Save the date! June 5, 2025! The Annual Willow Point Invitational takes place the first Thursday in June. This year The LPGA Amateurs Birmingham Chapter had 6 representatives: Angela Nash, Patti Reid, Jane McGriff, Betty Ewen, Regan Currie and Suntaree Wainwright. If you haven’t had a chance to play Willow Point, mark your calendar for next year!
The Birmingham Chapter did well. Jane & Suntaree took 1st and 2nd in Flight 3.
Hope to see you all there next year!
Waking up in the morning on St. Patrick’s Day with a fear of bad weather, I have been checking up on the forecast constantly throughout the week. The weather had been worrying me. But the show must go on, because it would be difficult to move to another day if the golf kickoff event had to be rescheduled. I hope it wouldn’t come to that…!
Fortunately, the weather seemed to be on our side on that morning. The weather forecast showed that rain moved out during the time our kickoff started. I felt relieved! One frustration was down!
Another frustration popped up when I arrived at the golf course. I checked in with the staff at the clubhouse to confirm the course rotation. It turned out the course rotation was changed from Brook/Windmill to Windmill/Graveyard. Well! I needed to let everyone know about the change. Sending an email to the group from the phone was a tad bit challenging. It was a different platform compared to the computer. It would take me a while to get that done before everybody arrived…!
Additionally, the course condition was so wet and muddy since it rained during the week. The golf cart rule was cart path only. It was a challenge for some since the fairway was so soggy and hitting in mud was no fun!! But everyone seemed to enjoy the event even though the conditions were not great!
I was so worried that someone might drop out due to the weather. But everyone committed to this event. Initially, there were 28 ladies signing up but 2 dropped out due to sickness. Finally, we ended up with 26 participants with two teams of threesomes and five teams of foursomes.
Team 1
Regan Currie
Suntaree Wainwright
Patti Williams
Team 2
Tammy Dunn
Karen Larsen
Karla Young
Team 3
Nancy Blackledge
Gail Morgan
Anne Rankin
Team 4
Kelsi Ertman
Jennifer Gowers
Abby Salem
Courtney Williams
Team 5
Lisa Crean
Kim Jones
Eleanor Strickland
Linda Stockton
Team 6
Beth Curry
Laura Johnson
Linda Malone
Carol Spain
Team 7
Madge Gregg
Jane McGriff
Sylvia Sumners
Jennifer Whitaker
Scramble Team Winners
First place: Team 2-Tammy Dunn, Karen Larsen, and Karla Young
Second place: Team 7-Madge Gregg, Jane McGriff, Sylvia Sumners, and Jennifer Whitaker
Closest to the Pin:
Windmill - Hole #5- Sylvia Sumners
Windmill - Hole #7- Tammy Dunn
Graveyard - Hole # 3-Madge Gregg
Graveyard - Hole # NO ONE AKA the “Bless our Hearts”
Best St. Patrick’s Costume Contest
Participants-Beth Curry, Madge Gregg, Anne Rankin, and Eleanor Strickland
Winner: Eleanor Strickland
Congratulations to all winners!! Thank you to all who participated in this event! All of you are awesome!
Special thanks to Karen Larsen! She donated her cash prize to Girls Golf!!
I hope everyone had a great time…!! See you next year!
Suntaree Wainwright
Director of Golf Events
For many, many years our chapter has marshaled a hole at the Regions Tournament. We currently marshal hole number one which is a great place to work because you see the players announced and tee off. So what does a marshal do?
What do Marshals do?
Marshals: Provide gallery control, assist in player movement, help locate errant golf shots, and provide spectators with general information as needed. This committee requires standing for extended periods Shift start time is when you should be at your hole, and is approximately 30 minutes prior to play beginning on your hole. Your hole is easy walking distance (approx 1 minute) from Volunteer HQ (VHQ).
We cover a double shift on Wednesday and a single shift Thursday through Sunday and we need a minimum of 4 volunteers per shift. Volunteers who work a minimum of three shifts receive a free round of golf at Greystone, times and dates are provided after the tournament.
You do need to register as a volunteer and purchase the uniform. When you register you will select the shifts you want to work, a certain number of volunteers is needed for each shift. After this number is met registration for that shift will be ended. However, we can work around this and usually work out shifts for everyone.
Sylvia Sumners is the hole captain and will be your contact person for all questions:
205-482-5680 (text or call) ssumners@bellsouth.net
To register for the Regions Tradition:
www.regionstradition.com then click on volunteer and follow instructions. You will sign up for the Marshal Committee, for Hole 1, LPGA Amateurs. Security code is “hole1”. Then select your shifts.
2024 Kickoff
Tuesday, April 9 , 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Highland Park Golf Course
3300 Highland Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
Paul Killgallon, PGA Teaching Professional
Here’s how to get started: Contact Site Director, Debbie Wiechman, to learn more about the program, schedule and fees.
Girls Golf of Birmingham, Alabama
Site Director: Debbie Wiechman
205-253-8940 trisc2002@live.com
Enroll to become a LPGA/USGA Girls Golf Member at girlsgolf.org and pay the registration fee of $85.00 at the kickoff on April 9. Or register on site – checks or cash only
Meet our PGA Teaching Professional Paul Kilgallon who was recently selected as a Top 50 Kids Coach.
Let The Games Begin! |
– Jane McGriff, Competitive Golf Chair
It’s time to sign-up for both Match Play Madness and the Birmingham-Atlanta Challenge.
How to Sign-up • Match Play Madness: Click HERE • Birmingham-Atlanta Challenge: Click HERE ------------------------------------------------------- For our newer members – here is a brief description of these events. These tournaments are unique to our Chapter. Please see the information below, including the requirements for participation.
• Match Play Madness This will be the 12th year of our Chapter’s “Match Play Madness” tournament! Open to all skill levels -- Match Play Madness is a great way to meet and play with other members and get a taste of competitive golf in a fun, low-key format.
The tournament runs from late March – October. There are 3 Flights based on handicap. Typically you will play one match every 4 weeks - at a course of your choice. It is “double elimination” which means you are not “out” until you have lost twice.
Requirements: must have 1) a GHIN handicap* (40.0 or below) and 2) have posted a minimum of two scores since Sept 2023.
Deadline to sign-up: March 17, 2024.
For additional information contact: Suntaree Wainwright - sunwainwright@gmail.com.
• Birmingham-Atlanta Challenge The Birmingham-Atlanta Challenge is an annual 2-day tournament between the Birmingham & Atlanta Chapters (since 2002). The format is match play - modelled after the LPGA Solheim Cup. Each team has 12 players. Players are selected based on the results of a Qualifier round played in the summer. All handicap levels welcome.
Atlanta will host this year. We do not know the dates yet, but typically it is held in Sept or Oct. This is a very fun team event – within driving distance. Approx cost: $500/per person (golf & lodging.)
Requirements: must have 1) a GHIN handicap* (40.0 or below) and 2) have posted a minimum of two scores since Sept 2023.
Deadline to sign-up: April 30, 2024.
For additional information contact: Jane McGriff: janedmcg@gmail.com |
The Regions Tradition will be May 8-14, 2023, at Greystone's Founders Course.
Our LPGA Birmingham Chapter (EWGA Chapter) has marshalled Hole 1 for many years and this is quite a privilege for us. At this time we need more volunteers and I am asking you to please volunteer.
When you register, register for Hole 1, LPGA Amateurs. The password is hole1. Your hole captain is Sylvia Sumners, ssumners@bellsouth.net, 205-482-5680 for questions. You cannot use your login from 2022, you must re-register.
All volunteers are required to work a minimum of 3 shifts over the course of the week/weekend if you want the free round of golf at Greystone. Shifts are approximately 4-6 hours long, but can vary depending on the committee. Volunteers are welcome to work more than 3 shifts or less than 3 shifts if they would like.
Volunteer perks package:
One Foot Joy volunteer polo
Ball cap or visor
Volunteer commemorative pin
Volunteer credential (valid for event entry entire week)
5 Good-Any-One-Day grounds tickets to give to guests
Parking pass
One-time use of 20% off at the tournament merchandise tent
Meals provided while on shift
Transferable round of golf on the Legacy or Founders Course during a volunteer play day to be held post tournament
Volunteers so far:
Norma Dodd
Judy McChester-Nedd
Jane McGriff
Gail Morgan S
Sylvia Sumners
Jay Thompson
If you have signed up and I do not have you listed please let me know
Sylvia – ssumners@bellsouth.net, 205-482-5680
We are excited that there is an upcoming Epson Tour event coming to our area and your LPGA Amateurs ID will grant you complimentary access for you and a guest! If your schedule allows, please plan to come support the best women golfers in the world!
Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic, Tuscaloosa AL
Sept 29 – Oct 1
Check out the details on the Tournament Website
Click here for the complete LPGA Tour schedule. Click here for the complete Epson Tour schedule.
Thank you to everyone who came out to TopGolf and joined us for our Annual Kick Off Social ~ “Swing Into Spring.” It was a great day filled with good friends, information, laughter, food, games, and prizes! I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to so many who helped make this event successful:
Lastly, but certainly not least, a HUGE thank you to our donors who so graciously and generously donated items for our door prizes. We received donations all the way from California, via Liz Friedrich! Please thank them for their generosity and supporting our chapter when you see them. PGA Superstore Bent Brook Golf Thanks again everyone! See you on the course soon! Lisa
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LPGA Amateurs member, Bernadette Beavers-Forrest, is now on the board of the Alabama Golf Association! |
Let's get this party started!
When: Sunday April 2nd, 2023
Tee times starting at 1:30 pm
Where: Woodward Golf and Country Club
Entry fee: $50 per player and includes the golf round and meal
Format: Team of foursomes with 3-3-3: Scramble, Alternate, and Shamble
Field size: Maximum of 36 players
Prizes: Winning places based on the filed size and closest to the pins for 2 holes of par 3
Deadline to sign up: Saturday March 25th, 2023
Questions? Contact Suntaree Wainwright, text 205.842.8600 or email: sunwainwright@gmail.com
Sign Up through the website, or below for this is a member's only event!
**When signing up, go to the “Register Now for 2023…” Button at the top left of the page. Ignore the dropdown menu of names. Thanks!
And if you were the lucky flight winner you could go to the sectional event and if you won your flight at the sectional you could go to the National Championship. It was always great fun. However after the 2019 year the LPGA decided not to sponsor the Chapter Championship and Chapters were left to do what they wanted to. The LPGA opened up the sectionals (regionals) to anyone that wanted to register and play, this would give everyone the opportunity to play and advance. But this year our Board decided to host another Chapter Championship and a lot of us were happy to see it return. On a hot July 16th, 36 members of our chapter competed on the Bent Brook course to try and claim a victory in their flight. Individual Winners First Flight Low Gross and Club Champion – Melanie Smith (76) First Flight Low Net – Jane McGriff (65) Second Flight Low Gross – Anne Rankin (92) Second Flight Low Net – Sylvia Sumners (76) Third Flight Low Gross – Tammy Dunn (97) Third Flight Low Net – Wanda Venhuizen (78) First Place Scramble Team Second Place Scramble Team The day ended with a great hot dog and hamburger bar with fabulous banana pudding. Tammy donated Urban Pops for everyone. A big thanks to Bent Brook for allowing us to have a weekend event. Let’s do it again next year! |
One and Done! |
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Pia Todora made a hole-in-one while competing in Round 2 of this year’s “Match Play Madness.” The site of the ACE was #17 at Ballantrae. Witnesses included: Barbara Brown, Dina Murray and Suntaree Wainwright. |
During our Golf Kickoff at Highlands (March 27) - Earlie Simmons sunk a long putt on Hole #2 for an eagle!
On April 2, during our weekend league on the RTJ Valley course – Regan Currie sank her approach shot on Hole #17 from over 70 yards away for an eagle. #17 is an elevated green so that none of us saw it go in the hole. When we got up to the green and started looking for her neon red ball….we finally decided to look in the hole…and there it was!
Congratulations to Earlie and Regan!!
Over the weekend of September 18 & 19 the long-anticipated Atlanta/Birmingham Challenge was played on the RTJ Grand National, Lake Course, in Opelika. A fun rivalry for over twenty years, the Challenge is a 2-day match play tournament involving four golf formats: scramble, alternate shot, best ball and singles. Just as in the Solheim and Ryder Cups – each team consists of 12 players.
The team hosting the event alternates each year and this year was Birmingham’s turn. Following our practice rounds on Friday, we had our usual meet & greet with the Atlanta team. As always, it was great to see our old friends and meet the “rookies.” Rules were discussed and a bit of good-natured trash talk could be overheard!
Even more than tournament jitters, everyone’s main concern was the weather. The forecast was for rain, rain, and more rain… and rain it did – but mainly at night and in the early mornings. The good news was that we were able to play each day -- the bad news was that it was Cart Path Only and very muddy and wet. Moving your ball out of “standing water” was a constant activity!
For the most part, this year, the Birmingham team had lower handicaps than the Atlanta team - which meant that we had the pleasure of giving them LOTS of strokes. After Saturday’s round, Atlanta led by one point. However, on Sunday, Birmingham was able to turn the tables and won this year’s Challenge 16 to 14 – holding onto the trophy for another year!
Despite the sloshy weather, it was a great tournament and a good time was had by all!
Postscript: If you are interested in playing in this event – Qualifier rounds will be held in late Spring or early Summer 2022.
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