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Timuquana to Host U.S. Women's Four-Ball

February 6, 2019

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The 5th U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball will be hosted by the historic Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville, April 27 - May 1, 2019. 

Timuquana Country Club has earned distinction in its 96-year history as one of Florida's premier private country clubs. The classic 18-hole Donald Ross design is quaintly nestled on the St. Johns River and is a true testament to the heritage and tradition of the club. Since its inception in 1923, the club has been remodeled extensively by Robert Trent Jones Sr., George Cobb, and David Gordon but was restored to its original iconic style in the mid-1990's by Robert L. Weed using only a World World II aerial photograph from the adjacent Jacksonville Naval Station. 

In 1921, the idea for a new country club in Jacksonville was sparked by a meeting of 50 local men with the goal of maintaining outstanding golf facilities for its members. The charter members agreed to adopt the name "Timuquana" after the American Timucuan tribe that formerly made its home on the banks of the St. Johns River. The formal organization was completed and the charter was approved on February 12, 1923. By spring of that year, there were 185 charter members. 

By 1933, the Club had grown into a center for social and sporting events. However, the mid-30s were critical years at Timuquana as the Depression was making a major impact on country clubs across the United States. In 1936, the club reorganized their financial affairs and slowly made the necessary adjustments and has successfully operated under the same sound arrangements established during this time. 

In the 1950s, it was time for the clubs first major renovation. Robert Trent Jones worked with club members starting in 1948 to develop a ten-year plan to improve the course. Most of these suggestions were implemented in the 1950s. Along with the courses improvements was a remodel of the original clubhouse. The plan involved rebuilding several sections, remodeling others and constructing new additions. Construction began in 1958 and was completed on December 16th, 1958. The resulting Southern-style clubhouse was designed to resemble Tara from the movie Gone with the Wind. In the spring of 2000, the clubhouse received a 21,000 square-foot expansion. 

In 1994, a golf course committee was formed to study the current course. Under the direction of Robert L. Weed, the special course advisory committee designed a plan to renovate the golf course once again. The plan was approved in December 1995 and construction began the next spring. The project was completed in October of 1996 and the new course was opened. The renovation included clearing over 800 trees that had encroached the fairways to help restore the angles Ross had originally intended. 

This renovation also included an interesting partnership with the U.S.Navy. At the end of the 1990s, new Federal rules required more efficient use of water for irrigating non-agricultural land. As the southern property line of the course abuts the Naval Air Station, the club negotiated with Naval Air Station Jacksonville for an effluent water program to irrigate the Club's golf course. Final connections were made in the summer of 1997 and the club officially began using the base's treated wastewater in that fall. 

The golf course has continued to evolve time and time again from Ross's original design, with a majority of the focus on drainage and tree removal. Plans for the most recent improvements started in spring 2017 when Bruce Hepner was hired as the architect. His first task was a bunker renovation. These plans were scheduled to take action in May of 2018, but Hurricane Irma said otherwise. Irma caused damage to both the clubhouse and the course, and as a result the club was fortunate to coordinate an early start to the bunker work. 

After the bunker renovation Hepner and head golf course superintendent, Allan Brown, turned their attention to re-opening the golf course and continuing to evolve the overall appearance and modernization of the Ross design. The removal of palmettos between holes gave way to sandy natural areas allowing broomsedge and wiregrasses to grow and give the course a natural look. Tee work has been an ongoing project. As the rest of the world has followed the movement of making classic golf courses longer to "modernize," Hepner felt it was more important to look into the areas where there were too big of gaps between member tees. This idea allowed for added length to the course to keep up with the times, but also adding tees for member enjoyment. 

In April, a United States Golf Association Championship will return to the Jacksonville club for the first time since 2002, when the club hosted the U.S. Senior Amateur. Timuquana will take center stage as the host of the Women's Four-Ball. This will be just the second USGA Championship that the club has hosted. 

"The USGA is very excited to be returning to Timuquana Country Club. The club staff and membership have been fantastic to work with and committed to the success of the event for a long time now; attending the three prior Championships as a Future Site," Rachel Sadowksi, USGA championship director, said. 

"The golf course speaks for itself and will be a great test of golf. We're excited for what our players have in store for them in a couple months."

The club has also hosted eight Florida Stat Golf Association Championships, most recently the 2015 Florida Open Championship. 

Notable Events

Timuquana has hosted the FSGA and USGA several times in the past 96 years, including hosting the Florida State Amateur in the clubs inaugural year, 1923. 

  • 1923 State Amateur 
  • 1928 State Amateur 
  • 1999 State Mid-Amateur 
  • 2002 U.S. Senior Amateur 
  • 2006 Boys' Junior Amateur 
  • 2006 Florida Cup
  • 2010 State Mid-Amateur 
  • 2013 Amateur Match Play Championship
  • 2015 Florida Open Championship

U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball 

  • April 27-May 1, 2019
  • Field Size - 64 sides
  • 378 entries accepted
  • 6,295 yard/ Par 72
  • 32 sides will qualify for match play following two rounds of stroke play

More Information

Timuquana Country Club | USGA | U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball