PREVIEW: 2016 Chippewa Championship

Are you ready to rumble? It’s time for the 28th edition of the Chippewa Golf Club Championship, playing this Saturday and Sunday, August 27 – 28th in Doylestown, Ohio!

We have some exciting news to announce right here, right now too: this year, we will implement a rules change that allows any player age 55 and older to play from the white tees, just as we do every week in the Chippewa Scratch League.

This suggestion was made to me about a week ago, and I had to digest it for a while before I could come to a decision. But it makes sense, as this segment of our golf population now exceeds the 19-54 year-olds that are playing the game. While at first I had some reservations about “watering down” the tournament, I came to the conclusion that it could actually make for a more exciting event: the golf course will still play very similar from either set of tees, and it could bring back some players who didn’t feel they could be fully competitive from the blues. We’ve been able to accomplish this very thing in the Monday Scratch League, so it makes sense to try it out in the 2016 Championship, with all players competing for the same trophy — and the same big skins pot!

Let me make this clear: while the age 55+ crowd will play from the white tees, the intent is to be fair to our senior players, not give them an advantage. The integrity of the Championship will not be violated! (Also note that we have a separate Chippewa Senior Championship that will be held September 14th with three age divisions playing from different tees. The Chippewa Championship is different from that event.)

The entry fee of $125 (still the same great price!) includes golf with cart for both days, range balls, breakfast for both days, lunch at the turn for both days, heavy apps on Saturday after golf, and the big delicious awards dinner on Sunday at the conclusion of the tournament. Keg beer and soft drinks will also be included throughout the two day event. It’s a heckuva deal, but we do it as a thank you to all of the great players who support us.

For optional games and wagering, again we will have the traditional team match-ups and odds-on favorites sheet. And our GIANT skins game is always a given, collecting $25 for big skins each day (simply pay the $50 for both days during Saturday check-in).

This year’s field is shaping up to be one of the best we’ve had. The golf course is playing fast and firm; the fairways are absolutely perfect right now and the greens have made a great comeback. Rob Schustrich is the Defending Champion.

Our staff is looking forward to putting on a fantastic event and seeing you all this weekend!

Entry deadline is Wednesday Night at 5 p.m., so that we can post the groupings and starting times on NEOHgolf.com on Thursday afternoon. ENTRY DETAILS HERE >

Tournament prizes and skins will be paid immediately after the dinner on Sunday, in either gift certificate or cash payout (at the players choice).

And as is our tradition, we’ll be awarding the 2016 Chippewa Champion with a season pass for all of 2017, plus FREE ENTRY FOR LIFE in future Chippewa Championships!

Bring it on!