University of Virginia Pays Tribute to Oehmig

Lew Oehmig, the amateur golf legend from Chattanooga, continues to receive honors, more than two years after his death.

The University of Virginia, where Oehmig played collegiately, will honor the three-time U.S. Senior Amateur winner by naming its new, Pete Dye-designed short game practice facility after him.

The state of the art practice area will feature a large putting green, a chipping green, pratice bunkers and several target greens to as far away as 160 yards. The facility will accomodate Virginia's men's and women's teams.

"The ability to practice all the short-game shots at our home facility will enable our student-athletes to reaach their full potential as players," said Jan Mann, Virginia's women's coach. "The success of our current program and the ability to attract top recruits in the future is dependent on developing a superior short-game practice area. The will be one of the best in the country."

"The new practice area will be a significant asset to the development of the men's and women's golf programs," said USGA president Fred S. Ridley, who made a significant contribution to the cause. "I am pleased this facility will be named in honor of Lew Oehmig, one of the university's most accomplished golfers and a true gentleman of hte game of golf. Lew was captain of the 1977 Walker Cup team on which I competed and a great friend. I know he would be extremely proud to know his family has played such an important part in this exciting project."

Oehmig's family has also contributed to the project. King Oehmig, the golf coach at Baylor and a Virginia graduate, thinks the short-game practice area is a fitting tribute to his father.

"I cannot think of a stronger love, apart from family and friends, that my father had than that for the University of Virginia," Oehmig said. "I also cannot think of a golfer who had a greater endowment for the wedge game than my father. Without a doubt, it led to his record-setting longevity in the game. To perpetuate his memory and the ideal he exemplified as a gentleman champion, the Oehmig family is deeply moved by having the short game practice area at UVa named in his honor."

Chattanooga Classic Announces Presenting Sponsor

For the second year in a row, Cummings Cove RealtyCenter/GMAC has agreed to become the presenting sponsor for the Nationwide Tour's Chattanooga Classic, set for May 30-June 5 at Black Creek Club.

In other news involving the tournament, the nation’s most outstanding amateur in 2004 and one of the rising stars of professional golf, Casey Wittenberg, has received a sponsor’s invitation to play in the tournament.

“This is a double dose of good news for us,” said Sam Woolwine, the Classic’s executive director. “Cummings Cove Realty Center/GMAC has signed an agreement with us to be presenting sponsor. Golfweek just recently affirmed what we knew already, naming Black Creek the nation’s 25th most outstanding residential golf course. Obviously, Cummings Cove plays a huge role in that.”

Not surprisingly, the top 25 was dominated by southeastern courses. Black Creek was one of 10 in the southeast among the top 25. Black Creek was also the only course chosen in Tennessee on the total list of 100.

“This is a win-win situation,” said developer Jim Chapin. “We’re happy to help because the golf tournament does so much for our city and our community here is 100 percent behind the event. It brings great golf and great entertainment to our city.”

“RealtyCenter/GMAC is happy to be involved with the tournament again,” said Brian Kelly, the real estate partner with Cummings Cove. “It is a great event and we’re excited about being part of it again.”

Wittenberg only last week competed in the Masters, making the cut and finishing in a tie for 33rd. Last year the Tennessee native was low amateur in the Masters, finishing 13th, and 36th in the U.S. Open as a teenager. His 13th-place finish at Augusta was the highest amateur finish since 1962.

“I’m really excited about coming back to Chattanooga again,” Wittenberg said. “I played in the state amateur at the Honors when I was 14 years old and played pretty well. Chattanooga’s a great city.”

The tournament also announced that tickets for the event will go on sale in Hamilton County public middle and high schools Monday. The schools and The First Tee of Chattanooga are the principal charities for this year’s tournament.

Honors, Black Creek Honored by Golf Digest

A bit of tweaking in the way Golf Digest compiles its America's 100 Greatest Golf Course list has given The Honors Course what many believe is some long overdue consideration. The Honors is ranked No. 32 in the Golf Digest's Top 100, released in the magazine's May issue, up from 58 in the 2003 rankings.

Golf Digest no longer considers tradition points in ranking the courses. That change was made because of the many critics who thought tradition points unfairly gave credit to older courses and held back newer courses. Though The Honors has hosted its share of significant tournaments, including the U.S. Amateur, the Curtis Cup and the NCAA men's championship, it simply wasn't old enough (or inclined to host professional events) to have accumulated enough of a tournament history.

Now that tradition points have been replaced by what Golf Digest calls "ambiance," The Honors' ranking has risen considerably. The Honors received 8.48 points among its total of 65.72 for ambiance. The leader among the 100 greatest in ambiance was Augusta National, which received 9.46.

The Honors, along with Black Creek, turns up again in Golf Digest's list of the top courses by state. The Honors is No. 1 and Black Creek No. 7. The complete list:

1. The Honors Course
2. Spring Creek Ranch, Collierville
3. The Golf Club of Tennessee, Kingston
4. The Tennessean Golf Club, Paris
5. Richland Country Club, Nashville
6. Holston Hills Country Club, Knoxville
7. Black Greek Club
8. River Islands Golf Club, Kodak
9. Belle Meade Country Club, Nashville
10 Hermitage Golf Course (President's Reserve), Old Hickory

The Farm is rated No. 12 in Georgia. Augusta National and Peachtree are 1-2 in the list, just as they were in the last ranking released two years ago.

— Chris Dortch