The JAGA First Coast Amateur will be played at The Conservatory at Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa in Palm Coast for the third year in a row in January 2022.
The announcement was made Tuesday, Aug. 17, by The Jacksonville Area Golf Association (JAGA) and Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa.
The 54-hole stroke-play championship returns to its traditional Martin Luther King holiday weekend dates of Jan. 15-17.
Top finishers in the 2022 JAGA First Coast Amateur will once again receive World Amateur Golf Ranking points.
Since its inception in 2017, the First Coast Amateur’s reputation has grown among amateurs and college players alike seeking a highly competitive experience prior to the launch of their 2022 golf season. In 2021, the tournament increased from 78 to 96 players. The players ranged in age from 15 to 56, with 21 states, 14 nationalities and 30 colleges or universities represented.
In addition to the field increase, the alternate list grew to 65.
The First Coast Amateur is open to male golfers with a verifiable USGA handicap index of 3.0 or better who have reached the age of 16 by Jan. 15, 2022, unless otherwise approved by the Tournament Committee.
The Conservatory became home to the First Coast Amateur in 2020. The Tom Watson Signature Design played approximately 7,100 yards in January. Renovation work being done to the course’s bunkers will be completed this fall.
“The reputation of the JAGA First Coast Amateur as a highly competitive and well-organized championship has grown every year, as evidenced by our alternates’ list reaching 65 this year,” First Coast Amateur co-chairmen John Milton and Jeff Adams said in a joint statement. “We strive to make the tournament experience better every year for the competitors who come from near and far. We have a terrific host facility and golf course, an attractive destination in Palm Coast and the Flagler beaches, a strong slot in the amateur golf calendar and the backing of a solid organization in JAGA to meet our goals. We look forward to the return of many of college and amateur golf’s finest players in January 2022.”
Tournament details will be posted at jaxareagolf.org as they become available in the coming months. Entries will open in late October.
There will be three categories of eligibility: exempt, non-exempt and committee exemptions. Details will be announced.
For more about Hammock Beach Resort, go to hammockbeach.com.
