ROTHBURY – The Thoroughbred Golf Club, a celebrated Arthur Hills
design, will host the 26th Women’s Atlas Trophy Matches Saturday and Sunday.
The top women golfers in the state
representing golfers from private clubs and public venues make up the two teams
that will play a Ryder Cup-style competition.
The Thoroughbred, located
at Double JJ Resort, opened in 1993 to various accolades, including Best New
Course in Michigan and No. 3 in America by Golf Digest for 1993, and earned a 4
½ Stars rating from Golf Digest 1998-2000.
Hills designed a course that plays between
4,779 yards and 6,887 yards with eight tee positions to fit players of ability
levels. It winds through hardwoods, around bogs and offers a variety of
elevation changes and challenges.
The Atlas Trophy Matches
originated in 1938 as a competition between male private club golfers
represented by the GAM and public course golfers represented by the Michigan
Publinx Golf Association with the trophy honoring Edward Atlas, who then was a
GAM Governor as well as a USGA Public Links Committee member and Detroit area
public golf official.
The Women’s Atlas Trophy matches
were first played in 1989 and have become a competition between women GAM
members who are members of a private club, and women GAM members who do not
belong to a private club. The matches are unique in that teams are made up of
golfers of all ages, including seniors and juniors.
Foursomes matches will be
played Saturday morning with four-ball matches to follow in the afternoon.
Individual matches are played on Sunday. One point is awarded per match with ½
point being given to each team for a halved match. If tied at the end of the competition, the
team currently holding the trophy retains it.
The captains of both the
“public” and “private” teams are selected by the GAM. The captains select 12
team members each, using GAM Honor Roll points and other criteria. The golf and
celebration dinner are complimentary for the players with the event designed to
honor those chosen for the teams.
The Private team leads the
series 13-9 with three ties, including the last two competitions in 2014 and
2016. The Public team retained the cup in 2014 because of its previous win, and
also retained it a year ago at Harbor Point Golf Club in Harbor Springs based
on the 2012 win.
Representing the Public
Team captained by Cynthia Pinkard is Audrey Akins, Susan Campbell, Katelyn
Chipman, Jasmine Ly, Kaitlyn Mardeusz, Julie Massa, Morag Mitchell, Kerrigan
Parks, Lily Pendy, Olivia Reed, Lori Rogers and Shelly Weiss.
Representing the Private
Team captained by Jean Murray is Donna Benford, Elayna Bowser, Terry Delcamp,
Joan Garety, Veronica Haque, Barb Schmid, Jacqueline Setas, Morgan Smith, Darci
Stocker, Donna Tepper, Sarah White and Maureen Whitehead.
In addition to golf, The
Double JJ Resort offers multiple horseback riding venues, an indoor and outdoor
water park, three on-site restaurants and a variety of lodging options. Ken
Gifford is the director of golf. Learn
more about the Thoroughbred at www.thoroughbredgolf.com.
