The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Tashua Knolls slated to be first public course to host Amateur
What started as a simple conversation a few years ago has turned into the Connecticut State Amateur being played on a public golf course for the first time beginning on Monday.
Tashua Knolls Golf Course in Trumbull will be the host site for the 115th edition of the Amateur. A conversation between Bobby Brown, the director of golf at Tashua, and Ryan Hoffman, the Connecticut State Golf Association’s director of operations, rules and competitions kick-started the idea.
“I asked Ryan, ‘What do you have to do to host a major championship?’ I was thinking one of their smaller championships,” Brown said. “Getting the Amateur itself, I was blown away. It is special to be the first one at a public golf course. When I was an apprentice, I surveyed all the different landscapes, private, resort, semi-private and public to determine where I would like to be and I wanted to be at a public golf course. I like the fact that anybody can come in the door to play.”
Brown and Tashua found out they would host this year’s Amateur in the fall of 2015. The news became public in late May last year.
“Coming from a public course myself, it’s kind of exciting to see golf come into the public sector,” said 1978 Amateur winner Dave Szewczul, who plays out of Tunxis Plantation CC in Farmington. “Public golf is needed and warranted. Honestly, I am surprised we haven’t had it (the Amateur at a public facility) sooner. Public golf is more popular than private golf. There are public courses that need to be showcased.
Mike Moraghan, the executive director of the CSGA, said the organization was “all for it” and other public courses have inquired about hosting the Amateur in the future.
“What you want in a host site is a place with a very good golf course, a facility excited to have you and will embrace the event, a head pro that is great to work with, a course superintendent who is great to work with and volunteers who get involved from the host club. Tashua has all of those ingredients to be a great site for the Amateur,” Moraghan said. “Public courses are so reliant on daily revenue, it’s hard to give that up.”
The Amateur is being held Monday through Friday. Tashua will be unavailable for play Monday and Tuesday and most of Wednesday. Play will be available around the quarterfinal and semifinal matches on Thursday and the 36-hole final Friday.
Brown said Smith Richardson GC in Fairfield will offer resident rates for Tashua members Monday and Tuesday. He also said the course will “forego about $20,000 to $25,000 in revenue for that week.
“We feel the benefit the tournament will bring far outweighs any revenue we would bring in that week,” Brown said. “It’s truly an honor to be given the opportunity to host the championship.”
There will be a new champion crowned Friday at the 6,540-yard, par72 Tashua layout. Zach Zaback turned pro shortly after winning at Wethersfield CC last year.
The field will play 18 holes of stroke play Monday and Tuesday. The low 32 players will advance to match play Wednesday. Brent Paladino (Kensington), Brian Gaffney (Darien), Patrick Langan (Stamford) and Tim Buczak (Meriden) will all be in the 312-player field trying to gain one of those precious 20 spots into the PGA Championship (Aug. 10-13) at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“The PGA sets up the course to identify the 20 best players to compete in the PGA Championship, so I expect the course will play very difficult the next couple of days,” Paladino said.
Rainaud, who advanced to U.S. Open sectional qualifying earlier this month, qualified for the PGA two years ago at Whistling Straits. Paladino, along with Rainaud, qualified for the PGA Professional Championship last year at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, New York, and Street and Gaffney have done so in the past.
“Making the cut would be a great accomplishment and qualifying for the PGA Championship would be a dream come true. I’ve spent a lot of time preparing for this week and hopefully it all comes together,” Paladino said.
There will be two cuts: one after 36 holes to the low 90 players and ties and the other after 54 holes to the low 70 and ties for Wednesday’s final round.