Photo courtesy of the USGA.
With a focus on maintaining the integrity of the land and the ability to retain the people who make Flint Hills National a site for personalized world-class golf, Tom Devlin’s dream of bringing a championship course to Wichita became a reality.
Twenty years later as we prepare to host our third USGA championship, we’re eager to contribute both economically and with a great sense of pride to the Wichita-area community. We’re committed to excellence in golf and are honored to host the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Flint Hills National Golf Club (July 17-22, 2017).
156 of the best junior golfers in the world have converged upon Wichita/Andover, arriving July 13 and staying through the championship’s conclusion on July 22. Each one will travel with parents, coaches, caddies, extended family and friends. Also visiting Wichita are more than 100 college golf coaches from all across the country. The economic impact on our community will be significant as these visitors enjoy the many amenities of our city. Tom Devlin, owner of Flint Hills National, his family and the entire Flint Hills National staff love the Wichita-area community and take great pride in hosting world-class experiences.
This championship is hosted with the sole purpose of positively impacting the lives of young men who hold aspirations of respecting the game of golf at the highest level for years to come. The U.S. Junior Amateur championship has been won by the likes of Tiger Woods (three times), Jordan Spieth (twice) and Johnny Miller, as well. The commitment at Flint Hills National Golf Club is to deliver the best Championship possible and leave a lasting memory for these young men and their families, the college coaches and spectators. Fox Sports will be broadcasting the final three days of the Championship, which will showcase our community on a national stage. One more effort to add to the extensive list of initiatives reinforcing Wichita as a “great place to live and work.”
This week will be the result of countless hours of preparation by our team and numerous volunteers. The greens are firm ensuring a fast course, tees and fairways clipped short, and a team of 40 is set to arrive at 4:30 a.m. each day to maintain the course to the top condition of play.
Everyone helping us provide this world-class experience holds a desire to “respect the game,” the anthem of Flint Hills National. We thank the USGA for choosing our course and community to host. We thank the many businesses who have donated products and services to help put on this Championship. We thank the 350 plus volunteers that will donate their time to help us run this Championship. We thank the Flint Hills National members for their support, both financially and through the sacrifice of their club for two weeks. We thank the community for welcoming players and families next week, and invite you to come see the future of golf at Flint Hills National, a championship free to attend.
Our hope is by showcasing the best of the Wichita area, we can share our respect for the game with our international competitors and collectively make their dreams a reality.
—
Jeff Johnson
President
Flint Hills National Golf Club
