By Jason Takhtadjian, Armenian Weekly
Golf is regarded by some as “the greatest game.” A sport that teaches some of life’s valuable lessons, like patience and respect, has rarely branched into the Armenian sports stratosphere. But soon, a young man from Yerevan will bring together Armenian golf enthusiasts of all ages in Southern California.
Who is organizing an Armenian golf tournament and how will it look?
The Armenian American Golf Tournament will tee off on Sunday, September 15 at 9 a.m. at the Woodley Lakes Golf Courses in Los Angeles. The tournament will consist of teams of four playing 18 holes in a 4-man scramble format. Scramble in golf essentially means that everyone on a team tees off on each hole and then decides which tee shot they like the best to continue playing with. Two of the 18 holes will have unique stipulations. Hole 3 will be contested on who can swing their golf ball closest to a pin, and hole 18 will be contested with who has the longest drive. Also, $10,000 is on the line for whoever can achieve a hole-in-one on hole 3.
The young man behind the putter is 27-year-old Azat Baghdasaryan, who moved to the United States from Armenia in the early 2000s. Baghdasaryan has always been involved in sports, but golf wasn’t always up to par to him.
“I started golf after college, actually,” Baghdasaryan told the Weekly. “I never even thought of the sport as something that I could see myself doing until right after Covid. During that time a few of my friends started to play. They were constantly bugging me to go out and play. It took them a few tries to convince me to get out there but after the first try, I got the bug in me and didn’t want to stop playing. I just wanted to be out on the course,” he said.
Azat played basketball and tennis in high school, but admits he should have picked up golf sooner. He officially started playing golf in March 2023.
“My first time was at Van Nuys golf course, and it was a cold day. I remember that because I was complaining to my friends, saying, ‘it’s cold outside, what are we doing out here.’ It was definitely very difficult, but there was something about it that made me think if I practiced a little more, I could hit a few of the shots I was hoping would go the way I wanted that didn’t,” Baghdasaryan said. “From there on out, it was just kind of tunnel vision trying to get better everyday.”
In early August of 2024, the idea to create an Armenian golf tournament was sparked. Baghdasaryan gives credit to his fiancée for planting the seeds.
“She was the one who randomly asked me if there are any Armenian leagues or organizations. I said not that I know of; I don’t really see a big Armenian presence. She said do you want to try to put on an event and just spread the word? Let’s see how many golfers are out there and if they would be interested in this,” Baghdasaryan said.
How does one go about organizing a golf tournament? Baghdasaryan says it’s actually a lot simpler than you think — as long as enough people participate.
“I just contacted a few of the local courses like Millwood and Woody. I told them I wanted to put on a tournament and (asked) what’s required,” Baghdasaryan said. “I just locked in a day and said, ‘I pray to God to get as many people as needed, at least meet the minimum requirement or else I’m going to be out a few hundred bucks.’”
Fortunately, the minimum player requirement is 16, and as of August 27, 28 people were signed up to golf. Also, make sure to bring your clubs to the green because Baghdasaryan says this tournament is designed for people who have some prior golfing experience. However, he still believes the Armenian-American Golf Tournament can attract new players.
“I don’t know if I can completely say this is an absolute beginner-friendly tournament to participate in, because you do need to have your own equipment, balls, clubs. So maybe it’s not for a person who’s never touched a golf club or a golf ball before,” Baghdasaryan said. “They’re definitely welcome to come and meet people. Maybe there might be people there who would give lessons or get interested and find out how they can start playing golf.”
Baghdasaryan hopes to plan a series of events aimed at teaching novices the fundamentals of golf in the near future. But for now, the focus is on September 15 when golfers will be grouped up for a 4-man scramble. According to Baghdasaryan, that format will ease a lot of tension that typically builds up in a game of golf. He said, “There isn’t as much pressure because all four of your (team’s) shots are taken into account and you just play from the best shot. So if you hit a bad shot on a particular hole, and your buddy hits a good shot, you get to play from wherever your buddy hit it from.”
There is no limit to how many people can participate in the tournament, and there is a $100 fee per person that covers the green fee, golf cart and range balls. Gentlemen will play from the blue tees, and ladies will play from the yellow tees. It’s also important to note that if you don’t have a group of golfers to yell “fore” with, you will be placed on a team. There will be prizes for the first place team, the longest drive and the closest to the hole 3 pin.
Registration is fast approaching, with the deadline slated for September 1. For information regarding tournament registration, click here.
The tournament isn’t just an excuse to bust out your long irons — it’s also a way for Baghdasaryan to raise money for an Armenian charity dear to his heart. “It’s called Hidden Road Initiative (HRI),” he said. “From the projects that I’m familiar with, they raise money and they go to different villages in Armenia that are particularly underdeveloped or need additional help with building kindergartens.” Baghdasaryan says that he is also planning to donate $500 out of his own pocket to Hidden Road Initiative.
