Golf 163 “A Mini-RAGBRAI for Golf”
Golf 163
Iowa is well known for RAGBRAI, the week long bicycle ride across Iowa. Well, now 3 South Central Iowa Golf Courses are having a golf tournament that covers 3 days. Bos Landen, Oskaloosa Golf and Cedar Creek golf courses are teaming up for Golf 163. Highway 163 connects Pella, Oskaloosa and Ottumwa and will be the route for the tournament on July 10, 11, and 12. Oskaloosa has had a 3-course tournament within Oskaloosa for 6 years but Oskaloosa Golf’s manager, Doug DeKock, wanted to expand and try something new with a mini RAGBRAI concept. Golf courses need to be creative in finding new ways to promote golf at their courses so DeKock thought he would contact Bos Landen and Cedar Creek to see if there was any interest in working together on this. Keith Kriz (Bos Landen) and Greg Wilson (Cedar Creek) were immediately interested. They all three met one afternoon and Golf 163 was created. DeKock states “Keith and Greg have been great to work with. All 3 courses have made sacrifices to make this tournament a reality”.
The tournament will begin on Friday, July 10, 2015, in Pella at Bos Laden. Three different formats will be used in the 2-person team event. Each day there will be a tournament within the overall 3 day tournament. The tournaments will be flighted to promote numerous winners over the 3 day event. The format on Friday is a “scramble”, where the 2 person team uses the best shot by either golfer. On Saturday, July 11th, the tournament field will roll into Oskaloosa Golf and play a “shamble” format. This is where both players tee-off then play their own ball from the drive of their choice. Once again, the days results will be flighted and cash and prizes given out. The final stop of the tournament will be in Ottumwa at Cedar Creek Golf Course on July 12th. The format for Sunday will be “better ball”. This is where both players play their own ball and the lowest score is recorded. After scoring the day’s results the overall tournament will be scored and a Champion crowned for the 1St Annual Golf 163.
DeKock reports, “Early responses to the tournament have been fantastic. We are still working out details to provide the best overall tournament experience possible. It is our hope that this tournament will grow not only in participation from golfers but maybe even in more courses. Who knows, add a course from Altoona and Burlington and we will have a full RAGBRAI of Golf on 163”.
