It is the summer of golf in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.

We have already completed the first round of the three major golf events scheduled for the next two and a half months. The LPGA Symetra Tour had another successful tournament at Blackthorn Golf Club in South Bend.

Up next, in just more than a week, will be the Senior U.S. Open put on by the United States Golf Association. It will be hosted on a college campus for the first time as Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course has earned the honor of hosting some of the world’s best senior golfers.

The final round will be the triumphant return of the Western Amateur at Point O’Woods Golf and Country Club in Benton Harbor. The Point hosted the Western Am for 40 years before the WGA decided it wanted to move it to Illinois and then put the point into a rotation of hosting the best amateur golfers in the world.

I have enjoyed watching some of the LPGA’s future stars as they come to South Bend and compete in the Four Winds Invitational. It is amazing to see these young women playing the game at the highest level and just how easy it comes to them.

As a former golfer, the ease with which they play baffles me because I struggled so just to get a decent round of golf a few times in my life.

Having covered the Sr. PGA Championship at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, I am no stranger to senior golf. What I am a stranger to is USGA Senior Golf. The USGA is notorious for putting together some of the toughest challenges a golfer can face.

Heck, all you had to do is visit the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach this past weekend to see what kind of challenges the golfers are going to face if they do not hit it in the fairway and cannot navigate lightning fast greens.

Hopefully, that burst of warm weather we had recently was enough for the rough to grow. Back in May at the media day for the event, they talked about the cold and wet spring putting them behind in their preparation of the course, but I have faith that whatever the USGA comes up with to challenge the top senior golfers, it will be enjoyable for us to watch. If you have never been to a professional golf event, I would pick up some tickets for the Sr. U.S. Open and get over to the Warren next week and check it out. You will not be disappointed.

Before covering the Western Amateur, I will take in another amateur tournament a little closer to home as Niles hosts its annual City Tournament at Plym Park. The Seniors and women’s divisions will be July 13 and 14, while the Championship, along with the A, B and C Flights, will be contested July 20 and 21.

The junior tournament, for youth 17 and under, will be hosted July 12 at Plym Park. Keep an eye out in the paper for further details.

The summer of golf will wrap up July 29 through Aug. 3 at the Point of Woods. I cannot wait to take in media day next week. Three-time PGA Tour winner, and 1988 Western Am champion Chris DiMarco will be on hand to talk about playing at the Point, which was the home of the tournament from 1971 until 2008.

I can remember covering the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Leonard playing in the Western Amateur and even getting to meet Jack Nicklaus, a former winner of the tournament, as he watched his son Gary play the Point.

It is going to be a great summer of golf. I would encourage everyone to come out to one of these tournaments and watch some of the best golfers around compete. I would also like to encourage both young and old to sign up for the Niles City Golf Tournament.

Scott Novak is sports editor for Leader Publications. He can be reached at scott.novak@leaderpub.com