Both the Country Club of North Carolina and the United States Golf Association are to be applauded for naming the renowned Dogwood Course as host for the 2010 U.S. Junior Girls' Championship.

The Ellis Maples-Willard Byrd design is one of the most respected in the state and has earned national recognition for both its beauty and its character as a championship venue. The course has proved itself worthy in the past, having hosted the PGA Tour's Liggett & Myers Match Play Championship in the 1970s and the 1980 U.S. Amateur Championship.

But this championship has plenty to offer in its own right. The future stars of the LPGA Tour will be featured among the players, who will all be under 18 years of age.

While these young stars aren't household names yet, you can rest assured that some of them will go on to have stellar professional careers. It has been only a few years since players such as Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel were honing their games in USGA events.

The USGA continues to woo the state of North Carolina, and in particular, the Sandhills. There have been 24 national championships staged in the Tar Heel state, including the two U.S. Men's Opens at Pinehurst and three U.S. Women's Opens at Pine Needles. Legacy Golf Links also hosted the 2000 U.S. Women's Publinx Championship, where Michelle Wie made her first national splash at 10 years of age.

Plaudits must also be given to CCNC members, who will be forced to yield their course for the week of July 19-24. Those same members will play a vital role as volunteers. The USGA is not working in the dark here and, while the next Men's Open in Pinehurst isn't scheduled until 2014, the courtship continues.