Trail Talk

Tennessee State Parks System Named Best In Nation
Tennessee State Parks recently received the prestigious 2007 Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management from the National Recreation and Park Association at the annual NRPA Congress in Indianapolis. “Winning the 2007 Gold Medal means others are noticing the significant achievements we have made at Tennessee State Parks,” said Commissioner Fyke. “From Governor Bredesen's strong leadership and consistent support for state parks to the dedication of all our parks professionals and staff, this was a true team effort.” In addition to Tennessee, the states of Georgia and Utah were finalists for the Gold Medal Award. In grading award entries, a panel of judges comprised of parks and recreation professionals reviewed application materials with an emphasis on long-range planning, resource management, citizen support systems, environmental stewardship, program and professional development and agency recognition. State parks systems are judged every two years, and Tennessee was also a finalist for the Gold Medal Award in 2005. “I am proud that the Tennessee Golf Trail is an important part of the award-winning Tennessee State Parks system,” said State Parks golf director Jim Webb when asked about the significance of this honor. "This tremendous accomplishment reflects the skill, expertise and commitment across the entire park system - from our park rangers to our golf course superintendents." Tennessee has 54 state parks and 77 natural areas with a wide range of recreational opportunities, including camping, hiking, swimming, golf, boating, whitewater rafting and more. The state parks system includes resort parks with inns, conference centers and restaurants. Tennessee State Parks and natural areas also play an important role in environmental protection of ecologically significant land and preservation of cultural and historic sites. For more information visit the Tennessee State Parks Web site at www.tnstateparks.com.

Cumberland Mountain Head Pro Kelvin Burgin successfully defends his TPGA Section Championship title
Starting the final round two shots back, Cumberland Mountain Head Pro Kelvin Burgin fired an eagle, birdie, birdie run starting at Holston Hills’ Golf Course’s 7th hole to take a lead he would not relinquish. When asked what part of his game was working best during the final round, Kelvin’s response was putting, “I knew I could count on my putting today, I had the flat stick working. I was not making any mistakes, and I knew when to be aggressive and when to back off”. A pair of 68s on the last two rounds helped Burgin retain the title of Tennessee Section PGA Champion for a second consecutive year. Kelvin won this same tournament last year when played on his home course at Cumberland Mountain.

As part of Burgin’s title, he will once again be representing the Tennessee PGA at the 2008 PGA Tour Stanford St. Jude Championship in Memphis. “I am very proud to be representing my Section and the Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain on such a grand stage,” said Burgin when asked about this PGA Tour exemption. “Congratulations to Kelvin for putting together another strong performance in the TPGA section championship,” said Tennessee State Parks golf director Jim Webb. “We are pleased that Kelvin will get another crack at Southwind next year.”

Kelvin’s win at Holston Hills in Knoxville caps a very successful summer for the head professionals on the Tennessee Golf Trail. Kelvin competed in the Stanford St. Jude Championship played on the tough TPC Southwind course in Memphis on June 7-8. Warriors Path Head Professional Mark Houser qualified for the U.S. Senior Open played July 5-8 at Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wisconsin. Houser qualified for the most prestigious tournament on the Champions Tour with a low round at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville.

Tennessee Golf Trail courses featured on Inside Tennessee Golf
Inside Tennessee Golf (ITG) will be featuring courses from the Tennessee Golf Trail as part of its continuing Golf Around Tennessee series. Now in its third season, ITG is the leading summer television show with a focus on golf in Tennessee. It is produced over a 13-week schedule and airs twice a week on the Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast (CSS) network from June 3 to August 28. ITG is hosted by veteran sportscaster Don Russell and includes the segments such as Tips from the Tennessee PGA, Tennessee Golf News, Get in the Game and Golf Fitness. CSS delivers a mix of sports programming exclusively geared toward the southeastern sports fan, reaching 5.6 million households in 12 states.

Weekly airtimes for Inside Tennessee Golf on CSS are Sundays at 11:00 a.m. EDT/10:00a.m. CDT and replays on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. EDT/ 4:00 CDT.

Golf Trail Professionals represent Tennessee in Major Tour Events
Cumberland Mountain Head Golf Professional Kelvin Burgin competed in the Stanford St. Jude Championship played on the tough TPC Southwind course in Memphis on June 7-8. Kelvin qualified for this PGA tour event by virtue of his win in the 2006 Tennessee PGA Section Championship. “It was great to have the Bear Trace at Cumberland Mountain and the Tennessee Golf Trail represented at a major PGA event – particularly one here in Tennessee,” said Parks Golf Director Jim Webb.

Warriors Path Head Professional Mark Houser qualified for the U.S. Senior Open played July 5-8 at Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wisconsin. Houser qualified for the most prestigious tournament on the Champions Tour with a round of 68 at Hillwood Country Club in Nashville. Houser said he was looking forward to playing the Open at Whistling Straights, “I just want to enjoy the whole experience. That’s why we compete — to enjoy the sights, sounds and being out there. It’s going to be a special time.” This is not Mark’s first brush with the Champions Tour. He has made the final stage of qualifying twice before.