2019 Several Alabama golf events coming up

I thought I’d take a look at many of the noteworthy events on tap for this year.

Starting with the Alabama Golf Association, which has once again lined up some fine venues for its statewide amateur championships.

• First up is the Women's State Senior, which will be played April 17-18 at Glenlakes Golf Club in Foley. The Women’s State Super-Senior will be played at the same time, but will be a separate championship.

• The State Four-Ball will be May 2-5 at Huntsville Country Club.

• The State Senior will be May 17-19 at Riverchase Country Club in Hoover, as will the State Super-Senior.

• The 103rd State Amateur will be hosted by Turtle Point Yacht & Country Club in Killen, June 6-9.

• The Women's Stroke Play is at Cider Ridge Golf Club in Oxford, June 18-20.

• The Girls State Junior will be June 24-26 at Goose Pond Colony Resort (Lake Course) in Scottsboro.

• The Women's State Amateur follows at Cherokee Ridge Country Club in Union Grove, July 10-12. As does the Women’s State Senior Match Play.

• The Boys State Junior will be contested July 23-25 at Indian Hills Country Club in Tuscaloosa.

• The Women’s State Four-Ball is July 24-25 at Gadsden Country Club, as is the Women’s State Senior Four-Ball.

• The Southern Junior Cup Matches, featuring teams from Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Missouri, is July 30-31 at Willow Point Golf & Country Club in Alexander City.

• The State Parent-Child will be Aug. 5 on the Ridge Course at the RTJ Golf Trail’s Oxmoor Valley in Birmingham.

• The State Match Play will be Aug. 8-11 at Canebrake Club in Athens.

• The inaugural State Mixed-Team is Sept. 14-15 at Kiva Dunes in Gulf Shores.

• The State Mid-Amateur will be played at Pine Tree Country Club in Birmingham, Sept. 27-29.

• And last, but not least, the State Senior Four-Ball is at Valley Hill Country Club in Huntsville, Oct. 11-13, as is the State Super-Senior Four-Ball.

More information: www.alabamagolf.org

USGA qualifiers

The AGA also conducts various local and sectional qualifiers for USGA championships including:

• U.S. Open, May 9, RTJ Golf Trail at Silver Lakes in Glencoe.

• U.S. Senior Open, May 22, Wynlakes Golf & Country Club in Montgomery.

• U.S. Junior Amateur, June 19, Country Club of Birmingham (West Course).

• U.S. Girls Junior Amateur, June 27, Goose Pond Colony Resort (Lake Course).

• U.S. Amateur, July 15, Burningtree Country Club in Decatur.

• U.S. Senior Amateur, Aug. 1, Willow Point.

• U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, Aug. 1, Willow Point.

• U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur, Aug. 19, Montgomery CC.

• U.S. Mid-Amateur, Aug. 19, Montgomery CC.

• U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (for 2020 championship), Oct. 1, Turtle Point.

More information: www.usga.org

Birmingham Golf Association

The Birmingham Golf Association, which includes Jefferson, Shelby, Tuscaloosa, St. Clair, Bibb, Blount and Walker counties, will host the Metro Amateur Championship, April 6-7 at Pine Tree CC. This is a two-man, best ball event with mid-amateur, senior and super senior divisions.

The BGA is best known for their Junior Tour, which begins 21 one-day events May 28 and culminates with their Junior Championship, July 17-18 at Old Overton Club.

More information: www.bgagolf.org

Professional Events

The Regions Tradition returns to Greystone Golf & CC (Founders Course), May 9-12. This is a major championship on the PGA Tour Champions.

www.regionstradition.com

The Alabama Open, run by the Alabama-Northwest Florida Section of the PGA, will be July 22-24 at the Legislator Course at the RTJ Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill in Prattville.

www.alabamanwfloridapga.com

Other Events

The inaugural Shoal Creek Invitational is April 15-16 at Shoal Creek. This men's college event is being hosted by Auburn University and will feature local teams Alabama, Auburn and UAB, plus other nationally ranked programs.

The Women’s SEC Championship returns to Greystone’s Legacy Course, April 17-21.

The State High School AHSAA Championship will be May 13-14 at the RTJ Golf Trail at Capitol Hill in Prattville.

The prestigious Future Masters is June 23-29 at Dothan CC.

And the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate is Oct. 7-8 at Old Overton Club.

I’ll add more events as they are announced or I become aware of them.

Ian Thompson has been writing about golf in Alabama for over 26 years. His weekly “Mr. Golf” column concentrates on golfers, golf events and people associated with the sport of interest to the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham areas. Reach him with story ideas at thompsonteesoff@gmail.com