Golfers boycotting Chicago City Amateur

We play a low ball and scotch game if you get a game. No, it's not a tourney and never said it was. They haven't had that many qualifiers in 12 years??? HMMM... THEY HAD 4 different qualifier dates for the 100th city am played in 2004. There were close to 300 that tried to qualify. With all due respect, GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!!! Adam K (last years tournament director), said there were 190 that tried to qualify last year. I may be wrong but I believe that the top ten were all from outside the city. That's who you will get. The local city player that play these courses cannot afford the price. The proof is in the numbers. Calling me and Vince losers really hurts. Sam Sneed, we accept anybody that plays by the rules and pays into the skin game or low ball or scotch game. Bring your game out!

I agree this tournament was run much better than tournaments in the past. The condition of the course was tremendous. The greens were double cut and rolled every day and made it possible to make a lot of putts as evidenced by Michael Fastert's 60. Also, the pin placements were not put on ridiculous ridges or 3 feet from the edge as in years past. The pin locations became tougher each round with the final round pin placements being difficult but fair. The pace of play was reasonable. The first two rounds the leaders teed off first and played in 4-4.5 hrs. The final round took around 5 hours for leaders. The tournament was well worth it. Players received 4 rounds of golf, 4 lunches, range balls, a dozen Bridgestone B-330 balls($40 a dozen), and a nice luggage/dufflebag. It was run more along the lines of a CDGA event in that 6 or 7 officials were on the course. The tournament was like the Joliet Am in that the final 3 groups had a marker that showed the scores for all to see. Also, the field was just as strong as past years. Many good new players participated this year that replaced the competition lost from those who chose not to play. Finally, congrats to Bryan Rusin for his excellent play.

City am Player, How many times do I have to say it. The regular city am player that play these courses on a regular basis CANNOT afford the price increase. These tournaments were created with this type of player in mind. It's great you had a good time. There is NO way the field improved from years past. I know the majority of the top ten guys that played. I'm not knocking them I'm just saying the field was lacking from years past. The numbers were considerably down. If we wanted a CDGA tournament then go play a CDGA tournament. I loved this tournament the way it was. It let a regular Joe (that doesn't make much money) play in a tournament. The city am was one of my first tournaments I ever played (2001) and I won. I was so excited. If the price was $150 back then (or considering inflation let's say $135) there would have been No way I would've tried to play in it. Take out all the lunches and balls and whatever they gave you and reduce the price so the regular city player can play in it or at least have a chance to play in it again. This is my last post. All I can do is hope that these 4 tournaments can be a little more affordable to all. I rest my case.

Weed out the Weak wrote:

This is my last post.

Thank God

To be honest, I was not pleased about the increased fee, but as a two-time champ, I decided to play in this year's event anyway.

The tee gift was a gym bag, some sunscren, and a dozen bridgestones. I don't sign up for the tee gifts, and could have done without the gifts. I am there to compete and win a golf tournament.

There were 85 players in the field and the winning score was at 200. I have played in the event since 2005 and the winning score was 198, 198, 206, 200, 200. So, in my opinion the quality of the field was solid.

The golf course was in better condition than in the past and Billy Casper did a good job running the event. The biggest change was standard bearers (walking manual scoreboards) in the last 3-4 groups. Nice touch, and you knew where you stood at all times.

I have played in 100's of tourneys, and overall, they did a solid job running the event. Make no mistake though, Billy Casper is in the business to make money and that is why they chose to raise the price. I am a businessman, I get it.$100 would have been more fair. Save the tee gifts and just run the event.

The griping over the extra $28.33/day is sour grapes though. Pay the extra money to compete or don't, it's your choice. But don't be shocked by the economics of sports. Why do you think Billy Casper is running the park district facilities? Because their bid was better than their competition. Why do the Cubs raise ticket prices every year? Because someone (fans) has to pay for their expenses.

$50/day to compete in a tournament that has 106 years of history with Chick Evans' name on it? Good deal to me.

Mike----You couldn't be more right and on point. I am glad a past champion spoke out in support of the way the tournament was run. "Sour grapes" is an understatement of how these golfers reacted. I am sure they regret not playing. Once the boycott was a failure, they could have signed up. I believe next year, the course will be better and the field will be better. Hats off to BCG for a job well done.

Compared to the way Kemper ran it, night and day. Good job BCG! Maybe compromise and eliminate the lunches, range balls, and tee gifts. Then maybe set the price at $120. I might have said this before but a cut on the last day would be nice to speed up play, even if it's just low 40 or 50.

I'm so happy I found this thread.. I've gone back and forth on this and I decided not to play this year.

I've played the past three years. I've qualified once. The first year with a 77. I shot 76 and 77 on the weekend and I was done.. I was so happy to make qualify. I felt that I had really accomplished something. I played a lot of outings and this was different. It was my first tournament ever. I didn't start playing until college and really wanted to experience tournament golf. I worked hard to get my game in shape and got a single digit handicap and signed up. I work and can't afford to take time off to travel to some of the more elite am events so the City was a was my major (i think some one used this above)..

I don't care about the money.. It's not about the money.. It's about the accomplishment... I played that weekend because in my very first tournament qualifier I fired a 77 (very respectable).. I was nervous.. I read up on the rules before.. It was awesome.. Just a great experience.. I told my old man and my father in law, it was just something I was proud of..

The next year I had my first child and didn't get to play as much - shot 81 and missed the cut. Last year I fired an 80 - a few blow ups and i remember this, I was listed as an alternate.. So there was some good playing going on.. I didn't care that I payed $65.. I left thinking I'm not only going to qualify next year but I'm going to make the cut...

This is why I played.. The whole experience of the qualifier.. and the actual tournament after you made it in..

Sorry for the long winded story, but I'm just trying to ring home some of the points above..

I don't care about the balls or the lunch.. Give me a group of people that are trying to post a number to play more golf and I want to share their company.. That's the prize.. For those of you who have never played tournament golf and this year was your first year.. You got robbed of a great expereince.. That's my two cents anyway...

Natale said the best! As mentioned it was not only the price, it was no cut and no qualifier. The top 20 players were always going to play the final day but guys shooting over 80 for three days should have been cut. Everyone of us has shot 80 on easy courses but not for three straight days at Jackson Park!!!!

Before we lavish praise of the capabilities of Casper with regards to the course conditions, everyone needs to remember these courses are hostage to the amount of rain, or lack of, they receive...I'll reserve my grade until I see how they respond to their first drought; if they can shine after that, then the increased green fees at the cpd courses might be justified.

Looks like tournament was successful in doing what it set out to do...weed out the "local" element. The six hour rounds of the past, were due to the course set up; the greens were rock hard and the pins were on the edges -the course's only defense. Sad day and loss for area golfers.

Pins were the same as the last ten years and they kicked players off the course for slow play. In fact, the greens were faster and smoother because they were double cut and rolled. This allowed players who were rolling it to make em and the ones that wern't to have issues. I love how all the people that didn't play know so much about how everything was run and set up.

Vincent Militante wrote:

Wieland thinks were at elite golfers? That's is his typical hyperbole baloney. We wanted a quality field he wants to have and "outing!"

Vince,

You're still full of it, after all these years.