The 2024 Western Amateur is being played at Moraine CC in Dayton, OH this week. The club has a strong caddie tradition and support for the Evans Scholars, so it’s a fitting relationship to host a WGA championship.
A few years ago, the club hired Phil Stiver (formerly at Oakmont) as new superintendent and tasked him with getting the course playing firm and fast on a consistent basis. His team has delivered in a big way, and the course is presenting spectacularly going into tournament week. Last fall Keith Foster returned to make some adjustments on holes 3, 4 & 7 that have added new wrinkles and adjusted for playability issues that became apparent in the post-renovation years.
The golf riches of Ohio are well documented, and the current iteration of Moraine stands near the top of my list. The routing, especially the holes playing up and over the prominent glacial ridge, is spectacularly fun, strategic, and visually-inspiring (challenging too, if you pick the wrong tees). The low-key clubhouse and locker room add a perfect final note to a post-round cooldown.
There will be live coverage of match play on ESPN+ this Friday and Saturday 8/2-8/3 for anyone interested:
https://thewesternamateur.com/the-latest/news/western-amateur-to-stream-on-espn