By Alex Smolinski
The Palm Springs Amateur will take place January 12-15, 2012, at three separate Coachella Valley courses, and will be open to men, women and seniors. The entry fee for the 54-hole net, stroke-play championship is $625 ($675 after December 1), and includes three rounds of golf, including cart and range balls, a $100 Roger Dunn Golf Shops gift card, an event hat and shirt, an open bar during the welcome party, admission to the awards dinner, and of course, entry in to all contests and events.
The three host courses taking part in this year’s Am are PGA West, Desert Willow and La Quinta Resort and Club. All participants are guaranteed three rounds of golf, one per course, over the span of three days. A fourth (Championship) round will be available to the top two finishers in each of the five designated flights. Flights include Open (Men 18-49), Sr Men’s (50+) Regular Tee Division, Sr Men’s (50+) Senior Tee Division, Women’s Division A (all ages) and Women’s Division B (all ages).
New to the Amateur this year are the Second Chance Tournament and the Fun Division. The Second Chance Tournament will be played on Sunday at Desert Willow’s Firecliff Course and will be available for an additional $100 to all golfers not participating in the Championship. All players will be placed in one division with one winner announced at the end of the event receiving a prize yet to be determined. The Fun Division is open to golfers who wish to treat the the event as a golf vacation. Golfers in the fun division will still be eligible for daily prizes such as KP and Long Drive, but cannot compete for championship prizes.
While most prizes for the event are still being determined, John Tipping of Golf Shows & Events West noted that the real prize is winning your flight and getting to compete in a fourth round on one of the top courses in the country. Registration will take place on-site at Roger Dunn, one of the top sponsors of the tournament, and will feature a long drive contest with prizes as well as snacks and drinks open to all those attending. Registration ends December 11, but may be extended based on availability.
For more information or to register for the tournament, visit www.palmspringsam.com.
Palm Springs Amateur Championship
