GAM

GOLF ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN

Barton Hill Country Club Hosting GAM Senior/Mid-Am Team Championship Finals

  ANN ARBOR – Barton Hills Country Club and its classic Donald Ross-designed golf course will host the finals of the 11th GAM Senior/Mid-Am Team Championship Tuesday.

  Six two-golfer teams, including one that includes last year’s GAM Player of the Year, one that includes this year’s GAM Champion, one duo that won the 2017 championship and two that are father-son teams emerged from a field of 81 teams in action at three sites on Sept. 28 and will play to determine a final champion.

  The teams played 36 holes of golf, including 18 in the four-ball format and 18 in foursomes in the first part of the championship and Tuesday the six finalist teams will play nine holes of four-ball or best-ball and nine holes of foursomes also known as alternate shot.  Each team has a senior player age 55-and-over and mid-am player over age 25.

   The Barton Hills course was restored to the original architectural roots with added length in 2012. The club invested over $1 million in the project without member assessment.

  Barton Hills has a rich tradition of hosting tournaments, including many GAM and Michigan PGA tournaments as well as the 22nd U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in 2008 and the 98th Women’s U.S. Amateur in 1998. It has also previously hosted the GAM Senior/Mid-Am Team Championship finals.

  The private facility has a veteran golf staff led by Pat Markley, the head golf professional, and Colin Seaberg, the superintendent. The course measures 7,146 yards from the championship tees. Find more information at bartonhillscc.com.

  Last year’s GAM Player of the Year, Dan Ellis of East Lansing and his father, Dean Ellis of Iron Mountain, teamed up to win at Travis Pointe Country Club in Ann Arbor in September. They had to turn back 2017 champions Scott Strickland of Bloomfield Hills and Tom Gieselman of Commerce Township in a playoff. Both teams are playing Tuesday.

  Joining them are Jimmy Chestnut of Royal Oak, the 2020 GAM Champion who teamed up with Ken Hudson of Bloomfield Hills to win at Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield last month. Taking second and earning a spot at Barton Hills was the duo of Mike Kohn of Belding and Joel Siegel of Rockford.

  The father-son team of David Bartnick and Matt Bartnick of Livonia won at Dearborn Country Club in the first part of the tournament. Second place and the final spot in Tuesday’s finals went to Bob Carson of Auburn Hills and Lucas Belanger of Clinton Township.

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