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Western AmateurA ShowcaseFor Stephens’Alotian ClubBy Jim HarrisThis summer casual golf fans willhave the rare opportunity of seeing theAlotian Club in person, and they’ll be ableto watch how Golf Digest’s 14th-rankedcourse in the nation tests the best amateursin the world.The Western Golf Association soughtout Warren Stephens’ exclusive golf enclavefor its prestigious Western Amateurtournament, which typically has beenstaged at top courses in the Chicago areaand last year drew a field from 13 countries.In fact, for 43 years the Western Amhas not been played outside the Chicagoarea or away from its previous permanentresidence, Michigan’s Point O’ WoodsGolf and Country Club.Stephens, in a January interview alongsideAlotian COODan Snider, saidhe welcomed theopportunity for hiscourse to play hostto such an event anddisplay Alotian on anational stage.The Western Amateurwill be playedJuly 29-Aug. 4.“It’s a great honor,”said Stephens, CEO of Stephens Inc. “Youlook at what they call their Sweet 16, lookat their past winners, and it’s a who’s whoof the PGA Tour.“And as we learned more about theWestern Golf Association and what theydo with their [Chick] Evans Scholarship,to host this is great for the club and greatfor Arkansas.”The Alotian Club operates a caddyprogram in which caddies can qualify for‘‘ It’s a tremendoushonor for Alotian,Little Rock and thestate for the AlotianClub to be hosting theWestern Amateur.’’– Jay Fox2012 Western Amateur champion Chris Williams hits out of trouble on his way to a 1-upvictory and medalist honors in the event held at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park, Ill.the WGA’s Chick Evans Scholarship. TwoAlotian caddies have gone on to earn fullcollege scholarships.The preparation for hosting the tournamentstarted even before it was officiallyannounced last year.Snider said changesto the 7,480-yard, par-72 course were minorand mostly involvedgrowing the rough sothe fairways could benarrowed at expectedlanding areas.“We’ve never reallyhad any rough at theclub … we did it lastyear so it could grow in this year,” Stephenssaid.Course designer Tom Fazio advised onalterations to strengthen the challenge forthe amateurs, and he sent in his right-handman, Andy Banville, to observe on site.“We also wanted to address pace-ofplayissues,” Stephens said, noting thefield will begin with 156 players.The Western Amateur is an invitationonlyevent. The WGA bases its invitationson world amateur golf rankings and willalso extend invitations to golfers outsidethose rankings, particularly those who nolonger play college golf.College golfers tend to dominate theworld amateur rankings.Little Rock resident Mark Bartlett, whospent time after college playing PGA Tourand other pro events before regaining hisamateur status, was one of those inviteeslast year to Exmoor Country Club in upscaleHighland Park, Ill.“I want to tell you, that tournament …absolutely blew me away,” said Bartlett,44. “The organization, the hospitality, it allwas as good as any tournament I’ve everbeen to, including PGA Tour events, and Ididn’t expect that.“I hope I get an invite again this year,and if I don’t then I will volunteer andpass on the good fortune that I felt fromthose guys in Chicago at Exmoor.”The Alotian Club will sell transferablepasses to the general public, costing $100for the entire six days of play, the weekafter the Masters Tournament concludesin April. Sales will also be online.The Western Amateur may be the14 ARKANSAS BUSINESS EXECUTIVE GOLFER / 2013
WGA photo by Chales Cherney Photo by Mike PirniqueThe Alotian Club is the site for this year’s Western Amateur Championship, which over theyears has turned out notable players like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard.toughest grind next to PGA Tour qualifyingschool. The 156 entrants compete intwo rounds of stroke play during the firsttwo days, then the field is cut to the top 44plus ties.After two more rounds of stroke play,the top 16 players advance to the Western’sfabled Sweet 16 for match play.The winner and runner-up of the Westernwill have played eight rounds of golfover six days.Former Arkansas Razorback golferEthan Tracy upset the heralded formeramateur turned pro Patrick Cantlay in the2011 Western Amateur.“Just think about this. We had theSouthern Amateur last year at Chenal[Country Club] and the Western is comingthis year,” said Arkansas State GolfAssociation Executive Director Jay Fox. “Ithink they say it’s the third largest amateurtournament in the United States.“Just think about the economic impactthe Southern and now this tournamentbrings to Little Rock. We get to show offthe state, the beauty of Alotian to peoplewho have probably never seen Alotian.It’s a tremendous, tremendous honor forAlotian, Little Rock and the state for theAlotian Club to be hosting the WesternAmateur.”Prepping the CourseSnider said the Alotian Club has 21committees with members and volunteersto cover the various aspects of puttingon a major tournament. The WesternGolf Association will also provide volunteerofficials for the tourney operation.All told, the number of volunteersinvolved may top 700.About 40 to 50 of the amateurs will requireprivate housing while in Little Rock,Stephens said.Committees will oversee everythingfrom tournament scoring and marshalingto security, medical, spotters, transportation,merchandise and media.Charging for admission and sellingWESTERN INFLUENCEThe Western Amateur’s Sweet Sixteen qualifiers,including such eventual winners as Tigers Woods,Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard, have gone on toelite status in golf. Over the years, members of theSweet Sixteen have accomplished the following:• 29 of the last 35 PGA TOUR Player of the Year awards• 12 of the top 20 on the PGA TOUR career money list• 28 major championship winners for a totalof 73 major championships• 13 events on the 2010 PGA TOUR schedule• 7 participants in the 2010 Ryder Cup• 15 of the last 19 U.S. Amateur Championsadvertising to the tournament programwill offset some of the club’s cost in puttingon the tournament, Stephens said,and also any leftover money can go to theWestern’s Evans Scholarship.“We’re not really sure of the interest,”he said. “The Western would be ecstatic ifwe sold 1,500 tickets. We think there willbe a curiosity factor that people will wantto come see the tournament here. We’llhave 2,500 tickets printed, and if therewas by chance more demand, then wecould do more.”Logistics figure in limiting the crowd,and parking outside Alotian’s gates isproblematic; in early January, the clubwas still looking at four possible sites(including Pinnacle Mountain State Parkand two area high schools) to park carsand run shuttles to the club.“We wanted to make the tournamentas accessible as we could,” Snider said.Alotian members will surrender theirlockers to the competitors the week of thetournament. They probably won’t haveto give playing privileges, though, untilthe week before the event, Stephens andSnider said.July in ArkansasOne of the first concerns Stephensexpressed to the inquiring Western GolfAssociation officials was: Did they knowhow hot Arkansas can get in late July?“We will do everything we can to makesure the participants and their caddiesare well taken care of,” Stephens said.“We’ll have multiple places on the courseand concession stands for them to stayhydrated.”One of the concessions to the heat,Snider said, was adding another day tothe tournament so golfers would onlyplay 18 holes a day over thestroke-play portion of theevent.“You’ve also got to consider,though, that many ofthese players will be collegegolfers who are used toplaying many holes in oneday,” Snider said.But are they used to thewalking challenge Alotianwill present?The course will answersome of that by carting golfersbetween some extendedand hilly areas of thecourse, Stephens said.“We have some prettytough walks from the greento the next tee,” he said.With its premium air green-coolingsystem, the course should not have troubledealing with the extreme heat that hasplagued Arkansas courses in recent summers.Alotian uses a bentgrass strain, A-4,that Stephens and Snider said offers thebest putting surface available year-round.“The defense of Alotian will be thegreens and the elevation changes,”Stephens said.Contrasting Exmoor with Alotian,which he also has played, Bartlett said,“Honestly, they are as different as golf2013 / ARKANSAS BUSINESS EXECUTIVE GOLFER 15
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