BraeBurn Country Club to Host Five Future TGA Championships
BraeBurn Country Club in Houston has been chosen by the TGA as the host site of five future TGA championships in the coming years: the 2024 Texas Four-Ball, 2025 Women’s Senior Stroke Play, 2026 Texas Senior Amateur, 2030 Texas Mid-Amateur, and the 2032 Texas Amateur.
Next year’s Texas Four-Ball will be the third TGA championship held at the club, which previously hosted the 1995 Texas Amateur, won by Brad Elder, and the 2005 Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play, won by Steve Gill.
“The TGA is thrilled to reunite with BraeBurn Country Club after nearly two decades and continue to build upon a partnership that will support amateur competition in Texas,” said John Cochran IV, TGA Director of Competitions, South Texas. “We are confident that the club’s rich history, illustrious course, and superb amenities will not only test the greatest players from around the state but also create a welcoming atmosphere for each of the five championships.”
Located on the southwestern edge of downtown Houston, BraeBurn Country Club is one of the oldest private clubs in the city. Originally founded in 1926 as the Colonial Country Club, BraeBurn was designed by renowned architect John Bredemus. In 1929, a group of investors led by Jack Burke, Sr., Bredemus, and Sid Van Ulm purchased Colonial Country Club from the original developer and after restructuring later reopened as BraeBurn Country Club in 1931.
The course has been updated several times throughout the years, with a major remodel overseen by Tripp Davis and Associates in 2021. During the recent modernization project, Davis and his team rebuilt and reshaped all the tees, greens, and bunkers to significantly enhance and fortify the strategic elements of Bredemus’ classic design.
“In the past decades, we have had such a rich history of golf here, that we would like to continue upon that tradition,” said Mark Duranski, Head Golf Professional at BraeBurn. “With the renovation in 2021 taking place, we’ve realized what a gem this golf course is. We can now create a very challenging setup despite the fact that it’s currently just under 7,000 yards. We know that we have an excellent tournament style course and want to promote its reputation as such.”
The club’s established tradition of promoting professional and amateur competitions includes hosting the 1950 Houston Open, 1952 LPGA Houston Weathervane, 1954 NCAA National Championship, and the 1988 Miracle Network Golf Tournament.
With a past list like that, it was only a matter of time before BraeBurn returned to the spotlight.
“We like to roll out the red carpet for all of our members and guests,” Duranski said. “When players come to BraeBurn for a tournament, we want them to feel welcome. That’s the kind of experience that we want to put forward for the golfers in the state that are going to come compete in these events.”
BraeBurn has long been known as a shot-maker’s course because of the predominance of trees, twisting fairways, and well-guarded greens. It will test the best amateurs in the state by making them utilize every tool in their arsenal as they wind through the parkland-style layout.
“From a golfing standpoint, the changes made can create a variety of different types of shots that players will have to hit,” Duranski said. “Players must execute every shot whether it’s from the tee, an approach shot, or around the greens. Plus, our par 3s give us lots of variability in distance, allowing us to create some fun and interesting angles.”
BraeBurn Country Club is certain to be a fantastic host for some of the TGA’s most high-profile events, culminating with the 2032 Texas Amateur. It presents a wonderful opportunity for players to compete on an esteemed course like BraeBurn, and there’s no better way to conclude the memorable five-championship lineup than with the most prestigious amateur tournament in the state.
“We have a great membership here that is in support of growing amateur golf,” Duranski said. “With a growing junior golf program, it is exciting to think of the stages they could potentially play on, including these future TGA Championships, which will continue to grow BraeBurn’s reputation as being a premier golf venue in Texas.”
In addition to the five future TGA championships, BraeBurn will also host a 2024 first stage U.S. Amateur qualifier. Starting next year, the U.S. Amateur will move from a one-stage, 36-hole qualifying format to a two-stage qualifying format with 45 18-hole local qualifying sites and 19 18-hole final qualifying sites.
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