STONEWALL LINKS TO HOST 2016 U.S. MID-AMATEUR

[Niall Hay]

The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced Stonewall Links, in Elverson, Pa., as the host site for the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. This will be the first USGA championship held at Stonewall Links. The dates of the championship are Sept. 10-15.
“The USGA is pleased to bring the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship to Stonewall Links for the first time,” said Thomas J. O’Toole Jr., USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “Stonewall’s two courses complement each other and will provide an exciting and competitive setting for stroke play and match play. Mid-amateur golfers are central to the USGA’s mission and Stonewall Links will be a fine host for both the players and championship.”
Stonewall Links is located in Chester County, 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and will host the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship on its Tom Doak-designed Old and North Courses. The Old Course’s design challenges players from tee to green and emphasizes accuracy and distance, while the North Course features more difficult green complexes and requires a more exacting short game.
The Old Course opened for play in 1993. It will be used for both stroke-play qualifying and the match play portion of the championship. The course has hosted the 2003 Pennsylvania Open, the 1996 Philadelphia Open and two Philadelphia Amateurs. The North Course, which opened in 2003, will be the companion stroke-play course for the U.S. Mid-Amateur.
“The members and staff of Stonewall Links are pleased to host the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship,” said Frank Foster, who serves as both championship chairman and club vice president. “Stonewall has two championship courses which are ready to test the players. The championship committee has already begun preparations for what promises to be an exciting event. We look forward to welcoming all the participants, officials and spectators.”
The U.S. Mid-Amateur will be the 85th USGA championship held in Pennsylvania. In 2016, the state will host three USGA championships, including the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club and the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Rolling Green Golf Club, in Springfield.
The U.S. Mid-Amateur was first played in 1981. The championship is open to male amateurs age 25 and older with a USGA Handicap Index® not exceeding 3.4. In 2013, the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship will be played at the Country Club of Birmingham (Ala.) from Oct. 5-10. The 2014 championship will be played Sept. 6-11 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. John’s Island Club, in Vero Beach, Fla., is the host site for the 2015 championship, scheduled for Oct. 3-8.
Nathan Smith, of Pittsburgh, became the first four-time U.S. Mid-Amateur champion when he won at Conway Farms Golf Club, in Lake Forest, Ill., last year. He surpassed Jay Sigel, a southeastern Pennsylvania native who captured three Mid-Amateur titles in the 1980s.
 
The 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur will be the first USGA championship for Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa. (Courtesy Stonewall Links)
By USGA
June 25, 2013

http://www.usga.org/news/2013/June/2016-U-S--Mid-Amateur-To-Stonewall-Links/

[Rory Connaughton]

Very exciting for Stonewall.  One of the really great places to spend a day in Eastern PA.  I'm a big fan of the North Course and love the ambience of the entire facility. 

[Niall Hay]

Tom Doak-designed Old and North Courses - certainly intriguing. Will add to the rich history of USGA events in PA.

[Bill Brightly]

Congrats to Stonewall, this will be a great way for more to learn about a great facility that is under the radar, IMO. I'm sure the players will be more comfortable on the more traditional looking Old Course, and struggle somewhat on the North. It will be fun for all of us Doak butt boys to listen to the comments, just as I had fun listening to my buddies comment on Streamsong Red and Blue.

Interesting that the event will be  held twice in Eastern PA in 2014 (Saucon Valley) and Stonewall two years later.

[Mark McKeever]

Congratulations Stonewall!  Another great GAP accomplishment.

Mark

[Tom_Doak]

I'm very happy to hear this for Stonewall.  It has been in the works for some time.  Also heard some interesting rumors yesterday about sites for the new four-ball tournament, but I don't know when they'll be announced.

[Mike_Trenham]

While the North Course does have tougher greens, the old course's greens are subtle have a good bit of tilt and are similar to many classic Philadelphia greens in that they are more difficult to putt than they appear.  I would say the north course is a bit more relaxing off the tee but that just means less shots from the rough there is a right spot to play from on the approaches but it is not manatory.  I like playing the north course better as I post lower scores there.  I think Stonewall old is the toughest course I play regularly right up there with Pine Valley, it just has my number.

I was told the USGA is not getting as many invitations to host events.  Maybe Golf Associaton of Philadelphia clubs are just a bit more traditional.

[Jim Franklin]

I saw the new tee for the 235 yard par 3 17th on the Old Course Friday. Not sure how that green will accept that length shot, but I believe they are making fairway grass all the way to the green to accept a run up shot.

[Tom_Doak]

I saw the new tee for the 235 yard par 3 17th on the Old Course Friday. Not sure how that green will accept that length shot, but I believe they are making fairway grass all the way to the green to accept a run up shot.

Jim:

That's the tee and fairway Gil and I were building in 1992, before the founders cried "Uncle!" and stopped telling us how difficult they wanted the course to be.  We actually had it built, but when they asked us to change it, we made the green a bit smaller and enlarged the front bunker.  It is a bit of a reverse Redan, the play is off the shoulder on the left, not to fly it straight onto the green.

[Mark McKeever]

Tom, is the green going to be expanded or keep the same size?

MM

[Jim Franklin]

I saw the new tee for the 235 yard par 3 17th on the Old Course Friday. Not sure how that green will accept that length shot, but I believe they are making fairway grass all the way to the green to accept a run up shot.

Jim:

That's the tee and fairway Gil and I were building in 1992, before the founders cried "Uncle!" and stopped telling us how difficult they wanted the course to be.  We actually had it built, but when they asked us to change it, we made the green a bit smaller and enlarged the front bunker.  It is a bit of a reverse Redan, the play is off the shoulder on the left, not to fly it straight onto the green.

It looks great and I thought that you could play the run up shot. Will you also enlarge the green though? I can't wait for the tournament. There are some really cool pin placements there. Especially the 4th on the North Course. Could be one of the coolest greens anywhere.

[Mark McKeever]

Jim, playing in the black friday tourney out at Stonewall shows you how relentless those courses could be....simply with the right pin placements.

Mark

[Tim_Weiman]

Tom,

Happy to see Stonewall get this. Still one of my favorite places in golf.

[Michael Blake]

Received below e-mail from GAP today.
I assume non-GAP members can play and thought some here would be interested:


In preparation of hosting the 2016 United States Mid-Amateur Championship, Stonewall would like to invite golfers in the region to experience it’s Tom Doak design, 36 hole facility. Challenge your short game on the North Course (carts available) or test your accuracy on the Old Course (caddies only), join us for lunch and a round of golf on July 28th.
 
Date:Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 11:00 AM – Lunch, 1:00 PM Shotgun Start
Entry:$250 per player, includes lunch, green fee, cart (North only), and 2016 U.S. Mid-Am Championship hat, caddie fee not included on the Old Course. Caddie fee is $50 plus gratuity, cash to the caddie.

Deadline for entries is July 8th and the field will be limited.
 
Apply to Play: Please email ryan@StonewallLinks.com with your name and the names of any players who will be with you and contact information for each participant.
 
Please make checks payable to “Stonewall Links L.P.” and send to:
Stonewall
ATTN: Mid-Amateur Championship Play Day
375 Bulltown Road
Elverson, PA 19520

[Joe Bausch]

Here is a recently reprocessed Stonewall Old photo album based upon visits in 2010 and 2014:


http://xchem.villanova.edu/~bausch/images/albums/StonewallOld/

[Mike_Young]

I played it last Saturday....should be a good test....nice place.

[ward peyronnin]

Mike

Thanks for your cogent review

[MCirba]

Looking forward to getting back on the Old next month.

It was the first course I ever played where I started to recognize the the proper target for approach shots on many holes is not only not directly at the flag but often also not at the green.

The North course is obviously very cool.  The Old Course is less obviously great.

[Mike_Young]

Mike

Thanks for your cogent review

Ward,
Cogent is one of the small BIG words....I was just trying to be GCA cool and tell everyone where I had been playing ...I've played the course probably four times and enjoy it.  A friend is one of the stockholders or owners or whatever they call them and he has had us out a few times when in Philly.  I don't know how to go thru all the little details of "bounce it on here" or "love the line of charm here" stuff but I do enjoy playing the golf course and it is one I could play daily.  There will be some low scores but it is a good fair golf course with a very good finishing hole....Is that a little better...cheers...

[MCirba]

Mike Young,

You forgot to mention strategy, shot values, maintenance meld, fore-shortened bunkers, original design intent and obvious template holes but overall I think you're starting to get this whole course review thing.  Keep at it. 

[Mike_Young]

MC,
Thanks.  I think I'm getting better at it.  Loved the buildings and the locker room where the cows used to get milked...also liked the little snack bar at the porch.  They did a great job on the buildings also.  Enjoyed the first tee surroundings and layout but my biggest complaint is a fat guy has a hard walk to the practice area.  I think once TD gets the new cart paths in the place will be known far and wide.  Hopefully they will go with the new ClubCar.  It has a great music system in it.

[MCirba]

Mike,

Here's a tip...

Try to throw some confusion into the mix as to which architect really deserves credit for the design and you're halfway home. Courses with uncertain lineage get at least a 2 point lift due to the haze surrounding their origins.  In the case of Stonewall, making a case for either Fazio's original routing or Gil's detail work is architectural historian liquid dream time and better yet, will get this thread at least another 5000 hits and 50 pages. 

You didn't inspect the land prior to design, did you?  Submit a rough routing? 

[Mike_Young]

MC,
Where I get confused and often screw up with bring a GCA critic is that I went there to play golf.  I had no white belt, no leather bag and was using 2015 golf balls with 2015 clubs.  I don't think we mentioned architecture once except that Dick showed me some of the new tees.   Be sure and try the peanut M&M's at the snack bar.  they are the best....makes me want to sit on the porch and write architecture poetry for hours...nothing like a great round of golf and then sitting on a great porch with a large bowl of peanut M&M's and a pitcher of Diet Coke...

[Jim Nugent]

Will they make any changes to the course for the tournament?  Adding length, back tees, tighter landing areas, etc? 

[Joe Bausch]

Some length has been added over the last few years.  In particular, the 130 yard 17th hole can now play at 233!  A new back tee on the par 4 13th was added to now play 508 yards.  I believe a couple of other back tees were added elsewhere (which someone here will confirm for me I bet!).