La Costa Adds 2014 California Am To Championship Golf History

La Costa Resort and Spa, one of golf's iconic venues, is hosting the 102nd California Amateur Championship in 2014, the first time the prestigious event has been held at the legendary destination. Next year's tournament is scheduled for June 16-21.

Recently undertaking a second major renovation project on its award-winning courses, La Costa will next summer see its two new courses - the Champions Course and the Legends Course - tested together by a field of competitors that will certainly include some of the future stars of the game.

"We're thrilled to bring such a prestigious championship to La Costa," said California Golf Association President Chris Clark. "When you combine La Costa's history of hosting prestigious tournaments with its new renovations, we're confident this will be a terrific championship. Players from all over the state should be excited to be a part of this historic event."

Virtually every generation of California golfing greats has taken a swing through the "State Am," from Gene Littler and Ken Venturi to Johnny Miller and Bobby Clampett, to John Cook and Mark O'Meara to Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods. Past champions include Littler, the San Diego legend (in 1953 over Venturi), Clampett (1978, 1980), O'Meara (1979) and Duffy Waldorf (1984).
"It's an honor for La Costa to be chosen to host the California Amateur," said Paul McCormick, vice president and general manager at La Costa Resort and Spa. "La Costa has been synonymous with the top echelon of golf for more than 40 years, having hosted 37 PGA Tour and LPGA events. Now we are adding one of the game's most distinguished amateur championships to the next era of our golf legacy."

That next era includes the much-anticipated completion of renovations to all 36 holes at La Costa. Under the direction of Pascuzzo & Pate Golf Design - which remodeled the Champions Course in 2011 - the new Legends Course is to reopen in late 2013.
"It will be interesting to see how these top amateurs handle the two new golf courses and the different challenges they will present," said Damian Pascuzzo, whose design partner, Steve Pate, is a former contestant in the California Amateur. "La Costa is an ideal place for an event like this, with its long history and tradition."
This will be just the fourth time in the 103-year history of the California Amateur that the event will be contested in Southern California.

La Costa's first 18 holes opened in 1965, with nine holes added in 1973 and the final nine holes in 1984. Since opening in the coastal foothills north of San Diego, La Costa Resort and Spa has had a distinguished relationship with the greatest players in golf, dating back to the Tournament Of Champions in 1969. La Costa's list of winners includes legends from various eras, starting with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to Woods and Mickelson. La Costa hosted the Match Play Championships for seven years until 2006 and in 2010 and 2012 was home to the Kia Classic on the LPGA Tour.
One of the nation's oldest state amateur golf championships, originating in 1912 at Monterey's Del Monte Golf Course, the State Amateur was held at Pebble Beach Golf Links from 1919 through 2006. The event began rotating in 2007 to selected courses throughout the state, alternating years in Southern California and Northern California. It was first played in Southern California in 2008. This year the tournament is at Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, June 17-22.

The tournament consists of 156 players who play 36-holes of stroke play before determining the 32-player match play field. The final match is played over 36 holes.