TOURNAMENTS
> C L I C K H E R E F O R E V E R Y T H I N G Y O U N E E D T O K N O W A B O U T T H E 2 0 1 7 LO N G B E A C H G O L F F E S T I V A L
I
n terms of local prestige and
excitement among golfers, there's
nothing bigger in Long Beach than
the annual Long Beach Golf Festival.
The series of seven tournaments is
put on throughout the summer by the
City of Long Beach and American
Golf at three area courses and
approximately 1,500 men, women,
seniors and juniors compete in the
events each year.
"I love that it gives everyone a
chance to play in a competitive event
throughout the
summer, and I
enjoy seeing
new faces every
year," said Gary
Johnson, the
General
Manager of
Skylinks at
Long Beach and
an American Golf Regional Manager.
"We see more play on our local golf
courses leading up to the events, as
people are practicing more when they
are gearing up for the tournaments."
In addition to Skylinks, El Dorado
Park and Recreation Park 18 golf
courses are also in the rotation.
The festival teed off with the Senior
Amateur Championship May 17-19.
June brings the Match Play
Championship and the Women's
City Championship, and the month
of July is packed with the Men's City
Championship, the Crosby
Memorial Junior Championship,
Long Beach Open Amateur
Qualifying and the $170,000 Long
Beach Open from July 27-30.
The Open, now in its 29th year, is
the crown jewel of the festival,
featuring two days of practice
rounds, a pro-am and four days of
competition with a cut from 312
players to the low 60 after 36 holes.
Garrett Sapp of Whittier is the
defending champion, as the UC Irvine
graduate and former Mackenzie Tour
player emerged victorious last year
from a three-man sudden-death
playoff and took home a check for
$31,000. He joined a prestigious list of
Long Beach Open winners that
includes Paul Goydos, Kevin Na,
Scott McCarron and Dennis Paulson.
Johnson oversees organization of
the festival, though he said festival
director John McKinney and assistant
director Tim Forbes deserve plenty of
credit, and an army of volunteers
ensures that it runs smoothly.
Following the Open, which always
seems to produce plenty of great
drama, a ceremony will be held to
induct the Class of 2017 into the Long
Beach Golf Hall of Fame, for which
nominees are still being accepted.
Game on!
The annual Long Beach Golf Festival brings out the competition
The Long Beach
Golf Festival
culminates with
the $170,000
Long Beach Open
on July 27-30.
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complete details.
F Y I
Rec Park 18 is one of three festival courses.
