McCullough’s Emerald Links was the venue for the GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour (Philly Metro) tournament on Saturday July 16th, 2011. Twenty-four tour members in four flights competed on a sparkling , sunny and breezy afternoon on the links-style course. McCullough’s Emerald Links was designed by Stephen Kay as a tribute to links golf, incorporating replica designs from courses in Ireland, Scotland, and England. The club was built on scrubby sandy pine land in Egg Harbor Twp., New Jersey. It features unusual elevation changes for the area, walls of sand and scrub fescue, and several very exciting risk-reward holes. The 5 Par 3 holes are all different and extremely challenging, with several playing over water. We proudly welcomed 5 New York GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour members to the tournament.
In the Championship Flight, Greg Heisen once again bested a field of five ‘CHAMPS’ with a 2-stroke victory over Mike Mann and new member Justin Stricker. Greg’s round of 80 included 3 birdies, with an incredible shot on the downhill Par 3 13th from 180 yards to 3 feet to set up his final birdie of the day. Greg is in fine form and will continue to be the player to beat amongst our CHAMP Flight golfers.
The A Flight victory went to Fred Banta, who broke through for his first victory on the GOLFWEEK AGT. Tied with past champion Joe Foley at 4-over 39 after the front nine, Fred pulled away on the back to card a fine round of 79. He was 4 strokes better than new member Kevin Casey, who shot 83. Jim Boyd, another past champion in the field from the New York AGT, had 2 birdies in his round and tied Foley for third at 85. Way to go, Fred!
In the B Flight, Kevin Cockerham claimed his first GOLFWEEK AGT title with a 4 stroke victory over a steady Jim Boyce. Kevin’s fine round of 80 included 3 birdies, with a 2-over par back nine score of 38. Congratulations on your fine play, Kevin!
The C Flight champion was Dan Carter, with a four stroke victory over Doug Johnson and David Neder. Dan’s round of 83 included a birdie on the Par 5 14th hole. Recently promoted from D Flight, Dan showed that he will be a player to be reckoned with for the remainder of the season.
The event raised $100.00 for the GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour’s charity partner, Stand Up 2 Cancer. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to play ‘links style’ golf on British Open Saturday.
Our next event is at Cavaliers Country Club, a private course in Newark, DE. Four ponds and a lake are the most prominent hazards. The layout is not heavily bunkered, but boundaries are a factor. It's important to make your score on the front nine, because the back side contains 3 of the finest and most rigorous holes on the course. Scheduled tee times from 12:00 PM; $100 event fee.