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Brett Lauritsen, Byron Balsells Prove Best in Chicago Format
Brett Lauritsen and Byron Balsells were the victors in the A and B flights respectively in this month-ending tournament. In a much different format where points are earned based on gross scores, Brett, a 7 handicap, acquired six more points than his target value to top the A field by seven points. Brett got there by scoring four birdies on the day on his way to a 73 while not having a single double bogey on his card. The closest player to Brett was Tom Chesler who also carded a 73 but, with a lower handicap than Brett, came up one point short of his target. Like Brett, Tom also had no double bogeys on his round but could only capture a single birdie on the finishing hole. Rounding out the top five was the trio of Jake Vieth, Kevin Maust, and John Hennes who all came up three points shy of their targets.
Byron Balsells also had a very fine round to come out on top of the B flight. Byron, a 17 handicap, surpassed his target value of 22 points by four to secure his spot in the winner's circle. He helped his cause greatly with a pair of natural birdies on the day. Finishing four points back of Byron but meeting their target values on the nose was the pair of Juan Moreno and Bernie Rembecky. Both players limited their number of double bogeys and added just enough pars and bogeys to reach their quotas. Rounding out the top five in the B flight were Jim Green and Tom Maples who each missed their target by a single point, and Kevin Hobbs just one point behind that pair. Congratulations to all who cashed!
Club Champtionship Looms in September
Having to be moved twice for different circumstances, this year's Club Championship will finally take place on September 21st and 28th. The player with the low total gross score for the two-week event will be crowned the Club Champion. With past champions Bill Barry, Kyle Barry, Brett Lauritsen, Derm Campbell, and Tom Chesler in the field, this should prove to be greatly contested. And don't count out Jake Vieth, Colby Gurney, Jerry Maiques, and Max Robertson who all have handicaps below five. The players with the lowest eight gross scores for the first week will be paired in the final two groups to go head to head. Along with the gross flight, the rest of us with no chance at fitting in with the top golfers will compete in a flighted low net tournament. Lunch will be provided following the second round at the course. So mark your calendars and we'll see you there!
NOTE: Major Changes Made to Tournament Schedule!
The club received notice this week that the course will be punching greens on the 5th and 6th of September this year which is quite a bit earlier than in years past. This has impacted our Club Championship tournament which was originally scheduled for the two weeks of August 31st and September 7th. We definitely do not want to play a round of that tournament on freshly punched greens. Instead, we have moved the Chicago Format tournament up to August 31st and moved the Club Championship to September 21st and 28th. To hopefully ease the pain, an additional tournament has been added and the final three tournaments of the year following the championship adjusted to dates accordingly. Please check out the updated Tournament Schedule.
Renew Memberships or Join Our Club Online
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.
Join The Hole-In-One Pot
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.
New Guest Guidelines
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.
Net Double Bogey to Replace Equitable Stroke Control!
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!