Tournament Results #PreGreystone
Despite severe weather and difficult conditions, the AJGA Preview at Greystone overcame several challenges and completed a full 36 holes of golf for parents and players to maximize exposure and experience.
“At every tournament we watch the weather to make sure we are prepared for anything that is coming our way,” said AJGA Tournament Director Madeline Bond. “We noticed we might have some issues on Sunday, so we started looking at options to play as much golf as we could.”
The two tournament rounds were scheduled for April 6-7, but with heavy rain forecasted for Sunday, and two of the greens on the golf course under repair, Bond and her team decided to get creative to ensure the participants could play 36 holes.
The first round was played as normal on Saturday morning apart from playing Nos. 1 and 2 twice to make up for the two holes which were unplayable. Participants were able to stay in their original tee times off the first tee. To play as many holes as possible on Saturday, when players came off the golf course after their first round, they were fed lunch and returned to the course to play holes 3 through 11 to get 27 holes by the end of the day on Saturday.
“I think the situation was handled very well,” said AJGA parent Tom Jones. “The weather forecast had it raining on Sunday afternoon and the only way possible for the kids to fit in 36 holes was to play 27 the first day.”
Participants returned on Sunday morning to play Nos. 1 through 9 to reach a complete 36 holes for the tournament. All participants finished before severe weather moved into the area.
“I think the AJGA, like Augusta for the Masters, knew bad weather was coming and took appropriate steps to make sure the event was completed,” said AJGA parent Jason Claycomb. “The time, effort, and expense of families traveling to these events were a priority to the staff and they were able to maximize the players’ time on the golf course.”
The course superintendent at Greystone Golf & Country Club and AJGA staff worked closely to make sure they achieved the best result possible. Without the creativity and cooperation of everyone involved, the tournament would not have been successful.