Logan Country Club to host elite girls youth tourney

For only the second time in its 32-year history, the Girls Junior Americas Cup golf tournament is coming to Utah. The tournament will be played July 28-30 at the Logan Golf & Country Club.

The tournament is comprised of the 18 four-golfer teams from Western states and Canada and Mexico. The girls will play 54 holes each day, with the top three scores counted each day toward a team score.

The Utah team includes Nicole Gaddie, Tara Green, Courtney Smith and Sirene Blair. Southern California has won the last three titles and has won or shared seven of the last eight titles.

An individual champion will also be crowned. Past winners include LPGA standouts such as Lorena Ochoa, a three-time winner; Pat Hurst, a two-time winner; and Brandie Burton.

POULSON WINS SENIOR UGA TITLE: Steve Poulson won the UGA Senior Championship with a two-day total of 137 at Davis Park Golf Course. Rick Lloyd was second at 139, followed by Jeff Powars at 140 and Paul Cannon at 141.

CLARK LISTED AS BEST TEACHER: Golf In The Round's Ken Clark has been listed as the best teacher in Utah by Golf Digest Magazine. No. 2 is Corey Badger of the Golf Lab, followed by Mike Smith and Scott Draper, both of Southgate Game Improvement Center in St. George. The 34-year-old Badger was also listed as one of the top teachers in the country under age 40.

Utah native and longtime local pro Mike Malaska, who works at Superstition Mountain CC in Gold Canyon, Ariz., is ranked among the Top 50 teachers in the nation again, coming in at No. 24.

SKY MOUNTAIN, RANCHES UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT: Sky Mountain in Hurricane and The Ranches in Eagle Mountain are now being managed by the same company that runs Sand Hollow in Hurricane and Thanksgiving Point in Lehi.

The cities of Hurricane and Eagle Mountain both approached Vanguard Golf Management about taking over their golf courses because of the "customer-friendly" reputation that Vanguard has established over the past eight years.

"These are both great golf courses that we think have not reached their potential, but will, once customers find the kind of conditions and service that they have come to expect at our other courses — Sand Hollow and Thanksgiving Point," said Vanguard director of golf Mark Whetzel.

Opened in 1994, Sky Mountain Golf Course sits on Bureau of Land Management land but is owned by Hurricane. The city will still hire employees and pay for maintenance expenses, but Vanguard will run the course in a fashion similar to Sand Hollow while promising to keep the course affordable and accessible for locals. Kent Abegglen, former pro at Sunset View in Delta, has been hired as Sky Mountain's new head professional.

The Ranches was recently donated to Eagle Mountain by Ames Construction. The city, not wanting to take on a money-losing situation, struck a three-way management deal that turns course operations over to Vanguard — which plans to operate in a little-brother relationship to nearby Thanksgiving Point. Tele Whiteman will be the new head pro at The Ranches.

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