Eight different years, eight different winners, and now a different golf course.

The 10th annual Butler Eagle Amateur Golf Open will be played Aug. 8 at Pheasant Ridge, which has greens in Butler and Allegheny County.

Shotgun starts will be at 7:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. for the tournament that crowns the top amateur golfer in Butler County.

"We were looking for a different venue and he (Pheasant Ridge golf pro Joe DeCroo) offered us a chance to play there," Eagle Amateir committee member Bill Black said.

"We went down and played a round. The course will provide a challenge to our field and that's what we're looking for."

Chris Marron of Foxburg won last year's event, shooting a 2-under-par 68 at Hiland to defeat Dave Hungerman and Rob Voltz by two strokes each.

Marron became the event's eighth different winner in as many years, following Mark Young, Chuck Young, Greg Minda, Sean Swidzinski, Hungerman, Black and Jim Hepler.

Since this tournament became an annual event again in 1995, Mark Young (1995, 2002) is the only golfer to win it twice.

Pheasant Ridge is a par-72 course with a Gibsonia mailing address and is located five miles off Route 8. It is a par-72, 6,409-yard course.

"We're not a particularly long course, but the fairways are narrow," DeCroo said. "Accurate shots are critical here."

DeCroo said some of the new holes give the course a "Pinehurst look" and the greens are well-bunkered.

No. 17 has been changed from a 159-yard par-3 to a 211-yard par-3. The restructured green was open only eight weeks ago.

The signature hole is the 422-yard, par-4 No. 6 hole. The tree-lined fairway plays uphill.

"It will take a long, accurate drive and a strong mid-iron shot up the hill to get on the green," DeCroo said.

The course features five par-3 holes and five par-5's. The longest hole is the No. 11, 551-yard hole. The shortest is the No. 8, 159-yard hole.

Application forms for the Eagle Amateur are available at Stoughton Acres, Lake Arthur Country Club, Hiland, Pheasant Ridge, Oakview and Shamrock Golf Course.

Fee is $65 and includes greens fees, cart and prizes. Applications are being mailed to last year's participants.

There were 154 golfers who finished last year's tournament, including 46 in the inaugural seniors division (age 50-over), won by Jim Russell.

"The seniors division was a success last year and we're bringing it back," Black said.

Though there is no official women's divisions, women are welcome to play in the event and may play from the red tees.

"If enough women sign up, we might look at that," Black said of a women's division.

The Eagle Amateur had 183 golfers two years ago at Lake Arthur.

"We're happy with where the numbers are," Black said. "If we can get between 160 and 180 this year, that'd be nice.

"This type of tournament is designed for the weekend golfer and I wish more of them would get involved. The different flights give everyone a chance."

The Eagle Amateur has four flights based on the golfer's handicap: 0-6 is the championship flight, 7-12 the first, 13-17 the second and 18-over the third flight.

Next year's tournament will be at Oakview Golf Club. Lake Arthur and Hiland are tentatively scheduled to host it the following two years.

"We're hoping to rotate the event year-to-year around three or four golf courses," Black said.

John Carpenter, Don Bayne and Ron Brueckman join Black on this year's Eagle Amateur committee.