An exciting new championship and a ground-breaking golf symposium highlight activities over the next few days in the Sandhills.

It’s shaping up to be one of the most riveting tournaments in the Sandhills, but time is running out for players who haven’t signed up to play in the inaugural Moore County Two-Man Championship.

The tournament is scheduled for this coming weekend at Little River Golf and Resort. Director of Golf Marvin Waters promises it’s going to be one to remember.

“This is going to be a special event,” Waters, the director of golf and head professional at Little River Golf and Resort, said. “The players are going to love it. And the winners will have the bragging rights of being the first winners and can come back next year as defending champions.”

Based on past two-man competitions, Waters is probably right. Most golfers love two-man competition.

The field is being limited to 100 players — 50 two-man teams — and it promises to be a weekend to remember in the world of local golf.

The Little River course was designed by Carolinas Hall of Fame architect Dan Maples and presents golfers with a severe challenge. Recent renovations have softened the course in some areas, but there are enough challenges to bring out the best in golfers.

Teams may be made up of one professional and one amateur or two amateurs, but only one professional is allowed per twosome. The format calls for two-man best-ball on Saturday with a two-man scramble (captain’s choice) in the final round on Sunday.

The entry fee is $250 per team, $125 per player, and there will be a cash team skins game both days with an entry fee of $50 each day.

A 1 p.m. shotgun start is scheduled on Saturday, with a pig-pickin’ and kegs following play. A 9 a.m. shotgun is scheduled for Sunday with awards and prizes immediately afterward. Deadline for entries is Nov. 1.

“The entries have been coming in pretty well,” Waters said on Thursday. “We already have about 20 teams.”

For information, call (910) 949-4600.

Golf Symposium: The Symposium on Affordable Golf continues to attract large audiences as golfers and industry people alike converge in a meeting of the minds.

The meeting, which is being promoted by Richard Mandell Golf Architecture, is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 8, at Southern Pines Golf Club. More than 100 people are expected to attend, several from outside the United States.

The goal is to generate healthy discussion on how to return the game of golf to a state of stability, prosperity and affordable simplicity.

Topics will include “The Simplicity of Golf Course Management in the British Isles”; “Cost-Conscious Lessons to Learn from the Golden Age”; and “The Folly of Replicating Tournament Conditions.”

The symposium will conclude with a review of the day’s discussions and map a route to the future.

There is no cost to attend the symposium, but those planning to attend are asked to register.

For information, visit the website www.symposiumonaffordablegolf. com/register.html.

Tin Whistles: The foursome of Bob Hughes, Ray Martin, John Reglar and Rich Warters posted a best-ball-of-two score of 121 to win the Tin Whistles event held at National Golf Club Oct. 18.

Bill Cantley, Bill Noggle, Phil Reaper and Murray Stern were second with 124, with the team of Scott Forehand, Gerald Koster, Ron Milan and Joe Raguso taking third with 125 in a card playoff.

Senior Am Tour: John Henely, of Pinehurst, shot 83 to win Flight C in the Senior Amateur event held at the Duke University Golf Course.

Doug Michal, of Raleigh, won the Championship Flight with a 2-over-par 74. Rick Luzar, of Pinehurst, was fourth with 77.

eGolf News: Drew Weaver, of High Point, utilized his first professional win and two additional top-10 finishes this fall en route to securing an exemption into the European Tour’s 2011 King Hassan II Trophy in Agadir, Morocco, via the eGolf Tour’s inaugural “Race to Morocco.”

Weaver’s win came at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord with rounds of 64-68-67—199, earning him a spot in a three-man playoff for the title with Fernando Mechereffe and Tadd Fujikawa. On the first playoff hole — the par-4 14th — Weaver stuck his approach shot to two feet for the win.

The King Hassan II Trophy, which pairs professionals with amateurs in a Pebble Beach-style format, was ­recognized as an official European Tour event for the first time this year as part of The Race to Dubai.

The event was first played in 1971 and boasts past champions such as Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Nick Price, Seve Ballesteros and Lee Trevino.

Contact Howard Ward at howard ward@att.net.