The University of Minnesota men’s golf program will host to host the 2005 Minnesota Invitational on Sept. 16-18 at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, Minn.

“We are very pleased to bring a collegiate golf event back to the Twin Cities golfing community on such a great course,” said head coach Brad James. “Spring Hill is one of the finest golf clubs in the nation and a perfect venue for amateur golf.”

Spring Hill is a Tom Fazio designed private club that opened in 1999. Spring Hill measures 7,020 yards from the championship tees and slopes at 74.3/148. Golf Digest rated Spring Hill as the fifth best new private course in the country in 2000.

“In addition to a number Spring Hill members who were letterwinners at the U, we have many members who have been long-time supporters of amateur golf,” said Tournament Chairman George Hallin, a three-year Gopher golf letterwinner and team captain in 1966. “This is our chance to showcase outstanding collegiate golf from around the country. We have developed an affinity with the golf program over the years and we want to make this one of the class tournaments in collegiate golf on an annual basis.”

The 54-hole event will feature 12 of the top collegiate teams in the country, including SMU, Washington, Stanford, Purdue, Indiana, Georgia State, UAB, Notre Dame, UNC Wilmington, Memphis and Georgia Southern. Teams will play 36 holes on Saturday, Sept. 17 and the final 18 holes on Sunday morning Sept. 18.

Minnesota has not hosted a men’s collegiate golf tournament since the 2000 PSInet Invitational at Dellwood Hills. The 2001 Minnesota Invitational was cancelled due to the September 11th attacks.