When Jack Burke and the late Jimmy Demaret opened Champions Golf Club in 1957, they dedicated themselves to keeping an active amateur golf program in the Houston area.

Four years later, they conceived the Champions Cup Invitational, four rounds of two-man, best-ball stroke competition to be played by the country's outstanding amateur golfers. Participation would be by invitation and only to golfers with three handicaps or lower. Both members of the team must be over twenty-five (25) years of age and must also be from accredited USGA golf clubs. Contestants must walk during the tournament.

Champions is a club solely devoted to golf, with an unusual number of low handicappers among its membership. The club has 400+ members with single-digit handicaps, and 150+ of those are five or below.

Champions had been proud to host many national events, including the United States Amateur Championship in 1993, the first time it was ever played in Texas.