What Players and Families Need to Know

Cameron Champ with Mack during the 2017 Walker Cup.
Cameron Champ with Mack during the 2017 Walker Cup.

Covid-19 Precautions: The Mack Champ Invitational is committed to safety and will be strictly enforcing a number of Covid-19 protocols during the tournament. All players, parents and spectators must wear face coverings while they are on-site and are unable to social distance. Face coverings are also required at all times while inside. Learn more here.

Pre-Tournament Zoom Call: The Mack Champ Invitational team will host a pre-tournament Zoom call on Tuesday, March 9, at 8pm EST to review all tournament details and COVID-19 protocols to ensure a safe and successful event. We ask that all parents attend. The information for the call is below:

https://zoom.us/j/94989676877?pwd=VzhZUVNIV3BtbzBsOTJMV0tIK0doUT09

Meeting ID: 949 8967 6877
Passcode: MCI2021

Junior-Am and Official Practice Rounds: On Friday, March 19, select juniors will play in a Junior-Am tournament at 8am at Memorial Park Golf Course. Each junior participant will be paired with three amateur supporters of the tournament. The format will be a best ball, with two scores per hole: the junior player’s gross score and the low net score from the three amateurs.

Other juniors will have the opportunity to play a free practice round on Friday from 8-11am. Click here to register for your practice round tee times.

Additional Practice Rounds: Memorial Park Golf Course has blocked off tee times after 3pm on Thursday, March 18, for participants to play an additional practice round for the discounted rate of $10. The link above will work for those reservations as well.

Players are able to book tee times prior to 3pm on Thursday, March 18, through the Memorial Park Golf Course website at the non-resident rate of $60.

Player Registration: Tournament registration will take place on Friday, March 19, from 7-10am at Memorial Park Golf Course.

Scorecards: Players will be required to bring a smartphone or device with internet capabilities that supports the Golf Genius app (available on iOS or Android) to use for official scorecards and live scoring. Please make sure you have the most updated version of the app. Instructions on how to use the app can be found here and here. Each player will be provided with a Golf Genius ID at the starting tee and will be assigned to mark for another player in the group. Players are responsible for providing their own device and ensuring it is fully charged for the round.

Dinner Reception: There will be a dinner reception for players and their families on Friday, March 19, in the Post Oak Ballroom at the Omni Houston Hotel. Dress code is smart casual. Please note that we will take temperatures at the door and enforce social distancing, and all guests will be required to wear masks when they are not eating or drinking.

Lee Elder, a golf trailblazer and the first African American to play in the Masters, will be our special guest speaker via video conference, and Roland Martin, host of Roland Martin Unfiltered, will be the in-person MC. Cameron Champ will also speak to the players and families.

The event, from 6:30-9pm, is free for participants and $60 per family member, with a maximum of two family members per player. (Buy tickets here before Thursday, March 11, at 5pm EST.) If you bought tickets for last year’s dinner, you do NOT need to buy them again; you’re already on our guest list! If you have questions, email MCI@cameronchampfoundation.org.

Tournament Tee Times and Pairings: First-round pairings will be posted on this website on March 18. Tee times will be 8-10:10am off the first and tenth tees. Final-round pairings will be posted on March 20 by 5pm. Note: Players assume the entire risk if they call any other number or individual and receive an incorrect starting time.

Practice Facilities: To promote social distancing, players will be assigned practice times on the driving range and short game areas before the round. Practice times on the driving range will start ONE HOUR before a player’s tee time and will last 30 minutes. For example, a player with an 8am tee time would have a spot on the driving range from 7-7:30am. The second half hour of the player’s warm-up time can be spent on the practice putting green and/or short game area. Players may not arrive at Memorial Park Golf Course more than one hour and 10 minutes before their tee time.

Player Hospitality: On Friday, March 19th, all players in the field will receive a complimentary lunch. Healthy snacks and drinks will be available on the course during the tournament.

General Tournament Information

Entry Fee: The tournament entry fee is $250, which covers 36 holes of competition, a junior am round or a free practice round, welcome dinner for participants, player dining and welcome gift package. The entry fee will be collected when the player is accepted into the field.

Age Divisions: The Mack Champ Invitational will have four age divisions: 9-10, 11-12, 13-14 and 15-18.

Course Yardage and Rating, Boys: 15-18, 6,553 yards, rating 121; 13-14, 6,553 yards, rating 121; 11-12, 5,905 yards, rating 115; 9-10, 5,300 yards, rating 102.

Course Yardage Girls: 15-18, 5,905 yards, rating 115; 13-14, 5,905 yards, rating 115; 11-12, 5,300 yards, rating 102.

Caddies: Caddies will be allowed for players 12 and under.

Rangefinders: The Mack Champ Invitational allows the use of distance-measuring devices in all competitions. If, during a stipulated round, a player uses a distance-measuring device to gauge or MEASURE OTHER CONDITIONS that might affect his/her play (e.g., gradient, wind speed, temperature, etc.), the player is in breach of Rule 4.3(1).

Spectator Golf Carts: Golf carts and spectator carts are not allowed without a government-issued Blue Permanent Handicap placard. Please see the Tournament Director on-site to receive an approved cart.

Push Carts: Push carts (non-motorized) are approved for use by all players as permitted by the host facility. Players are responsible for providing their own push carts.

Exemptions/Partnering Tournaments

College Coaches: Learn more about the college golf programs that will be represented here.

PING Tour Truck: Depending on Covid restrictions, the PING PGA Tour Truck and junior development representative will be on property during the tournament.

Cancellations: Cancellations must be submitted in writing to info@cameronchampfoundation.org. Cancellations received on or before February 15th will receive a full refund. Cancellations received after February 15th will forfeit their entry fee.