Media Advisory
February 21, 2024
Media Contact: Shannon Phillips
Abshire Public Relations
912.695.7881
pr@abshirepr.com

WHAT: The 12th Annual Colleton River Collegiate Charity Golf Tournament returns to Colleton River Club’s award-winning Nicklaus Course. Peak golf season is just around the corner, and Colleton River Club is gearing up to host one of the most highly anticipated Collegiate Tournaments of the year. Fourteen top ranked teams will compete in the tournament. It will showcase the talents of many of the nation’s leading collegiate players as they vie for the coveted individual and team titles in a 2 day, 54-hole stroke play tournament. An incredible 19 countries will be represented in the Field of Players. The event is open to the public on Monday and Tuesday, March 4th-5th.

WHO: Hosted by Michigan State University

RETURNING TEAMS: Indiana University, the University of Minnesota, Penn State University, Rutgers University, the University of Missouri, the University of Cincinnati, Georgia Southern University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, and Memphis University.

NEW to the FIELD in 2024: Middle Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee – Chattanooga, and Howard University.

WHEN: Monday, March 4 – Tuesday, March 5, 2024

WHERE: Colleton River Club, Nicklaus Course

60 Colleton River Dr

Bluffton, SC 29910

ABOUT THE NICKLAUS COURSE AT COLLETON RIVER:

Regarded by golf legends as one of the finest 18 holes in the game, the Nicklaus course at Colleton River celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2022. The course strikes an exceptional balance between challenge and playability. Nicklaus tempts you throughout, providing glimpses of the marsh on the front nine before finishing the round in dramatic fashion exposed to the winds and scenic vistas provided by the Colleton River. Measuring over 7100 yards, the course was named “Best new private course in America” in 1993 by Golf Digest. In the fall of 2017, the Nicklaus course underwent a remarkable restoration unearthing its original classic lowcountry beauty.

ABOUT COLLETON RIVER CLUB:

A 1,500-acre private peninsula set amidst lowcountry tidal marshes and moss-draped Live Oaks. This picturesque coastal community offers world-class golf courses from Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye. With proximity to Hilton Head Island and Old Town Bluffton, members are never far from the action of South Carolina’s premier vacation destination while Colleton River’s private enclave affords natural beauty, serenity, luxurious amenities and a breathtaking Lowcountry setting.

ABOUT THE FIELD: Participating Teams / Coaches / Mascot / Conference

PAST WINNERS:

*Event held at Sea Island Georgia due to Covid 19 Restrictions

NEW in 2024:
The entire 2024 event will be livestreamed by GameKast Live. Live Streaming is free for everyone and is a great opportunity to allow families, friends and alumni to catch all the action – LIVE!

ABOUT THE CHARITY:

In 2022 the Collegiate planning team converted the event to a Charitable Golf Tournament. Partnering with the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, a 501(c)(3) organization, the Colleton River Collegiate Helping Hands Fund was established. In its two years as a charity, the event has raised over $95,000 to provide food, shelter, and medical care to those in need within the Beaufort County Lowcountry.

HISTORY OF THE EVENT:

The Colleton River Collegiate began in 2013 when CRC Members Al and Willa Thiess hosted the 1st Collegiate as an opportunity to give back to Michigan State University and to the sport that gave them both so much pleasure. As a former player at MSU (1964-68), Al convinced MSU and three other schools to play in the inaugural event. Over the past eleven years the tournament has grown to host as many as 15 teams, and has become one of the premier collegiate tournaments in the U.S. Although Al passed away in 2017, his legacy of giving and love for the sport continues.