High school golf at solid courses

[Phil McDade]

For the past few years, I've made it a point (in part because some buddies of mine are golf coaches) to take in some high school golf tournaments, with some corresponding picture threads:

Old Hickory (Beaver Dam, WI):

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36792.0/

Riverside (Janesville, WI)

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40066.0/

I always make a point of reviewing the Wisconsin state tournament schedule, to see where qualifying tournaments will be held. Here's this spring's schedule for high school boys:

http://www.wiaawi.org/golfboys/tourneyschedule.pdf

Some pretty darn good courses in there:

-- Washington County, a fairly well-regarded Art Hills county-run course in the same neighborhood as Erin Hills.
-- Quit Qui Oc and Old Hickory, two courses featuring rolling terrain with lots of (mostly) untouched Bendelow in them.
-- Reedsburg, a pretty solid Killian-Nugent layout about an hour northwest of Madison with very good and quick greens.
-- New Berlin Hills, in suburban Milwaukee, a somewhat quirky muni with grainy greens unlike much of what you find in Wisconsin.
-- Brown County, in Green Bay, stomping grounds of Da' Mayor and his cronies.
-- Johnson Park, a classic tree-lined muni in Racine with some quirk dating back to the 1930s.
-- Trappers Turn, a pretty good Andy North course in Wisconsin Dells, now nearly 20 years old.

And get this -- the smallest division (Division 3) in the state sees two qualifying tournaments at, of all places, Blackwolf Run (River) and the links course at Lawsonia. How cool is that?

Two thoughts:

-- I think all of these courses deserve thanks for handing over their courses for, essentially, an entire day for high school kids. Yes, the schools competing pay a fee, but it probably covers only cost, and the courses (a mix of private, public daily fee, and munis) could probably make more money not hosting a high school qualifying tourney. So kudos to them.

-- Any other good examples out there, of high schoolers accessing good courses? I'm thinking of qualifying tourneys, as opposed to the home courses of teams (although that may be notable as well).

[Keith Buntrock]

In your list right there Phil I got to play New Berlin Hills twice in the Spring, Washington County for our conference tournament and a few more that I can add. Brown Deer Park allowed us to play a couple of practice rounds before playing a tournament there. We played a sectional at The Bull in Sheboygan, a Nicklaus "signature" course. I also got to play the front 9 at Blue Mound twice, the Seth Raynor design. Not to mention the State meet at University Ridge.

[Zack Molnar]

In Ohio, I played tournaments at Scioto and Muirfield Village every year in Columbus. Also, had a couple matches at Camargo in Cincinnati. Canterbury also had an event one time and I believe all these were all free to the schools. Moraine CC (GW Top 100 Classic) in Dayton holds a tournament every year as well. There are more examples too. These are only the tournaments I was lucky enough play during high school.

[Jud_T]

Hotchkiss School Raynor 9

[Rory Connaughton]

Jim Furyk's high school team played its home matches at Lancaster.
Team was unbelievable with guys going on to play for Alabama, Vanderbilt, Duke, Arizona etc and another member, in addition to Furyk, who has made multiple appearances at the PGA as a club pro.

[Tom_Doak]

There are tons of examples of this.  Just last week when I was at North Shore, the new owner Mr. Zucker has granted the local high school (Roslyn?) permission to play its matches there.  It's an easy gift for most clubs ... one or two afternoons a week in the spring when there usually aren't many members around.

The Frankfort, MI high school team still plays its home matches at Crystal Downs.

[Kyle Harris]

I attribute my love of golf architecture to playing the likes of:

Huntingdon Valley
Doylestown
Jericho National
Lookaway
Torresdale/Frankford

and a few others in High School.

It was on the 7th hole at Huntingdon Valley during a high school match that I fell in love with the concepts of golf architecture.

[jeffwarne]

The local high school has practice 2- 3 days a week (both jayvee and varsity) at The Bridge.
They also play their home matches there.
My assistant (an excellent teacher) volunteers his afternoons to work with both teams gratis.

[Anthony Gray]

  Pebble Beach tops this list. Not now but for a few years it was the home course to a high school.

  Anthony

[Phil_the_Author]

Bethopage Black and Red courses have hosted many wonderful high school golf tournaments over the years including one that was forgotten about until just a few years ago.

On May 11, 1961, a 17 year-old playing in a high scholl tournament held on Bethpage Black shot the lowest round ever recorded on the course, a 62. He birdied every par-4 except for 2 & 18 and shot 29-33 for his 62. I can proudly state that his name was Steve Young and he was my oldest brother.

[JLahrman]

In Ohio, I played tournaments at Scioto and Muirfield Village every year in Columbus. Also, had a couple matches at Camargo in Cincinnati. Canterbury also had an event one time and I believe all these were all free to the schools. Moraine CC (GW Top 100 Classic) in Dayton holds a tournament every year as well. There are more examples too. These are only the tournaments I was lucky enough play during high school.

Indian Hill HS in Cincinnati uses (or at least used to be permitted to use, I'm asumming they still do) Camargo for its home course.  I even think Madeira used to use it, and maybe Cincinnati Country Day?

[Link Walsh]

I played on my high school team one year, and our home matches were held at East Lake.  This was before Cousins came in and revitalized the course and the area, but it has made for a good story for me for many years. 

[John Moore II]

Pine Crest High School in Southern Pines plays some matches at Pinehurst. I don't think they close off #2 in the spring for a HS match, but those golfers do get to play there in the afternoons. Plus, with a call from the coach, they can get to most of the courses in the Sandhills. So those guys get their run of most of the courses in the area.

[Bill_McBride]

Bethopage Black and Red courses have hosted many wonderful high school golf tournaments over the years including one that was forgotten about until just a few years ago.

On May 11, 1961, a 17 year-old playing in a high scholl tournament held on Bethpage Black shot the lowest round ever recorded on the course, a 62. He birdied every par-4 except for 2 & 18 and shot 29-33 for his 62. I can proudly state that his name was Steve Young and he was my oldest brother.

Was he later a left handed QB for the 49ers?

[Bob_Huntley]

Carmel High School had Pebble Beach for thirty or forty years until about five about five years ago. I think they now play at Rancho Canada
which must be like going from Carnegie Hall to a beer hall.

Stevenson play their matches at Spyglass and practice at Poppy Hills.

Pacific Grove High School play at Pacific Grove Golf Links.

Monterey High School play at Old Del Monte

Bob

[Alex Miller]

RLS also gets to practice on Pebble and occasionally play CPC! 

[CJ Carder]

The wife of one of my best friends, her high school actually had a girl's golf team.  Their daily practice was at The Country Club in Brookline, though I'm not sure where they played their actual matches.

[Pat Burke]

Let's see
When I was a kid, we played Bamm Hollow as our home course   so-so, but they allowed a lot of teams to play there.
Rumson, Navesink, Asbury Park, Lakewood, Woodlake, Glenwood were typical rotations on Jersey Shore.
Spring Lake was a highlight usually

[Mike Sweeney]

This afternoon at Yale, Hopkins School (mile from the course) was hosting Choate and Hotchkiss. It was like the Dead Poet's Society out there today.

Winged Foot is very generous to Fordham Prep. In general, a number of Westchester clubs host schools.

[Matthew Hunt]

I played school Golf at Kilkeel and RCD #2.  They played the British private schools championship around RCD a few years ago.

[Chuck Brown]

There are tons of examples of this.  Just last week when I was at North Shore, the new owner Mr. Zucker has granted the local high school (Roslyn?) permission to play its matches there.  It's an easy gift for most clubs ... one or two afternoons a week in the spring when there usually aren't many members around.

The Frankfort, MI high school team still plays its home matches at Crystal Downs.

Did not know that, Tom.  Do they complete their season by about the end of September? 

Birmingham Brother Rice, I believe, uses Oakland Hills for home matches.

[Zack Molnar]

Chuck,
I believe that golf is a spring sport in Michigan, due to the fact that it sometimes starts snowing in October, and even earlier in the northern parts. When does Crystal Downs open up in the spring?

[Nick_Christopher]

Golf is a fall sport in Michigan.  It does snow during the matches sometimes, but that would happen whether it was a Spring or Fall sport!

Kingsley High School has played at The Kingsley Club in the past.  Not sure if they still do, but I think so.  Those two schools are in the same athletic conference, making it probably the best rota in the country!

[Robert Emmons]

Huntington C C is the home for Cold Spring Harbor and St. Anthony's high schools. The Creek is home for Locust Valley...RHE

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

I was a golf coach (1997-2000) at The Haverford School and we were proud to call Merion and Gulph Mills our home courses.  Talk about a dream come true for a student at Villanova.  They paid me to show up to those courses 4 times a week...