Amateur golfers enjoy tournament play, as witnessed by the success of various tours around the country.

One of the most successful of those is the Harris Teeter Senior Amateur Tour, which caters to golfers over age 50. The success of this tour didn't just happen, of course. Dennis McCormac's brainchild, nurtured in this area by the industrious Tour Director, Bruce Hallenbeck, has grown each year since its founding more than a decade ago.

The Harris Teeter Senior Amateur Tour is bringing its season-ending championship back to the Sandhills after a two-year absence, and National Golf Club has been selected as the tournament's primary venue.

The championship takes place Nov. 17-18 and is expected to draw more than 200 golfers from seven states.

The tour will use National's Jack Nicklaus signature course both days, along with Mid Pines the first day and Pine Needles the second day. National will also host practice rounds on Nov. 16.

"These three courses are the best -- by far -- that we've ever had for a Senior Amateur Tour Championship," said McCormac, the tour president. "Our players requested that we return to the Pinehurst area and are excited to play courses of such high caliber."

National Golf Club has twice hosted PGA Tour Qualifying School and U.S. Open qualifying, while Pine Needles hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 1996, 2001 and 2007. Mid Pines, the sister course to Pine Needles, is ranked among the top courses in North Carolina.

"What I like about the tour is it brings us good quality golfers that enjoy traditional golf," said Tom Parsons, director of golf at National. "They'll appreciate all three venues and each course should be in very good shape at the time."

The HT Senior Tour conducts separate amateur tours in 12 markets across the Southeast. Golfers, age 50 and older, play a season-long schedule of tournaments in their area, with the top finishers in each flight earning the honor of participating in the tour championship.

This will be the 11th annual championship for the tour. The first eight championships were held in the Sandhills before moving to the South Carolina low country the past two years.

"This tournament is important because it brings golfers who are competitive and enjoy a good golf course that will test you," Parsons said. "A lot of Carolinians who have not played here before will see this course. It's a nice marketing opportunity for us."

For information, visit www.harristeetersrtour.com.

Information for this article was provided by Craig Distl, a golf publicist and freelance writer from Charlotte.