Staff Pick: the inaugural Ojai Senior Cup in Ojai, California

A new tournament has arrived on the senior schedule that aims to become one of the top Senior Amateur Championships on the West Coast.

Allow us to present the Ojai Senior Cup, to be played Oct. 26-27 at two architectural gems of the West Coast: the Ojai Valley Inn and Soule Park Golf Course. Both are roughly 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, in the Ojai Valley. Stay and dine in the quaint town of Ojai, where local business thrive and chain stores don’t exist.

Ojai Valley Inn

Ojai Valley Inn is a George C. Thomas design that has a history as a host for the PGA Champions Tour. Soule Park is a gorgeous public facility designed by Billy Bell and remodeled by famed architect Gil Hanse. According to the popular podcast/website The Fried Egg, "Soule Park is in a class of its own. Only a handful of municipal facilities in the country can match its combination of affordability and superb architecture."

Thomas also designed such regional gems as Los Angeles Country Club, Bel-Air and Riviera. That’s a trio of private, hard-to-access courses, but Ojai can be played by anyone who is staying at the resort. Ojai checks in at 6,300 yards and with fast greens. It makes for an old-school test of golf.

According to Tournament Director Keith Brown, the lure of the Ojai Valley and the pair of classic golf courses has already helped to attract a strong championship field. There will also be a Net field for players with handicaps up to 30.

The Ojai Senior Cup is a 36-hole event for players ages 50 and over. The $190 entry fee covers green fees, golf cart, range access, prize fund and a player gift. There is a maximum allowable handicap index of 3.9 for the Championship division, and the Net field will be flighted – for men and women – based on entries.

>> 2019 Ojai Senior Cup entry form