Sept. 3, 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University women's golf team will kick off its 2011 fall season Sunday as the Bulldogs begin play in the Chris Banister Golf Classic being held at Hampton Cove in Huntsville. The three-day Chris Banister Golf Classic will be hosted by Jacksonville State University.

At the northern terminus of the Trail in Huntsville is Hampton Cove, a 54-hole facility with terrain that drastically changes from one side of the property to the other. The Highlands Course was recently renovated to convert it back to its original design as a true Scottish links course, with rolling fairways and long, waving grasses.

Completely opposite in design is the River Course, the only Robert Trent Jones layout without a single bunker. The River Course is a throwback to the way courses were built long ago. The dirt was merely pushed up to create the greens and tees, leaving all else, including massive oak trees, as is.

Samford's talented 2011-12 roster is comprised one senior, two juniors, two sophomores and a pair of true freshmen. The Bulldogs will be led this season by senior Sarah Butts as well as juniors Anna Heim and Kayla Turner. Samford's sophomore class consists of Alex Jasper and Natalie Mitchell, while the Bulldogs' highly-touted true freshmen are Bailey Gray and Emily Stallings.