When he had architect Rees Jones design a course for him in 2000, Tom Tanto envisioned the Totteridge Golf Club in Greensburg to be a unique golf experience in Western Pennsylvania, a place that would compete with Laurel Valley and attract the best players in the region.

It was to be a golfer's club, with only single memberships available at $18,000, and no country-club frills. He had it all planned, everything from a fully equipped learning center to a European-styled clubhouse that would be built once the club had 250 members.

Tanto even had the financial support of five-time PGA Tour winner Rocco Mediate, a Greensburg native, who bought a townhouse on the property and played there when he came home to visit his family.

Now, less than seven years after it opened, Totteridge has capsized like so many other financially strapped private clubs in Western Pennsylvania, victimized by a stagnant industry and a struggling economy. Tanto and his other investors have decided to convert the club to a daily-fee facility that offers a $50 greens fee on weekdays, $65 on weekends (including cart) to the public -- an attractive and inexpensive price for a course that is ranked No. 11 in Pennsylvania by Golf Digest magazine.

"You have two options," said Tanto, a Greensburg resident who builds courses and installs irrigation all over the world. "You can go out of business or you can see if you can make it."

Foresight Golf, a club management firm based in San Antonio has been retained to run Totteridge. One of the company's objectives is to get more people playing at the 7,370-yard layout, which Jones designed as a favor to Tanto.

That's why Totteridge is also offering a $38 twilight rate (after 2 p.m.) on weekdays, $50 on weekends (after 3 p.m.). Also, to promote junior golf, the course is allowing any player under 18 to play for free with a paying adult, weekday or weekend.

"I want people to come back," said Arman Suny, project manager for Foresight Golf. "I don't want them to come and do it once. I want to price it so they'll come back and play the place.

Totteridge is just the latest members-only club to open to the public, joining other Western Pennsylvania clubs such as Oak Tree, Alcoma, St. Jude and Duquesne. But none of those clubs, not even Oak Tree, carried such high hopes, full of lofty expectations, as Totteridge.

Tanto, 71, was fighting a tough battle almost from the club's inception. He was the latest -- and last -- to build a private club in Western Pennsylvania and was opening at a time when the number of rounds played, locally and nationally, already were declining. What's more, the idea to not sell family memberships or offer other family-oriented activities at the club limited the potential number of people who would join the club, especially in a struggling economy.

It didn't help, either, that Totteridge was located in a remote area of Greensburg, making access from Pittsburgh all the more difficult.

"I came in at a rough time -- right after 9/11, the energy crisis, the economy," Tanto said. "But I never look back."

The 2010 U.S. Women's Open will be staged at Oakmont Country Club, the first time the tournament has returned to Oakmont since 1992. Who won the Open title that year? Answer at end.

There hasn't been a Western Pennsylvania player to emerge from a local qualifier and make it to the U.S. Open since amateur Rick Stimmel did it in 2000.

But that hasn't stopped 127 local players -- or a record 9,085 applicants nationwide -- from entering the first stage of qualifiers for this year's U.S. Open, which will return to Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. And the first step in Western Pennsylvania is Tuesday at Quicksilver Golf Club, where 80 players will be vying for five spots in an 18-hole qualifier.

The other 18-hole local qualifier is May 22 at Mystic Rock at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, where 47 players will compete for three spots. The eight qualifiers from those two sites will compete in a 36-hole sectional qualifier for the right to earn a spot in the U.S. Open.

"It's gets tougher every year," said St. Jude amateur Sean Knapp, who lost to Nathan Smith, 1 up, in the championship match of the Pennsylvania Amateur Match Play Championship at Fox Chapel last week. "Locally, things haven't changed much. But, when you get to the sectional [qualifier], it's a whole different ballgame. It's not what it was 20 years ago, let alone 10 years ago.

"Because of all the money in the game, there are more guys who can make a living on the smaller tour than there ever were before. It's not just a bunch of club pros and amateurs playing for six or seven spots. From a numerical standpoint, in terms of number of applicants, it's tougher. But, from a competition standpoint, it's tougher, too."

Knapp is among the top amateurs from Western Pennsylvania who will be competing at Quicksilver.

Joining him are Stimmel, a mini-tour player; Oakmont pro Bob Ford, who has played in two U.S. Open championships; Nevillewood teaching pro Gordon Vietmeier, Harmony Ridge pro/owner John Mazza, Treesdale pro Joe Boros, Allegheny pro John Aber and Rolling Hills assistant Kevin Shields.

Joe Shorto, head professional at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown is the 2009 winner of the Tri-State PGA's golf professional of the year award.

Other 2009 award winners announced by the Tri-State section: PGA President's Plaque: John Kerins, Tam O'Shanter GC; Junior Golf Leader: Randy Bisi, Latrobe CC; Teacher of the Year: Jerry Smith, Tam O'Shanter GC; Horton Smith Award (Education): Justin Barroner, California University of Pennsylvania; Bill Strausbaugh Award (Mentoring): Dave Martin, Pittsburgh Field Club; Merchandiser of the Year: Ed Habjan, Green Oaks CC (private); Bryon Palonder, Cedarbrook GC (public); and Ron Leporati, Bedford Springs Resort & Spa (resort).

Tom Lehman, on his awkward attempt to chest-bump teammate Bernhard Langer after Langer sank a birdie putt in a sudden-death playoff in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf: "When I was in mid-flight, which wasn't all that high, all I could think of was, 'We're going to come down on [Craig] Stadler's ballmark and he's going to be really upset.' "

Pheasant Ridge GC in Gibsonia will hold a fund-raising tournament benefitting the Hillman Cancer Center May 17. Entry is $50 per player and includes golf with cart, buffet dinner and auction.

Patti Sheehan beat Juli Inkster in an 18-hole playoff to win the championship.