Ginn Sur Mer PGA Tournament Highlights Palm Coast

Bobby Ginn’s latest golf tournament in Palm Coast, FL was smaller than the Champions Tour event in the spring, but still good for Palm Coast.

Palm Coast, Florida – November 3, 2008 – The PGA Fall Tour doesn’t have the draw of the regular season tour. Contestants are mostly drawn from the list of tour professionals who have not locked in a tour card for next year by virtue of making the top 125 on the money list. Davis Love was probably the most recognizable name among contestants at the Ginn Sur Mer Classic played at The Conservatory Golf Course in Palm Coast, FL this past weekend. He failed to make the cut. So did Daniel Chopra and Charles Howell III.
 
Florida Palm Coast Golf Conservatory CourseCompared to the Ginn Championship PGA Champions Tour event in the spring at the Hammock Beach Ocean Course, it was a small tournament, by any measure, except the $4.6 million purse. But Palm Coast is still a small city, so any PGA Tournament with the accompanying hours of coverage on the Golf Channel is a solid plus. The Daytona News-Journal suggests "Sur Mer a mere blip in area sports annals?" It may not be all that significant in the global scheme, but it sure is significant to the Palm Coast area, even though it is probably a one-time event here.
 
The Tom Watson designed Conservatory Golf Course was in great condition and the new clubhouse is impressive. I happened to meet some people in the Houligan’s tent during a rain delay, five of whom had traveled from Spokane, Washington for the event. They stayed at the Hammock Beach Resort and were suitably impressed; another group leaving Palm Coast with a positive impression.
While Ginn has cut back on event sponsor commitments, the spring ’09 Ginn Championship (PGA Champions Tour) at Hammock Beach in Palm Coast and the Ginn Open (LPGA Tour) outside Orlando are still in the ’09 plans.
8 replies
  1. John
    John says:

    Negative

    This article seemed a little on the negative side towards the tournament, just curious as to why?? Also, the field may not have Tiger or Phil but the PGA Tour Players here are all great players. Let’s be positive after a great event!

  2. Johnny
    Johnny says:

    Sur Mer

    I too was disgusted with our pitiful newrag-the Daytona Beach News Journal. They obviously live by the more’ that "if you can’t say anything nice-print it on the front page and hurt as many of our local business people as possible".

    Toby, in my humble opinion your article was as positive as you could get without popping the truth balloon-it was real.

  3. Papi Harris
    Papi Harris says:

    Great Time

    I think the tounrnament was a wonderful event. It allowed the local community the chance to see a fantastic private course played by the best in the world ( even if the top names were not there). As a member, it was a great feeling to see our course on TV and the fact that it put up a great test to the pros. People need to stop having so much hatred for Ginn. Its not his fault that the market tanked and all this ill will occurred.

    The point is that is was a good time for all and good for the city of Palm Coast.

    Be positive. Period.

  4. charles denise
    charles denise says:

    Ginn event

    Toby…IMO a Positive article…Those kids represent the very best of those climbing the ranks. Excellent purse…and as Keith Fergus said, "Bobby Ginn throws one heck of a party." Palm Coast has a bigger place on the map and we owe it in large part to these fantastic PGA Tournaments. As always, keep up the great work Toby! CPD

  5. elmer stainbrook
    elmer stainbrook says:

    Emu

    I agree with you Toby. The event, although not with the biggest players. was really great. The players who won the money had no complaints. The reporters for the always negative News-Journal cannot even comprehend the good impact this had on the area. I bet they did not complain about the free food and transportation that was provided. They just hate to see someone do good. We had a group that was there three days and had no complaints at all (other than the weather). Good job.

  6. George Edward Chuddy
    George Edward Chuddy says:

    PGA Tour Taps Palm Coast as National Qualifying Si

    Nicely Written Toby.
    This Event rounds out and completes the Circle and shows you where the ‘Four Sisters’* Golf Courses brought us all:
    PGA Tour Taps Palm Coast As National Qualifying Site
    PALM COAST, Florida – It has been called the most pressure-packed week in golf.
    December 2nd through 7th, at Matanzas Woods Golf Club and Pine Lakes Country Club, some 200 pros and would be pros from across the USA battled it out for 50 1988 PGA TOUR playing cards, They were current TOUR pros needing to requalify, and the talented survivors of regional and sectional tournaments. They came to Palm Coast with no less than their dreams on the line.
    The tension was so thick you could cut it with a niblick.
    The top 50 scorers and ties-over 108 holes in six days- moved on to the next pressure level: The PGA TOUR.
    It was a prestigious selection to host the national finals. The tournament was held last year at PGA WEST in La Quinta, California, in in 1985 at the Tournament Players Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Palm Coast Director of Golf Bob Kendra likes the company his courses keep.
    ‘We’ve worked hard to develop a PGA TOUR calibre golf environment here, and our selection by Tour officials was very rewarding,’ saig Kendra. ‘It was an exciting tournment played by some of the country’s best young golfers.’
    The courses that challenged them- and test Palm Coast golfers every day-bear the trademark stamps of designers Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay: rolling fairways, dangerous lakes and different looks on each hole, requiring strategy, not just power.
    From the pro tees, though a little power didn’t hurt. Matanzas Woods is a par-72, 6,985 yard layout among the pines and cypress of north Palm Coast. Pine Lakes is the longest of Palm Coast’s three courses, a 7,044, par 72 track with water in play on half of its holes.
    December 2nd through 7th, 1987, the lakes grew larger, the trees taller, the greens smaller, the traps more imposing. Survival of the Fittest is what this was, and who knows, some Sunday afternoon on your television soon, you may see the fittest shooting it out with the best.
    Palm Coast got them there.

    *ITT Levitt very early on, referred to Palm Coast’s golf courses as the ‘Four Sisters’ ( when time permits we’ll share the story how ‘The Four Sisters’ got started)
    ‘The Four Sisters’ = Palm Harbor, a.k.a Palm Coast Golf Course, Pines Lakes Golf Course, Matanzas Woods Golf Course, and Cypress Knoll Golf Course. This 100,000+ acre , largest community , New Town, in the Nation was first promoted and advertised by ITT Levitt as 5 Miles of Beach, 20 somthing miles of Canals, and a Four Golf Course Community. ‘The Company’ had official ‘Guided Tours’ running constantly of the First Neighborhood,the First Neighborhood Park, The Marina and Boat Ramps/Ships Store, The Palm Coast Golf Course, putting green, driving range, Contemporary Clubhouse, The Yacht Club on Clubhouse Dr., The Swim Club, on Clubhouse Drive, the Tennis Club, on Clubhouse Drive, the Welcome Center 62 foot High Observation Tower, the Model Homes Exhibit Area, and the Formal Gardens behind the Exhibit Area homes, to $ell land..and $sell land they did!
    The Palm Coaster, Winter 1988, p. 16.

    We copied this so perhaps the Realtors in Matanzas can tell prospective buyers the provenance of the 11th Community, who knows, perhaps that will nail a sale there. We hope so.
    OH…also maybe add ‘…the 11 communities of Olde Towne Palm Coast were designed and engineered to withstand a 100 year flood…’
    The Palm Coaster, Winter/Spring 1982, p.13
    We hope this info. helps Matanzas friends!
    George Edward Chuddy
    https://palmcoastcorehomes.tripod.com
    chuddy@bestnetpc.com

  7. George Edward Chuddy
    George Edward Chuddy says:

    How it all started – GREENS FEE

    GREENS FEE MEMBERS:
    > Class A Individual, Regular $60.00
    > Full Family, Regular 90.00
    > Class B
    > Individual, Week Days only: $ 25.00
    > Full Family, Week Days Only 40.00
    > Class AA Individual, Unlimited 300.00
    > Full Family, Unlimited: 400.00
    > Class BB Individual , Week Days only 200.00
    > Full Family, Week Days only 275.00
    >
    > PAYABLE 3 equal installments : April 1, May1, June 1
    > Greens Fee Schedule:
    > Members of Class A & B Only:
    > 18 Holes WeekDays 3.50 Sat., Sun, & Holidays $ 5.00
    > 9 Holes WeekDays 3.00 Sat., Sun., & Holidays 3.00
    >
    > Guests and Non Members;
    > 18 Holes $ 4.50, 6,00
    > 9 Holes: 3.00 , 4.00
    >
    > Though Palm Coast Golf Cub year runs from April 1 to March 31, new members
    > may join after January 1 with no increase to their regular dues.
    > (FR: June/July 1972 – Palm Coast Golf Club Terms and Conditions of Membership))
    When we have more time we’ll print the first Yacht Club ( On Clubhouse Dr) Fees/terms…
    Oh ..what the hell:
    Yacht Club:
    Class A Family-Pool & Clubhouse – No Tennis
    Class AA Family Unlimited
    FEE SCHEDUKE:
    Class A $ 50/YEAR
    Class AA $!00 /YEAR
    Guest and Non-Members $ 2.00 /day/person – Pool & Clubhouse – No Tennis
    Tennis: $ !.00 /hour/person – Class A & Guest
    Marina: Fees for dockage and ramp according to boat size and length of time.
    *
    Though Palm Coast Yacht Club Year runs from April 1 to March 31, new members may join after January 1 with no increase to their regular dues. Membership fees payable in 3 payments – April 1, May1, June 1)

    Approval of membership and payment of annual dues entitles member for the year ( April 1 – March 31 ) to full use of all facilities of Palm Coast Yacht Club in accordance with his particular membership classification.
    ( Residents of the Olde Towne Palm Coast Core first Neighborhood Dues: FREE…and the 164 Homesites could use their own Golf Cart – Go look at the Gold Cart Garages on Cerrudo – oh..ROFLMAO…all utilities for almost two years in the first Neighborhood were….well..you guessed it..)

  8. Toby
    Toby says:

    Reply to John

    John, If you want negative, read the News Journal story, which prompted my own story. My intent was to convey a positive view of the tournament and its impact on Palm Coast. The reality is that it was a minor tournament for the PGA but a mojor for those that moved into the top money list.

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