Forrest Akers East Course at MSU
By Greg Johnson for www.skyviewsports.net
EAST LANSING – Forest Akers East Golf Course, one of two championship courses on the campus of Michigan State University, will play host to the 16th GAM Junior Stroke Play Championship presented by Absopure Wednesday and Thursday, July 31 and Aug. 1.
It is the eighth consecutive year that Forest Akers East has hosted the tournament that is designed for young golfers to gain competitive experience, but this year the championship has a format change.
The 12-and-under age division competition has been removed and a new GAM 12 & Under Championship has been formed. That tournament will be played on Aug. 12-13 at Twin Beach Country Club in West Bloomfield.
As for the GAM Junior Stroke Play, boys and girls 15-and-under will compete and play 36 holes of stroke play, 18 holes each day.
Forest Akers East is the lesser known of the two golf courses at Michigan State, but especially suited for young golfers. Many of the players will play it often as they move on to high school golf as both the West and East course host regional and state tournaments.
The East Course, founded in 1958, was redesigned in 1997 by Arthur Hills, and changed from a par 71 to par 72. Numerous trees and bunkers were also added for strategic enhancements. The most extensive improvement was the addition of the new Golf Center, which includes equipment, food service and other amenities.
Bryan Harris is the PGA golf professional and general manager at Forest Akers and Ben Keeler is the golf course superintendent. Learn more at golf.msu.edu.
The GAM Junior Stroke Play is a proven training ground. Two-time Michigan Women’s Amateur champion and 2018 GAM Women’s Champion, Allyson Geer of Brighton, cited the stroke play tournament as her first significant win in Michigan. Recent U.S. Amateur champion James Piot of Canton and Andrew Walker of Battle Creek, both professional golfers, are also on the list of past champions.
Last year, Cooper Reitsma of Ada followed up a personal-best first-round 9-under 62 with a 69 to claim victory among the boys, and Avery Manning of Dexter shot a final 73 for a 2-over 144 total, five shots clear of the field. Both champions have aged out of the competition and are not in this year’s field.
RESULTS, TEE TIMES: GAM.org tournament schedule or Golf Genius