On June 3-4, male junior golfers across Kentucky will make their way to Richmond’s Gibson Bay Golf Course for the Kentucky Boys Junior PGA Championship. Contestants will enter with hopes of qualifying for the 2019 Junior PGA Championship later this summer in Connecticut. Players will face a stern test not only from the stacked field hoping to reach the prestigious championship, but also from the championship golf course built to test all types of golfers.

Before the 1990s, the land Gibson Bay sits on was quiet family-owned farmland. The city of Richmond purchased the land to construct Lake Reba Park. A golf course was included in those plans, and Gibson Bay was built shortly thereafter by Michael Hurzdan and opened in 1993. If that name rings a bell, it could be because Hurzdan was a co-designer of Erin Hills, the site of the 2017 US Open. Hurzdan also led a renovation of Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, the golf course Jack Nicklaus grew up playing.

Gibson Bay plays across gently rolling terrain on a Kentucky hillside and presents holes that gives golfers plenty of options on how they want to proceed. The first true sign of the elevation and the variety of options comes on the 5^th, a relatively short par 4 playing drastically downhill to a wide but shallow green. Measuring 380 yards from the longest tee in the championship, it’s unlikely to be reachable even with the elevation drop for the longest hitters, but the decision of how far to hit the tee shot is critical due to the green’s awkward shape. A longer drive that reaches the bottom of the hill will lead to short approach, but an awkward yardage without seeing a majority of the putting surface will follow. Those who hit a shorter club off the tee are more likely to see all of the green and will be able to hit a full shot with their second shot.

_{Gibson Bay's 5th hole provides a scenic view of Eastern Kentucky University.}

After another downhill hole in the par 3 6^th, the par 5 7^th presents the biggest risk-reward opportunity on the golf course. Playing at 501 yards for the 14-18 year old players, it could be reached in two. To do so, however, means a creek will have to be carried that guards the entirety of the front of the green. Those who lay up will also have to eventually make it over the creek on their third shot, but barring a hole-out, will sacrifice the opportunity to make an eagle and vault up the leaderboard. It’s a potential swing hole that can drastically alter the player’s momentum as they prepare to make the turn to a back nine full of various outcomes.

_{A view of the creek that guards the 7th green.}

“The back nine at Gibson Bay is a great test of golf,” Jason Eberle, PGA Head Golf Professional described. “Holes 11-15 are a really tough stretch. It’s pretty much one hard hole after another. Then you get to 16, which is a downhill par 5 you could make birdie on pretty easily, but at the same time, it’s not hard to get in the wrong spot there and make bogey. After that is the 17^th, a par 3 over water, so obviously that’s critical to get through if you’re in contention.”

A look at the elevation change players will face when descending to the 16th green.

While every golf course requires good play on its back nine in order to win, Gibson Bay demonstrates it on an increased scale. Eberle suggests that those who hit the ball longer have an advantage at Gibson Bay due to some holes playing slightly longer than advertised, while there is also some margin for error off the tee on a majority of holes. If the weather is good, Eberle thinks that those players will be able to handle the golf course very well.

“I think for a 36-hole championship the winning score will be about -5 or -6. If the wind picks up, which it usually does, the winning score might not be that low, but those playing well will definitely be rewarded out here.”

Eberle and his staff at Gibson Bay are excited and prepared to host the Boys Junior PGA Championship and make for a terrific host venue thanks to some of Gibson Bay’s commodities. The driving range ranks among one of the best for public golf courses in Kentucky, the golf course and park complex are built to accommodate a large number of people, and golfers seeking a light tune-up the day before their round can utilize the par 3 course on the northwest portion of the golf course’s property.

“We’re very excited to host an event of this magnitude,” Eberle said. “As a municipal golf course, we welcome any opportunity to bring golfers across the state to our facility. People who visit from outside of the greater Lexington area always tend to elicit a lot of positive feedback about the golf course, and we expect everybody coming from across the state will enjoy the experience here.”

The Kentucky Boys Junior PGA Championship will take place June 3-4. For complete coverage of the event, click here.