Information Packet
ATLANTA - For the first time since 2006, the Georgia State men's golf team will host a tournament this fall. Head coach Joe Inman announced on Friday that the inaugural AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic will take place at Berkeley Hills Country Club in Duluth, Ga., October 16-18.
The 12-team field will include some of the top teams from throughout the southeast and be sponsored by one of the premier companies in the nation.
"I am very proud to be able to partner with an organization like AutoTrader.com," commented Inman. "With their support, I know that we will be able to put on a first-class event at a first-class golf club.
"Berkeley Hills and Georgia State have become good friends over the past year. Director of Golf Shawn McKinnon and his entire staff have been extremely welcoming and to be able to bring a tournament to one of the top clubs in Atlanta will be a rewarding experience for everyone involved."
The field will include two top 50 squads from the final Golfweek rankings, along with seven teams ranked in the top 100. Four of the teams also qualified for the NCAA Regionals last month.
Among the teams playing in the inaugural event will be Chattanooga, East Carolina, Furman, Georgia Southern, Jacksonville, Minnesota, North Carolina, UNC Greensboro, North Florida, VCU and Wofford. Individuals from Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State are also expected to compete.
"We were able to put together a very good field for our first event," continued Inman. We have several major conferences represented, along with some of the best teams in the southeast. I think it is a very balanced field and will be a toss-up as to who can take home in the inaugural title."
Atlanta-based AutoTrader.com, created in 1997, is the Internet's ultimate automotive marketplace and consumer information website. AutoTrader.com aggregates in a single location millions of new cars, used cars and certified pre-owned cars from thousands of auto dealers and private sellers and is a leading online resource for auto dealers, individuals and manufacturers to advertise and market their vehicles to in-market shoppers.
The company also provides a robust suite of software tools for dealers and manufacturers to help them manage and market their vehicle inventory and display advertising on the Internet. AutoTrader.com continues to grow key business metrics, including revenue, profitability and site traffic. Today, AutoTrader.com attracts more than 15 million unique monthly visitors who utilize the site to review descriptions, photos and videos of vehicles for sale; research and compare vehicles; review pricing and specials; and read auto-related content like buying and selling tips and editorial coverage of major auto shows and automotive trends.
Berkeley Hills Country Club is a traditional private country club that is owned by the members. Like other long-standing clubs, the course has mature tree-lined fairways and challenging greens. The course was designed by Arthur Davis, Ron Kirby & Gary Player. It has been carefully updated over the years only in ways that improve the playability and challenge of the course. The original character of the course remains unchanged.
Over the past several years, Berkeley Hills has gained a reputation for having some of the fastest and best greens in the state. The greens are surfaced with Champion Ultradwarf Bermuda grass that ushered in the new modern grasses for southern golf greens in 1995.
The 12-team field will play a practice round in the morning on Sunday, Oct. 16. In the afternoon, the inaugural college-am will take place, followed by a banquet to recognize the teams and all of the competitors. The teams will play 36 holes on Monday, Oct. 17, followed by the final round of the 54-hole event on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
All three days of the event are open to area golf fan and admission will be free.
Georgia State boasts one of the youngest teams in the country. The Panthers had three freshmen play in the season-ending CAA Championship and return four underclassmen, to go along with four newcomers and just one senior.
For more information about the inaugural AutoTrader.com Collegiate Classic, visit GeorgiaStateSports.com and click on the tournament logo on the men's golf page.
