The world’s best golfers will descend on The Colony next year as the Volunteers of America LPGA North Dallas Classic moves to a new venue in 2018.
The LPGA and event officials announced today that the Old American Golf Club in The Colony will host the annual event April 30 to May 6, 2018. The tournament will feature 144 world-class golfers in a four-day, stroke-play event competing for a $1.3 million purse.
“This is a very big win for our community, and will shine an international spotlight on the City of The Colony,” said Mayor Joe McCourry. “There are many top-class golf courses in the D-FW area so it’s quite an honor to be chosen. Securing this event is a testament to our growing reputation as a destination city.”
The Old American is certainly familiar to locals. The course, designed by Tripp Davis and PGA Tour star Justin Leonard, evokes the timeless features of the “Golden Age” of American golf course architecture. The Old American features natural contours, hazard styles, native grasses and green shapes that were influenced by America’s most storied golf course masterpieces. It is located at The Tribute, an unmatched lakefront, golf resort community on Lewisville Lake.
During Monday’s announcement, Jack Matthews, President of Matthews Southwest which developed The Tribute, said the Old American brings together all the great elements of the city and The Tribute – nature, golf, and the lake – into one package.
“We've been partners with the City of The Colony for over 20 years now. To bring this here was just a nice part of what’s been happening,” he said. “This is something for the city to be proud of. At the end of the day it’s all about the community we’re in.”
According to a release, organizers have said they plan to “enhance the overall experience for the local community through a number of new special events during competition week, including local culinary experiences, women’s leadership programs, and live music and events for youth and families.”
Andy Bush, Executive Director at Octagon, the company managing the event, said he has been looking for an opportunity to host a tournament that truly impacts the community.
“Our goal is to really look at this event and use other forms of marketing, culinary and music, and really build this as a lifestyle-cultural event,” he said. “One thing we know working with the LPGA is that they are the greatest athletes and ambassadors to the community, period. ... They do a better job of creating a home while they’re here and the legacy that they leave.
“Our event is really going to be about driving costs down for families. Our general tickets are going to come down, our concession prices are going to come down. Our experiences are going to go up.”
Volunteers of America, the tournament sponsor, is a national, nonprofit, faith-based agency dedicated to helping those in need live healthy, safe, and productive lives. Visit the Volunteers of America website for more information.