The Country Club Of St. Albans (Lewis & Clark Course) | Site Preview

Site Preview - The Country Club of St. Albans (Lewis & Clark Course)

Yardage: 7,150 yards
Par: 35-36—71
Defending champion: Texas
Opened: 1992
Designer: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morish

USGA championships: This will be the first USGA championship hosted by the club, but events such as the Metro Amateur Golf Championship and Missouri State Amateur have been held at the course.

Missouri and the USGA: The Men’s State Team Championship will be the 17th USGA event held in the Show Me State and second in 2009, joining the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Old Warson C.C. in August.

Designer notes: Created in honor of the legendary explorers, the links-style course is surrounded by 100-year-old woods, dramatic terrain and natural creeks.

What’s in a name: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark made their first stop not on their legendary expedition west on the Missouri River from St. Louis not far from where the golf course is situated.

Club background: Community and club planners incorporated historic remnants into the design. Parts of the 5,400 acres that make up the property bear symbols from Civil War-era graves. A wildlife refuge preceded the construction of the golf courses and community. Some of the stone homes on the property were designed by Theodore Lind, the famous architect of St. Louis’ Union Station.

Wizardry: The honorary chairman for the State Team is Hall of Fame shortstop and Country Club of St. Albans member Ozzie Smith, who starred for the St. Louis Cardinals. Smith enjoyed the moniker "Wizard" for his on-the-field artistry, where he was one of the game’s all-time great defensive shortstops.

Brute for a finish: Players competing at the Men’s State Team will encounter quite a finishing stretch of holes starting with the 566-yard, par-5 14th hole and then going to a 202-yard, par-3. The 16th measures just 312 yards, but holes 17 and 18 are 484 and 480 yards, respectively. Both are par-4s. The set-up also includes a 600-yard, par-5 (No. 6).

Championship Facts

PAR AND YARDAGE – The Lewis and Clark Course at The Country Club of St. Albans will be set up at 7,150 yards and will play to a par of 35-36—71.

THE COUNTRY CLUB OF ST. ALBANS (LEWIS AND CLARK COURSE) – Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish designed the course, which opened in November 1992. A second course, Tavern Creek, opened in May 1998.

HOLE BY HOLE – 7,150 yards, par 35-36—71

COURSE RATING AND SLOPE – Based on the course setup for the championship, the Lewis and Clark USGA Course Rating® is 74.3. Its USGA Slope Rating® is 137.

COURSE CHARACTERISTICS – Fairways will be cut to 1/2 of an inch, while the teeing grounds, putting-green approaches, aprons and collars around the green will be cut to 3/8 of an inch.

The intermediate cut (5-foot width) of rough will be mowed at 1ľ inches, with the primary rough cut to 3 to 3˝ inches.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY – The field of golfers will play 18 holes on each of three stroke-play rounds Sept. 23-25 (Wednesday-Friday). The two lowest scores from each three-person team constitute the team score for each round. The three-day total is the team’s score for the championship. Any first-place ties will be broken by the final-round score from the team’s non-scoring player. If the teams are still tied, the tiebreaker will be the second-round score from the team’s non-scoring player.

ADMISSION IS FREE – The general public is invited to attend the championship. Admission and parking are free of charge.