The Carolinas Golf Association is wrapping up its 100th year. Yep, that's a century in existence, and contrary to what some people say, Jack Nance was not the Executive Director of the organization in that first year.

The CGA, which is without question the best thing that organized golf in the Carolinas has going for it, has served the game well. Without the CGA, golf would just be a loosely woven game that we go out and play with little regard for most of the things that make it so great.

You know, kind of like one of those touch football games that break out during family outings.

But thanks to the dedication of a lot of men and women with the game's best interests at heart, the CGA not only exists, it continues to grow. With almost 600 golf courses in the Carolinas that use the CGA for guidance and structure in organizing their programs, it's a huge undertaking. But Nance and his hard-working staff get the job done, constantly adding finesse touches and improving systems along the way.

In accordance, the CGA has announced changes and additions to its 2010 major championship schedule.

A North Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship for men has been added and will be contested in early August.This event, like other CGA championships, will identify regional qualifiers who will advance to the championship.A 36-hole on-site qualifier will seed 32 golfers who will advance to match play.

"With the continued interest in competitive golf, our goal is to provide quality championships for our players as needed," said CGA President Steve Hinshaw, of Pinehurst. "This addition provides a major championship in August for our men golfers in North Carolina."

This event will be contested Aug. 4-8 at the Country Club of Salisbury and complements the CGA's South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship, which has been played since 1973.

The 101-year-old Carolinas Amateur Championship will undergo a format change in 2010. The CGA's flagship championship will now be contested at four rounds of stroke play and will begin its new arrangement at Pinehurst Country Club's No. 8 Centennial course July 8-11.

"We have been contemplating this change for several years," said Walter Todd, CGA Tournament Chairman."As both states will have a match play championship, we wanted to strike a balance with our stroke play and match play events."

"Pinehurst and the CGA have a rich history together, and we are excited to kick off the next 100 years by hosting the Carolinas Amateur," added Don Sweeting, Executive Vice President of Golf and Club Operations for Pinehurst Resort.

The addition of the North Carolina Amateur Match Play will give the CGA 39 major tournaments in 2010.The CGA conducts more than 180 single-day and multiple-day events for CGA golfers of all talent levels.

Founded in 1909, the Carolinas Golf Association is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit service organization for golf clubs and its members in North and South Carolina.