By Dalton Balthaser

 

The Rhode Island Golf Association’s premier event, the 114th Amateur Championship, heads to a first-time venue in Shelter Harbor Golf Club June 24-28.

 

While Shelter Harbor is new to the RIGA Major scene, it has its share of RIGA tournament-hosting experience as the venue of the John P. Burke Memorial (Gross) on numerous occasions.

 

The Charlestown layout will host 132 of the Ocean State’s best. They all will be vying for the most coveted prize in Rhode Island amateur golf, the Rhode Island Amateur Trophy.

 

“It’s a great honor for the RIGA to be hosting its Amateur at Shelter Harbor,” said RIGA president and Shelter Harbor member Anthony Paliotta, 61, of Westerly, R.I. “The membership is excited about this event and the members have been behind this the whole way. We are going to have the greatest golfers in Rhode Island participating. It’s going to be a great week.”

 

The event will begin with two consecutive days of 18-hole stroke play on June 24-25. The top 32 players will then be seeded into the match play bracket. Any playoff for the remaining spots will take place after the conclusion of play on June 25.

 

The first and second round matches will start June 26, with the quarterfinals and semifinals taking place on June 27. The two finalists will compete in a 36-hole final on June 28.

 

Defending champion Jake Bauer, of Montaup Country Club, will not be in the field at Shelter Harbor. He turned professional in the months following his 8&7 victory over Rhode Island Country Club’s Matt Broome in last July’s final at Ledgemont Country Club.

 

The Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry design is known for its spacious property, elevation changes, unique bunkering and rock walls woven through the layout.

 

“For us, we have been proud of this golf course,” said Dave Tiedemann, Shelter Harbor’s Golf Professional since the club opened in 2004. “It seems like the course gets better each year. I think the players that were trying to qualify to get here have an idea what we are all about. [Course superintendent] Mike Dachowski and his crew do a tremendous job getting this course prepared. The players will be in for a treat.”

 

Tiedemann said there isn’t a better time than now for Shelter Harbor to get into hosting RIGA Major Championships.

 

“I think as a player and a golf professional it is great to create a buzz among amateur golf,” said Tiedemann, 51, of Westerly, R.I. “It is good for the game, for the state of Rhode Island and for Shelter Harbor. It is important to open up the golf course for competitions like this. I think a lot of players who might be playing Shelter Harbor for the first time might walk away from the R.I. Amateur saying it is one of their favorite courses they’ve ever played.”

 

The course is quite generous off of the tee with wide fairways but Tiedemann said the players’ games would be tested heavily once they reach their second shot.

 

“Iron play and putting will be the key,” said Tiedemann. “It’s all about placing the ball in the right spots on the greens. If you don’t put them in the right spot, pars will be hard to come by.”

 

To have their name engraved on the Rhode Island Amateur trophy at the end of the week, the winner will have to play the closing stretch at Shelter Harbor well.

 

“We like to say the last three holes here are everything you want,” said Tiedemann. “A long and narrow par 5 (No. 16), a par 3 over water (No. 17) and a forced carry uphill par 4 surrounded by an amphitheater green (No. 18). That finish you will have to bear down to close out a match or qualify for match play.

 

“Every hole is kind of its own private hole. You don’t crisscross or see other players out there. You are in your own world out there, which is very unique. When you are in your match it will just be the competitors and their caddies alone. Shelter Harbor will give a true match play experience.”

 

Past Amateur champions in the field include Paul Quigley of Green Valley Country Club (1986-87, 1991); Dr. George Pirie of Valley Country Club (1989, 1994, 2004); Mike Soucy of Valley (1999, 2001, 2003); Ben Tuthill of Wannamoisett Country Club (2000); Tom McCormick of Kirkbrae Country Club (2005); Brad Valois of Valley (2006-07, 2011, 2013); Bobby Leopold of Wannamoisett (2009, 2014) and Billy Forcier of Wannamoisett (2017).

 

The public and media are welcome to attend.

 

Aside from offering live scoring on its website, the RIGA will provide Amateur updates on its social media outlets. Follow @RIGALinks on Twitter and Instagram. Keep tabs on the week's most critical shots through Periscope.