Dalhousie's focus still on amateur golf

Can Dalhousie Golf Club and Cape Girardeau host a big-time event like a PGA Tour stop?

"One, we would have to want that to happen; or two, they would want us," Dalhousie managing member Cord Dombrowski said Wednesday in a news conference to announce some details of the AJGA Dalhousie Junior Championship.

While Dalhousie will host the AJGA's premier event, the Rolex Tournament of Champions, next year, events on the golf's grandest scale might be out of reach for now.

"The infrastructure is totally different than what we're doing here," Dombrowksi said.

Even a professional event on the LPGA or Nationwide tours would require the financial investment from a "significant sponsor," he said.

Dombrowski's passion is amateur golf, however, and he has more interest in landing an event along those lines. He mentioned limited-field events such as the Walker Cup, the men's amateur match between the United States and a team from Great Britain and Ireland; and the Curtis Cup, which is the women's equivalent.

"The infrastructure could handle it," Dombrowksi said.

"We would love to host a USGA amateur championship," he added, saying discussions were in "elementary stages."

Dalhousie, he believes, is more than ready for the duties that come with the Rolex tourney.

"We weren't overwhelmed with what they do compared to what we do," Dombrowski said after attending this year's tourney near Evansville, Ind. "Everything is just kind of stepped up a notch. It's like going to a PGA Tour event and then going to the Masters. Everything between the ropes is the same, it's just different. I'm not concerned we will be able to perform as a club or a city to bring that event in."

He said he returned from Indiana saying, "We can do this."

Dalhousie still is in the process of replacing Andy Deiro, who was the general manager of the course before taking a position in Indian Wells, Calif.

"For a position that important, we're going to take our time," Dombrowski said. "There is no reason to rush into anything, and O.B. Sports is helping with that process. We're doing a national search, and it's just going to take some time."