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I am writing this, full of nervous excitement at the airport before catching my
flight down to Tampa for the tour’s first Major 2 day tournament of the 2013 season at Copperhead at Innisbrook golf resort this weekend, home of the PGATransitions Championship
The Golf Channel
Amateur Tour (GCAM) is a national tour, with ‘chapters’ across the United
States and Canada. We are lucky here in the NYC Metropolitan area, as we can
find ourselves on a weekly basis competing in the New Jersey tour, the NYC/Hudson Valley tour, and the one I belong to, the New York Long Island Tour
playing on the great golf courses across the tri-state area. As well as the
local events, then the tour hosts many “Majors”. These are two day tourneys on
some of the famous courses across the nation such as Copperhead, Pinehurst, PGA
West and TPC Sawgrass to name but a few.
Succeed in
winning three local tournaments, or positioning yourself in the top 3 in any of
the majors, or finding yourself in the top third of your Order of Merit, and
then you qualify for the National Championships. This is a 4 day event held at the
end of the season at a prestigious location that is nothing short of an incredible
experience.
All of these
tournaments are organized at the upmost level of professionalism, as you would
expect with the Golf Channel and Golf Galaxy associated with the tour. You
really are treated like a member of the PGA tour, and by golly, you really do
begin to believe it, as you find yourself surmounting even more pressure on
yourself to boom it 300 yards off the tee, and sink that snake-like 20 footer!
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| With 6 flights, Competion is fraught at all Skill Levels |
This tour is open to all level of golfers. With 6 flights, and also senior flights for the more seasoned amongst us, then anyone of us has a chance of winning if we can keep nerves of steel and produce fewer mistakes than our competitors. Fear not of sandbaggers out there either. The organizers are quick to find them and bump them up to the next level before you can call them a ‘bandit’
Since joining
the tour in the latter half of 2010, then I have found my game improving
considerably. Yes, I will be the first to admit, that the nerves got to me to
begin with. I have choked; I have walked off the course in disappointment.
However, once you have learned to control these emotions, then it really is a
sure fire way to enhance your focus and game. I started off within the “Hogan”
flight (8.0 – 11.9 Handicap) and after enjoying a few successes in 2011, then I
have been playing this year in the Palmer flight (4.0-7.9 Handicap). Now with
the additional drive to be competitive at this level, then I know I will be
playing better than I ever did before.
Finally, let me
mention the camaraderie on this tour. Never have I ever met such a friendly, great
bunch of guys. We come from all walks of life, and if nothing else, then the
tour has given me the opportunity to socialize, and hang out with fantastic
people that I would never have met if it wasn’t for the GCAM tour.
Everyone is
incredibly supportive of each other with numerous texts and well wishes as you
compete which really is a great feeling.
So, if you want
to improve your game, play some fantastic courses, taste the experience of what
it must feel like to be a Pro, and meet some brilliant people then sign up
today. Good luck, and I hope to see you out there!!
To sign up, check out the link below
http://gcamtour.com/
To sign up, check out the link below
http://gcamtour.com/
very insightful article. thanks for sharing this information. hope you play well this week, don't let your nerves get to you.
ReplyDeleteAre these events televised?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the well wishes! As for being televised, then I am afraid not..However, last year the top 3 players in every flight in the Major tournaments got to saw their name on the Golf Channel ticker during Golf Central on the following Monday....Definitely some bragging rights there!! :-)
ReplyDelete