Tournament Spotlight: Carlton Woods Invitational

Every October, about 100 of the country's best mid-amateur and senior amateur golfers arrive at Carlton Woods in Houston, Texas, for the Carlton Woods Invitational.

It began in the mid-2000s, when a young club wanted to show itself to the players who would judge it best. Nearly two decades later, the tournament is in its 19th edition. It draws players from around the country and beyond, and it has a reputation for the Jack Nicklaus course, the hospitality and the way players are treated.

In this film, the people who run, host and play the tournament tell the story: why the club created it, why it moved from June to October, what makes the course such a test, and why players say they'll be back.

In this film

* How a club built a national amateur tournament
* The move to October, and what the fall date changed
* A look at the course from the agronomy director's point of view, plus what players say about the greens, rough and water
* The hospitality: the Texas barbecue, the Tuesday dinner and the locker-room snack table
* The friendships that bring players back every year

Thanks to the members, staff, committee and players of Carlton Woods for their time.

Produced by The Back of the Range