Amateur Tour unveils new sponsor for sixth season 

By STEVE WILLIAMS

With its golfers set to play some of the best real estate in North Carolina this year, it’s only fitting that an amateur tour’s title sponsor comes from that industry.

Keller Williams Realty, one of the nation’s largest real estate companies, has come on board as title sponsor after five years of sponsorship by Carolina Blonde beer.

The tour was founded in Charlotte in 1995 and has 20 divisions up and down the East Coast for 2003.

The Triad, Raleigh and Fayetteville-Pinehurst tours kick off March 1 at Keith Hills Country Club in Buies Creek, and the 29-event schedule concludes Oct. 12 at Carolina Lakes in Sanford.

The tour features 18-hole events all golf season at some of the state’s best golf courses. Golfers from the Triad will often join forces with players from the Raleigh-Durham area and from the Fayetteville-Pinehurst area to make up large fields. The tournaments will be played on Saturdays until college football season kicks off. That’s when the play dates are switched to Sundays.

The tour is open to all amateurs with handicaps from 0-20, with each golfer placed in a flight according to handicap. The four flights are: Championship (0-5 handicap), A Flight (6-10), B Flight (11-15) and C Flight (16-20). Competition is stroke play, using full USGA rules. The only variance to those rules is the triple-bogey limit, which serves to speed up play and also keep the flights more competitive.

“The way the tour is flighted, you compete against golfers of your own skill level. If you win the C Flight, the prizes are the same as the Championship Flight,” said Bruce Hallenbeck, who directs the Triad, Raleigh and Pinehurst tours. “The tour provides an outlet for golfers wanting to experience traditional stroke-play tournament golf.”

The top three finishers in each flight at every tourney win gift certificates from Carolina Custom Golf, redeemable at numerous locations throughout the state, while all participants earn points toward a season-long points championship in their flight. Participants also get sampling opportunities from associate sponsors, such as Lance Snacks, Inc., and Golf Break, a new sports drink designed for golfers.

Golfers may join the tour any time during the year for a $70 membership fee. That fee includes a tour packet and gift bag, and allows members to play in Triad tournaments, as well as other Keller Williams events along the East Coast. Entry fees on the local tour range from $55-$75. Those fees includes cart and green fees, range balls and prizes for the top three in each flight, plus closest-to-the-pin and long-drive awards.

The top-10 finishers in points in each local flight qualify for the 2003 Keller Williams Tour Championship, Oct. 25-26 at Wild Wing Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Tour members have no minimum required number of tournaments.

Hallenbeck is introducing some changes to the area tours this year, which should add come interesting point-building opportunities.

“For the first time, my guys will have four major championships,” Hallenbeck said. “I’m the only tour out of 20 tours doing it.”

The four majors are scheduled March 29 at Anderson Creek, May 3 at The Challenge, June 28 at Meadowlands, and Sept. 21 at Mill Creek.

“These events will be held at excellent venues that have had a history of drawing good fields,” Hallenbeck said.

Points will be doubled in the Keller Williams majors and flight winners get automatic exemptions to the tour finals.

Hallenbeck is also upping the ante in the fall schedule, much like the PGA Tour does with its bonuses. Players who participate in at least three of the final six events will get bonus points.

 

Harris Teeter Tour

Hallenbeck also runs the Harris Teeter Senior Tour for players age 50-and over.

Structured much the same way as the Keller Williams Tour, the Harris Teeter Tour plays 18-hole events on Thursdays. Action kicks off March 6 at Sapona Country Club in Lexington.

 “The Harris Teeter Senior Tour allows senior amateurs to compete like the pros, regardless of their skill level. Our tournaments are divided into flights based on ability,” said Hallenbeck. “You’ve got a chance to win every time you tee it up.”

Flights and prizes are structured almost the same way as the Keller Williams Tour.

The schedule will include four majors, played at the same venues as the double-points events on the Keller Williams Tour. Dates are March 29 at Anderson Creek, May 3 at The Challenge, June 28 at Meadowlands and Sept. 21 at Mill Creek.

Once regular season play is completed, the top 10 point-winners in each flight receive invitations to the 2003 Harris Teeter Senior Tour Championship, which takes place Nov. 4-5 in Pinehurst.

“We’re looking for seniors of all skill levels, not just the scratch golfers,” said the 54-year-old Hallenbeck. “This is a great opportunity to compete under USGA rules on good, quality golf courses. And there’s great camaraderie among the seniors.”

Golfers who turn 50 by Sept. 1, 2003 are also eligible.

Harris Teeter Tour membership fee is $60 and includes a tour gift pack, bag tag and tees. Tournament fees range from $45 to $55 per event. Costs include cart and green fees, range balls and prizes.

Information on both tours is available from Hallenbeck at 919-499-9749. Players can also shoot him an email at behgolf@aol.com.

Each site also has a web site and results will posted there: www.harristeetertour.com or www.kellerwilliamstour.com.

Results are also featured each month in Triad Golf Today.