FAR HILLS, N.J. (May 20, 2015) – The Club at Las Campanas, in Santa Fe, N.M., has been selected by the United States Golf Association (USGA) as the host site for the 2017 USGA Women’s State Team Championship. The club’s first USGA championship will be contested Sept. 26-28.

“The USGA is privileged to add The Club at Las Campanas to its distinguished list of championship sites,” said Diana Murphy, USGA vice president and Championship Committee chairman. “We believe Las Campanas will provide a fantastic environment for this biennial team championship that brings together amateur players from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.”

The 2017 USGA Women’s State Team will be the second USGA championship conducted in the state of New Mexico. Santa Ana Golf Club, in Santa Ana Pueblo, hosted the 1999 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship, which was won by Jody Niemann over Sue Billek Nyhus, 1 up.

The Club at Las Campanas features two 18-hole courses designed by Jack Nicklaus. The Sunrise Course, which opened in 1993, was the 100th course designed by Nicklaus, and the Sunset Course opened in 2000. Located 10 miles from the historic Santa Fe Plaza, the courses sit at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet.

Las Campanas has hosted sectional qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur (2011-2014), U.S. Junior Amateur (2014) and U.S. Girls’ Junior (2014), and will host qualifying for all three of these championships in 2015. The 2014 Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball Championship, won by Ralph Ellis and Zack Norrell, was also contested at Las Campanas.

“We are very excited to host the 2017 USGA Women's State Team Championship at Las Campanas,” said Joe Colvin, club president. “It’s a tremendous honor for the club, and our members and staff are committed to providing a great week of golf for all involved and look forward to sharing the club with so many great players and their friends and families.”

The USGA Men’s and Women’s State Team Championships began in 1995 and have since been contested biennially. Beginning in 2010, the Women’s State Team has been contested in odd-numbered years and Men’s State Team in even-numbered years. The championships are open to players from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. USGA-designated state and regional golf associations may use any criteria of their choosing in selecting their teams, which comprise three amateur, non-college golfers. 

The USGA Women’s State Team Championship is a 54-hole stroke-play event contested over three days. In each 18-hole round, the total of the two lowest scores by players on each team constitutes the team score for the round. The three-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

New Mexico’s best finish in a Women’s State Team came in 2013, when it tied with Minnesota for eighth place at NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio, behind New Jersey, which won by three strokes over Florida and four strokes over Virginia. The 2015 Women’s State Team Championship will be contested Sept. 10-12 at Dalhousie Golf Club, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Georgia has claimed the championship a record three times: 2005, 2009 and 2011.