EAST LANSING –
Forest Akers East Golf Course, one of two championship courses on the campus of
Michigan State University, will play host to the 9th GAM Junior Stroke Play
Championship presented by Pepsi Thursday and Friday.
The age group
championship for boy and girl golfers 13-15 and 12-and-under is designed for
young players to gain competitive experience in GAM tournaments over two days.
Players are allowed to play up a division if they choose. The 13-15 players
play 36 holes of stroke play, 18 holes each day, while the 12-and-under golfers
play nine holes each day.
Forest Akers East is
the lesser known of the two golf courses at Michigan State, but especially
suited for young golfers. Many of the players will play it often as they move
on to high school golf as both the West and East course host regional and state
tournaments.
The East Course,
founded in 1958, was redesigned in 1997 by Arthur Hills, and changed from a par
71 to par 72. Numerous trees and bunkers were also added for strategic
enhancements. The most extensive improvement was the addition of the new Golf
Center, which includes equipment, food service and other amenities.
The tournament is a
proven training ground. Two-time Michigan Women’s Amateur champion Allyson Geer
of Brighton, last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year at Michigan State, counts
the stroke play tournament as her first GAM win. James Piot of Canton and
Andrew Walker of Battle Creek, both current Michigan State golfers, are also on
the list of past champions.
Among the past age
group winners returning to the field of 87 junior golfers are Bridget Boczar of
Canton, Cameron Cowland of Dexter, Allison Cui of Okemos, Anci Dy of Traverse
City, Justin Sui of Lake Orion and Neil Zhu of Novi.
The staff at Forest
Akers is headed by General Manager Steve Ruthenberg. The golf professional is
Bryan Harris, and the superintendent is Ron Lewis.
More information
about Forest Akers East can be found at www.msuspartans.com.
-Greg Johnson
