History will be made when Jeffersonville Golf Club welcomes the 43rd Middle-Amateur Championship presented by Parx Casino May 20-21. It is the first time a public facility will host a GAP Major.
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“About three years ago, we made the decision to have a major at a public facility,” GAP President Ken Phillips said. “We had a list. A lot of good names on that list. We came to Jeffersonville first. A lot of people liked the idea of playing the Mid.-Am. at a Donald Ross course one week after playing the PGA Championship at another.”
“(GAP) told us that we were one of the finalists [to host the Middle-Amateur Championship],” Jeffersonville Superintendent Rich Shilling, 47, of Gilbertsville, Pa., said. “It showed us that all our hard work over the years really paid off, and that people are recognizing us as a championship-level golf course.”
Jeffersonville’s selection as the host course for the championship reflects more than 25 years of growth and transformation spearheaded by Shilling.
“We’re super proud to be the first public golf course to host a GAP Major event,” Shilling said. “We’re a little bit nervous. When it was announced that we were gonna host the event, we had a lot of plans to do some projects over the winter. The winter wasn’t ideal, but the team and I pushed through it.”
Jeffersonville is owned by West Norriton Township. It bought the property in 1972.
“I think it’s huge for us,” West Norriton Township Manager Jason Bobst, 44, of West Norriton, Pa., said. “It shows that a municipal-owned golf course can compete with private and other publicly owned facilities. With our residents’ commitment to the golf course and our Board of Commissioners’ support, especially with the new facility construction, it really feels like that investment has paid off with getting an event like this.”
GAP feels the same way, recognizing Jeffersonville as proof that a municipal facility can meet championship standards.
“I can’t even begin to describe the excitement and pride we have in being chosen to host this. It’s an amazing honor for Jeffersonville.”
“I can’t even begin to describe the excitement and pride we have in being chosen to host this. It’s an amazing honor for Jeffersonville,” Jeffersonville Director of Golf Michael Housley said. “To see where this place was, and where it is now, is incredible. People hear ‘municipal golf course’ and think it won’t be in great shape. That’s the reputation a lot of munis have, but Jeffersonville shows what public golf can be. Hosting a GAP Major proves that.”
“If we go to a public facility that is privately owned, it has a little different feel,” Phillips, 67, of Lancaster, Pa., said. “We said, ‘We will help you make this work,’ and they were very accommodating and are thrilled to host this major.”
Jeffersonville was founded in 1931 by Anson B. Evans. The 135-acre course was previously used as a horse racetrack before its conversion to an 18-hole golf course. It was designed in 1931 by Donald Ross.
In 2000, Jeffersonville initiated a major renovation project. These changes were funded by a $3 million bond issued and included reshaping tees, constructing four new greens, retooling 92 bunkers, and installing a new irrigation system. The work was overseen by architect Ron Prichard, known for restoring Ross’ designs.
“When they restored the golf course back to the original Donald Ross design in 2001, it was already really good,” Housley, 55, of West Norriton, Pa., said. “But what Rich Shilling and his staff have done since then is unbelievable. They’re the MVPs. Keeping a course in this condition with 50,000 rounds a year is remarkable.”
Jeffersonville is a par 70 and is currently ranked as a top public course in the state of Pennsylvania by LINKS Magazine. It measures 6,259 yards from the back tees. The difficulty of the Ross design comes from the complicated greens.
“Jeffersonville is not a super long golf course,” Shilling said. “You’re gonna have to position your tee shot for the right angle for these greens. These greens are tough, they’re gonna be fast.”
The Middle-Amateur Championship is open to individuals 25 years of age or older with a handicap index of 5.0 or lower. It is a 54-hole event. The low 48 players and ties after 18 holes on Day 1 will advance to the 36-hole Day 2. The Middle-Amateur Championship is listed on the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) and is eligible for points.
A field of 146 players will compete in this year’s championship. It consists of those who advanced through qualifying and exempt players who entered the event.
Qualifying for the Championship proper was conducted at Five Ponds Golf Club (April 18), Laurel Creek Country Club (April 20), Lebanon Country Club (April 27) and Running Deer Golf Club (April 28).
In last year’s Middle-Amateur at Riverton Country Club, Troy Vannucci of Little Mill Country Club secured his second title. He won by four strokes, shooting a bogey-free final round of 67 despite rainy conditions and temperature in the 40s. His first win came in 2022 at Jericho National Golf Club.
Vannucci is no stranger to Jeffersonville. He won back-to-back Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association Donald Ross Better-Ball Championships (2024-25). Vannucci teamed with Andy Butler of Huntingdon Valley Country Club.
“I’ve probably played here a dozen times,” Vannucci, 34, of Marlton, N.J., said. “This is one of my favorite courses. It’s a lot of course knowledge. There’s a lot of good holes with tough greens and good complexes.”
Along with his Middle Amateur wins, Vannucci captured the 2024 Joseph H. Patterson Cup. He is also a three-time New Jersey Golf Men’s Player of the Year (2023-25) and the 2023 William Hyndman, III Player of the Year. He enters the Middle-Amateur Championship in strong form after winning the New Jersey Four-Ball Championship on May 7 with his partner Brian Hollins of Little Mill.
In addition to Vannucci, past champions in the field include: Zak Drescher of Bent Creek Country Club (2024); Scott McNeil of The 1912 Club (2021, 2015); Michael Hyland of Little Mill (2018); Matthew Mattare of Saucon Valley Country Club (2016); John Brennan of Philadelphia Cricket Club (2012); Oscar Mestre of Overbrook Golf Club (2002) and Neil Gordon of Doylestown Country Club (1999).
A William Hyndman, III Player of the Year points event, the Middle-Amateur started in 1984, three years after the USGA created the U.S. Mid-Amateur as a formal championship for post-college amateurs. GAP followed suit with the USGA in creating a Middle-Amateur, but initially differed in its administration of the tournament in a couple of respects.
The most obvious difference was the age requirement. Prior to 2001, the GAP Middle-Amateur was only available to players 30 years of age or older.
The GAP Executive Committee reviewed and revised that age requirement in 2001 to match the USGA’s guidelines of 25 years of age or older for eligible individuals. It also, as previously mentioned, changed the format of the event to a two-day stroke-play tournament with a cut to the low 70 players and ties after the first round. Furthermore, GAP lowered the handicap index requirement from 7.0 to 5.0 in 2023.
Live scoring will be available on gapgolf.org. Stay up to date with tournament news via GAP social media channels by following @gaofphilly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and YouTube.
All media inquiries should be directed to GAP Director of Communications/Operations Martin D. Emeno, Jr. at [email protected] or by phone at 610-687-2340, ext. 0027.
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GAP
Celebrating Amateur Golf since 1897, GAP, also known as the Golf Association of Philadelphia, is the oldest regional or state golf association in the United States. It serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. The organization’s 345 Member Clubs and 125,000 individual members are spread across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland. The GAP’s mission is to promote, preserve and protect the game of golf.
