The Farmhouse Classic was founded in 2005 during Little 500 weekend in Bloomington, Indiana by a group of four friends. Developing friendships and hosting a significant amount of weekend guests, the tournament quickly grew as an ideal way to bring people together during an oft-chaotic weekend.
19 years on, the tournament has grown significantly in its numbers and impact as guests have become regulars and regulars have invited their family and friends to participate. Through it all, The Farmhouse Classic remains committed to its Core Values:
Friendship: We are a community built on mutual respect and trust. Friendships can be solidified on a weekend and there is always space for new members in the community. We are at the service of others, so if you aren’t having fun, we’re not doing it right.
Sportsmanship: We bring our best to the competition, follow the rules of the game, and respect the judgment of the officials. Through a shared interpretation of the rules, we promote equal treatment of all concerned and respect our competitors, host courses, and cities.
Charity: We are committed to giving back to the communities in which we play and live. Helping others is a responsibility and through financial contributions and volunteering our time, we aim to deepen our commitment to giving through the game of golf.
“It’s the little traditions that make The Farmhouse Classic special”
The Farmhouse Classic has played host to more than 150 of the best (and worst) golfers from around the world. But contested in a scramble format with many prizes on the line, every participant regardless of skill level is welcomed like family. So what else makes The Farmhouse Classic unique?
The Farmhouse Classic called Bloomington home for the first three years while many of the participants completed their undergraduate studies at Indiana University. Upon graduation and the relocation of participants to many cities around the country, it was decided that the tournament would become a traveling one with each year hosted in a new state. Since then, we have played in 15 different states, well on our way to our goal of completing all 50. This allows participants to play on some of golf’s best courses while visiting new cities with local participants as a guide. In addition, The Farmhouse Classic through its registration raises money for the local chapter of First Tee or another charity based in the city in which we are playing. To see where we’ve been, where we are going, and the past winners please visit the map on the main page.
Since the Farmhouse Classic’s third year, each participant has received a polo shirt with their entry to be worn during the Saturday round. Seeing 20-30 participants all wearing the same color polo on the course is truly a sight to behold. From light blue to orange and including many other colors spread around the color wheel, the announcement of this year’s color polo is the first sign that registration will soon open.
The Farmhouse Classic Champions trophy is a rotating award, meaning the winning team is responsible for returning the trophy the following year. As such, it has traveled around the country and has been held by teams with a variety of handicaps. Whether trying to win one or both trophies, teams give their all that first weekend in June. If unsuccessful, many other awards await, including those unrelated to golf such as ‘Best Biography’ for their self-introduction in the program or ‘Best #wheresfhc’ for the best picture anywhere in the world with Farmhouse gear.
On an individual’s participation in their 10th Farmhouse Classic, they are awarded their own, custom-tailored Farmhouse Classic Jacket. Presented at the Friday Awards Ceremony before Saturday’s tournament round, all participants are on hand to honor them and their commitment to the organization. To date, only 16 participants have been bestowed this honor, but we look forward to presenting you with yours.
The Farmhouse Classic is what you make of it. A chance to connect with old friends? Yeap. A chance to visit great places and play great courses? Absolutely. An opportunity to show off your improved golf game? Let’s be honest, how many of our games really improve?
Every year we see teams who coordinate their outfits, teams who set time aside to do team dinners, participants who sponsor prizes and give as much as they can to charity, and participants who reach out to their other friend groups and expand and enrich the experience for all. The Farmhouse Classic is what it is today because of the contributions of every participant, and every year it is exciting to see what people bring forth.
Every year participants can nominate a Member of the Year who best exemplifies The Farmhouse Classic’s core values on and off the course during their registration. Finalists and the winner are selected by the Member of the Year committee and honored at the Friday Awards before the tournament. There are more details on the next page, so why not head over there after you’re done here to read more about it?