Radnor Valley Country Club in Villanova, PA was the tournament venue for the GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour (Philly Metro) Championship Tournament on Saturday August 13th, 2011. This
was a ‘double-points’ Tour Major event. We had twenty-eight tour members and several guests compete on a day that started out sunny and ended up with passing thunderstorms. This fabulous private golf course was originally designed by Dick Wilson, and opened in 1953. In the mid-90's, Ault Clark & Associates were brought in to further update the course to create one of the finest and most enjoyable golf experiences in the Philadelphia area. The course features mature trees, beautiful landscaping, and fast multi-tiered greens to challenge golfers of all levels. Water comes into play for most of the back nine. We proudly welcomed Metro NY GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour members Jim McLea and David Long to the tournament.
In the Championship Flight, Greg Heisen continued his winning ways against a field of seven ‘CHAMPS’ with a 1-stroke victory over Mike Mann. Greg’s round of six-over par 76 included 3 birdies, including a "holed" bunker shot on the uphill Par 3 11th hole. Mann’s round of 77 included 2 birdies, on the tough Par 4 14th and 18th holes. Both players had the same number of bogeys (5) and double-bogies (2), which made the difference-maker Heisen’s hole-out from the green-side bunker! New member Ian Kessler was another 5 strokes back at 82. Greg is in fine form and continues to be the player to beat amongst our CHAMP Flight golfers.
The A Flight victory went to Radnor Valley Country Club member Andrew Winn, with a fine round of 82. Guest play is allowed on the GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour a one-time basis with a verified GHIN handicap index. Fred Banta had the best member round with an 86, including a birdie on the difficult dogleg-left 17th hole. Three other players were another 5 strokes back at 91.
In the B Flight, Tim Turner claimed another title with a well-played round of 87, which included a birdie on the short yet treacherous 13th hole. He was 3 strokes better than Jon DeMinico, Jeff Buckwalter, Jim McLea, and Steve Neder, who all carded a 90. Jon DeMinico took 2nd on a match of cards with a fine back-nine 40, including a great birdie on the uphill dogleg-left 14th hole. Jeff Buckwalter came in 3rd place.
The C Flight champion was Kyle Mazza, who claimed his second title of the season. After a front-nine score of 50, Mazza seemingly found another level, and played the more difficult back-nine in 4-over 39! His back-nine included 5 pars and a birdie on the uphill Par 3 11th hole. A brief weather-delay late in the afternoon forced a 20 minute suspension of play for these final groups. Dan Carter was four strokes back at 93, and Doug Johnson another stroke back with a 94.
The event raised $ 75.00 for the GOLFWEEK Amateur Tour’s charity partner, Stand Up 2 Cancer. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to play golf on such a pristine and challenging private golf course on PGA Championship Saturday. Special mention goes to the Head Golf Professional at Radnor Valley, George Forster, and his staff, who provided our group with exemplary service and made the entire experience a most enjoyable one.
Our next event is at one of the Top 50 courses in the United States. Galloway National Golf Club in Galloway Twp., NJ is nationally ranked by both GOLFWEEK and Golf Digest magazines. This Tom Fazio design features beautifully sculpted forested holes and views of the barrier marshes around Atlantic City. Sloped undulating greens and ocean breezes add to the challenges that await our members. The tournament is scheduled for Saturday August 20th, with a scheduled 1:00 PM 1st tee start. The tournament entry fee is $225.00 and scheduled practice rounds are available.