**A VERY SPECIAL GUEST-HOSTED 18 HOLE STROKE PLAY EVENT**
The Inaugural Coach Greg (Grumpy) Curtis, Junior Championship of 2022
**Hosted by Coach Greg Curtis, and friends, with special award tournament trophy and exclusively designed flight medals for the lowest scorers**
This is a regular Claret Junior Tour ranked (GJGR) event AND a fun opportunity to attend and show your own appreciation for our very own stalwart and champion of raising awareness of junior golf in our community, Coach Greg (Grumpy) Curtis!
When: Saturday July 2nd, 2022. Tee Times from 12.30pm
Where: Eagle Ridge GC, Summerfield, FL
Details:18 Hole Stroke Play Competition (Flights classed by age)
Member’s entry: $30 inc. range/warm up balls.
Alumni/Senior entry: **18-21 Seniors are invited to play this event in a separate senior player only flight. Entry @ $30 inc. range/warm up balls**
Non-member’s entry: $45 inc. range/warm up balls.
This event is ranked by GJGR – Global Junior Golf Rankings.
**PLEASE NOTE ENTRY FOR THIS EVENT WILL CLOSE ON THURSDAY JUNE 30th, 2022 at 9pm. AFTER THIS TIME ENTRY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. IF WE CAN INCLUDE YOU A LATE FEE MAY BE APPLIED**
A SPECIAL EVENT HOSTED BY A VERY SPECIAL SUPPORTER OF JUNIOR GOLF
In late 2019 I was first introduced to Greg Curtis and it’s fair to say his reputation was known to me some time before we met!
The Villages in Central Florida, our home base, is known to many as the USA’s largest 55+ and retirement community. It’s foundations, and it’s seemingly endless popularity, is heavily built around the sport of GOLF.
Today The Villages boasts no fewer than 13 Championship Golf Courses, 42 Executive Golf Courses and no less than 711 individual holes of wonderfully maintained GOLF!!! There really is no other place on earth that can compare with the abundance of facilities offered for golfers of all ages in The Villages!
This was no doubt a factor when keen golfers like Greg and his wonderful wife Leona upped sticks from Maine many years back and settled in this particular part of the Sunshine State! Nothing new in that you might say however what has followed since then for Greg is the reason he’s someone we respect hugely, and someone we are proud to say has become a very close friend of the Claret Junior Tour, and of Fiona and I personally.
An ex-schoolteacher, with a huge heart and a passion for helping kids of all ages to be the best they can be, Greg has worked tirelessly in our community for a number of years by introducing them to the sport we all love. Like us, he firmly believes kids with golf in their lives can lead them to, not only a lifetime of exercise and sport, but also a great pathway to teach them some great life habits too, and despite the fact that many of a similar age are sitting at home with their feet up, he’s NEVER once tired of getting out into our community to spread the word to new young golfers and support those kids he introduced to the game so many years ago!
On that point, whether it’s been through our local schools, the Villages Junior Academy or numerous other youth-based golf programs I cannot even begin to imagine how many young players have either been introduced to golf, or influenced by his passion for junior golf over the years! His knowledge of our game is vast and his ability to coach the best out of kids, especially when they may be at a low point in confidence, is legendary!
I hope that many of you reading this recognize him in these words? Perhaps he was instrumental in introducing YOUR young golfer to the game or influencing them to participate or maybe he’s just been that supportive guy whose always been on the sidelines at school golf, or during a competition, who’s always willing to give a kind word or applaud a good shot?
Greg Curtis has fully earned the respect he now enjoys from of all of us. Whether you are a young player, a parent, a teaching professional or a golf administrator, we ALL owe him a debt of thanks for what he has given to our kids and to our game!
So what about that legendary “handle” that he’s acquired over the years? Before I met him I have to be honest and say that I was somewhat intrigued by that “Coach Grumpy” name he had acquired!
I’m happy to report that I not only know the story behind the name but now that I know the man himself I think it fits perfectly…if you think it’s derogatory in any way you ARE way off the mark! It suits him perfectly! It’s playful in nature and it really reflects the fact that he expects the very best from our youth! From their behavior to the character they display on and off the golf course, he’s a man of high standards and moral values, fall short of those and watch him become “Coach Grumpy” fast!
And incidentally he doesn’t suffer fools gladly either, try to pull a fast one on “Coach Grumpy” and he wastes no time in telling you about it! He may be advancing in years but he’s still as sharp as a tack!
Over the last 3 years, and more especially in the last six months, he has become a trusted advisor and a hugely valued source of advice and wise words. I’d go as far as to say if it were not for the guidance of Coach Grumpy at times The Claret Junior Tour may not have been in existence today! He may choose not to believe that, because that’s the man he is, but it’s a fact and Fiona and I can never thank him enough for that!
So, what’s all that got to do with an upcoming golf tournament at Eagle Ridge GC….well the fact is it’s HIS tournament, and not ours! While it may say The Claret Junior Tour on the label this one is very much Coach Grumpy’s, so much so that when it takes place, Fiona and I won’t even be there, we will be in Scotland enjoying a family vacation home, our first visit back since 2018!
When Greg suggested that, in our absence, he’d like to run this one locally we immediately said YES! There isn’t anyone else we would have said yes to!
We think it will be fun for him and we hope it will be fun for you all too, and for many of you who know him well, especially those where he has had a direct influence on your junior golfer’s journey, you may see it as an opportunity to share in what will hopefully be a memorable day for Greg, and an event that can become a regular fixture for us too! On the day, Greg will be ably assisted by a couple of friendly faces you may recognize too…after all we DO want him to have time to enjoy the tournament with you all so we can’t have him working too hard now, can we?
We hope as many of you as possible will show your support of our very special friend by attending this junior golf event.
The Inaugural “Coach Grumpy” Junior Championship will take place over 18 holes at Eagle Ridge GC on Saturday July 2nd with tee times from 12.30pm. There will be a very special trophy for the overall lowest scorer and exclusive, for this special one-off occasion, medals for flight winners. The tournament will be ranked by GJGR and Registration is open now.
When: Saturday July 2nd, 2022. Tee Times from 12.30pm
Where: Eagle Ridge GC, Summerfield, FL
Details:18 Hole Stroke Play Competition (Flights classed by age)
Member’s entry: $30 inc. range/warm up balls.
Alumni/Senior entry: **18-21 Seniors are invited to play this event in a separate senior player only flight. Entry @ $30 inc. range/warm up balls**
Non-member’s entry: $45 inc. range/warm up balls.
This event is ranked by GJGR – Global Junior Golf Rankings.
**PLEASE NOTE ENTRY FOR THIS EVENT WILL CLOSE ON THURSDAY JUNE 30th, 2022 at 9pm. AFTER THIS TIME ENTRY CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. IF WE CAN INCLUDE YOU A LATE FEE MAY BE APPLIED**
The Venue: We are always excited to return to our long standing “home venue” at Eagle Ridge Golf Club in Summerfield. Great practice facilities, good greens and a challenging course, that’s always well maintained, means we usually see some good scores returned by our players. Head Professional Dale Smauder and his professional team have always shown great commitment to the development of Junior Golf in our community and a great welcome to everyone and, in turn, we really enjoy playing there. We try to return here monthly and always keep things fresh by playing different 2 x 9 hole layouts each time.
Venue info and more course detail by clicking HERE