Storylines for the 2011 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship

Play will begin Monday, June 27th for both the U.S. Men's and Women's Amateur Public Links championships at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. A total of 312 players will make the trek to the remote corner of southwest Oregon to play two courses at the world-class facility.

The two championships will rotate between the Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald courses. Bandon Trails was designed by Coore-Crenshaw and "Old Mac" is a co-design by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina.

Here are some facts and figures about the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship, courtesy of the USGA.

Both the Old Macdonald and Bandon Trails courses will be used during the championship. Bandon Trails will play 6,095 yards and to a par of 36-35-71, while Old Macdonald will play 6,098 yards to a par of 34-37-71. Based on the championship setup, the Course Rating for Old Macdonald is 76.3 and 76.5 for Bandon Trails. The Slope Rating for Old Macdonald is 133 and 135 for Bandon Trails.

Practice rounds will be held June 25-26. The starting field of 156 players will play two rounds of stroke play on each of the two golf courses, with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play. The first two days of match play will be altered between Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald, with the final two days of match play being conducted at Old Macdonald in conjunction with the U.S. Amateur Public Links. The schedule is as follows:

June 27 (Monday) - First round of stroke play (at Old Macdonald)
June 28 (Tuesday) - Second round of stroke play (at Bandon Trails)
June 29 (Wednesday) - First round of match play (at Old Macdonald)
June 30 (Thursday) - Second and third rounds of match play (at Bandon Trails)
July 1 (Friday) - Quarterfinals and semifinals, match play (at Old Macdonald)
July 2 (Saturday) - 36-hole championship final (at Old Macdonald)

Emily Tubert, 18, of Burbank, Calif., will return to defend her title. In 2010 at the Warren Course at Notre Dame (Ind.), she made five birdies in a seven-hole stretch during the morning 18 en route to a 3-and-2 victory over 18-year-old Lisa McCloskey of Houston, Texas. It was Tubert's first appearance in a match-play competition. Tubert, an incoming freshman at the University of Arkansas, took control of the match by winning holes six through 12 to take a commanding 5-up lead.

The average age for the competitors in the 2011 U.S.

The Tennessee Equestrian: Trail Ride and Help Rescued Horses

The Tennessee Equestrian came about because I saw a need to have a comprehensive guide to equine professionals, services and businesses for the Tennessee horse owner. Once the Tennessee Equestrian is published, there will be no more endless searches on the internet or by phone, you'll no long have to rely on asking others advice on where to find the horse business, product or service that you need because all of that information will be readily available at your fingertips. It will also be of great benefit to the equine professional and horse related businesses especially the small businesses who don't have the means or resources to advertise. And best of all, LISTINGS ARE FREE!! Send information on your business or the businesses that you know of to: Sande Elkins at Gray Horse Designs by email to grayhorsedesigns@bellsouth.net. You don't even have to be in the state of Tennessee to be listed since we will have a section for web shopping. The only restrictions are that it be horse related and unoffensive. Any submission that doesn't meet those two criteria will be removed. I hope to publish the guide in early 2012 and update it annually with revamped listings, yearly show and event schedules, and helpful and informative articles. Through out the year, updates will be posted here, on this blog, and on our Face Book page. The guide will be offered both online as a flip-webzine for free and for purchase in an attractive print version for even handier and easy access. There will also be low cost-full color ads offered for both the printed guide and webzine on our website later this year(2011). We are now looking for interesting stories to feature so if you know of a subject that you think would be of interest, please let us know. Thanks and I look forward to hearing from you about your Tennessee horse business.

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Highland Trails, A Guide to Scenic Trails in Northeast Tennessee, Western North Carolina, and Southwest Virginia