Golf Daze: Local Golf Updates and Upcoming Events

The National event has 132 of the top touring pros challenging the beautiful and difficult Atunyote (Uh Duneyote) Golf Course at the Turning Stone Casino Resort in nearby Oneida. A scant two hour drive from downtown Saratoga, local golf enthusiasts will have the opportunity to watch the world's top players in action.

The tournament proper will be played Sept. 28 - Oct. 1. And the pros will be vying for the top prize - that is well over a million dollars. The Turning Stone purse is the third largest amount offered on the PGA tour.

The magic word here is "tour." The event is a regularly scheduled stop on the PGA calendar. It has been for the past three years. And it does attract many of the top players in the world, although Tiger, Phil and Vjay won't be there along with 27 other players who will be playing in Atlanta, Georgia in the tour championship. The tour championship has only 30 participants and is part of the Fed-Ex Cup Series.

And it is the lack of the top 30 players that makes the Turning Stone event much more exciting. It gives the rising stars a chance to jump to the forefront and claim a title that offers them all the amenities that the top players now enjoy. A large purse that will offer them financial security, an offer to play in next year's Masters, an opportunity to get into the top 150 players that will make him fully exempt for qualifying for the 2010 tour and star recognition are all parts of winning a major tournament.

I am always amazed at the number of our local golfers who are unaware of the significance of the Turning Stone event. It is a major stop on the PGA tour. It is not a satellite tour. It is not a champions (senior) tour. It is a full scale event, full of the excitement, glamour and disappointments that you expect at the Masters, US Open or the PGA Championship. Maybe it is so close to home we have a tough time believing it is happening. Believe me, it's real. Go and enjoy yourself. You will have a great time. Tickets are on sale now. Advanced sales $25.00 Wednesday through Sunday. Or at the gate $35.00. Call 1-877-833-7469.

The other tournament is local and it's a tourney I look forward to playing in every year. The 11th Annual Airway Meadows Oktoberfest will be taking place n Sunday, October 11th. The format is always the same, a 4-player scramble with a 9 a.m. registration, continental breakfast followed by a shotgun start. The field is limited to a maximum of 144 players and is usually filled up rather quickly. To secure a spot in the field, early registration is suggested.

The tournament is open to all local golfers interested in competitive golf. You can enter your own team or you can enter as an individual and be assigned to a foursome. Entry fee for a non-member of Airway Meadows is $89.00.

And be prepared for a full day of golf and events. Rules and activities are as follows:

• Men-White Tees, Women-Red Tees, Men 65 and over may play Gold Tees

• 18 Holes of golf with Cart

• Oktoberfest gift for participants

• Lunch on the turn - hotdog, chips, soda, draft beer; kegs of beer, Oktoberfest Beer, Wine &  Soda from NOON on

• Steak, Chicken, German dishes, salads, dessert and coffee

• Lots of prizes, skins optional Wagering hole (proceeds used for additional prizes)

• 50/50 Raffle (half of pool for cash prizes, other half for additional prizes from pro shop from same pool of tickets)

• Competitions during the round; Closest to the Pins, Most Accurate Drive

• Competitions during BBQ*: Winners of Putting & Chipping Contests

Receive a free GOLF MEMBERSHIP for 2010 (maximum of two memberships to be given away) Putt off or pitch off to settle all ties). Membership offered to winner only.