Classic Battle Creek Country Club Hosting GAM Super Senior Championship
BATTLE CREEK – Classic Battle Creek Country Club, designed by legend Willie Park, Jr., will fittingly welcome the state’s classic golfers who are over age 65 when it hosts the 5th GAM Super Senior Championship presented by Sullivan Golf & Travel Monday and Tuesday.
The golfers will compete in the overall Super Senior Division for those age 65 and over, or in the Legends Division for golfers age 70-plus. A trophy will also be awarded to the golfer over age 75 with the lowest score.
Most of the golfers in the field have played in one of the many GAM tournaments hosted by Battle Creek over the years. Just last year Battle Creek hosted the GAM Senior Championship.
Battle Creek CC was founded in 1919 on the southeast shore of Goguac Lake, and 18 holes were complete by 1922 by Park, a top Scottish golf course architect. The modern clubhouse was completed in 1966, and over the years many of golf’s greats have visited the club and played the course, including Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
In recent years, with the help of consulting architect, Bruce Hepner, the club has undergone a restoration process to the original dimensions and shot values intended by Park’s original design. Extensive tree work has been part of the process, and Battle Creek Country Club remains one of the best-preserved examples of Willie Park’s many designs.
Battle Creek CC has hosted numerous professional and amateur events, including the 1999 Michigan Amateur Championship, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open qualifiers and is the current home for the LPGA Symetra Tour’s FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship.
Doug Kreis, the head golf professional, is just the fifth professional in the club’s history. He is part of a short list of highly regarded professionals, including Chick Harbert and Ron LaParl. Mark Chappell is the superintendent, and club is managed by Steve Rebhan.
Defending champion Ian Harris of Bloomfield Hills is returning, and 2015 champion Terry Moore of Grand Rapids is also in the field. The 2016 winner, John French of Santa Monica, Calif., is playing in the Legends Division where he was the winner a year ago.
Harris topped Harold Tramski of Port Huron by one shot in the overall championship at Saginaw Country Club last summer. Tramski had a hole-in-one during the final round. Rick Herpich of Orchard Lake and Jim Russell of Stevensville tied for third. French topped Lawrence Hogard of Flint in the Legends scoring.
SCORING: Find it under the Championships tab at gam.org
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