Time to start thinking about submitting your entry blanks for the 2010 Greater Cleveland Amateur Golf Championships! There are four different events within the Cleveland Am series each year, and the entry deadlines are coming up faster than you might think…

First up is the Senior Cleveland Amateur Championship at Big Met Golf Course in Fairview Park on Thursday, July 15 and Friday, July 16th. [Senior Cleveland Am entry form here.] This 36-hole stroke play event is open to amateur golfers 50 years of age and over, of any gender or residence with a current handicap index of 8.4 or less. Entry deadline is July 12th. 2009 CHAMPION: Matt Timmons.

The Women’s Greater Cleveland Amateur Championship will be played at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course in Brecksville this year, on Saturday July 31 and Sunday August 1. [Women's Cleveland Am entry form here.] The 36-hole stroke play tournament will be contested at scratch and is open to amateur golfers of any age or residence with a current handicap index of 18.4 or less. Entry deadline is July 25th. 2009 CHAMPION: Kelly Krusoe.

Finally, the main event, the 2010 Greater Cleveland Amateur Golf Championship, will be played at Manakiki Golf Course in Willoughby Hills on August 6-7-8. [Cleveland Am Championship entry form here.] This 54-hole stroke play tournament will be contested at scratch and is open for qualifying to amateur golfers of any age, gender, or residence (plus a number of exemption categories as well, explained below). Contestants are expected to have a current handicap index of 7.4 or less.

The Cleveland Am is preceded by the four Course Championships, which are local tournaments and 36-hole qualifiers for the Cleveland Am all rolled into one. The Course Championships will be played at Sleepy Hollow, Manakiki, Big Met and Shawnee Hills (Bedford Heights) on Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25.

Entry deadline for the Qualifiers/Course Championships: July 18th; entry deadline for Exempt Players into the Am: July 23rd. 2009 CHAMPION: Nick Latimer.

So how does a player earn an exemption into the 2010 Cleveland Am? There are plenty of ways:

1) All Past Champions and the top ten finishers from the 2010 Championship; all past Senior Champions and the top five finishers from the 2010 Senior Championship; the four 2009 Cleveland Metroparks Course Championship winners.

2) Event winners during the 2010 calendar year from the Northern Ohio Golf Association and the Akron District Golf Association.

3) All 2010 Northern Ohio Golf Association club champions. (The 2009 champion is eligible if the 2010 champion has not been determined by July 19th, 2010)

4) The 2009 and 2010 winners and runners-up of the Northeast Ohio Amateur, the Ohio Amateur, and the Summit County Amateur.

5) 2009 and 2010 winners of the NOPGA Junior Championship and the NOPGA Kenny Novak Championship.

6) Players ranked in the Top 5 as of July 15th, 2010 from the “Player of the Year” points list of the Northern Ohio Golf Association, the Akron District Golf Association, the Championship Golf Association, and the Greater Cleveland Skins Game.

7) The Tournament Committee may issue additional exemptions to golf associations and tournaments, as it deems appropriate.

Here’s one consideration for entry by an exempt player: a player can be exempt from qualifying yet still try to enter and win one of the four Course Championships (which are very well-run and a lot of fun in and of themselves). If you are eligible for an exemption yet wish to play in one of the Course Championships, when submitting your entry make sure you check the appropriate Course Championship box that you wish to play, but also check the “I am exempt via:” box and list your exemption method. You’ll have to pay $80 amount to enter regardless of the Course Championship you wish to enter, but that’s still the deal of the year: two events for one. And don’t worry that you’ll knock a guy out of qualifying if you decide to play; exempt players don’t count against the number of players eligible to move on to the Am. Get your entry in by July 18th if you want to go this route.

If you have earned an exemption via but don’t want to play a Course Championship, simply submit your entry by July 23rd and note the category of qualification in the ‘exempt via’ line.

If you have won an event in a major regional golf association this year and wish to have that win considered for exemption via “Category 7″, contact Mike Raby at (440) 331-1070.

And remember, watch for starting times and complete results from all of these Cleveland Am events on the Northeast Ohio Golf website!