By By SCOTT NOVAK / Vigilant/Argus
After 30 years the Western Golf Association (WGA) is moving one of its qualifiers for the Western Amateur from Hampshire Country Club to Notre Dame's Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Ind.
Warren Golf Course will join Lake Michigan Hills Golf Club as Western Amateur qualifiers on Monday, July 25.
Players from all over the United States and the world attempt to qualify each year for the Western Amateur. The 103rd annual event will be held at Point O'Woods Golf and Country Club, July 27-31.
Hampshire Country Club had been a qualifying site since 1974. The Western Amateur has been held at the Point O'Woods since 1971.
Kaczkowski added that the WGA is hoping that by moving the qualifier to South Bend it will open up the market more in that area as well as Chicago.
John Foster, general manager and head professional at Warren Golf Course, decided to approach the WGA about hosting a qualifier upon the advice of Warren superintendent Matt Cielen, who worked with the WGA during his three-year stint as assistant superintendent at the Point O'Woods.
Robert Lee, a Notre Dame graduate who is also a WGA director, helped arrange the meeting.
The WGA finalized the switch in December.
Warren Golf Course, which was designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, opened in 2000 and has hosted four Big East Men's Golf Championships, two Big East Women's Golf Championships and two men's U.S. Amateur qualifiers.
This coming May, Warren Golf Course will be the site of the NCAA Men's Regional Golf Championship.
Kaczkowski noted that the WGA's association with Hampshire Country Club has been a good one and that nothing has changed to precipitate the switch.
Kaczkowski added that because of the work that the staff at Hampshire has done over the years, he anticipates more work for the WGA officials at the new site.
Attempts to reach Hampshire Country Club officials by telephone went unanswered Monday.