Augusta Country Club hosts the 103rd Georgia Amateur Golf Championship

The state of Georgia’s top amateur golfers are in town this week to compete in the Georgia Amateur Championship at Augusta Country Club. The Georgia Amateur Championship began in 1916 when Augusta National Golf Club co-founder Bobby Jones won the first title at Capital City Club in Atlanta.

The Augusta Country Club last hosted the tournament in 1991. The club, whose history dates back to 1899 and is the first golf club founded in Augusta, has now been selected by the Georgia State Golf Association to host the event for the seventh time.

“Our members are great, they volunteer and help us with a lot of the things that need to be done behind the scenes,” said Tommy Brannen, Augusta Country Club golf professional. “The GSGA staff are seasoned veterans of their trade and do a fantastic job. Everything from the signage to the course setup is top notch,” Brennan added.

Brennan has been a professional at the club for more than 24 years and says the club’s decision to switch from bentgrass to Bermuda in 2022 was crucial to the club’s ability to host major events throughout the year.

“The last time we hosted it in 1991, we had bent greens that almost died. That kind of kept us from hosting. When we went back to the Bermuda Greens the last couple of years, it was just a great opportunity for us to get back into some kind of rotation and try to host it,” Brennan said.

The 144-player field includes ten area players and several with local ties. Among them are three former Academy of Richmond County golf teammates who will tee off on the course they grew up on. Jay Beach, Harry Jones and Ballou Phillips were all members of the Musketeers golf team in high school. Beach and Jones later became teammates on the Wofford golf team and graduated earlier this summer.

“It’s exciting,” Beach said. “I’m really ready to play. It feels kind of weird because I’ve played it so many times and I’ve never really played a tournament like this before. But I’m excited to be here,” Beach added.

“Yeah, it’s great,” Jones said when asked why the tournament is back at Augusta Country Club. “It’s a great course and it’s gotten even better since the renovation and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s in great shape right now,” Jones added.

Phillips, who attends the University of Georgia and rarely plays competitive golf anymore, is excited to play for a major prize at his home club. “It’s awesome. I mean, I’m excited to play in this event for the first time. I mean, I grew up right down the street from here, so it’s really exciting,” Phillips said.

Brannen thanks Josh Dunaway, superintendent of the Augusta Country Club, and his team for ensuring the course was in perfect condition for the prestigious event. “The conditions of the golf course from tee to green are fantastic, so I don’t think there will be any complaints about the golf course other than that it might be a little too difficult for some and some holes might be a little too long. But Josh and his team did a fantastic job,” Brennan said.

The tournament runs from the opening round on Thursday, July 11th, through the final round on Sunday, July 14th. The field will be reduced to 60 players and the match will be tied after 26 holes. Tee times and results can be found on the GSGA website.