The Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Mid-Amateur Championship returns to the heart of Big Blue Nation. University Club of Kentucky’s Big Blue course will host the 25^th edition of this competition crafted for amateur golfers in Kentucky who are at least 25 years of age. This will be the first time the Kentucky Mid-Am has been staged at University Club of Kentucky since it hosted consecutive editions of the championship in 2002 and 2003, which were won by John Kartheiser and Dave Macke, respectively.

Danny McQueen is the owner of the facility as well as the original designer of the golf course. The Big Blue course was completed in 1991 and stood by itself for two years before a nine-hole layout called the Creek opened for play in 1993. Another two years later in 1995, the club acquired more than sixty acres of land which allowed a fourth nine to be built. That new nine and the Creek were linked together to create the second complete golf course on site, which is the Wildcat course. Arthur Hills and his team arrived at University Club in 1998 to do some touch-up work to the property. The project led to the removal of several bunkers, re-shaping of certain greens, and the installation of new tee boxes. Nothing was done to severely alter the original layout during this job, and University Club of Kentucky has been untouched in the two decades since.

Some players in this year’s field will enter with previous tournament experience at University Club of Kentucky. Last year, the Barbasol Championship Pre-Qualifier was staged here, while the Kentucky Open came through in 2006. Each fall, the facility also plays host to the Kentucky Wildcats’ Bettie Lou Evans Invitational, the home tournament of the school’s women’s team. This year’s edition of that event is scheduled for September 27-29, just several days after the conduction of the Kentucky Mid-Amateur.

Adam Ronniger, PGA Head Golf Professional at University Club of Kentucky has been working at the facility since his days as a college student and has acquired a deep sense as to what players can expect to find in competition on Big Blue.

“If you can bomb it off the tee, you should be able to thrive here,” Ronniger stated. “It’s pretty open here and there isn’t too much trouble off the fairways. The back nine is a good two to three strokes harder than the front nine, but it has an awesome three-hole stretch from 14-16. I think the 15^th, which is a long par-four, is one of the hardest holes you’ll find around Lexington. Watching players negotiate that stretch will be really fun.”

The stretch Ronniger speaks of begins with a 370-yard par-four where birdie can be made just as easily as bogey. With water surrounding the putting surface, a misplay off the tee or on the approach could sink a player’s hopes down the stretch. The difficult 15^th measures 464 yards and is lined by water down the entire left side off the tee. With the approach, players will then have to carry that same body of water to reach the green in regulation. On the 16^th, players find a gently curving par-five measuring 565 yards which plays around the same ponds that have lurked the 14^th and 15^th. With a long par-three and long par-four to finish, the 16^th could represent a contender’s last good chance to make a birdie before reaching the clubhouse.

Ronniger predicts this year’s champion to shoot about ten under par at the conclusion of the event based off the 2006 Kentucky Open, which was won with twenty under par by Matt Savage.

“With the Kentucky Open being 54 holes and the Mid-Am being 36 holes, when you bring out the state’s best amateurs, I think someone will get to double-digits assuming there’s good weather and low winds. This is a great golf course to host a big competition like this and everyone should really enjoy it.”

The Kentucky Mid-Amateur presented by Clark’s Pump-N-Shop will take place on September 23-24. Golf House Kentucky will have complete coverage of the event on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. A live video will be available to view on Tuesday afternoon when the championship contenders reach the 18^th hole. To view opening round tee times, click here.