The 30th anniversary Jack Nicklaus Cup Matches, held at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Arden, NC, was another close competition for players. The team from Desert Mountain—Renegade out of Scottsdale, Ariz., won with a score of 253 to edge out the team from Barrington Golf Club #4 (Aurora, Ohio) with a score of 248.
More than 20 teams, each consisting of one golf professional and three members of varying skill levels, represented Nicklaus Design courses from around the nation to compete in the annual 54-hole tournament. Players competed in scramble, best-ball and modified Chapman formats, and accumulated Stableford points for their net team.
In taking the title, Desert Mountain—Renegade, with golf professional Nathan Carl and members Jeff Bloom, Dwight Haldan and Bill Eckholm, finished ahead of the team from Barrington #4 with golf professional Vinnie Paolozzi and members Jim Mehallis, Aaron Smigelski and J.L. Moore.
Other participating clubs were The Cliffs at Walnut Cove (Arden, NC), The Cliffs at Keowee Falls (Keowee Falls, SC), The Concession Golf Club (Bradenton, Fla.), Desert Highlands (Sottsdale, Ariz.), Desert Mountain – Cochise, Desert Mountain—Geronimo, Hokulia Golf Club (Kailua-Kono, Hawaii), Nicklaus North (British Columbia, Canada), Richland Country Club (Nashville, Tenn.), SouthShore Golf Club (Henderson, Nev.), Superstition Mountain (Apache Junction, Ariz.), Sycamore Hills (Fort Wayne, Ind.), and Toscana Country Club (Indian Wells, Calif).
After their first round, the teams from each bracket qualified for the annual “shootout” competition. The team from Bracket One—Superstition Mountain, with golf professional Nic Dilucci, and members Charlie Pooley, Milford Cunningham and Ken Scribner—and the team from Bracket Two—Barrington Golf Club #4—each won the hole-by-hole elimination event. The team from Nicklaus North #2, with golf professional Michael Zuccolin, and players Nick Papoutsis, Ernie Zuccolin and Craig Killian, and the team from Desert Mountain—Outlaw, with golf professional Eldon Epperly and players Jack Millett, Jay McGhee and Scott Gordon, each came away with a victory in the putting contest.
Congratulations to each participating club and the competitors in the 30th Jack Nicklaus Cup Matches, and special thanks to the staff from The Cliffs at Walnut Cove for their outstanding help in hosting the tournament.
Please contact Ted Hines ( / 614-406-9584) if you have a Nicklaus Design course that is interested in playing in or hosting the 2014 Jack Nicklaus Cup Matches. When the site is finalized, a save-the-date will be sent.
