Nassau Country Club to Host 2014 USGA Women's Tournament

The United States Golf Association Women's Amateur Tournament will return to the after 100 years in August of 2014.

As one of the oldest clubs in America, founded in 1899, Nassau is among a rarefied number to ever celebrate the centennial return of a national championship. 

"Hosting the 2014 U.S. Women’s Amateur on the one hundredth anniversary of the championship first being contested at Nassau will be a major milestone for the club and the USGA,” said Nassau Country Club President John Caliolo. “Since its inception, Nassau has been steadfast in its commitment to championship golf and the USGA’s ‘For the good of the game’ effort. We are very excited to have the opportunity to add a new chapter to Nassau’s storied history.”

With Nassau's return to the national golfing scene, the club expects the return of big crowds and big business for local hotels and restaurants. General Manager Thomas Sperandeo estimates drawing between 500 and 1000 spectators on any given day with a surge at the final round, judging by turnout at the 2010 Women's Amateur Tournament in North Carolina. 

The 18-hole course will be fine-tuned to meet the USGA's specifications under the direction of Superintendent David Delsandro, previously of Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania, which hosted eight US Open Championships.

Nassau Ladies Club Champion Kerith Flynn is curious to see how the course will be adjusted for the tournament.

"If [Nassau] makes the first hole into a par four, that will be challenging. If they start from a greater distance back, they’re going to have to move back the tees in the second hole and that’ll make it more difficult. I would think that the tenth hole is going to be a challenging hole for them as well because it’s long.”

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship is one of the USGA’s first three championships, along with the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open. It was first played in 1895 and is open to female amateur golfers with a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 5.4. Nassau Country Club saw Katherine Harley Jackson win the tournament when they last hosted it in 1914 and women were putting in petticoats. 

Flynn, who has a four handicap, said that the tournament will attract some of the most inspiring role models for young women golfers, and hopes it will provide a boost in participation among women in the area. 

“Women’s golf is having a hard time," she said. "They’ve lost a lot of pro tournaments and a lot of sponsorship. It’s sad because its such a great thing."