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A Rigorous Celebration of Amateur Golf
The 2004 CMAA National Club Championship Players Brave Unpredictable Conditions Through Ambitious Tournament Schedule
Jack Hall of Atlanta Country Club Emerges Victorious
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| Out of nearly 130 registered clubs, 63 amateur club champions from 27 states and Korea braved the inclement weather
caused by an unprecedented hurricane season and gathered on Kiawah Island, SC, for the 2004 CMAA National Club Championship in
early September. |
| The second installment of this amateur event was played at the Kiawah Island Resort - site of the 1991 Ryder Cup - on
the highly regarded Ocean and Osprey Point courses and the new Tom Watson-designed Cassique course. The CMAA National Club
Championship provides a national platform for all amateur club champions from around the world to compete at the highest level. |
| PGA TOUR Productions was on-hand to produce a one-hour highlight show that will be nationally televised on The Golf
Channel on December 4 from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m. and again on December 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Tune in to catch the
excitement of one of golf's up and coming amateur competitions. |
| Rigorous format provides true test |
| Despite challenging rain and winds resulting from hurricane Frances, play commenced with two rounds of stroke play on
the authentic links-style Ocean course and Osprey Point, respectively. With a cut-off score of 164, the field was reduced to 32
competitors after two rounds of competition. Stroke play and Senior and Super Senior Division winners were determined at the
end of the second day. |
| The 32 enjoyed match play in sunny conditions at Cassique on Thursday, September 9, to determine the final 16, who met
on Friday, September 10, at the Ocean course for a morning of match play in difficult weather conditions. The eight final
competitors matched up for a second round that afternoon on the Ocean course, making it an undeniably rigorous competition. |
| The final four, which included David Noll, Jr. representing Dalton G & CC; Jim Grainger representing Charlotte CC (up 1);
Bob Royak representing St. Ives CC; and Jack Hall representing Atlanta CC (6 & 5) competed on Saturday, September 11 in an
early morning match on the Ocean course. |
| After moving up the afternoon tee times because of looming storms, the consolation match between Noll and Royak teed
off with the championship round between Hall and Grainger following. Bill Wagner, CCM, president-elect of the Club Managers
Association of America, presented the Waterford trophy to Jack Hall representing the Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, GA, at
a ceremony immediately following the match at the Ocean course. |
| The champion's perspective |
| "I've never played golf in a hurricane before," joked Hall after the event. "The best way to describe my overall
experience is 'exceptional.' It was absolutely a blast. Once the field was narrowed to the top 32, this tournament was on par
with any amateur event I've ever played in. |
| "You had names like David Noll, Jr., who was Georgia's number one amateur golfer and the 2003 NCC Champion, so there
was some real competitive golf being played," Hall said. "The competition was stiff and it was certainly an impressive few
days. The hospitality of CMAA and the quality of the tournament was unmatched." |
| Hall added that the championship round with Jim Grainger was a lot of fun. The two men who had never met before rode
together for two days in the qualifying rounds. "We had the 7:40 a.m. tee time together and had a blast. He played real well,
but lost a few balls and I teased him saying that he was like a cat with nine lives. When I heard he made the cut for the
final 32, I was happy. It was great meeting him in the final round," Hall related. |
| He also noted that, although he will not be representing the Atlanta Country Club as its club champion in 2005, he
will be returning as the champion of another of the clubs he belongs to. Incidentally, so will Jim Grainger and the 2003 NCC
winner, David Noll, Jr. |
| Jim Singerling, CMAA's chief executive officer said, "CMAA couldn't be happier with the caliber of the players and the
quality of golf that was played at the 2004 NCC. |
| "CMAA members were able to offer their club champions the opportunity to participate in a first-rate amateur tournament
and, by all accounts, the competition was remarkable - from the players to the course to the weather it offered awesome
challenges and fantastic rewards to all involved. It was a celebration of the game of golf and a success that we can build
upon for the future," Singerling said. |