Four Winds Invitational Golf Tournament returns to South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The South Bend Country Club welcomes the four winds invitational players for the second year this weekend.

The country club’s course was designed by architect George O’Neil and opened in 1916 as a par-72, 6,456-yard course.

A new tee will also be used on No.7 that adds 60 yards of length to par-5.

The tournament tees off today, but the golfers have been busy all week outside of the sport.

Players made stops around South Bend, with some visiting Beacon Children’s Hospital to play indoor golf with kids, and another spent time at the Indoor Golf Practice Facility at Notre Dame.

Proceeds from the tournament are being donated to Beacon Children’s Hospital right here in South Bend. The event is also sponsored by Epson and the Four Winds Casino.

The invitational is the 15th stop on the Epson Tour and will feature 130 women golfers from around the world.

3 of those women are from Indiana, hailing from Purdue, University of Indianapolis and Notre Dame.

While they come from all parts of the world, the players all share one common goal — to snag a win this weekend and get closer to their hopes of playing in the LPGA tour in the future.

The women are competing in the $200,000 golf tour that pays $30,000 to the winner today through Sunday before the tour moves on to Idaho.