 11 major championships he entered. Hogan finished his career with nine major titles. And, while “The Hawk” is widely thought of as cold-blooded competitor and great performer under pressure, he was surprisingly fallible in playoffs. That is, he won only eight of 20 PGA Tour playoffs, finishing an 8-12 record in overtime. What’s more, Hogan went 0-4 in playoffs against his biggest rivals - Byron Nelson and Sam Snead.
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5
Issue 6 | August 2026 Following a beautiful first day for Round 1 of the 36th Metropolitan Amateur, severe weather delays pushed the second round into a two day marathon with half the field completing their round on Friday afternoon and the other half completing their round on Saturday morning. The Final Round of the 36th Metropolitan Amateur was subsequently a grind to determine a champion. The field was cut to the low 24 and ties following Round 2 with 33 players making the cut. Play for the last round began at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Due to time constraints, the remaining players were split into two to start on Hole 1 and Hole 10 simultaneously. The lead groups started on Hole 1. The course played to a par 71. When the Final Round began, Ryan Sullivan led the field at six-under (-6) par. He was followed closely by past champion, Justin Bryant, and Conner McCall, who sat at five-under (-5). Jarrett James was three back at three-under (-3). The day’s weather continued on its path of misty rain pestering the competitors as they fought for the title. For much of the first nine holes, the leaderboard sat fairly stagnant. Conner McCall of Vandalia Country Club and Jarrett James of the SIGA eClub were bogey free through the eighth with one birdie each. This kept them in the mix and looking like there was still plenty of time to make a move on the back nine. James made the turn at three-under, while McCall made the turn at five-under. Keenan Flemming of the Metropolitan eClub made the turn bogey free and sitting in potential striking distance if he could keep the momentum going at two-under par. In the final pairing, Ryan Sullivan of Tapawingo National Golf Club was moving along as he had been all week. Sullivan added two birdies to his card and was bogey free until Hole 8. He made the turn at seven-under par. Justin Bryant of St. Louis Country Club fought hard to hang in with Sullivan. A birdie on the ninth had Bryant making the turn still one back at six-under par. Once players made the turn, that is when you started to see a few shifts on the leaderboard. The weather began to take its toll, especially on those who were closing in on a 36 hole day. Wet clothes, wet hands, and wet clubs provided an extra layer of challenge for the golfers. The back nine proved to be a deciding factor, with the first through fifth hardest playing holes of the day coming from the back. James started the back nine with a birdie, pushing him to fourunder par. For a few holes, James moved into second. With the leaders playing in the group behind, James tried to keep the damage to a minimum and stay with them. James carded three bogeys coming in to finish the championship at one-under (-1) par. McCall had a rougher start to his second nine and just couldn’t get the momentum to shift back in his favor. He would fall down the leaderboard to finish the championship at two-over (+2) par. Bryant had a hard start to the back nine with a double bogey on the tenth, giving wiggle room to Sullivan and opening the door for James. Sullivan opened his second nine with a par and looking like he could
close things out if he could maintain his consistency. Sullivan and Bryant pushed through the back nine. With two bogeys each on the next four holes, the pair’s scores dropped back, but Sullivan still remained on top. On Hole 16, Bryant found a late round birdie to regain a stroke and move to three-under. Entering the final two holes, Sullivan held a three shot lead at five-under. The final pair made their way down 17. A long putt for par for Sullivan was just short, knocking him back to fourunder. Meanwhile Bryant made par to stay at three-under. One hole left to play and the trophy on the line, the competition was back to just a one shot difference for the first time since the turn. Bryant and Sullivan then came down the stretch as daylight was dwindling. Sullivan’s second shot into the 18th green was short and found the creek that runs along in front of the green. Bryant’s second shot found the back of the green. Sullivan decided playing from the creek was not an option and took a drop. Hitting onto the green, Sullivan then ended his round with a two putt, finishing at two-under (-2) par and opening the opportunity for his competitor. Bryant stepped up to his putt for par and sunk it to sweep in a late minute victory.. Pure grit, perseverance, and tenacity were evident in the final pairing. In the end, Bryant’s unwillingness to surrender led him to a second Metropolitan Amateur Champion title at threeunder (-3) par. Bryant becomes the fourth player in championship history to claim two titles, joining Don Bliss, David Estes, Kyle Weldon, and Drew Pranger. It was a long and arduous three day fight for all players, but Justin Bryant leaves as the 36th Metropolitan Amateur Champion.
Full Results Photos
The Metropolitan
Warren Wins So. IL Am It was a beautiful day in Mount Vernon for the Southern Illinois Amateur at Green Hills Golf Club. This championship has three divisions: open, senior, and new in 2026, super senior. The open division plays 36 holes, while the senior and super senior divisions play 27 holes. The course plays to a par 71. The open division led the way. After the first round, Bryan Warren of McLeansboro Golf Course and Jarrett James of Chester Country Club were tied at the top at threeunder (-3) par. James was bogey-free the entire round, while Warren was bogey-free on the back. Nick Tannahill of the Metropolitan eClub sat one back at two-under (-2) par. After a quick lunch, play resumed for Round 2. Warren went on a run in the second round, carding 7 birdies. James had a slower start to the second round, but an eagle and 4 birdies helped him contend with Warren. Through 16, the pair were tied at seven-under. A birdie on 17 pushed Warren ahead to finish at eight-under (-8) par. A bogey on the last for James left him to fall back to six-under (-6) par for the championship. Warren walks away victorious with the lowest total score in recent championship history. Brandon Bullard of Apple Creek Golf Club was third at two-over (+2) par. Tony Gumper of Normandie Golf Club and Scott Kirchoff of Persimmon Woods Golf Club completed the top five at three-over (+3) par. In the senior division, Tom Sinak of Meadowbrook Country Club led the pack through 18 holes at even (E). Buddy Allen of Sugar Creek Golf Course was close behind at one-over (+1) par through 18, while four were tied at two-over par. Sinak continued on his path to conclude the day at even (E) par. David Strickland of Tapawingo National Golf Club was one of the four tied at two-over through 18. With four birdies on the final nine, Strickland swooped with a final nine three-under to finish the day at one-under (-1) par and move ahead of Sinak. Allen seven pars and then birdied Hole 8 to be one back. He was unable to find one more birdie on the last and would end tied with Sinak at even (E) par. Last were the super seniors. After the first 18 holes, John Ellis of the SIGA eClub led at three-over (+3) par, followed by George Zwilling of Lawrence County Country Club at seven-over (+7) par. On the final nine, Ellis held strong with a score of two-over to finish the day five-over (+5) par and take the title. Doug Banks of Tapawingo National Golf Club finished in second at twelve-over (+12)par. At the conclusion of the Southern Illinois Amateur, Bryan Warren, David Strickland, and John Ellis walked away as champions in their respective divisions.
Full Results Photos
Issue 6 | August 2026
U.S. Senior Women’s Am Qualifier I
t was a beautiful morning at Westborough Country Club for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier. Five players competed for one spot in the championship field. The course played to a par 71 at 5,530 yards. The first group of the day set the standard and were the ladies to beat. Martha Linscott of Mission Hills, KS started the day with a par on the first hole and continued to complete the front nine at just two-over par. This had her in a comfortable spot with a three stroke lead over the competition with nine to play. The back nine proved to be tougher, but Linscott held on to end the day at seven-over (+7) par. Kathy Glennon of Naples, FL and St. Albans, MO teed it up with Linscott. It was a rough start for Glennon, but she bounced back to minimize damage throughout the round. Glennon was sixover making the turn. She held her scoring to just three more bogeys on the back and finished strong with a birdie on17 followed by par on 18.
The birdie helped Glennon to sit just one back of the lead coming up the last hole. Glennon ended the day eight-over (+8) par and in second. The second group of the day was fighting for it all the way around. Seeing the scores from their competitors in front of them, these ladies knew they needed to play well to keep up. Margaret Farrell of St. Louis, MO hoped the familiarity of her home course would lead to success. Farrell made the turn five-over par, which was in a position of promise. Coming into the last two holes, she sat eight-over, tied with Glennon and room to make a move. Misfortune on Hole 17, left Farrell to end the day ten-over (+10) par and in third. Gabi Rohman of Gulf Shores, AL and Robyn Rossi of Hollister, MO both finished the day at seventeen-over (+17) par to miss the cut. At the conclusion of the day, Martha Linscott qualified as the medalist for the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur that will take place at Portland Golf Club in Portland, OR at the end of September. Kathy Glennon walks away and waits in the wings as the first alternate, while Margaret Farrell leaves at the second alternate.
Final Results
Issue 6 | August 2026
The Metropolitan
Amateur Series Standings 7 Divisions, 6 Events, 1 Great Series
Presented by
Open Division August was a busy month for The Amateur Series, boasting not 1, not 2, but 3 events! The event at Sullivan Municipal GC was postponed and rescheduled to August, adding to the schedule alongside the Spencer T. Olin GC and Norwood Hills CC event dates. Leaving just one event left in the season, the division standings are shaping up as players look to make the Series Championship.
Events #3, 4, & 5 Spencer T. Olin, Sullivan, & Norwood Hills Spencer T. Olin Results: Open Division - Harper Ackermann Senior Open - Rob Reidelberger Super Senior Open - Chuck Schranck & Brian McGinley Net Division - Jason Thuet Senior Net Division - Kevin Kissling Super Senior Net Divsion - John Epps Women’s Net Division - Linda Bryant
Results 10
Sullivan Results: Open Division - Jordan Coons Senior Open - Ken Allgeyer Super Senior Open - Jim Slattery & Robert Sigmund Net Division - Dauffus Jackson Senior Net Division - Joseph Miller, Jeffrey Sullivan, & Ricky Gildehaus Super Senior Net Divsion - Ken Caldwell Women’s Net Division - Kelly Lenox Nor wood Hills Results: Open Division - John Eckardt Senior Open - Rob Reidelberger Super Senior Open - Robert Sigmund Net Division - Andrew Orban Senior Net Division - Matt Stanek Super Senior Net Divsion - Tom Shrine Women’s Net Division - Karen Fleming & Julie Derr
1 2 3 4 5
Affiliation
Colin Hall Tug Schwab John Eckardt John Remley Keith Ritter
365 Metropolitan eClub 235 Metropolitan eClub 225 Metropolitan eClub Highlands Golf & Tennis 165 160 Metropolitan eClub
Senior Open Division Name 1 2 3 4 5
Affiliation
Super Senior Open Division Points
Ken Allgeyer 440 Sunset CC Rob Reidelberger St. Clair CC 300 Dan Mallon 220 Normandie GC Jason Ulrich USGA/MetAmateur GC 200 195 James Starkweather SIGA eClub
Name 1 2 3 4 5
Net Division Name 1 2 3 4 T5
Affiliation
Points 1 2 3 4 5
Women’s Net Division 1 Pam Lenhard T2 Kelly Lenox Linda Bryant 4 Karen Fleming 5 Nannette Baker
Affiliation
Affiliation
Robert Sigmund Sunset CC John Chastain Metropolitan eClub Gary Berra CC of St. Albans Jim Slattery Metropolitan eClub Ray Jankowski Metropolitan eClub
Points 335 280 235 196.67 170
Senior Net Division
280 Andrew Orban Family Golf & LC 275 Steven Ortinau Metropolitan eClub 245 Jason Thuet Gimme Golf Club 211.67 Dauffus Jackson Old Hickory GC Grant Riess USGA/MetAmateur GC 185 185 David Ladd Spencer T. Olin GC
Name
Points
Name
Name
Affiliation
Points
Ricky Gildehaus Joseph Miller Matt Stanek Curt Wooters Michael Derbak
Franklin County CC Aberdeen GC Crescent Farms GC Grey Beard GC Metropolitan eClub
365 312.5 240 217.5 205
Super Senior Net Division Points
St. Louis Women’s GA 220 210 Old Hickory GC 210 LPGA Amateur GA St. Louis Women’s GA 185 160 Norwood Hills CC
1 2 3 4 T5
Name
Affiliation
Points
Kevin Ortyl Ken Caldwell John Schranck John Epps Kurt Greenwood Peter Robinson
Sunset CC Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub
210 190 165 141.67 140 140
For Full Standings, Click Here
11
The Metropolitan
U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier
I
t was a sunny but cool day at the Legends Country Club for the U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifying. Coming into the morning, 142 golfers were looking to qualify for the 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur at The Lido in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. Play began at 7:30 a.m., with five qualifying spots and two alternate positions available in the championship field. The course played to a par 71. Playing in the third group to tee off for the morning, Corey Choate of Eureka, MO set the tone for the day going off the front. Closing out the front nine with two birdies, he went into the back with confidence. Choate carded one more birdie on Hole 10, and maintained par through the remainder of his round. Choate finished two-under par (-2). This impressive score did not intimidate Jason Millard of Murfreesboro, TN as he started on hole 10 and proceeded to be bogey free through the back nine. With one birdie on the front and three more on the back, Millard ended at three-under par (-3), taking the top of the leaderboard. Ryan Sullivan of Imperial, MO also started off the back, maintaining consistency to keep up with his competitors. He had the confidence of a champion after winning the Old Warson Cup last month. Also staying bogey free throughout the back nine like Millard, Sullivan carded a birdie on the back and two more on the front. Sullivan wrapped up his round at two-under par (-2), tied with Choate. Austin Coggin of Birmingham, AL, teed off Hole 1 this morning. Staying in trend with the competition, he had a bogey free front nine, and even carded two birdies. Coggins kept up his stamina on the back, shooting two more birdies to push him up the leaderboard. He ended his round tied with Millard at the top at three-under par (-3). In the second group to tee off for the afternoon wave,
Final Results 12
Chris Kovach of Manchester, MO knew he had some strong scores to beat. However, he stayed unphased, shooting four birdies on the front nine alone along with being bogey free. Following with one birdie on the back, Kovach ended his fantastic round three-under par (-3) to join Millard and Coggin. Kevin Jeske of St. Louis, MO came in hot after Kovach, starting on the back nine with four birdies. Even with a couple bogeys, Jeske quickly recovered, carding two more birdies on the front. His recovery brought him up the leaderboard to finish at two-under par (-2), joining Choate and Sullivan. Chad Niezing of Manchester, MO was the third to last group to go off the back, and ended the day on a high note. Unlike any other competitor, Niezing had a bogey free round. His consistency brought him to the top of the leaderboard. Carding two birdies on the front nine and one off the back, Niezing finished at three-under par (-3) to tie with Kovach, Coggin, and Millard. When play ended, Niezing, Kovach, Coggin, and Millard sat tied at the top at three-under par (-3) to leave with co-medalist honors. All tied for second, Choate, Sullivan, and Jeske went into a playoff to determine who would get the last qualifying spot and two alternate positions. One hole was all it took to settle the score. Sullivan had a phenomenal shot, chipping into the hole from a greenside bunker for birdie and claiming the final qualifying spot. Jeske shot par for the first alternate place, followed by Choate who shot a bogey to end with the second alternate spot. Millard, Coggin, Kovach, Niezing, and Sullivan all earned their place in the 45th U.S. Mid-Amateur and will be heading to Sand Valley Resort The Lido this fall. If a competitor were to withdraw, in the wings waits Jeske as the first alternate and Choate as the second alternate.
From the Metro to the USGA U.S. Women’s Amateur The Honors Course
Gracie Piar Alton, IL
~ Missed Cut (+19) ~
U.S. Women’s Amateur The Honors Course
Mia Rallo Wentzville, MO
~ Missed Cut (+11) ~
U.S. Senior Women’s Open Barton Hills Country Club
Ellen Port St. Louis, MO
~ Missed Cut (+11) ~
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Issue 6 | August 2026
The Metropolitan
x
The Bogeyman
Bellerive Country Club members have their golf course back by now. Some wear and tear is evident around the
perimeter, obvious signs something significant took place on the same grounds. Some 150,000 bodies, and the structures to accommodate them, do not come and go without a trace.
That’s Just St. Louis
That imprint will fade. Imperfections and blemishes, left by all those people and all that scaffolding, will buff out. The tender lovin’ care of the club’s excellent groundskeeping staff, which made a St. Louis golf course look like a Garden of Eden in late August, will mend the ruts. “Coming here, pulling in on Monday and just seeing the build-out, got me excited for the week,” sad Adam Scott. “It’s a huge build-out and made me realize this is really important to the community here.” What won’t vanish is the vibe. It never does. This isn’t Bellerive’s first time around the block. The club has been stepping into the championship ring for seven decades, ever since hosting the 1965 U.S. Open - the one Gary Player captured before donating his winnings to cancer research and junior golf. Player got $26,000 for winning the U.S. Open and completing the career Grand Slam. Wyndham Clark got $3.547 million more for winning the 2026 BMW Championship. What a difference 61 years makes, eh? What’s not different is the manner in which St. Louis embraces big-time golf.
Dan O’Neill 14
The scene has unfolded time and time again 1992 at the PGA Championship - 2001 before the events of Sept. 11 canceled the American Express Championship 2004 for the U.S. Senior Open 2008 for the BMW Championship 2013 for Senior PGA
Championship - 2018 for the PGA Championship … And It will be the same a few years from now, when Bellerive stages the 2030 Presidents Cup.
those who thinks the spectacle suggests the PGA Tour owes this town a regular event, be careful what you wish for.
There will be additions and adjustments, lessons extracted and improvements applied. Each time Bellerive presents one of these colossal events, it comes back bigger and bolder than before. Records are broken for sales, attendance and enthusiasm. And each time, money is raised for charity, said to be in the neighborhood of $15 million last month. There will be no need to troll officials and players for pats on the back or chamber-of-commerce quotes, no reason to explore what type of impression St. Louis is making. The pedigree as a “great sports town” has been established. St. Louis - particularly its media - might just revel in the fact that it has a Bellerive, a steward of both amateur and professional golf, a club willing and able to conduct big championships. The fact it has patrons who know how to conduct themselves should not come as a surprise kind of comes with the territory. The city does not need reassurance. It’s a given. Let’s not kid ourselves. In 1900, St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the U.S. in terms of population - behind New York, Chicago and Philadelphia. In 2026, according to World Population Review, it ranks 89th, four places behind Fort Wayne, Ind. How does that look on the VRBO list of “best places to visit?” That’s not meant as a quality-of-life comment, just a fact. And it’s certainly not meant to be an apology. Suggesting big galleries at a golf championship tells a different story or bucks the trend is just plain credulous. How many people living in Denver, Charlotte, or Dallas are watching a golf tournament in St. Louis and changing their vacation plan. “Hey sweetheart, the heck with that trip to Vegas; we’ve got to visit St. Louis!” The guess here it’s exactly none - and that’s perfectly alright. St. Louisans don’t need to be sold on St. Louis. And if they do, country club lawns and golf galleries aren’t going to close the deal. It’s not like Stan Kroenke is out there, just waiting for a reason to re-think the Rams move. A thumbs up from Jim Nantz is terrific, but it’s also wellearned. What was demonstrated at Bellerive has been demonstrated over and over again. And if you’re one of
Memphis has a regular event, that is, Memphis used to have an event. The community and the sponsors vibrantly supported their championship for almost 70 years. But those grateful chaps with the PGA Tour … the ones we are so eager to impress … recently handed Memphis a pink slip after next season. Memphis ranks 30th on the aforementioned largest cities list. Do you think St. Louis fits the new “Championship Series” model better? Look, this isn’t animosity, it’s pride. This city supports genuine quality, honest effort, and wholesome entertainment. It’s not about winning approval, or getting a thumbs up from the aristocratic PGA Tour. That’s just who St. Louis is, and why St. Louisans love it. It’s a good baseball town. And like other good baseball towns in America, it’s especially good when its major league team is a contender. It’s a good hockey town. And like other good hockey towns in America, it’s especially good when its NHL team contends. It’s a good soccer town too, same stipulations apply. Generally speaking, St. Louis embraces players in a respectful, unobtrusive, congenial manner. Many of them wind up making this their home. The major leagues of golf visits every so often. When it does, as with other big events that come only so often, the region, the city and a vibrant portion of the population turn out.
15
The Metropolitan
Issue 6 | August 2026
Sup’s On: The Valley Report: Late Summer Edition Mike Leech
MVGCSAA Director of Operations
and recovery window. Nothing our Valley members haven’t dealt with before, but it doesn’t make it any easier. I would say give them some grace, but they’re more looking for cooperation and understanding if cart rules and playing conditions are temporarily affected.
Other MVGCSA Updates
Ahhh... Late summer in St. Louis! We always have to look around the
corner and gauge the optimism on what was a mild and wet July with what might happen right before we hit the finish line. This first part of September has been 15 degrees above our normal mean coupled with what is essentially zero precipitation. This not only hits our turf conditions hard but also the members of the Mississippi Valley. Many maintenance crews have thinned out over the last couple of weeks with summer student staff returning to school which makes this recent heat wave particularly challenging.
The Mississippi Valley quarterly newsletter has transitioned to an electronic distribution platform after more than 50 years of being physically mailed to our readers. The change has been well received through its first two editions and has given us more flexibility as an association — keeping members informed while letting our Affiliate Sponsors tailor their advertisements to specific seasonal products. It’s also opened up a wider distribution footprint at a lower cost. If you’d like to follow along with MVGCSA happenings and get a more “inside baseball” look at turfgrass maintenance, head over to the mvgcsa.com homepage and subscribe to the Gateway Green newsletter.
course maintenance workers facing medical hardships. A second-tonone venue, an engaging guest speaker, and a noble cause seem to be a winning combination for our biggest fundraiser of the year. Meanwhile, our flagship fundraiser, the Green Cup, is coming up on October 19th at Meadowbrook CC. The Green Cup raises money for our scholarship and research funds, which continue to grow alongside our focus on the future of turfgrass health and the professionals who will carry it forward. I look forward to giving everyone an end-of-year wrap-up after a couple more outstanding articles from our Valley Leadership. I hope everyone enjoys what is, in my opinion, the best segment of the St. Louis golfing calendar.
This time of year our cool season grasses are usually attempting to recover from a challenging summer. Right now, though, extra moisture is needed just to protect whatever root health the plants have retained. For bentgrass green complexes in our climate, the fall growth window is essential for spring success. The elevated soil moisture we banked from those timely July rains doesn’t last forever. As it’s dried out, irrigation schedules have had to increase just to keep plants alive and that heat and dryness are what’s delaying our fall growth window, particularly for the bentgrass fairway facilities in our region. Elsewhere on the course, if soil temps stay elevated, it can put rough overseeding schedules at risk. The longer the window between cooler soil temps and the first freeze, the better so the sooner the soil cools, the better for our fescue/bluegrass/rye areas of the course. All of this adds up to some anxious moments entering our fall growth
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The final numbers are in from our Wee One Fundraiser, held at Boone Valley this July, and the Valley continues to step up its support for golf
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The Metropolitan
Rocky Rory
Rules Center
The BMW Championship made its way to St. Louis, where there was no shortage of interest from the locals. Whether you were there or watching on tv, it’s highly likely you tuned in one way or another throughout the week to check out the action. On Friday at Bellerive Country Club, Rory McIlroy found himself in a rocky place on Hole 2. McIlroy’s ball landed on the penalty side of the yellow line and he was faced with a decision. He could take the penalty stroke and drop his ball or he could try to play the ball as it lied. The only issue? The ball was scarily close to the rocks and water. If it had been any of us amateurs, playing the ball would have likely been out of the question, but for McIlroy, it was fair game... McIlroy found himself standing on the rocks, where one wrong move would send him flying into the pond. Not to mention the concern of the club and/or the ball hitting the rocks on the follow through. In true Rory fashion, he took his place on the rocks, swung, found the green with his ball, stayed upright out of the water, and avoided the penalty stroke through pure golf magic. So why didn’t McIlroy get relief from the rocks? Because he was inside a penalty area. When your ball is on the penalty side of the red or yellow lines, relief rules for immovable obstructions or abnormal course conditions do not apply. The only relief you can take is penalty relief by removing the ball from the penalty area and dropping the ball on the course for one penalty stroke. If McIlroy had chosen to take penalty relief, his relief options would have been stroke-and-distance (play from the previous spot) or back-on-the-line relief (straight line extending from the hole through the point where the ball last crossed). On a course like Bellerive with rock lined water features, it wouldn’t be hard to find yourself in a similar place. In fact, we know a guy who’s been there... At the Metropolitan Amateur in 2024 at Bellerive, a golfer’s ball rolled and stopped not just near, but ON the rocks. Don’t worry, we can confirm that he did not attempt to hit from off the rocks and did take penalty area relief. Safety first. So, what if there is a retaining wall of rocks on the course - not in a penalty area - and your ball lands on or nearby it?
Issue 6 | August 2026
Ball on Retaining Wall
Dear John: My drive on the par-4 11th hole at the Quarry at Crystal Springs (Maryland Heights,
MO) rolled off the fairway, across the rough, and came to rest on top of a stone retaining wall. Do I have to play it as it lies?
--SpareMyClub Dear SpareMyClub: Nice shot! The answer to your question depends on the Local Rules for the competition.
If the Local Rules say nothing about the retaining wall, it is an obstruction by default (i.e., a man-made object; definition of OBSTRUCTION). Free relief is available under Rule 16.1b for a ball in the general area (Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions). As pictured, the nearest point of complete relief (NPCR) will be to the left-hand side of the wall. The player may drop and play the ball (or another ball) within one club-length of the NPCR, no nearer the hole. However, the Committee may choose to designate the retaining wall as an integral object, which means it is part of the challenge of playing the course (definition of INTEGRAL OBJECT). In that case the wall is not an obstruction and there is no free relief. The player’s options are to play the ball as it lies or take penalty relief under one of the unplayable ball options (Rule 19.2; one-stroke penalty). Always check the Local Rules for the competition.
John explains more on Retaining/Rock Walls -->
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This edition of the Rules Center features an excerpt from MAGA Rules Official John Thorman’s e-book Let’s Get It Right
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Issue 3 | May 2025
The Metropolitan
*Standings as of 8/31/26. For Full Standings Click the Underlined Heading*
---
Men’s POY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 T8 10
Name
Affiliation
Ryan Sullivan Justin Bryant Harper Ackermann Chris Kovach Chad Niezing Brad Carpenter Corey Choate Conner McCall Jarrett James Drew Pranger
Tapawingo National GC St. Louis CC Metropolitan eClub Old Hickory GC Meadowbrook CC Franklin County CC The Legends CC Vandalia CC Chester CC Glen Echo CC
Events
Wins
Points
4 2 2 3 2 4 5 3 2 2
1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
2052.5 1155 1100 942.5 800 745 640.83 625 625 610
Senior Men’s POY 1 2 3 4 5
Name
Affiliation
Buddy Allen David Strickland Paul Neeman Skip Berkmeyer Brian Hall
Sugar Creek GC Tapawingo National GC Persimmon Woods GC The Legends CC Persimmon Woods GC
Events
Wins
Points
4 2 3 1 3
1 1 1 0 1
462.5 325 310 277.5 245
1 2 3 T4
1 2 T3
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5
Affiliation
Mike O’Neill Robert Trittler John Ellis Jim Dunn David Speicher
Metropolitan eClub Persimmon Woods GC SIGA eClub Norwood Hills CC Cardinal Creek GC
Women’s POY
Name
Affiliation
Gracie Piar Mia Rallo Annabelle Bush
Old Hickory GC Norwood Hills CC Whitmoor CC Old Hickory GC Metropolitan eClub
Paula Sanchez Lozano
Alaina Ervin
Events
Wins
Points
1 1 1 1 1
1 1 0 0 0
925 700 525 400 400
Events
Wins
Points
3 5 2 2 2
1 3 1 0 0
1600 1487.5 837.5 675 587.5
Events
Wins
Points
5 3 2 2 1
0 1 1 0 0
1387.5 1137.5 862.5 400 400
SIGA Men’s POY 1 2 3 4 5
Name
Affiliation
River Stilley Bryan Warren Cy Norman Bryce Doughty Jeff Gray
SIGA eClub McLeansboro GC Apple Creek GC SIGA eClub SIGA eClub
SIGA Senior Men’s POY
Super Senior Men’s POY Name
To see which events are eligible for points, click here.
Events
Wins
Points
3 3 1 1 4
1 1 1 1 0
377.5 220 200 200 157.5
1 2 3 T4
Name
Affiliation
Tom Portner Jeff Gray Mike Castellari James Starkweather Jim Giacone
Green Hills GC SIGA eClub Salem CC SIGA eClub Benton CC
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The Metropolitan
Keeping Up with the USGA
Issue 6 | August 2026
What Goes Into Deciding Each Hole’s Degree of Difficulty?
LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (August 24, 2026) – After you both convert your Handicap Index to a Course Handicap, you receive two strokes a side from your match-play opponent. Now it’s time to plot some strategy, based on a glance at the scorecard to remind yourself where those strokes are assigned.
Few aspects of organized golf are as misunderstood as the process of assigning holes their individual stroke index values for handicap purposes. For something so crucial to the competitive elements of the game, there are plenty of misconceptions surrounding how each hole on a particular course is given a value from hardest to easiest. Some of the confusion stems from the relationship between stroke index and the Course Rating System™. In short, there is none – at least not officially. The purpose of the system is to produce two numbers: the Course Rating™, which identifies the expected overall score from a specific set of tees for a scratch golfer on a good day, and the Slope Rating®, which measures the relative difficulty of the course for all players other than scratch. Both figures are independent from the stroke index. They do work in concert, though, as a player’s Course Handicap determines which holes they receive strokes on, plus the maximum number of strokes they can take on any hole for World Handicap System (WHS) score-posting purposes. As the Rules of Handicapping state, “The maximum score for each hole played is limited to a net double bogey, equal to double bogey plus any handicap strokes you are entitled to receive based on your Course Handicap.” Course Rating is handled across the country by the network of 55 Allied Golf Associations (AGAs), whose raters are well versed in the Course Rating procedure. However, those rating teams are not ultimately responsible for determining stroke indexes. The final decision to assign stroke-index rankings from 1 to 18 is done independently by a course’s designated staff or committee members. As technology continues to influence the Course Rating System, though, the somewhat artistic nature of hole handicapping has become more rooted in data. Some of the guesswork has been removed from the assignment process. “We now use Course Rating data to provide a recommended stroke index table or stroke index values for each hole, because that is pretty objective data,” says Scott Hovde, the USGA’s director of Course Rating and Handicap Research. While stats, weather conditions, and other factors have helped give context to how a course is rated, a number of universal factors can be applied to every course across the globe. Says Hovde, “We’re looking at the length of the hole, obstacles that impact scoring, how close penalty areas are, size of the green, depth and prevalence of bunkers, and rough height, among other aspects.” This consistency, according to Hunter Koch, director of Course Rating for the Golf Association of Michigan, allows for a universality of ratings that streamlines how courses are viewed from a difficulty perspective. “Whether you’re in Michigan or New Zealand, everyone is using the same guide,” said Koch. “Hypothetically, there will be replicability of every rating.” There is, of course, still room for interpretation. The evolution of the Course Rating System and the recommendations for golf officials regarding hole handicapping have come a long way, thanks in large part to the data Hovde mentioned. While data helps provide courses with an objective evaluation of the rating process, there remains a human element. “We walk the course to do field work, measuring and rating from tee to
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green,” says Koch. “Then, we’ll play the course to see and feel it from the perspective of a player.
“At a recent course, I hit three greens with excellent shots from the fairway, but the ball just rolled off the back,” Koch recalls as an example. “That’s the definition of a firm adjustment,” he adds, referring to a characteristic that can affect a hole rating. As stated in the Golf Association of Michigan handbook, “Green surface difficulty is based on the speed and contours of the putting surface. Speed is determined using a Stimpmeter reading under mid-season playing conditions.” This data point, Koch notes, might influence how a rater sees a course. “You then ask yourself, are these normal course conditions, or was this an abnormal course condition that caused this? Is it just that it’s October and extremely dry because the green hasn’t been irrigated recently? Or is it simply a firm green and the ball won’t hold?” This is a conundrum Hovde encounters often, especially when local AGAs provide recommendations to courses regarding stroke-index allocations. “When we used scoring data, it would vary from month to month and generate totally different results depending on the group of players involved. Using Course Rating data is a lot more objective because it’s something that’s measurable. It’s not impacted by a player’s ability to play a certain hole; we just evaluate the hole for difficulty.” Though the WHS has worked hard to overhaul the procedure for stroke index assignments for more consistency, each course ultimately makes their own call on stroke-index values. Says Derek McKenzie, USGA manager of Course Rating Administration and Handicapping Research, “One of the key points of emphasis is that the USGA is supplying recommendations based on the rating data. However, the adoption of the actual stroke allocation assignment is a decision for the course or club. For example, most clubs have a committee, and it’s their right to assign those stroke indexes based on whatever they think is best for their golfers and the club itself.” This is why Course Rating and hole handicap allocation is more of a science than ever before but still involves some artistry and local knowledge. “We’re supplying that recommendation,” adds McKenzie. “Oftentimes, the local committee will simply adopt it or maybe make small tweaks. It’s not the USGA or even the AGA that’s assigning stroke-index values. We’re coming up with recommendations for the club’s consideration, then they’re deciding what they want the assignments to be.” To help rate courses as accurately as possible, Koch leans on the course staff to gain insight on whether the things he notices during his field work and round of golf are aberrations or features of the course. “We try to meet with the superintendent on-site, because they know the golf course better than anyone else. For example, green speed and rough height are two constant things that get baked into the rating process,” he says. Unfortunately, these are two variables that can be quite different depending on when the course is played. “If we try to rate a golf course at the end of April, the greens are not going to be up to speed,” Koch says. “The rough might not have grown in yet. Maybe we have a dry stretch or wet stretch during the summer. The course as you rate it is never going to be the perfect representation of the average condition over 10 years. In that regard, we rely on intuition and local knowledge.”
The difference between the method for arriving at a Course Rating and at individual hole rankings is what causes the most confusion for recreational golfers. Both for the entire course and on each individual hole, several additional factors come into play. “We look at all sorts of effective playing length factors such as elevation changes, doglegs or layups, altitude if the course is at a higher elevation,” says Hovde. “Those are looked at on every hole, which cumulatively creates the 9- and 18-hole ratings. We look at the obstacles for scratch and bogey golfers on those holes and create what’s called a scratch value and a bogey value.” Those values are then compared to par for each hole, which is a fixed number. Ultimately, holes that are reflective of the largest gap in expected score versus par would generate the lowest stroke-index assignment recommendations; in other words, identifying the hole(s) where a golfer may most be in need of a handicap stroke. Other factors go into these recommendations. “We look at things such as odds and evens,” says Hovde, of the decision about which nine will be assigned the 1-3-5 etc. ranking and which gets 2-4-6 and so on, so that stroke holes for a match are evenly distributed. “It’s typically odds on the front nine and evens on the back nine. We have some guidelines about avoiding back-to-back low stroke holes. You don’t want the No. 1 and No. 3 stroke holes to be right next to each other if possible, and we also recommend avoiding those at the very beginning or end of a nine.” This creates an interesting challenge for courses that boast tough finishing holes. Despite the drama it is intended to create, it can be a detriment to match-play scenarios, since plenty of matches don’t get to the 18th hole. Says Hovde, “You get to that 16th or 17th hole and you lose, and you didn’t even get a chance to use that stroke that might have helped continue the match.” Though the world of stroke indexes can be intimidating and has been known to cause an argument or two on the course, it’s helpful to remember that clubs have the option to utilize a reliable formula to index each hole. “The rating data and the assessment that the rating team is looking at on a hole-by-hole basis are populated into a formula that projects score,” says McKenzie. As such, the Course Rating is simply a projection of a scratch golfer’s expected score when factoring length and other data collected onsite. “Instead of producing those 9- or 18-hole projections, which are Course Ratings, we break that down on a hole-by-hole basis to provide a ranking of holes, based upon difficulty,” he adds. The next time you’re at your local course and wonder why a hole that gives you fits is rated as relatively easy, while a hole you have no issue conquering is listed as one of the hardest, remember that stroke index is up to club discretion. When adhering to AGA recommendations, these numbers are informed by data. At other clubs, though, local committees work off their own system and the outcome can be a bit more unpredictable. In this sense, stroke indexing reflects the game of golf itself.
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World of Golf
The Metropolitan
The Standard Portland Classic Jeeno Thitikul CPKC Women’s Open Miyu Yamashita FM Championship Ruoning Yin
AIG Women’s Open Shiho Kuwaki PIF London Championship Anna Huang VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open Eleanor Givens KPMG Women’s Irish Open Casandra Alexander
Smoky Mountain Championship Mirabel Ting Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic Megha Ganne Dream First Bank Charity Classic
Mirabel Ting
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Rocket Classic Michael Thorbjornsen Wyndham Championship Michael Brennan FedEx St. Jude Championship Scottie Scheffler BMW Championship Wyndham Clark TOUR Championship Scottie Scheffler
Utah Championship Derek Hitchner Pinnacle Bank Championship Frankie Harris Albertson Boise Open Ross Steelman AdventHealth Championship Yuta Sugiura
Manitoba Open Daniel Svard CRMC Championship Justin Biwer
New York Joaquin Niemann Indianapolis Michael La Sasso
Danish Golf Championship Jeff Winther Nexo Championship Scott Jamieson British Masters Joe Dean
Infortar Estonian Challenge Rory Franssen Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A Christofer Blomstrand Irish Challenge Justin Harding Vierumaki Finnish Challenge Dominic Foos Dormy Open Christofer Blomstrand
PNG Open Josh Armstrong PNG Women’s Open Rebekah Blackwell-Chin
Issue 6 | August 2026
Boeing Classic Stewart Cink Rogers Charity Classic Steven Alker The Ally Challenge Steven Alker
Portugal Invitational Zach Johnson Staysure PGA Seniors Championship Darren Fichardt Staysure English Legends Mikael Lundberg
Woodford Legends Invitational Wendy Ward + Angela Stanford U.S. Senior Women’s Open Maria McBride LPGA Legends Championship Maria McBride
Blair Atholl Pro-Am Kaiyuree Moodley FNB Eswatini Challenge Austin Bautista
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Dream Up Next for the Metro Day at the BMW Deadlines Champ 2026
The Metropolitan
Registration Deadline
Amateur Series #6
Metropolitan Four-Ball
Annbriar GC
Sep 6
Franklin County CC
Sep 16
Amateur Series Championship
The Falls GC
Tony Stevens Cup
Rend Lake GC
Oct 14
TBD
Invite Only
Mid-America Junior Cup
Oct 4
(Invite Only)
September Schedule Sep 9-10
Quincy CC
Amateur Series #6
Sep 14
Annbriar GC
U.S. Women’s FourBall Q
Sep 17
Bogey Hills CC
Metropolitan Senior Amateur
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U.S. Four-Ball Q
Sep 21
Spencer T. Olin GC
Metropolitan FourBall
Sep 28-29
Franklin County CC
Normandie Golf Club’s future caddies got an experience to remember when they were fortunate to be for a Dream Day at the BMW Championship at Bellerive Country Club by Midwest BankCentre. summer, these young men and women have been calling Bellerive home as they train and learn the role of a caddie. This Dream Day gave them the opportunity to experience Bellerive from an entirely perspective and see firsthand just how many opportunities exist through the game of golf.
invited Over the ropes of the different
The day began at Normandie Golf Course where Midwest BankCentre made sure they were taken care of from the moment they arrived, providing each caddie with a hat, clear bag, water bottle, fan, rain poncho, and gift card for food and merchandise. Our Foundation was also excited to surprise them with new Normandie shirts for the day. From there, the group was shuttled to Bellerive Country Club. Former PGA Tour professional and St. Louis native, Jay Delsing, joined the group at the shuttle upon arrival at Bellerive and served as a personal tour guide for the day. He led the group through the practice areas, where they stopped to see players warming up on the range and then at the practice putting green. While at the practice green, the caddies had the opportunity to meet St. Louis Cardinals legend, Ozzie Smith. The group walked over to the 1st tee where they were able to watch Lal Karsanbhai, the CEO of Emerson, and Ram Krishnan, Emerson COO and Metropolitan Golf Foundation Board Member, tee off for the Pro-Am. Karsanbhai and Krishnan then came over for a brief moment to meet the future caddies of Normandie. As huge supporters of Normandie Reimagined and Emerson’s donation - which has resulted in the naming of Normandie Golf Club at Emerson Park - this was a special moment for Karsanbhai and Krishnan to see the impact their support and investment is already having. It was also a great moment for these caddies to meet people who believe in what we are doing at Normandie and are helping make their futures become a reality. Next stops were the BMW car exhibit and the merchandise tent, followed by a walk over to the 18th green. The caddies took a seat in the grandstand and watched as a group made their way up the hole. Then, the group got lunch from the concession stand. Following lunch and as a conclusion to the day, Nick Wojciechowski of the Western Golf Association and former USGA President, Tom O’Toole Jr., joined the group to talk with the caddies about the WGA, caddying, and the life-changing opportunity of the Evans Scholars Program. A huge thank you to Midwest BankCentre for putting this Dream Day together and providing a great experience for our youth. We also want to say thank you to Jay Delsing for taking the time to spend the day with us, be our guide, and talk to the kids to make it such a memorable day.
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The Metropolitan
August Authority Whew! August was a crazy month at Normandie Golf Club. From start to finish, there was always something happening at the course. Proposed changes/additions from Jack Nicklaus have been put in place. Chris Cochran has been hard at work to get the final holes laid out as Nicklaus wants. A brand new bridge has been installed on Hole 4 to serve as passageway from the tee to the fairway. Continued care and growth on completed holes is being overseen by our Normandie maintenance team. We’ve had no shortage of visitors through scheduled tours with donors and potential donors. Our friends from the Western Golf Association & Evans Scholars stopped by while they were in town for the BMW Championship - and were pleased with how things were shaping up. A highlight from the month came when the future caddies of Normandie attended Dream Day at the BMW Championship on the Wednesday courtesy of Midwest BankCentre.
www.normandiereimagined.com **Course Opening Date will be publicly announced once it is determined. Stay tuned.
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For more information on the Normandie Renovation Project and how you can help, visit https://www.normandiereimagined.com or contact normandie@metga.org
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“The appeal of this project to me was to be involved in an effort that could serve as a catalyst to change needed in our country today, beginning with parts of St. Louis County. Restoring Normandie for a community in need will have a long-lasting positive impact on the lives of youth in St. Louis.” -Jack Nicklaus on his involvement in Normandie Reimagined
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Volume 13 | No. 6
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Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association
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