By Ted Schnell • BocaJump
Elgin Golf Operations Director Mike Lehman is proud of the city’s efforts on its premier golf courses — Bowes Creek Country Club and The Highlands of Elgin. From time to time, he even mentions that GolfWeek has ranked both courses among the nation’s top 50 municipal golf courses.
In fact, GolfWeek listed Bowes Creek among its best new courses in 2010, and among its 2011 best courses to play.
The rankings, which he says reflect not only the courses themselves, but also the experience golfers encounter, have garnered the attention of golfers throughout the region — and oh yes, from the Great White North, as well.
That’s right, Canada. During a special Elgin City Council Committee of the Whole meeting Wednesday at Bowes Creek Country Club, Lehman informed the council he has been in initial talks with representatives of the Canadian Professional Golf Tour, or Canadian Tour for short, about coming to Bowes Creek for one of its tournaments.
He stressed that the talks are preliminary — the Canadian Tour is looking for two sites in the United States to include in its 2013 tournament schedule. But that the Canadian Tour is looking at Elgin’s premier course and asking about possible play dates in 2013 is a very positive sign.
The Canadian Tour is governed by the Tournament Players Association in Canada. According to the Canadian Tour’s website, every year it runs a series of tournaments in Canada, the United States and Latin America. The Tournament Players Association represents more than 200 members from around the world, the website states.
The Canadian Tour is a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours.
