Saginaw District Golf Association Tournament

The 73rd Saginaw District Golf Tournament returns June 25-27, 2027, at The Sawmill Golf Club with some exciting changes to our registration process!

Over the past several years, The District has experienced a tremendous resurgence, with our 54-player field routinely filling in just 10-15 minutes. While we're proud of that success, we recognize that many golfers haven't had the opportunity to register before the field fills.

Beginning in 2027, The District will move away from first-come, first-served registration and introduce a new player selection process based on official GHIN Handicap Indexes.

• Exempt Registration: May 17-30. Players with existing exemptions must register during this period to guarantee their positions.
• General Registration: May 31-June 14. Registration will remain open through June 14 at 6:00 p.m., regardless of the number of applicants.
• GHIN Handicap Required. All applicants, including exempt players, must maintain an active GHIN Handicap Index.
• Handicap-Based Selection. Following the registration deadline, the lowest-handicap applicants will be selected to fill the available positions in the 36-player Open Division and 18-player Legends Division.

The purpose of The District remains unchanged: to determine annually the best amateur golfers in Saginaw County.  These changes will give more golfers an opportunity to seek entry while helping us assemble the strongest possible championship field. They will also provide valuable information about participation and interest as we continue to build on the tournament's proud history.

Planning to compete in 2027? Make sure your GHIN Handicap Index is active and ready before registration opens!

We look forward to another outstanding championship at The Sawmill!

The champion of the Open Division is recognized as the best golfer in Saginaw County and is given The Joe Hart Trophy. The trophy is named after the former sports editor of The Saginaw News who along with Fred Martin in 1955 spearheaded the creation of the tournament and helped build the tradition that we still enjoy today. 

Also, the winner of the Open Division is awarded our traditional green jacket. The green jacket is very generously provided by the Marty Stark Foundation. Marty Stark was a big supporter of golf in Saginaw County and he was a great friend of the District for many years.

The Senior Championship is awarded to the lowest scoring player in the Open Division who is over 50 years old. The Senior Champion is awarded The Fred Martin Jr. Trophy which is named after the origianal chair of the SDGA and was one of the driving forces to make this tournament a reality back in 1955. He is affectionally known as “Mr. District”. 

The low scoring player 21 and under is given The Mark Spiekerman Trophy which is named after our 1977 champion who was killed in an auto accident in 1981.  This title pays homage to the former "21-Club" Tournament founded in 1962 that gave a competitive golf environment to 21 players each week under 21 years old.   Starting in 1982, the 21-Club awarded a scholarship in Mark's name to the player selected Sportsman of the Year.

The champion of the Legends (over 50) Division is given The Ron Stelter Trophy which is named after our 10-time champion Ron Stelter, a true gentleman and ambassador to the game of golf.