With more than 26,000 rounds of golf in the books in 2023, the Overton Park 9 is already on pace for another successful year.
Early in June, the course played host to a unique tournament: the Overton Park 99. Participating golfers each played (and walked) the course 11 times in a single day as a fundraiser for the Overton Park Junior Open, Overton Park Conservancy, and the Loren Roberts Scholarship Fund through The First Tee. Organized by Will Frazier and John Irvine, the event attracted 15 golfers, who together raised $54,000.
Frazier says, “The fifteen brave (or crazy, or both!) souls that took on the 99-hole walk are pleased to report no injuries, lots of fun, and a successful fundraising effort! Feedback from players and supporters was incredible and a big shout-out to Patrick Canale and the OP9 staff for all their help.” The golfers totaled 1,500 holes played (“a few guys couldn’t help themselves and played a few more” than the 1,485 they’d pledged to complete), 415 miles walked, around 835,000 steps counted, 418 birdies made, and 13.5 hours of fun. If you’d like to get involved with this unique event next year, visit overtonpark99.com.
Will Frazier hits a shot during the OP99 tournament (photo by Ashley White, Grind City Designs)
Overton Park 99 also resulted in the first of two holes-in-one on the course within just a few weeks. During the tournament, Chase Harris hit a 220-yard shot on the fifth hole, which is a par 4 featuring a hidden punch bowl green. (He also set the all-time course record during one round, shooting a 10-under-par 24.) Later in June, another golfer mastered the par-3.5 sixth hole in a single shot.
This month, the Overton Park Junior Open, presented by Nike, returned for its third year on the renovated greens. The tournament, which has been played at Overton Park since 1947, this year welcomed 160 registrants from ages 7 through 16 for eight-player flights of match play. Places for the free event were full within days of registration opening, reflecting the work of the OPJO committee to revive this historic event over the last several years. Players teed off in wind, showers, and brilliant sunshine, enjoying all the elements that make this course so unique.
OPJO winners will be celebrated in a lasting way at the golf clubhouse going forward. The new Grand Champions Walkway will contain pavers engraved with the names of the winners of each year’s championship flight in the oldest boys’ and oldest girls’ age groups. OPJO committee member and former Shelby County Historian Jimmy Ogle was able to track down winners going back to 1987 in time to get those pavers installed for the start of this year’s tournament. He’s still working to collect the names of winners from 1947-1986, so if you have any information, get in touch with us!
Teeing off at the start of match play at this year’s Overton Park Junior Open
