LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. (Dec. 2, 2025) – The United States Golf Association (USGA) today announced that Blessings Golf Club, in Johnson, Ark., will host the 2028 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship. It will be the first USGA championship held at the club, and the third contested in the state.  

“We are excited to bring a USGA championship back to the state of Arkansas and to partner with Blessings Golf Club for the first time,” said Mark Hill, USGA managing director of championships. “We know the club will deliver an exceptional experience for players and fans alike as we showcase some of the game’s finest female amateurs.” 

Home to the University of Arkansas men’s and women’s golf teams, Blessings Golf Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones II and opened in 2004. The course, which can be stretched to more than 8,100 yards, naturally flows back and forth between two distinct topographies: the Clear Creek floodplain and the plateau that sits 65 feet above Clear Creek. The intentional design between the two landforms creates variety for each shot, giving players different shot options as they play the routing. In 2018, architect Kyle Phillips made modifications to the course to improve walkability, including adjustments to the routing, renovated bunkers and the addition of five new greens. 

Blessings Golf Club has hosted several collegiate tournaments, including the 2012 Southeastern Conference Women’s Championship and the 2019 NCAA Division I Championships for men and women. 

“We are excited to welcome the best female amateurs to Blessings for the 2028 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball,” said Blessings Founder John Tyson. “We look forward to continuing our support of the amateur game and providing a fair, challenging test for all competitors.” 

Blessings Golf Club’s ties with the USGA will be highlighted in 2026, as the club will host the Fall Camp for the U.S. National Junior Team. One of two camps held each calendar year for the USNJT, the Fall Camp at Blessings Golf Club will allow players to train and compete against one another while receiving individualized coaching from the U.S. National Development Program staff. 

The USGA last played a championship in Arkansas when Hardscrabble Country Club, in Fort Smith, hosted the 1979 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, and when Pleasant Valley C.C., in Little Rock, held the 1979 U.S. Girls’ Junior. 

That year, Alice Dye won her second of back-to-back U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur titles with her seven-stroke victory over Cecile Maclaurin in the 54-hole, stroke-play competition. Dye, the wife of the late legendary designer Pete Dye, is one of nine players to register consecutive U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur victories. She is also tied for the third-most runner-up finishes (three) in Senior Women’s Amateur history. 

Penny Hammel won her only USGA championship at Pleasant Valley C.C. with her 2-and-1 victory over Amy Benz in the final match at the 1979 U.S. Girls’ Junior.  

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball was first played in 2015. This past year, the championship received 382 entries (sides). The championship is open to female amateur golfers whose handicap does not exceed 14.4. A starting field of 64 sides (128 players) will play two rounds of stroke play, with the low 32 sides (64 players) advancing to match play. Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the champions.  

The winning side receives an exemption into that year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur, which in 2029 will be held at Oakland Hills Country Club (South Course) in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. The champions are also exempt into any other USGA amateur competition for which they are eligible. 

Future U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Sites 
2026 – Daniel Island Club, Charleston, S.C. 
2027 – Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville, Va. 
2028 – Blessings Golf Club, Johnson, Ark. 
2029 – Desert Mountain Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz. 
2030 – Erin Hills, Erin, Wis. 
2035 – Country Club of York (Pa.)
2037 – Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Ore.