Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation AJGA Junior All-Star Tournament Volunteer Needs

The Mill Creek Golf Course is seeking volunteers for the week long golf tournament sponsored by the Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation that runs June 18 – 21, 2018. Volunteers will be needed for timing stations and live scoring, hydration rovers, and scorecard runners. There are approximately 120-150 shifts available over the course of the week. High school and college students in need of community service hours will be awarded letters for their service. Each volunteer will receive an AJGA logo hat and pin, on-course lunch, and the chance to watch the event from inside the ropes.

If interested in volunteering, please contact Head Golf Professional Stacie Butler at 330.740.7112 ext. 101 or stacie@millcreekmetroparks.org.

Mahoning Valley Hospital Foundation AJGA Junior All Star 2018 Junior-Amateur Fundraiser Tournament & Hole Sponsorship Opportunities

The American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) will be hosting a Junior-3 Amateur Tournament on Monday, June 18, 2018. The 18-hole event will be a 1:30 pm shotgun start on Mill Creek’s South Course. Teams will consist of 3 amateurs paired with one of the top-20 junior players from the tournament field. A dinner reception will follow beginning at 6:30 pm in the Hole #55 Bar & Grille at the Mill Creek Golf Course. Registration is $600 per team with the field being limited to the first 20 teams that register. The team entry fee includes: 3 Junior-Am greens fees with carts, play with a Top-20 Ranked AJGA Junior, 3 invitations to Junior-Am Dinner Reception, 3 sleeves of Taylor Made Golf Balls, 3 Adidas Tournament Shirts, 3 New Era Tournament Hats, 3 McArthur Golf Towels, plus many great prizes.

Hole sponsorship opportunities are also available for the 2018 AJGA Tournament. Corporate or individual hole sponsors are available for $250.00 per hole. Each hole sponsor will receive their company logo and/or name on a sign displayed at the golf course during the event.

To register for the Junior-3 Amateur Tournament or to become a hole sponsor, please contact PGA Head Professional Andy Santor at the Mill Creek Golf Shop at 330.740.7112 ext. 103.

Notice of May Board Meeting

The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners, of Mill Creek MetroParks is scheduled for Monday, May 14, 2018, at 6 p.m. in McMahon Hall, at the MetroParks Farm, on Rt. 46, in Canfield. The agenda will be available on the website after 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting.

Florals from the Butler displayed in Weller Gallery

Mill Creek MetroParks in collaboration with the Butler Institute of American Art presents, Florals from the Butler, an array of floral paintings displayed in the Weller Gallery at Fellows Riverside Gardens. These images are part of the Butler Museum’s permanent collection. View the work from artists such as Pete Ballard, Phyllis Beard, George Biddle, Catherine Burchfield, Chen Chi, Bob Guccione and more.

This free exhibit is being displayed now through June 17, 2018 during normal operating hours of Tuesdays – Sundays, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., closed Mondays.

For more information on this exhibit, visit or call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330.740.7116.

Notice of MetroParks Standing Committee Meeting

The Community Engagement Standing Committee to the Board of Park Commissioners of Mill Creek MetroParks will meet on Friday, May 4, 2018, at 10 am in Classroom A at the MetroParks Farm.

Adaptive Golf to be added to the Adaptive Sports Programs at Mill Creek MetroParks

Mill Creek Golf Course will host an Adaptive Golf program this fall as part of a pilot program for 2018. The Mill Creek golf professional staff of Brian Tolnar, Andy Santor and Stacie Butler recently became certified to teach Adaptive Golf by the PGA of America this past April in Columbus, Ohio.  The adaptive program will be taught by the professional staff at Mill Creek and instruct handicapped players, disabled golfers and military members who were injured in combat. Participants will learn all the skills necessary to play the game of golf. A program date of Wednesday, September 12, 2018 has been selected for the one-day pilot program at Mill Creek Golf Course, with details becoming available later this summer. “The staff and I are excited to have learned the skills necessary to be involved with this new player developmental program which has so much to offer to its participants. It’s a great way for us to share the game we all enjoy along with being able to offer new recreational opportunities at the MetroParks,” says Brian Tolnar, PGA Director of Golf. Beyond the pilot program set for this fall, Mill Creek is looking to host a four-week program in the spring and a two-week program in the fall of 2019. This will be in conjunction with the PGA Hope Initiative set forth by the PGA of America and Northern Ohio PGA Section. 

The Adaptive Golf Program is an addition to adaptive programs in tennis, softball and lacrosse which will be offered this summer by Mill Creek MetroParks in collaboration with Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio (ASPO). For the second year, ASPO staff will be providing free instruction in wheelchair tennis basics to participants of any age who have a permanent disability. This year, the Adaptive Tennis program will be held on the new tennis courts at Volney Rogers Field, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, from 6 – 7:30 pm, from May 1 through May 31. Those interested in participating in this free program are asked to call Ford Nature Center to register. 

The MetroParks is excited to offer for the first time, programs instructed by ASPO for Adaptive Softball and Adaptive LaCrosse, to be held in June/July and July/August respectively. Like Adaptive Tennis, anyone with a permanent disability is welcome to enjoy these free programs.  Details are available in our calendar, or by calling 330.740.7107.

Safety in the MetroParks

It’s spring time and the nice weather brings more activity in the park. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable visit. Mill Creek MetroParks Police would like to remind visitors to slow down, share the road and to be aware of their surroundings. Visitors should anticipate seeing increased patrols throughout the MetroParks. Park visitors are urged to contact MetroParks Police at 330.744.3848 should they see something out of place or a questionable situation.

Mill Creek Golf Course Closure for Private Event

The Mill Creek Golf Course will be closed the morning of Friday, May 4, 2018 due to a scheduled private event. Both North and South Courses will be closed. The Course will reopen to the public at 3:00 pm. The Practice Facility and Wick Recreation Par-3 Course will be open for normal play during the day of the event.

Mill Creek Golf Course Features New Hole Signage

The Mill Creek Golf Course will now feature new hole yardage signs for the North and South Golf Courses. The new hole signs were installed last week to help kick off the 2018 golf season. The new signs feature: hole numbers, course tee yardages, trash receptacles, ball washers and hole sponsor partnership plaques. The updated hole signage is a collaborative effort with the current hole sponsorship opportunities at Mill Creek MetroParks. The new signs have a 25+ year shelf-life and will make an aesthetic improvement to the facility.

“We’re excited to have the new hole signs up for the golf season as they will add to the enhanced golf experience at Mill Creek. The new signage is a nice addition to the list of positive changes and capital improvements we have on the horizon in an effort to make the course better than it has ever been. Our staff is excited to share the improvements in a year where we will be celebrating 90 years of golf in the Mahoning Valley”, says Brian Tolnar, PGA Director of Golf

For more information about the Mill Creek Golf Course, visit our website at www.millcreekmetroparks.org.

North Course Bunker Restoration Project Set to Begin

The Mill Creek Golf Course Bunker Restoration Capital Improvement Project is set to begin next week on the North Course. The project will include the restoration of 42 bunkers and additional drainage work. The North Course will be open for play during the restoration process, but will be limited to 9 Hole play throughout the duration of the project. The South Course and Practice Facility will remain open for normal play and tee times. Golf Preservations Inc. was awarded the project on March 12, 2018.

For more information about the Mill Creek Golf Course, visit our website at www.millcreekmetroparks.org.