Wylie unveils 2016 spring golf schedule

Wylie unveils 2016 spring golf schedule

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Two trips to the Sunshine State and two tournaments in East Tennessee highlight the spring portion of the 19th-ranked Carson-Newman men's golf spring schedule as the Eagles look to continue their torrid play that highlighted the fall of 2015.

"We are excited to play another top-notch schedule this spring," coach Randy Wylie said. "It's exciting to play in the state of Florida twice during the month of February. We will get to play against tough competition and hopefully enjoy the warmer weather that will come with playing there. We are also ready to return to East Tennessee and play twice in our backyard."

The spring schedule follows up the fall schedule that ranked as the 10th-toughest in Division II.

The Eagles kick off the spring in Fleming Island, Fla. for the Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate hosted by South Atlantic Conference rival Lincoln Memorial. The event will be played on Feb. 15th and 16th, 2016 at the Golf Club at Fleming Island with 54 holes on the docket.

The Golf Club at Fleming Island Plantation has a diverse landscape that allows for two distinctly different nines. The front nine of the golf course is wide open with waste areas and wetlands to create a classic links feeling. In contrast, the back nine was carved from dense forests, giving a more secluded atmosphere. There are sand bunkers strategically placed across the rolling landscape and water comes into play throughout. The fairways on this golf course are misleading, they are not as tight as they seem from the tees. From the tips, the course plays at par-71, 6,688-yard.

The second tournament will serve as the preview tournament for the South/Southeast Regional at Mission Inn Resort and Golf Club in Orlando, Fla. hosted by Saint Leo's. The event will be played on the El Campéon Course. The tournament will be two days with 54 holes scheduled to be played.

Surrounded by an abundance of natural Florida beauty, the El Campeón 18-hole championship course was designed by Chicago-based course architect, George O'Neil and built in 1917 - with further enhancements in 1926 by Charles E. Clarke of Troon, Scotland. El Campeón is one of the South's oldest golf courses and blends unusual Central Florida elevation changes of more than 85 feet with features of traditional golf design, including spectacular rolling fairways and undulating greens. El Campeón plays 7,015 yards and is scored as a par-72.

"We start the spring in Jacksonville, FL at Fleming Island.  We will be happy to be in some warm weather at a very good event hosted by Wingate.   Our second event is the preview event for the Ncaa  Southeast Regional, which will be played at Mission Inn Resort in Howie-in-the-Hills, FL near Orlando.  This will be a great opportunity play against the top teams and to learn the course prior to the Ncaa Southeast Regional tournament," Wylie said.

After nearly three weeks off, the Eagles return to the Volunteer State and their home course at the Sevierville Golf Club for the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate on March 20th and 21st. The tournament will be full of Division I teams and will be hosted by Tennessee Tech. The event will be played on the River Course, which has hosted multiple SAC Championships and Carson-Newman events. The Eagles finished 13th in the tournament last season. Senior Andrew Hall (Knoxville, Tenn.) finished tied for third in the event and carded his lowest round of the year with a six-under 66 during the second round.

The Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate will be a three-day, 54-hole event. The River Course plays as a par-72 and stretches 7,120-yards. The course plays along and crosses the Little Pigeon River and is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.

The final regular season tournament will be the Tennessee River Ramble at Tennessee National Golf Club in Lenoir City, Tenn. on April 4th and 5th. LMU will serve as the host of the two-day, 36-hole event. The River Ramble will be played one of the best courses in the state of Tennessee. Designed by British Open winner Greg Norman, the course spans 7,393-yards through Loudon County on the banks of the Tennessee River. The course plays a par-72. It was noted as one of the top 10 golf experiences in Tennessee.

Hall led the Eagles last season with a tie for second after shooting a two-under 70 during the final round.

"Our third event of the spring, the Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate, is at Sevierville Golf Club, one of our home courses.  The field will be Division I teams, which is a great opportunity and experience for our players," Wylie said. "The following event, the Tennessee River Ramble, is on the best course we play all year, at Tennessee National in Lenoir City, TN hosted by LMU."

The Brevard Tornados will host this year's South Atlantic Conference Championships at Etowah Valley Golf Club in Etowah Valley, N.C. on April 17th-19th. The two-time SAC champions placed 10th in 2015 after winning the event in 2014.

Ranked among the world's Top 50 golf destinations by Golfer's Digest, Etowah Valley is an extraordinary setting for a timeless game. Wrapped in natural beauty, the course's spectacular 27-hole golf design offers unique terrain and an ideal climate with awe-inspiring mountain views. Etowah's lush fairways bend, fold and roll to perfectly manicured bent grass greens as large as 9,000 square feet. Three nine-hole courses and four tee positions allow for a variety of 18-hole combinations and offer a challenging, yet gratifying golfing experience which golfers can enjoy through all four seasons. The "South" course plays from 2,776 to 3,507 yards, while the "West" course plays from 2,704 to 3,601 yards, and the "North" course from 2,615 to 3,404 yards.

"The post season starts with The SAC Tournament at Etowah Valley Golf Club near Asheville, N.C.  Winning the SAC Championship is our top goal every year," Wylie said. "After playing in the SAC, we expect to go to the NCAA Southeast Regional back at Mission Inn on May 1st-4th.  Following the regional, we plan on going to Denver, Colo. to play in the NCAA Championship at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club on May 17th-21st.

The spring season kicks off on Feb. 15th, 2016 at the Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate.

Feb. 15, 2016

at Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate

   

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Golf Club at Fleming Island - Fleming Island, Fla.

Feb. 16, 2016

at Spring Kickoff Intercollegiate

   

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Golf Club at Fleming Island - Fleming Island, Fla.

Feb. 29, 2016

at NCAA Southeast Regional Preview

   

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Mission Inn Resort & Golf Club - Howie-in-the-Hills, Fla

Mar. 01, 2016

at NCAA Southeast Regional Preview

   

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Mission Inn Resort & Golf Club - Howie-in-the-Hills, Fla

Mar. 20, 2016

at The Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate

   

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Sevierville Golf Club's River Course - Sevierville, Tenn.

Mar. 21, 2016

at The Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate

   

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Sevierville Golf Club's River Course - Sevierville, Tenn.

Mar. 22, 2016

at The Bobby Nichols Intercollegiate

   

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Sevierville Golf Club's River Course - Sevierville, Tenn.

Apr. 04, 2016

at Tennessee River Ramble

   

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Tennessee National Golf Club - Lenoir City, Tenn.

Apr. 05, 2016

at Tennessee River Ramble

   

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Tennessee National Golf Club - Lenoir City, Tenn.

Apr. 17, 2016

at South Atlantic Conference Championship *

   

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Etowah Valley Golf Club - Etowah Valley, N.C.

Apr. 18, 2016

at South Atlantic Conference Championship *

   

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Etowah Valley Golf Club - Etowah Valley, N.C.

Apr. 19, 2016

at South Atlantic Conference Championship *

   

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Etowah Valley Golf Club - Etowah Valley, N.C.

-CN-