Dana Open comes to Highland Meadows for 35th time

It’s a milestone year for the Dana Open, as the LPGA event celebrates its 40th anniversary and status as the second-longest-running non-major championship.

This is also the 35th playing at Highland Meadows, the Sylvania golf club that has grown synonymous with the Jamie Farr-turned-Marathon Classic-turned-Dana Open, hosting many of the tournament’s greatest moments.

“Highland Meadows membership, it is a great partnership,” Dana Open tournament director Judd Silverman said. “As successful partnerships go, both parties understand each other’s needs, and we’ve always been able to work it out. I just couldn’t be more appreciative of the support that the club has provided the tournament through the years. I think it’s been a win-win situation, and no partnership is going to last that long if it’s not.”

The Jamie Farr Toledo Classic began in 1984 at Glengarry Country Club (now Stone Oak), where it remained until moving to Highland Meadows in 1989. A burned-down clubhouse and Glengarry’s sale to Cavalear Corporation factored into the course change. The marriage has been positive for both sides, evidenced by the length. One tournament at a single course for more than three decades on the LPGA Tour is unheard of.

“It’s nice to be able to play and practice and watch your course on TV,” Highland Meadows head golf professional Nick Myers said. “From a member’s perspective, when they travel, people ask where you’re from, and they say Highland Meadows, so it adds [recognition] to the facility. And we have a handful [of members] that host [players], which they always enjoy, making relationships and interacting.”

Players have spoken by returning each year. Strength of field fluctuates with the LPGA calendar, but the Dana Open has done a good job enticing players to come back to Highland Meadows. Some of that is the golf course itself.

The list of winners at Highland Meadows includes Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak (five times), Patty Sheehan, Paula Creamer, Lydia Ko, and Danielle Kang.

“This course is really pure,” Rose Zhang said.

It’s not uncommon for players to play a practice round at Highland Meadows in May or June if they’re in Michigan for another tournament or if the U.S. Open is hosted nearby. Host families and even course staff, especially superintendent Greg Pattinson, have developed bonds with players who make the Dana Open an annual stop.

Last year, Allisen Corpuz won the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach the week before the Dana Open. The nearly 2,500-mile trip across the country, combined with her victory, led to an assumption by some that she would withdraw from the Dana Open and take a week off. But she never even considered breaking her commitment.

“It’s a cute little town,” Corpuz said of Sylvania. “Really nice golf course.”

CBS has aired final round coverage a handful of times and will do so again this year, adding another element of exposure. Around 1 million people typically watch the broadcast, a worthy investment for Dana, the city of Sylvania, and other sponsors, as the tournament airs in more than 100 countries.

The 144 players, 144 caddies, LPGA officials, Golf Channel and CBS production crews, and fans generate several million dollars in economic impact for northwest Ohio. Hotels, restaurants, and rental car companies benefit most, but Highland Meadows isn’t far behind.

“We’ve worked together on different projects to try to improve our facility and what they can present for the players as well,” Myers said. “I think the combination of that has been good.”