NJSGA Unveils Revamped Championship Schedule For 2018
The New Jersey State Golf Association has revamped its championship schedule for 2018 including later dates for both the State Amateur and State Open, among other changes.
“We are very excited about the changes we made. It took a long time and included a lot of thought and study. The new schedule is something that will better serve the NJSGA members who play in our championships,” said NJSGA vice president and Tournament Committee Chairman Eric Houseknecht of Hamilton Farm.
“Our objective in revamping the schedule was to specifically increase the participation of our younger players in our Amateur championship. By moving the championship from early June to mid-July, we are able to move the qualifiers from late May to mid-June, thereby making them available to college and high school players who previously had conflicts with their school schedules,” Houseknecht said.
The State Amateur in 2018 takes place on July 10-12 at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield. The 2017 State Amateur Championship was conducted June 6-8 at Tavistock C.C. in Haddonfield.
The State Open is two weeks later than in 2017, and is scheduled for July 24-26 at Montclair Golf Club. The 2017 State Open was played July 11-13 at Metedeconk National in Jackson.
“Reconfiguring the championship schedule was a very thoughtful and thorough process. We were very considerate of the schedules of other local, regional and national organizations. It was a very transparent process going back a couple of years. The other associations were very cooperative in sharing their upcoming schedules,” said Mike McAneny, NJSGA Director of Tournaments and Media Relations.
Oher significant changes to the NJSGA Championship schedule for 2018 were made. They included moving the Men’s Four-Ball Championship from the second week in August to the second week of May (May 8-10 at Rumson); the Junior and Boys Championship two weeks later to August 6-8 at Raritan Valley in Bridgewater, and the Men’s Pre-Senior from the first week in October to the third week in August (Aug. 21-22 at Roxiticus in Mendham).
“By moving the State Open two weeks later, we do not anticipate much of an impact on participation in the event,” Houseknecht stated. “While the schedule, in general, benefits the NJSGA as an organization, it will certainly benefit our younger players the most since they represent the future of golf in our state.”
