Chad Mitchell

Southern Living readers vote Gulf Shores the best

The 59th Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) National Championship and Golf Classic presented in partnership with The Toro Co., comes to Gulf Shores, Ala., Feb. 1-3.

Few golf competitions can match the number of participants attracted by this golf event for GCSAA members. Nearly 400 GCSAA members will compete for top honors at four world-class Gulf Shores golf courses, while staying at the Perdido Beach Resort.

The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic are held in conjunction with the GCSAA Education Conference (Feb. 2-7) and Golf Industry Show (Feb. 5-7), at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

Accomplished golfers will test themselves against GCSAA's finest in the National Championship, Feb. 1-3 at Kiva Dunes Golf Club. The National Championship is limited to the first 100 players with a 5.0 handicap index or lower. It is a three-day, 54-hole, stroke-play event. The 2009 GCSAA Champion, along with champions from the last five years, will receive an annual invitation to participate in the renowned Trans-Mississippi Golf Championship, where the likes of PGA Tour professionals such as Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Dean Beman and Bob Tway, among others, have carried home the championship trophy.

For a more relaxed competition, the popular Golf Classic welcomes players of all abilities. It will be played Feb. 2-3. Golf Classic participants will compete in both gross and net competition within their respective flights using the point quota scoring system. Flights in the Golf Classic will rotate between Cotton Creek at Craft Farms, Cypress Bend at Craft Farms, and Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club. The Golf Classic also includes a fun Four-Ball Mixer on Feb. 1. A chapter team competition also will be held in which scores from the National Championship and Golf Classic are compiled to see which GCSAA-affiliated chapter holds the best golfers.

A commemorative tee prize package will be awarded to each participant that includes a GPS system, shirt, sleeve of golf balls, money clip and tee pack. There will also be door prizes at each of the 19th Hole receptions. A hole-in-one contest at each par-3 hole of all Four-Ball Mixer and Golf Classic courses has been added with closest-to-the-pin, straight-drive, long-drive and putting contests. Prizes include a set of golf clubs, a premium electronics package, airline tickets, cruise tickets and more. One hole at each course will be specially designated for a chance at a prize worth $12,000.

The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic returns to the Yellowhammer State in 2009 for only the second time in its history - the first being 2000 in Mobile. Seth Strickland, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Miami (Fla.) Shores Country Club is the defending champion and the Carolinas GCSA was the 2008 chapter team winner.

The Toro Co. is partnering with the association to present the annual GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic. Toro, a GCSAA Platinum Partner, is a global leader in providing maintenance equipment and irrigation systems to golf courses and has been the sole partner of this event since 1995.

GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA's mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association's philanthropic organization, The Environmental Institute for Golf, works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.

The GCSAA Education Conference, held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show in New Orleans, is the largest educational conference in the turfgrass management industry. More than 100 seminars and 60 additional hours of educational sessions are offered, covering all ranges of golf course management, including agronomics, communication and business management. Visit www.gcsaa.org/conference.

The Golf Industry Show is an innovative trade show designed for the owners/operators of golf facilities, and the professional members of the golf course and club management industries. The event combines education, networking and solutions for golf course superintendents, owners/operators, general managers, chief operating officers, architects and builders. The Golf Industry Show is presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) and the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), along with supporting organizations, the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) and the National Golf Foundation (NGF). Visit www.golfindustryshow.com.