Author: N
Utah experienced the flash of the US golf media spotlight in early July. Utah hosted its first ever USGA Championship event, the 2012 US Pub-Links Championship. If that was not exciting enough the Web.com Tour (formerly the Nationwide Tour) Event, the Utah Championship was scheduled in the same week. The Utah Section PGA and its members took primary roles in supporting both events.
The Utah Section PGA has worked in concert with the Amateur Pub-Links Committee for over two years to assure that the 2012 US Pub-Links Championship was a success during its first play in Utah. Soldier Hollow Head PGA Golf Professional Chris Newson worked tirelessly as Host Professional. His Soldier Hollow Golf Club is the epitome of a championship public golf facility. It was developed as part of the legacy of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Soldier Hollow the Utah State Parks operated facility was the longest venue for a USGA Championship. Nestled at high elevation in the beautiful Wasatch Mountain range the Soldier Hollow Gold Course played at almost 7,800 yards.
Along with Newson’s efforts many other Utah Section members served the event in volunteer capacities. Perhaps the greatest support came through the sponsor money that the Utah Section raised and donated in support of the event.
When it was announced by the PGA Tour that the Web.com Utah Classic dates had been moved to the same week as the USGA Pub-Links Championship many thought that Utah’s relatively small golf population may have trouble supporting both events. Utah re-earned its reputation as the number one state for volunteerism in the country. Utah volunteers fill the ranks for both events and both events ended as great successes.
The attention that Utah received on the Golf Channel and the other media outlets made all of that support well worthwhile. Yet there was no real rest-break for Utah’s Allied golf organizations and volunteers. Immediately following “Championship Week” came the Utah Golf Association’s Utah Amateur Championship which is the oldest consecutively held golf championship in the world. Not far behind is the Utah Section PGA operated Utah Senior Open and the Utah Open. The state of Utah is so pleased to be talking about great golf instead of the weather this year.