News

St. Louis, MO - The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association is proud to announce that Bellerive Country Club will be the host site for the 2024 Metropolitan Amateur Championship. The club has previously held two Metropolitan Amateur Championships.
 

"The Metropolitan Amateur Championship is the region's most coveted amateur title,” said executive director Curt Rohe, “we are elated to have Bellerive Country Club back as host of the 34th edition!" 

 

Founded in 1897, Bellerive Country Club began as a nine-hole course in north St. Louis, named after the last French commander in North America, St. Ange De Bellerive. In 1910, a “new Bellerive” was designed in Normandy, Missouri, where the club remained for 50 years. By 1955, the club decided to move west. This move allowed for a complete redesign on prime land. Coined the “Green Monster of Ladue”, the club has remained in this final destination since. 

 

The original course in Normandy was designed by Scotsman Robert Foulis. When the decision to move the course was made, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. was allowed to pick the prime farm location for the new site. Jones designed the new site, and the club opened on Memorial Day in 1960. In 2006, the course reopened following a year-long renovation, which was headed up by Rees Jones, the son of original architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. 

 

From that day in 1960, Bellerive Country Club has been host to numerous professional and amateur championships, making a name for itself within the national golf community. Just five short years after opening, the club hosted the 1965 U.S. Open, becoming the “youngest” course to do so. Sixteen years later, the inaugural U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship was held at Bellerive, which was won by St. Louis native Jim Holtgrieve. Continuing to add to its lineup of championships, the course opened its fairways to the 1992 PGA Championship. 

 

Entering the twenty-first century, Bellerive Country Club was ready to welcome more championship golf. The American Express World Golf Championship was scheduled to be played at the club in 2001, but was canceled due to the events of 9-11. In 2004, the USGA returned to Bellerive for the U.S. Senior Open. The BMW Championship brought its field to experience the course in 2008. In 2013, the Senior PGA Championship was held at Bellerive, making it the third club to host all four men’s Major Championships (US Open, PGA Championship, US Senior Open and Senior PGA Championship). Most recently, the 100th PGA Championship brought in the world’s greatest professional golfers to walk the fairways of this St. Louis course. 

 

Bellerive Country Club has opened its doors to the MAGA over the years as well. In 1996 and again in 2009, the club hosted the Metropolitan Amateur Championship. The 1996 Metropolitan Amateur Champion was Tom Barry and the 2009 Champion was Skip Berkmeyer. The defending Champion in 2024 will be Bellerive Country Club member, Peter Weaver. Local junior golfers were able to experience the championship course in the 2003 Metropolitan Junior Amateur Championship and 2012 Mid-America Junior Cup. Beginning in 2021, Bellerive has agreed to be one of the two alternating hosts for the annual Robert A. Shogren Cup. The club has also served as a pathway to national championships by hosting USGA Qualifiers, with the most recent being the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying. 

 

“Bellerive’s membership has a long-standing tradition of supporting our local Associations with the intent to grow the game of golf,” said Carlos Arraya, club General Manager. “In 2024 the Club is excited to continue that tradition by hosting the 2024 Amateur Championship.”

 

This will be the 34th playing of the Metropolitan Amateur Championship, and third time hosting for Bellerive Country Club.