Given a chance to size up Nob North Golf Course on Sunday, the Westside boys couldn't even play 18 holes. Storms shortened their practice round to 14 holes, but the Patriots left having a pretty good idea of what the challenges will be for today's Class AAAA state golf tournament.

"They told me it was a relatively open course ... not extremely difficult," said Westside coach Brian Hadden, whose team won the Region 3-AAAA title April 21. "They felt pretty comfortable out there."

Westside is one of 10 area teams participating in the Georgia High School Association's golf championships, which will be played across the state today. Ten courses in the state, from Dalton to Jekyll Island to Augusta, will serve as host courses.

Forest Hills is playing host to the Class A boys tournament, which features Aquinas and Lincoln County. Bartram Trail is playing host to the Class A girls tournament, which doesn't include an area team.

At the Class AAAA tournament at Nob North, about 30 miles southeast of Chattanooga, Tenn., defending state champion Richmond Academy will join Westside. Richmond Academy, which won by one shot last year at Bartram Trail, returns three players who scored in last year's state championship: North Carolina recruit Clark Palmer, William Sigg and Martin Manning. The Musketeers were second in the region tournament this year.

Hadden said the weather pushed tee times today from 10 a.m. to noon.

"The course was basically flooded," he said. "It just looks like rivers running through some parts of the course."

Brothers Dykes and Hamilton Harbin and Chase and Davis Parker have paced Westside, which is in the state tournament for the fourth consecutive year and is seeking its first state title since 1986. Dykes Harbin has signed to play at South Carolina; Chase Parker has signed to play at Kentucky. Sophomore Will Carswell has also played well, Hadden said.

Region 3-AAAA medalist Jacob Tilton (Evans) will compete for the individual title.

Aquinas, which was third in last year's Class A tournament at Double Oaks Golf Course in Commerce, is playing host to this year's Class A boys tournament along with the Greater Augusta Sports Council. Irish senior Nick Edry won medalist honors at last year's tournament, when Aquinas finished five shots behind Bremen.

Bremen is back to defend its title in the 17-team field, but the Irish return all four players who scored in last year's tournament: Edry, Wilkes Murray, Ryan Sather and Brad Thomas.

Play begins at Forest Hills at 8 a.m. today.

Reach Matt Middleton at (706) 823-3425 or matt.middleton@augustachronicle.com.