Michigan Golf Journal February 2019

with Chi Chi Rodrig uez, ĂŶĚ ǁŚĞƌĞ ϯϬ LJĞĂƌ Ɛ ĞĂƌůŝĞƌ ŚĞ ĮŶŝƐŚĞĚ fourth in the 1961 U.S. Open as a 21-year-old amateur. “Jack Nicklaus is the ŐƌĞĂƚĞƐƚ ŐŽůĨĞƌ ŽĨ ĂůůͲƟŵĞ and it will be great to have him back at Oakland Hills,” said David Graham, who will ƌĞƟƌĞ ŝŶ :ƵŶĞ ĂƐ ƚŚĞ ůŽŶŐĞƐƚ ƚĞŶƵƌĞĚ ĞdžĞĐƵƟǀĞ ĚŝƌĞĐƚŽƌ of the GAM with 18 years of service. “He has three great golf courses he designed in Michigan—TPC of Michigan, Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor and The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort—and he has epitomized a level of excellence for me and many of Michigan’s golfers over the years.” June 17 also serves as the ĮŶĂů ƉƌĂĐƟĐĞ ĚĂLJ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ top amateurs playing in the 108th Michigan Amateur Championship, which will be contested that week, Tuesday through Saturday, on the North Course at Oakland Hills. hƉ ĮƌƐƚ ŝŶ Ɖƌŝů͕ ƚŚĞ Detroit Golf Club — one of the GAM’s original 14-m ember clubs an d the site of the PGA Tour’s return to Michigan for the 2019 R ocket Mortgage Clas sic — will host ƚŚĞ ' D ŶŶƵĂů DĞĞƟŶŐ on Monday, April 22. Both Donald Ross classic courses ǁŝůů ďĞ ĂǀĂŝůĂďůĞ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ' D ϭϬϬ ĞůĞďƌĂƟŽŶ͕ ĂŶĚ there will be special pricing to encourage broad golfer ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶ͘ dŚĞ ŶŶƵĂů DĞĞƟŶŐ ǁŝůů ĨĞĂƚƵƌĞ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ annual awards, including ƚŚĞ ŝƐƟŶŐƵŝƐŚĞĚ ^ĞƌǀŝĐĞ Award and Player of the Year honors, a special guest speaker, a series of ŵĞĞƟŶŐƐ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬƐŚŽƉƐ for delegates and golf. /ŶǀŝƚĂƟŽŶƐ ǁŝůů ŐŽ ŽƵƚ ƐŽŽŶ͘ /Ŷ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ϭϬϬ LJĞĂƌƐ͕ ƚŚĞ GAM has evolved from a ŵĞŶ͛Ɛ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ to a state-wide, all-inclusive ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ĨŽƌ ƉƵďůŝĐ ĂŶĚ private clubs and golfers. Today it serves 60,000 golf members and 470 clubs and courses. Last year the GAM ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞĚ ϯϱ ĐŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ for golfers age seven to 70- plus, and also administered ϰϬ ƋƵĂůŝĮĞƌƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŵĂũŽƌ GAM championships and 18 for the USGA and their schedule of ŶĂƟŽŶĂů ĐŚĂŵƉŝŽŶƐŚŝƉƐ͘ ^ŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚůLJ͕ ƚŚĞ ' D ĂůƐŽ ĐŽŶƟŶƵĞƐ ƚŽ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚĞƌ the GAM/USGA Handicap System and measures and rates almost 70 courses a year. “It’s going to be a great year for the GAM, one that celebrates our past as well as our future,” Graham said. 11 February 2019 ǁǁǁ͘ŵŝĐŚŝŐĂŶŐŽůłŽƵƌŶĂů͘ĐŽŵ