Marsh, O’Brien and Sappington all finished at 4-over-par 148.  O’Brien was a co-leader after the first round with an opening 72, while Marsh sat one stroke back at 73.  Sappington, who opened with a 77, made his charge with a 1-under 71 in the final round, one of just two sub-par scores in the competition.

Sappington and O’Brien matched each other with pars on the first playoff hole (No. 10), and Marsh was eliminated with a bogey following an errant tee shot.  On the second playoff hole, the par-5 11th, O’Brien’s long birdie putt just lipped around the hole and the two remained deadlocked.  The third playoff hole was No. 9, also a par 5.  Sappington hit his approach to five feet and made the birdie putt for the win.

Sappington and O’Brien are the only previous winners of this event, which began in 2008 with a Sappington victory at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta.  O’Brien won the following year at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek in Roswell, while Sappington reclaimed the title last year at Polo Golf and Country Club in Cumming.

Frank Costanzo of Savannah finished fourth overall, one shot out of the playoff at 149.  Five players tied for fifth at 150, including Bill Ploeger of Columbus and Boyd Johnson of Statesboro, both of whom shared the opening-round lead with O’Brien.  Also at 150 were Ken Benson of Alpharetta, Marvin Davenport of Hiawassee and Ken Sisk of Canton. Richard Van Leuvan of Roswell matched Sappington’s 71 to move into 10th place overall at 151.

O’Brien took top honors in the first flight.  Other flight winners were: Ron Savastano of Roswell in the second (154), Bud Lucas of Carrollton in the third (152), Tom Toombs of Perry in the fourth (157), Virgil Waters of Calhoun in the fifth (166), Syd Welch of LaGrange in the sixth (159) and Jack Sullivan of Marietta in the seventh (168).

Entries were open to male amateur golfers who are GSGA members and age 65 or older as of the first day of the tournament.  The field of 78 players was divided into eight flights by handicap index (Championship, Flights 1-7) and played 18 holes of stroke play each day (36 holes total).

To reach certification, a course must demonstrate that they are maintaining a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas.  The areas include: environmental planning, wildlife and habitat management, outreach and education, chemical use reduction and safety, water conservation, and water quality management.

“Achasta has shown a strong commitment to its environmental program,” said Jim Sluiter, staff ecologist for the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Programs.  “They are to be commended for their efforts to provide a sanctuary for wildlife on the golf course property.”

“The Achasta golf course staff and community are excited about our designation as a ‘Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary’,” said Ron Larson, managing director of Achasta.  “We welcome the daily challenge of improving our environmental performance and doing our part in preservation and conservation.”

About Achasta

Achasta is a Reynolds Signature Community from the creators of Reynolds Plantation, providing an award-winning lifestyle with world-class amenities.  Located along the banks of the Chestatee River, Achasta is in historic Dahlonega, Georgia, site of the first American gold rush.  Achasta’s centerpiece is its 6,995-yard, par-72, Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, which includes an island hole, the 5^th, surrounded by the Chestatee River. Home of the 2007-2008 AT&T Classic Qualifier, this upscale community also features a clubhouse with casual dining, practice facilities, a golf shop and a member swim and tennis center.  Southern Living unveiled one of just two Idea Houses in the country at Achasta in 2009, while 2008 featured the debut of the first-ever Points North Magazine Signature Home.  The upcoming Mountain Club will be the hub of the community and member social activity, with a fitness center, aerobics room, locker facilities and tennis center.  For more information about Achasta, please call 706-867-1660 or visit www.achasta.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: August 26, 2009
CONTACT: Eric Cheek
CELL PHONE/EMAIL: (404) 217-0323/echeek@gsga.org

MARIETTA, Ga. – Entries are now being accepted for the 2009 Georgia Team Championship, which takes place October 31-November 1 at The Georgia Club in Statham. This event is open to four-man teams of male amateur golfers who are Georgia residents and selected by their GSGA Member Club.

The format of the event is one round of four-ball stroke play and one round of the best three out of four stroke play. Last year, Atlanta Athletic Club of Duluth turned in rounds of 74, 75 and 76 in the individual stroke play round to post a two-day, team total of 367 and capture its first Georgia Team Championship (in the event’s current format). This will be the fifth consecutive year that The Georgia Club has played host to the championship.

Club teams must enter online by going to the GSGA website (www.gsga.org) and clicking the Online Registration button at the top of the page. One team representative per entry from each GSGA member club should complete the online registration process. Once accepted, the team representative will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to an acceptance letter. Within that letter is the team roster and club officer signature form that needs to be completed and returned to GSGA’s Rules and Competitions Department. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, October 7 at 5:00 p.m.

The field size is 30 teams. Entries are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

The entry period is also currently open for the Georgia Women’s Team Championship (through September 9) and the Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship (through September 30).

Any questions regarding GSGA competitions may be directed to the Rules and Competitions Department at 770-955-4272 or 800-949-4742, or via email at info@gsga.org.

PINE MOUNTAIN, GA (8/25/09) – Callaway Gardens will host the seventh annual Ida Cason Callaway Foundation^™ (ICCF) Golf Tournament September 21, 2009.  Proceeds from the tournament enable the ICCF to share the wonders of nature with thousands of school children by providing funds for diverse environmental programs available at Callaway Gardens^®.

“We are so appreciative of the participants and the sponsors for this event,” said Roger Childers, tournament organizer for Callaway Gardens.  “What a great way to play some golf and benefit a great cause.”

This tournament celebrates the great spirit of Callaway Gardens’ founder Cason J. Callaway who believed that golf should be a pleasant experience in beautiful surroundings.

This yellow ball scramble tournament promises to be fun, especially for the four teams with the lowest scores.  Prizes will be awarded to the top four teams in both tournaments and to winners of the Hole-in-One, Closest-to-the-Pin and Longest Drive competitions.  The winning teams of the two tournaments will receive Delta tickets for any location in the continental United States.

Entry fee for a team is $800, and includes range balls; beverages; prizes for all participants; a pre-tournament luncheon and an exciting day of friendly competition.

The 2009 tournament is possible due to the generous support of sponsors.  Platinum sponsors include Audio Visual Innovations; Delta Air Lines; Georgia Crown; and Sysco.  Bronze sponsors are Dougherty, McKinnon, Luby CPA; Hutchinson-Traylor Insurance; Jay Auto Mall; Postec; Rental Service Corporation (RSC); W.C. Bradley; and Callaway Gardens Living.

Corporate sponsorship packages are available at the Bronze ($2,500), Gold ($5,000) and Platinum ($7,500) levels.  For more information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Roger Childers, director of sponsorships and annual giving, at rchilders@callawaygardens.com or call 706-663-5145.

The proceeds from the event go to the day’s biggest winners … the children who get to experience the educational and horticultural programs of Callaway Gardens.  The not-for-profit foundation hosts more than 30,000 school children in the gardens each year, provides college student internships and supports Callaway Gardens’ acclaimed Birds of Prey program.

Tournament day registration will begin at 10:30 a.m., with a luncheon to follow.  Shotgun starts on both the Mountain View and Lake View courses will begin at 12:00 noon.

To register your team for the seventh annual Ida Cason Callaway Foundation Golf Tournament, contact the Callaway Gardens Development office at 706-663-5145.

Callaway Gardens^®, is in Pine Mountain, Ga., 60 minutes southwest of Atlanta and 30 minutes north of Columbus.  For additional information, call 1-800-CALLAWAY (225-5292) or visit www.callawaygardens.com.

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About Callaway Gardens

Callaway Gardens is owned and operated by the non-profit Ida Cason Callaway Foundation (ICCF). The 13,000 acres of Callaway Gardens include a garden, resort, preserve and residential communities. Highlights include a butterfly conservatory, horticultural center, discovery center, chapel, inland beach, nature trails and special events throughout the year. Callaway Gardens also offers nearly 100,000 square feet of meeting space, 931 guest rooms, restaurants, a full-service spa, shops, golf, tennis, fishing and more. Callaway Gardens Living includes five unique residential communities with custom home sites, lakefront properties and cottages located on the golf course – each close-knit community offers an ideal home away from home or full-time residence. Callaway Gardens is home to a 4,000 acre preserve – conserved, untouched land set aside for biological studies and environmental conservation. For almost 60 years Callaway Gardens has provided “a place of relaxation, inspiration and a better understanding of the living world” for millions of visitors.

The most recent special, for example, offers a complimentary cart fee with any paid green fee at The Frog Golf Club, located in Villa Rica, Georgia. The Frog was designed by famed architect Tom Fazio. This semi-private club is also offering an entry fee for private club membership, providing access to more than 20 spectacular Atlanta area private clubs.

Georgia State Park Courses are offering a rate for 18 holes with cart for just $28 Monday-Thursday and $35 Friday-Sunday and holidays. These rates are available at The Creek, Highland Walk, Meadow Links, Little Ocmulgee, Brazell’s Creek and The Lakes, but not at Arrowhead Pointe or Georgia Vets.

GolfForeGeorgia also offers an impressively stocked online Pro Shop filled to the brim with everything from clubs to instructional DVDs to all manner of training systems and much, much more. The discerning golfer will mark this site as a favorite for all golf needs.

The website is an extension of Fore Georgia, the Official Newspublication of the Georgia PGA, and is dedicated to golf enthusiasts in the entire state of Georgia. It covers golf and golf business news related to amateur golf (senior, men, women and junior), plus highlights of the GAPGA and the Professional Tours when they are played in Georgia.

FORE Georgia is distributed in quantity to all courses (daily fee, private, & municipal), driving ranges and teaching centers plus golf retailers that employ GAPGA Professionals. This is the only golf publication that is distributed to the entire state of Georgia. The ten issues per year have a 40,000+ readership per issue. For more information go to www.GolfForeGeorgia.com

The golf news features are your one-stop site for national golf news from the PGA as well as Atlanta golf and state wide golf news. The local area is updated daily with press releases from Atlanta golf and Georgia golf companies with all things golf related. The national news area is from the PGA and this is updated 3 times a day.

If you would like to view the courses before playing, there are golf course videos on the site as well. Other features include: listen live link to ETC golfforegeorgia radio show, golf blog, golf pro shop online store and a weekly golf contests. The second phase of the site renovation will include training videos and an area to make Atlanta golf course tee time reservations online.

The website is an extension of Fore Georgia, the Official Newspublication of the Georgia PGA, and is dedicated to golf enthusiasts in the entire state of Georgia. It covers golf and golf business news related to amateur golf (senior, men, women and junior), plus highlights of the GAPGA and the Professional Tours when they are played in Georgia.

FORE Georgia is distributed in quantity to all courses (daily fee, private, & municipal), driving ranges and teaching centers plus golf retailers that employ GAPGA Professionals. This is the only golf publication that is distributed to the entire state of Georgia. The ten issues per year have a 40,000+ readership per issue. For more information go to www.GolfForeGeorgia.com

The magazine, radio show and website’s CEO/publisher, John Barrett is dedicated to continuous innovation of all three entities, with a large emphasis on the website experience to meet the needs of all golfers.