CENTENNIAL PARK, AZ – What began in 2022 as a small gathering of friends looking for a competitive golf outlet has evolved into the Mojave Open, a flourishing local league that is transforming friendly competition. Co-founded by cousins Jason Timpson and David Timpson, the league has grown from its 36 inaugural players to a capped roster of 72, with nearly 100 unique players competing over the past four years.
Originally named the Centennial Park Open, the league was born from the founders’ shared passion for sports and friendly competition. Their vision was to create a local version of the PGA Tour, with a regular season of weekly play leading up to a climactic final tournament. The co-founders recognized that a single tournament wasn’t enough to truly gauge skill, so they spent hundreds of hours developing a custom scoring system based on real USGA handicap formulas. This innovative approach ensures a truly competitive environment where every player has a legitimate shot at winning, regardless of their skill level.
To make the format more engaging and inclusive, the league also features team games, division competitions tailored to skill levels, and various side games. The effort is to ensure that all 72 players feel like an active participant every week.
A unique aspect of the Mojave Open is its virtual component, designed to accommodate players who live outside the local area. Over the five-round regular season, players can submit scores from any valid USGA-rated golf course, if they are with at least one other league member. This has allowed the league to expand its reach, with rounds submitted from both the West Coast and East Coast, spanning nearly 50 different courses.
The league’s impact on local golf courses has been significant. Of the 1,579 official rounds played across all years, the vast majority have been at local favorites. The top five most popular courses are:
Copper Rock – 691 total rounds
Sky Mountain – 312 total rounds
The Ledges – 92 total rounds
Green Springs – 87 total rounds
Riverbend – 44 total rounds
Timpson noted that while increasing local course revenue wasn’t the original goal, it is a welcome byproduct of the league’s popularity.
The league operates with a strong commitment to its players. All registration fees are paid directly to players in prizes, with the only other cost being their green fees. The co-founders have covered all tournaments, management, and associated expenses out of their own pockets since the beginning. In the last two years, they have been grateful for support from local sponsors, which has helped enhance the tournament experience with items like trophies, flags, and refreshments.
“Neither David nor I have ever made a cent off of this since its inception, and it was never our goal to,” Timpson stated. “We both love to play golf, and plan to continue this tradition for many years.”
The league is especially grateful to Copper Rock for hosting the final tournament for the past three years, with The Ledges having hosted the first year. While the founders don’t plan to expand the player field just yet to avoid placing a burden on the host courses, they are open to future growth as the league continues to flourish. For more information go to: www.mojaveopen.com/
