LSU Head Coach Chuck Winstead recalls walking Dalhousie Golf Club, Cape Girardeau in Missouri, while recruiting for the AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions in 2009.
Winstead said, “It is a great golf course.” It’s a solid layout from tee-to-green, and I think that it’s an excellent test.
Winstead sent a team to Dalhousie for the Golfweek Collegiate kickoff, which opened the new season. LSU won by seven shots after 54 holes with a score of 20 under par. Dalhousie is a tough test for a college team and other events – from the Missouri Amateur, to the AJGA Rolex – it has hosted.
Brandt Kieschnick, head coach at Sam Houston State University, could imagine a postseason match there one day.
Kieschnick’s Bears finished sixth with 7 over. “We loved it.”
Mike Fleck, the head coach of Ball State University, arrived at Dalhousie College and immediately recognized shades of his home. Gary Nicklaus’ design reminded me of Indiana’s Pfau Course, and Victoria National, Indiana’s two most challenging golf course.
Fleck stated that Dalhousie was a challenging venue with a fantastic layout. It was rewarding for those who drove the ball into play, with its tight fairways and a lot of trouble. The greens and fairways were softer than expected, but the large undulating greens require precision.
Dalhousie has a large layout with undulating terrain in South Missouri. Stetson’s men were surprised by the new Zoysia and Bentgrass fairways and tees. They are used to Bermudagrass in Daytona Beach.
Danny Forshey, head coach at Stetson, said: “It was in amazing condition. Everything you could say about how good it was was probably true.” “It was different for us coming from Florida. It was a different experience for us, and I think that’s why we liked it.
Stetson had a good handle on the game after two rounds, a practice round followed by the first round. John Houchin, the Hatters’ top counter at 67, led all four Hatters in Round 2. Only LSU had a higher score in the second round.
Forshey stated, “I knew that after the practice round I thought this is different. I wish we’d seen this place before.” As you could tell, our players were more relaxed after the second round. They had seen it three times by the time they got to the second round.
Stetson finished the second round at the Golfweek kickoff between two SEC teams in a 12-team field. The Hatters were eight points behind LSU, but five ahead of the tournament host Missouri. The Hatters were then paired with an SEC team for the final round.
Forshey enjoyed the final round draw as much as he did the challenge Dalhousie presented. The tee shot discipline was required for several of the shots, such as the par-4 10 which features a double-fairway and the long par 3s requiring commitment to the target.
Forshey said, “It was a great test.” His Hatters finished third with a score of 5 under par, making them the only team, aside from LSU and Missouri, to finish below par. You can shoot 65 or even 66, but you will need to play really good golf.
LSU graduate Alex Price shot a 65 on the first day of the 36-hole round, and Missouri sophomore Alfons bondesson finished with a 65 the following day. Despite these low rounds, Dustin Korte and Rose Zhang, both LPGA winners, shared the amateur course record with 64.
Price took the title as an individual with a total of 11 under, and Missouri’s Jack Lundin was second with a total of 10 under.
Price described Dalhousie as “what I am familiar with and where I learned to golf.” Price spoke of Dalhousie’s 36-hole course after the round. “I will always love that. And on top of that, there are a lot fun shots and cool hole.”
The season opener is sure to be unforgettable.
