By Michael Balderston
Anyone who has ever picked up a golf club has dreamed of what it would be like to sink a putt on the 18th green to win a major tournament. This weekend, many Virginia amateurs will get that chance as the Virginia State Golf Association’s 38th annual Mid-Amateur Tournament comes to The Golf Club at Lansdowne this Friday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 14.
The 120-player field for the Mid-Amateur features a wide range of golfers from all over Virginia, the youngest of which is 25 and the oldest is 66. Each golfer was selected for the event based on their personal handicap score. Most of these golfers hold jobs outside of the sport, which is why Assistant Director of Rules and Competition for the VSGA, Josh Coates, calls the Mid-Amateur “the working man’s tournament.”
The first round will be played on the Greg Norman-designed course, a par 72 layout that features beautiful views of the Potomac River and Goose Creek as its backdrop. Saturday’s second round will then shift over to Lansdowne’s second course, the Robert Trent Jones II-designed course, another par 72 featuring woodlands, stone outcroppings and century old rock walls. After the first two rounds the field will be trimmed down to 45 players for the final round back on the Norman course on Sunday.
Spectators are welcome to come walk the course for all three rounds for free. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. from both the front and back nine on both Friday and Saturday. Sunday tee times again start at 7:30 a.m., but all groups will tee off from the front nine. Parking will be limited on Friday at the resort due to another event, but will be back to normal for Saturday and Sunday.
“We are thrilled to be hosting an event of this caliber at The Golf Club at Lansdowne,” said Director of Golf Craig Forgash in a press release. “All of the staff here take a great deal of pride in knowing that we were chosen based on our past performances in tournament action and we strive to improve upon that reputation.”
38th Annual Mid-Amateur Tournament
Sept. 12-14
The Golf Club at Lansdowne
44050 Woodbridge Pkwy, Lansdowne, 20176
703-348-7403; Free
