Seminole GC to Host 2021 Walker Cup

[JESII]

While Seminole is a cool choice, moving the Walker Cup to the spring would be a shame.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Now all those supers and green committee chairs can finally see what Mucci was talking about!

Jim,

While that's true, let's not forget that they changed the time of year that it will be held.

And, as always, Mother Nature will play a significant role in conditions.

[Patrick_Mucci]

While Seminole is a cool choice, moving the Walker Cup to the spring would be a shame.

WHY

The Walker Cup will replace the Coleman that year.

The course is usually in great shape in May when the Coleman is held.

Just think, the Masters, followed by the Walker Cup from Seminole.

Sounds like a great Spring to me.

[JESII]

I think it will destroy the selection process.

Is it a fact that it'll be held the last weekend of April?

[Ronald Montesano]

Oh, these insiders like Mucci and Sebonac...privy to information that isn't even in the Golf Digest piece. The USGA should release something this week, if I'm not mistaken.

[Mark Bourgeois]

It will be cool to see the course dressed up in Tom Paul's "light green sheen." Even if in 2021 we're playing on FieldTurf or polyalloy grass hybrids.

[Steve Scott]

I don't think hosting the Walker Cup in the Spring would be a shame or ruin the selection process as Jim has noted.  If anything it will strengthen the team because those thinking of turning pro can do so right after the matches and have the whole summer ahead of them to play for pay.  All the college guys will have just finished their school year and a spring of playing competitively anyway and will be sharp.  At the end of the day the best players usually get picked for the team anyway so there is not much chance of the selection process being ruined in any way.

[John McCarthy]

Steve:  

How does the spring date effect the GBI squad?  This year Fitzpatrick would be in high school.  Or whatever they call it there.  But it is my impression that most top players go to US for university.

[Ronald Montesano]

Spring doesn't affect the brits. Good golf is good golf. Charley Hull played Curtis Cup while in secondary school and I believe that Rory McIlroy did as well for Walker Cup.

It affects the summer amateur tournaments like Sunnehanna, Northeastern, Porter Cup, in that they count on every other year being a heightened year for participation, especially from those in consideration for the team. It affects a guy like Jordan Niebrugge, who went on a tear in the summer to make the team, but would not have made it based on collegiate play.

If someone supposes that the previous summer's amateur tour will amount to a hill of beans, they're mostly wrong. Any form found in the summer of 2020 will probably not have been preserved by the time Spring in Juno Beach rolls around. I support a PGA Championship in the winter months but don't anticipate a positive selection process for the USA side for 2021.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Excellent news


Once again the R&A have me scratching my head.  For years it was TOC, RSG and Muirfield, then giving it to Hoylake helped bring that course back to our attention.  How great to see it played at Sunningdale, Portmarnock, Porthcawl, Nairn, Ganton , RCD and Aberdeen.

But the next two are are at Hoylake and Lytham less than five years after each has hosted an Open. Also  they are geographically quite close and this is missing a chance to grow the event for spectators. Strange.

[JESII]

Steve,

If the dates really are late April, as Pat has suggested but not confirmed, the selection committee will have to rely heavily on the prior year's results. This falls before NCAA's or even Regionals in 2021. Basically zero chance of a mid-am or Northern College player playing their way on to the team with a great performance over the final month or so of selection.

Sure, the top 20 or so players will be known and pretty much the same, but picking the ones most likely on form will be near impossible.

Why would the Spring be better than the late fall?

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,57143.0.html

[Patrick_Mucci]

Jim,

Perhaps because Seminole isn't open until into the fall

[JESII]

Pat,

Does it open November 1? Or is it earlier?

Is it definite that the event will be the last weekend in April?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pat,

Does it open November 1? Or is it earlier?

Usually, a little earlier, but, I don't keep their calendar so I wouldn't know their intent in 2021.
My primary concern is making it to 2021 and my secondary concern is being able to play golf at a decent level in 2021

Is it definite that the event will be the last weekend in April?

Not to my knowledge.

If it's going to replace the Coleman on the calendar, I would think that Mid-May would be more apt.

[JESII]

The truth is, the spring is a much better time for the course and the weather so the event itself will be great.

My concern is really with the selection process and the likelihood of both teams being on form. Playing in the spring will be a challenge but Seminole in the spring can make the most on form players look foolish.

[Patrick_Mucci]

The truth is, the spring is a much better time for the course and the weather so the event itself will be great.

My concern is really with the selection process and the likelihood of both teams being on form.
Playing in the spring will be a challenge but Seminole in the spring can make the most on form players look foolish.

Jim,

In 2023 and beyond, no one will remember the selection process or who the competitors were

Both teams and all competitors have the date on their calendars, hence they'll have ample time to fine tune their games in preparation for the event.

I thought this year's UK team didn't spend enough time familiarizing themselves with NGLA.
It'll be interesting to see what happens at LACC and Seminole.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Quite a of run of US clubs hosting.

Maybe Pine Valley or CPC next?

Would love to see Prairie Dunes get a chance as well.

Pine Valley (1985) and CPC (1981) have already hosted the Walker Cup, thus I don't see a return to either site.

Prairie Dunes would be an interesting venue.

A little remote, but interesting.

[Patrick_Mucci]

This is exciting news as it will be the first chance for many (myself included) to see Seminole. But, I'm disappointed because it would be nice if the USGA were to decide to bring the Walker Cup out to the MidWest.

Brian,

The Walker Cup has been to Chicago and Milwaukee and twice to Minnesota.

Where did you have in mind ?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Now all those supers and green committee chairs can finally see what Mucci was talking about!

Except that, as we learned after this year's Walker Cup, seeing a course on TV doesn't qualify one to learn anything from it.

I think, even you, would be able to discern the color of the grass, but as to how it plays, not by watching TV.

[Anthony_Nysse]

The truth is, the spring is a much better time for the course and the weather so the event itself will be great.

Im not so sure that I agree with this. The spring time is when our winter courses show the most wear and tear from months of play with little turf recovery. If we were to have a cool, wet winter, everyone struggles. We could also have a hurricane in September.

[BHoover]

This is exciting news as it will be the first chance for many (myself included) to see Seminole. But, I'm disappointed because it would be nice if the USGA were to decide to bring the Walker Cup out to the MidWest.

Brian,

The Walker Cup has been to Chicago and Milwaukee and twice to Minnesota.

Where did you have in mind ?

I was hoping that the USGA might throw those of us in Ohio a bone. Yes, it's a long shot, but what the hell, we can always hope.

[Ronald Montesano]

Brian, there's no bone-throwing involved. If the proper people at the proper club have lobbied/convinced the proper people at the USGA, the proper course is selected. To have the opportunity to play at the event at Seminole cannot be passed up, just as Cypress, Pine Valley and NGLA could not be passed up.

*untested/unknown courses, to the degree that no televised events of renown had been played there (Cypress being the exception);
*elite courses with golden-age roots;
*extremely private memberships;

Still no official release from the USGA.

I'm going to start a thread now.

[Patrick_Mucci]

This is exciting news as it will be the first chance for many (myself included) to see Seminole. But, I'm disappointed because it would be nice if the USGA were to decide to bring the Walker Cup out to the MidWest.

Brian,

The Walker Cup has been to Chicago and Milwaukee and twice to Minnesota.

Where did you have in mind ?

I was hoping that the USGA might throw those of us in Ohio a bone. Yes, it's a long shot, but what the hell, we can always hope.

What course/s ?

[BHoover]

This is exciting news as it will be the first chance for many (myself included) to see Seminole. But, I'm disappointed because it would be nice if the USGA were to decide to bring the Walker Cup out to the MidWest.

Brian,

The Walker Cup has been to Chicago and Milwaukee and twice to Minnesota.

Where did you have in mind ?

I was hoping that the USGA might throw those of us in Ohio a bone. Yes, it's a long shot, but what the hell, we can always hope.

What course/s ?

Canterbury

[C. Squier]

Quite a of run of US clubs hosting.

Maybe Pine Valley or CPC next?

Would love to see Prairie Dunes get a chance as well.

Pine Valley (1985) and CPC (1981) have already hosted the Walker Cup, thus I don't see a return to either site.

Prairie Dunes would be an interesting venue.

A little remote, but interesting.

It's 45 mins away from a commercial airport smack dab in the middle of the country. 10 mins away from a municipal airport you can fly your G5 into as well

Now, Kansas might not be where you want to spend a ton of time, but logistically it's not bad at all.