Whispering Lakes Saturday Men's Club

Update 10/4: With a situation that can only be explained as one step forward and another step back, the condition of the course is still quite a ways away from having our top golfers enjoying a meaningful competition on it. We will be updating this information every week as we progress and the new GM has agreed to provide information on what the plan that lies ahead looks like. So check back often and we will do our best to provide meaningful updates. The chances of getting the club championship scheduled and played in time for our representative to take part in the SCGA tournament of champions appears to be diminishing.

Two players who came to play Saturday with no partner for the tournament met for the first time and it turned out to be a very fortunate for them both. Noel Pabustan and Paul Johnson decided at the last minute to team up for the tournament and went on to post a net 55 for the victory. Despite starting off very shaky with a net bogey on the first hole and a net par on the second, they must have found the magic button because they ended up posting a net 28 on the front nine and followed that up with a net 27 on the back nine that included a birdie for net zero on hole #12 to secure the victory.

In a tie for second place, two strokes back of the winners, were the teams of Pete Biscan and Larry Cobb, and Craig Whitehead and Vince Cofield. It should be mentioned that, like that winning pair, both Craig and Vince also came to play without partners and paired up just before the round. Both of those pairs shot very respectable net 57 for the seond place tie. Rounding out the top five in a tie for fourth with net 59s were the pairs of Kevin and Dan Farris, and Freddy Valencia and Jerry Bell. Congratulations to all who cashed in this month's event.

Juggling the tournament schedule while waiting for decisions on the Club Championship, we will play a Two Man Blind Partner Best Ball on Saturday October 25th. Played from the white tees, each player plays a regular round with their regular group and partners for each entrant will be drawn randomly following the round. Net scores for each hole will be calculated and determine the winning pair. Information regarding the re-scheduling of the Club Championship and our annual luncheon will be shared as it becomes available.

All existing members needing to renew their memberships or any new members wishing to join our crazy group can now do it all online as a part of the SCGA website by clicking here. This is a new and completely optional way to pay your annual dues. Existing members and those wishing to join may still pay in person either in cash or by check if you prefer. If you have any questions, feel free to either email us or track down on Saturday morning and we'll do our best to answer them.

Congratulations go out to John Hennes for his hole-in-one on the seventh hole and becoming the third member to capture the hole-in-one pot! The previous winners were Bill Barry on #3 and Mark Carlton on #16. On this one, John's playing partners raved at the perfect shot that took one hop and disappeared into the hole. What this means for the rest of us is that it's time to re-enter with the hopes that we can join that elite group.

If interested, contact Bruce Wilder to get signed up. The $10 entry is a one-time payment good until another ace wins the pot. The hole-in-one must be scored at Whispering Lakes on a Saturday morning during regular men's club play. Click here to see who's already on board.

With the club growth we have experienced in the last year along with the limitation of required tee times, it has become necessary to establish some guidelines on bringing guests to join us on Saturdays. First, guests can only be accommodated on a space-available basis. The first priority for tee times must be for club members. Second, no guests should be brought on any tournament day. Tournament days have bigger draws and especially with different tournament formats, it is not the opportune time to bring non-members. Finally, we are going to begin limiting the number of guests to one per member on any given week. If any member wishes to bring multiple guests, a guaranteed tee time cannot be determined until Friday morning when the groups are established and shared. If there is space available at that point, the multiple guests will be welcomed. If you have multiple guests and require a guaranteed tee time, it is suggested that you contact the pro shop and get a time outside of the men's club set tee time reservations. Thank you to all for your understanding and cooperation in this. It is appreciated.

Handicap index calculation for members is changing beginning January 1st as the new Rules of Handicapping are introduced and implemented in the United States. First, your index will be based on the 8 best scores out of the past 20 posted scores rather than the lowest 10 scores out of the last 20 as it currently does. This change should be minor but you may see a change in your index after the 1st of the year even if you haven't played.

Additionally, the maximum score for each hole will now be limited to a Net Double Bogey. This can be calculated as par + 2 + the number of handicap strokes you receive on that hole. This calculation will be the same for all golfers and there are no longer different maximum scores based on a range of values that an individual's current handicap fits within.

Finally, beginning January 1st, handicap index updates will be made daily so your handicap will change the day after you post a score. On days you don't play, obviously no update will take place. As for player handicaps used for weekly and club competitions, our Men's Club will continue to update and post players' indexes twice a month on the 1st and 15th of each month. So for side games within your foursome, it will be up to you whether you use each player's current index or their posted index. But for participation in our group side game and tournaments, all players will play to the handicap posted in the pro shop. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with Bruce Wilder, our handicap chairman and resident expert on these changes!