Lake Nona G&CC, site of this year's USGA Senior Amateur Championship.
Did that get your attention?
Sorry, this isn’t about you playing without cost but free admission to see some of the best amateurs in the world at some of the best courses in the country.
Beginning Saturday, September 25, and running through Thursday, September 30th, the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship—for golfers 25 years and older—is being held at Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, N.Y. That’s about a two-hour drive from midtown Manhattan (and as it’s after Labor Day, the traffic to the Hamptons shouldn’t be too bad).
For the first two days, 264 golfers will play 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying at Atlantic and The Bridge Golf Club, also in Bridgehampton, a very private club you probably can’t get into otherwise. The 64 golfers who make it through stroke play then need to survive six rounds of match play at Atlantic to reach the final on the 30th. Entrance is free throughout, no tickets needed.
In fact, of the 13 national championships conducted by the USGA, most of them are admission-free. Only the three Opens (men’s, women’s, senior) and the U.S. Amateur charge an entrance fee.
And there’s still some great free-of-charge golf to be seen this year. The Senior Amateur is at Lake Nona G&CC in Orlando, Florida, October 2-7. The following week, the Senior Women’s Am is at Fiddlesticks CC in Fort Myers, Florida.
To help make your travel plans for next year, here is the USGA’s 2011 schedule. Some of the events are still looking for volunteers, too. For more information, check out the USGA website.
U.S. Open, Congressional CC, Bethesda, Maryland. June 16-19
U.S. Amateur Public Links and Women’s Amateur Public Links, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon. June 27-July 2
U.S. Women’s Open, The Broadmoor (East Course), Colorado Springs, Colorado. July 7-10
U.S. Girls’ Junior, Olympia Fields CC (South Course), Olympia Fields, Illinois. July 18-23
U.S. Junior Amateur, Gold Mountain GC (Olympic Course), Bremerton, Washington. July 18-23
U.S. Senior Open, Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio. July 28-31
U.S. Women’s Amateur, Rhode Island CC, Barrington, Rhode Island. August 8-14
U.S. Amateur, Erin Hills GC, Erin, Wisconsin. August 22-28
USGA Senior Amateur, Kinloch GC, Manakin-Sabot, Virginia. September 10-15
USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tennessee. September 10-15
U.S. Mid-Amateur, Shadow Hawk GC, Richmond, Texas. September 17-22
U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, Bayville GC, Virginia Beach, Virginia. September 17-22
