Spectacular sites shape 2015 schedule

  Golfers crave warm temperatures, even more so thanks to yet another long winter in the Delaware Valley. The Golf Association of Philadelphia’s 2015 tournament schedule — the 119th in the organization’s history — can quell that appetite.

  Slightly at least.

  It includes more than 70 events for players of all age groups (Junior, Amateur and Senior) and ability levels (Championship and Handicap). The tournament season officially begins in April with a Middle-Amateur Championship Qualifier at Five Ponds Golf Club and concludes in October with the Player's Dinner.

BMW GAP Team Matches (April 19, 26, May 3)
Playoff & Challenges (May 9)

The oldest interclub competition in the nation welcomes BMW of North America and the Delaware Valley BMW Centers as a presenting partner in 2015. A total of 332 teams from 138 Member Clubs will participate. Overbrook Golf Club won its first BMW GAP Team Matches title since 1988 to acquire defending champion status.

Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Callaway Golf
(May 20-21; St. Davids Golf Club)

Golfers 25 years of age and older can compete in the first Major on the GAP calendar. St. Davids, an elegant Donald Ross design located in Wayne, Pa., will serve as host for the first time. Qualifying events will take place April 18 at Five Ponds Golf Club, April 30 at Galloway National Golf Club and May 4 at Meadowlands Country Club.

BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship
(June 16-18 & 20; Llanerch Country Club)

The 115th running of the Association’s most prestigious championship heads to a Havertown, Pa. gem. The event is open to all amateurs with a 7.0 handicap index or less. Qualifying venues include Kennett Square Golf & Country Club (May 12), Mercer Oaks Golf Course (May 16) and Plymouth Country Club (May 18).

Open Championship (July 22; Philadelphia Cricket Club)

Philadelphia Cricket’s recently restored and reinvigorated Wissahickon welcomes the third Major of the tournament season. This one day, 36-hole test is open to amateurs and professionals seeking Philadelphia supremacy. Qualifying events will take place June 22 at Bellewood Country Club and June 29 at Running Deer Golf Club.

Joseph H. Patterson Cup (Aug. 6-7; Chester Valley Golf Club)

Much is at stake when Chester Valley stages the Association’s premier stroke-play competition. Amateurs battle over 36 holes in two days for a Major title, a season-long award and potential year-end honors. Qualifying venues include Burlington Country Club (July 23) and Whitford Country Club (July 27).

Senior & Super-Senior

Golfers 55 years of age and older may take interest in the Senior schedule. The division’s Majors include the Francis B. Warner Cup (Gross) at Little Mill Country Club (May 7); the Frank H. Chapman Memorial Cup (Gross) at Berkshire Country Club (June 3); the Brewer Cup presented by Callaway Golf at Saucon Valley Country Club (July 13-15) and the 45th Senior Amateur Championship at Union League Golf Club at Torresdale (Sept. 8-9).

Junior

The Association’s Junior schedule appeals to golfers 18 years of age or younger who haven’t started their college education. Events include the 101st Junior Boys Championship (June 22-24 at Indian Valley Country Club); Francis X. Hussey Memorial (July 6 at Rolling Green Golf Club); The Deeg Sezna (July 7 at The ACE Club); Christman Cup presented by Global Golf Post (July 9 at Gulph Mills Golf Club) and the 31st Jock MacKenzie Memorial (July 13 at Sandy Run Country Club). Kids wishing to learn more about golf can participate in the Pre-Junior Event Aug. 4 at Philadelphia Cricket Club (St. Martins). The Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship, set for July 27-29 at West Chester Golf & Country Club, is open to players ages 11-13.

Father & Son tournaments

Enjoy family golf at its finest by experiencing one of the Association’s Father & Son tournaments. The Middle event, open to teams with sons 18 to 29 years of age, will take place at Talamore Country Club May 28. The Father & Son (Younger), open to teams with sons 17 years of age and under, flocks to Philmont Country Club (North) July 2. Nearby Huntingdon Valley Country Club hosts the Older event, open to teams with sons 30 years of age and over, Sept. 16.

Team events

Grab three buddies and sign up to play in the Four-Man Team June 9 at Moselem Springs Golf Club. Rally the troops at your club and audition for the Philadelphia Team Championship May 26 at Applecross Country Club. Now in its second year, the Senior Club Team Challenge, set for Oct. 10, 17 and 24, features teams of eight engaging in singles match play (gross only) competition.

Handicap championships

Not a scratch golfer? Not a problem. The Association’s net championships can fulfill your competitive bill. Boasting Tee It Forward parameters and stableford scoring format, the Spring (June 4 at Spring Ford Country Club) and Fall (Aug. 18 at Woodstone Country Club) Net Championships ease performance pressures yet offer an exciting tournament atmosphere.

USGA events

The Golf Association of Philadelphia will administer qualifiers for six USGA championships. Included in the 2015 lineup are the U.S. Open (May 11 at Trump National Golf Club — Philadelphia and May 14 at Makefield Highlands Golf Club); U.S. Junior Amateur (June 25 at Concord Country Club); U.S. Amateur (July 20 at Cedarbrook Country Club/Old York Road Country Club); U.S. Senior Amateur (Aug. 31 at White Manor); U.S. Mid-Amateur (Sept. 3 at Applebrook Golf Club) and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (Oct. 20 at Whitemarsh Valley).

Meetings

The Pro.-Pres., Golf & Green, set for May 13 at Waynesborough Country Club and White Manor Country Club, includes golf, cocktails, dinner and a presentation. It is open to professionals, presidents, golf and green chairpersons at GAP Member Clubs. Magnificent Merion Golf Club hosts the 11th Player’s Dinner on Oct. 23. This year-end gathering formally awards top players from each championship division — Amateur, Junior, Senior and Super Senior — as well as flight winners from each tournament.

Honorary Teams

The Association will be represented in five honorary team events. On April 29, the Compher Cup, a bout against the New Jersey State Golf Association, heads to Bayonne Golf Club in Bayonne, N.J. GAP is the host Association for this year’s Williamson Cup, set for Aug. 11-12 at Saucon Valley Country Club (Weyhill). The 36-hole competition features teams of four Juniors from 10 regional and state associations. The Senior Challenge Matches showcase eight-man teams from Delaware, GAP, New Jersey and Maryland Oct. 7 at Cripple Creek Golf & Country Club in Dagsboro, Del. Top amateurs and professionals collide during the Philadelphia Challenge Matches Oct. 1 at Applebrook. The Mason-Dixon Matches, a competition of 12-man teams from the GAP and the Middle Atlantic Golf Association, will take place Oct. 10-11 at Philadelphia Country Club.

  Click here to view the complete 2015 schedule.

Golf Association of Philadelphia
  Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 151 Member Clubs and 57,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. As Philadelphia’s Most Trusted Source of Golf Information, the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.