The American Grand Prix in the Sporting discipline (Parcours de chasse) was a premier international clay target shooting competition held from November 10th to November 12th, 2017. This prestigious championship took place in Camden, South Carolina (SC), United States.

Event Highlights & Visual Analysis

Based on the official event materials, the tournament integrated several key organizational elements and industry partners:

Host Venue: Organized and hosted at the Hermitage Farm Shooting Sports complex in Camden, South Carolina.
Sanctioning Bodies: Globally authorized and overseen by FITASC (Fédération Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse) and supported nationally by the NSCA (National Sporting Clays Association).
Global Ranking Series: Staged as an official point-scoring phase for both the international Beretta FITASC Cups circuit and the worldwide Gamebore FITASC World Rankings.
Corporate Backing: The event featured prominent corporate sponsorship from elite shooting and industry brands, including Promatic and White Flyer Targets.

1. Full Event Program & Schedule

According to the master competition timeline, the shooting grounds organized dedicated registration and warm-up windows before launching into the main 200-target championship layout over three days:

November 9th (Thursday): Registration and Practice / Warm-up rounds.
November 10th (Friday): Competition Day | Qualification Rotations
November 11th (Saturday): Competition Day | Qualification Rotations
November 12th (Sunday): Competition Day | Final Rotations followed immediately by the official Awards and Closing Ceremony.

2. Venue & Organizer Contact Information

Location Details:

Hermitage Farm Shooting Sports

Camden, South Carolina (SC), United States

Inquiries & Registration Support:

All official event communication, squadding updates, and final score classifications were managed directly under the regulatory frameworks of FITASC and the NSCA.

Shooting Ground

Hermitage Sporting Grounds

Camden, United States

Hermitage Sporting Grounds is a premier, world-class sporting clays facility spanning over 1,500 acres of historic woodlands in Camden, South Carolina. Originally established by the late horse racing legend Joe Cantey, the grounds blend South Carolina's elite equestrian heritage with advanced clay shooting engineering. This premier facility accommodates everyone from novice shooters to seasoned professionals, providing a welcoming environment to socialize and practice.

Facilities and Shooting Courses

The facility features state-of-the-art infrastructure designed to challenge and entertain shooters of all skill levels. Utilizing top-tier Promatic traps and White Flyer targets, all main courses can be operated with automated delay controllers to facilitate solo shooting.

Loblolly Course: 15 stations and 30 machines featuring highly technical targets
Cypress Course: 15 stations and 30 machines perfect for beginners and focus building
Cedar Course: An intermediate course with 12 stations and 3 machines per station
FITASC Parcours: 4 standard 12-gauge parcours and 2 specialized Sub-Gauge parcours
5-Stand: A less intimidating area featuring 8 state-of-the-art machines in one spot

Prestigious Tournaments and Events

The facility serves as a vital hub for regional and national competitive shooting events. Backed by an experienced planning team and professional course design by Eric Dorsey, the venue regularly hosts prestigious tournaments.

Palmetto Cup Championship: A major multi-day regional tournament held in November
South Carolina State Championship: A highly competitive week-long state tournament
SCISA State Sporting Clays Championship: A competitive school league championship
Day of Clays: A charity youth shooting fundraiser supported by the MidwayUSA Foundation
Autumn Challenge 300: An intense three-day event requiring high shooting endurance

Coaching and Coordinated Shooting Method

The educational program at Hermitage is highly distinguished, led by principal instructor John Higgins. Higgins brings over 55 years of experience to the grounds, teaching his revolutionary Coordinated Shooting Method (CSM) to build individual confidence and character.

Student-Centered Learning: Focuses on individual biomechanics, vision, and cognitive target reading
Youth Development: Partners with SCYSF and SCTP to train scholastic athletes and school coaches
Gun Fitting Expertise: Personal shotgun customization to optimize stance, recoil management, and eye alignment

Pricing and Operations

Hermitage Sporting Grounds operates on a dual-phase membership model to ensure maximum accessibility and exclusive member benefits. The club features a comfortable clubhouse with a pro-shop and an expansive pavilion for hosting corporate outings and banquets.

Targets: $0.48 per clay for members and $0.64 for non-members
Rentals: Golf carts cost $10 for members ($20 for non-members), and gun rentals are $20 for members ($30 for non-members)
Prepaid Cards: Available exclusively for members, offering discounted packages up to 2,000 targets
Memberships: Individual or family memberships cost $250 annually, with corporate options at $1,000
Hours: Open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Monday/Tuesday for members only with preloaded cards

2362 Tickle Hill Rd, Camden, SC 29020, United States

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Website

hermitagesg.com

American Grand Prix - Sporting - United States (November 2017)

Actions

Winners

About competition

Event Highlights & Visual Analysis

1. Full Event Program & Schedule

2. Venue & Organizer Contact Information

Hermitage Sporting Grounds

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