When word was first announced that Plymouth Country Club, site of the Montgomery County Junior Championship for the last 10 years, had been sold, more than a few people held their breath.

Would the club, now known as the 1912 Club, still host the Junior Championship? The first word came from head golf professional Chris Hanson, who affirmed that the 1912 Club still stood solidly behind the championship for boys and girls who live in Montgomery County and have not reached their 19th birthday.

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The next word came from Brian Quinn, one of the principals behind the acquisition of the 106-year-old William Flynn-designed classic.

Quinn is a PGA Professional, who runs the BQ Golf Academy at Tee’s Golf Center in Conshohocken and is the head coach of the Temple University golf team. There was hope that he might be interested in junior golf.

It turns out that he has a passion … beyond what anyone expected.

“Junior Golf is the lifeblood of our industry,” said Quinn, as he prepares a number of surprises for his first year as host of the Montgomery County Junior Championship. “There is a natural tie for golf professionals and golf clubs to continue promoting the game of golf through junior play.

“And, even though I coach the men’s golf team at Temple, I am just as interested in promoting women’s golf. My dream is to see the day when we have 100 boys playing in the junior championship, as well as 100 girls.”

For starters, competitors in this year’s Junior Championship will find a vastly different layout from the old Plymouth Country Club. Hundreds of huge trees have already been cleared at the 1912 Club, opening vistas across the layout that have not been experienced since the 1930s.

And this is only the start of the renovations.

“We have big things planned for the entire club,” stressed Quinn. “For now, we started with the trees and we are continuing with the atmosphere the players will see at the Junior Championship. We’re not just going to give them a hot dog and a Coke after they finish. We’re are going to treat them well and they will feel as if they have just played in a professional golf event.”

The Montgomery County Junior Championship takes place on Friday, August 3. The event has produced a number of Temple University golfers. Logan Terry came out of Plymouth Whitemarsh High to become the No. 1 player on the Temple University team. In 2005 and 2006 he won back-to-back Montgomery County Amateur Championships, before turning pro. Dawson Anders made history in 2016, becoming the first golfer to win the Junior Championship, then roll through the Amateur Championship to win the title as the best player in Montgomery County. He now plays for Quinn at Temple.

One more Temple connection. Rob Savarese, who is closing in on Senior Division eligibility, won the County Amateur title twice – in 2004 and 2007. Maybe this year’s competition will produce another future Owl star.

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