Weekly Challenge Golf Tour in Chicago Area

[T Shaf]

Anyone out there compete in this? Golf Channel Amateur tour as well?

Hello Chicago area folks, as the title describes I am thinking of signing up for this and would love some input. My goal is to play more tournaments this year because the best times I had playing golf last year was in tournaments. Who has experience, thoughts or comments?

Will also take comments on the golf channel amateur tour as well.

Mainly looking for more competitive rounds, I tend to walk on and get paired with others and you never know what you will get. So any other avenues for this would be welcome.

Thank you!

[NPVWhiz]

The best times I've had playing golf over the last 7 or 8 years have been playing tournaments as well, but there are so few that it's really become a challenge to get in more than two or three in the whole season.

 

I grew up racing BMX and motocross, so I have long lost love for organized tournaments of any type. When I was a kid, I lived for the weekend races.

 

I lived in the Chicago area years ago, but don't have any familiarity with that series. The Golf Channel tour has a fairly active schedule where I live now, but it's a bit pricey.

 

I think most of the private club members get a good schedule of competitive events, but I wish some group could come up with a good series of weekly or even bi-weekly events in my area. The could run from March to Nov, then have a fun December points/awards ceremony.

 

I have a lot more fun meeting people at tournaments..kindred spirits so to speak...than walking on at the local courses. I've met a lot of nice people that way as well, but I crave the competition, even though I'm barely a single digit these days. Chicago is definitely an area that could support this type of event schedule though.

[temup]

I have played in both tours with the WCGT being the larger of the two. Both are professionally run events.

 

The major differences are in one being local only WCGT and the other being a national tour GCAT which you an play in any tour in the country besides your home tour. You can not play in any of the other tours regional majors and the tour championships. Prize payouts are different also as the WCGT lets you declare yourself a non-amateur or an amateur, as a non-amateur you can recieve cash payouts. If you cash enough you will recieve a 1099. As an amateur you receive gift certificates and when I particpated you could choose the location of your gift certificate. The GCAT I think each tour has a specific location that it uses for the gift certificate.

 

The WCGT has 3 flights and plays handicaped in each flight with the number of entrants in each event determining the breakdown of each flight. The GCAT has 6 flights and plays scracth in each flight the breakdown of flights is set no matter the number of players. If a flight has fewer than 5 plyers two flights are combined. I think the WCGT has a few scratch events also. Being the larger tour the WCGT probably has a larger turn out at each event.

 

Hope this helps, you can pm me for more info if you like.

[slim16er]

I thought about playing in both, return on investment was not to my liking. I played in an event last year for the American Challenge Golf Tour (now called the International Players Tour) and the guy who ran it, Pete Force, was a greeat guy. The event was run fairly well and most of the guys were cool and friendly. The price is pretty steep (from $195ish for the local events), but the pay out is big along with the ways to win. The main events are upwards of $500 to get in, but they don't have any around Chicago.

 

Here is the site if you want to check it out.

 

http://www.ipgtour.com/schedule/schedule_chi-nil-08.htm

 

I may be doing one or two this summer.

[AcumenJ]

I totally agree with you about walking onto courses and getting paired with someone, who cares more about the beer cart girl, than playing a good round of golf. I think the best way to curb this experience is to play competitive golf in a tour atmosphere. I played a couple of events in the Golf Galaxy Tour last year and it was OK. I was looking at playing the WCGT or the International Players Tour this year. I think I may play both for the first few events to see which one I like best. I know the IPT does not require you to be a member of the tour to play in events, you just have to add $25 to entry cost. I don't know, I will see how it goes. Looking forward to the snow to stop falling and the freezing temps to cease. I guess the driving range will continue to be my outlet until then... :wub:

 

 

Josh

[Living the Dream]

The International Players Tour (IPT) is a new tour in the Chicago area. However, their management team has been in the tour business for over six years and paid out nearly $2 million.

 

What's most exciting is that they offer the biggest prize check in history for net players with their $20,000 guaranteed first place tour champion prize that will be awarded at the end of the season.

 

I also like the fact that if you want to remain an amateur you can. And they give you your gift credit in the form of a gift card at the store of your choice or as a Visa gift card redeemable anywhere.

 

They are expanding the tour into eighty cities around the country which really gives them the one up on everyone else in getting sponsorship money. Granted the entries are a bit higher, but with a minimum of a five to one payback on your entry it probably is well worth the difference. Members can play in any event anywhere in the country where they hold events.

 

They do flight their fields with forty players but flighting really isn't their main goal. They have developed a handicap system that nails sandbaggers before their score is posted. In doing so they have eliminated sandbagging making it a fair and level playing field for all players. Because of this, they don't need to flight their events.

 

They will do around 200 tournaments this year including 8 or 10 two round events that will pay the winner $5000 and 30 percent of the field finish in the money. Probably will paid out over $750,000 in 2008.

 

You can find the local director and get more information by looking at their website contact page at: http://www.ipgtour.com/contact.htm

 

I suggest you compare them apples to apples to the other tours and see for yourself how just a little more money brings you such a much better value and higher reward for what you're spending.

[temup]

unless the USGA changed their rules a visa gift card is considered the same as cash and can not go to an amateur without changing the amateur status.

[T Shaf]

Wow, it is great to see some more replies here...thanks a bunch guys...I plan to play a mix of most, have never heard of the ipgt but will look into more. Also I have called or checked out the websites of some of my favorite courses in the are and have found a few tourneys that they run and I can enter...Pine Meadow, Cantigny, Heritage Bluffs, and Prairie Landing to name a few...so it should be a eventful season...also any of you in the Chicago area who want to play some competitive practice rounds please pm me. Thanks again guys. Now if this freakin weather will only break...I am going nuts.

[oldpalchamp]

Check out the CDGA website (www.cdga.org). They put on many tournanents for serious golfers, and even a few for not so serious. They also administer the USGA qualifiers for the Chicago area. They don't have big payouts or prizes, but their tourneys are the most prestigious.