Hellow WMC member,

 

Watching the PGA today reminded  me of several things:

  • The first WMC Major of the season is just around the corner and I need to remember to sign up Monday the 24th to reserve a spot.
  • If Phil can win the PGA at 50, I should  not give up on breaking eighty at age 60(ish.)
  • How lucky all of us are to have an avenue to compete and feel the same nervous energy (albeit at a arguably lower level,) as the guys “on TV.”

 

ICYMI, the next two events on the busy Summer calendar open up for signup on Monday the 24th at 6pm.  Here’s a brief explanation and a link to signup:

 

June 19: Stableford Classic

 

Join us for The June Stableford Classic, June 19 with tee times starting at 11:06 AM on Eagles Talon.  We are playing a Stableford format.  For details, check out the tournament info page here: June Stableford Classic. You can also find this page on the Weekend Majors section, under the Major Events menu. 

 

July 5: Suncadia 36 Hole/One Day Road Trip 

 

Sign up for Willows Men's Club Suncadia Road Trip on Monday, July 5th. We have 40 slots available at 8AM and 1:30PM on Rope Rider & Prospector courses.  This is 36 holes in one day. 

 

At 8am we will send 20 players out on Prospector and 20 players out on Rope Rider. When you're finished, have some lunch and prepare to switch courses to go out at 1:30 on the other course. The negotiated entry fee of $183 includes green fees, range balls and carts.

 

For details, check out the tournament info page here: Suncadia 36 Hole/One Day Road Trip. You can also find this page on the Weekend Majors section, under the Major Events menu.  

 

Participation Requirement: The Suncadia trip requires participants:

(1) have an active 2021 Willows Men's Club membership or senior membership card and

(2) to have played in at least 36 holes of golf at other Willows Mens Club events during current or previous year (2021 or 2020).  This could be four Thursday league 9-hole events, two 18-hole events, two match play rounds, or any combination. Total holes from Majors and 9-hole events played are tracked in the points tracker.

 

 

Remember,Sign up opens Monday 24-May, 6:00pm

Sign up Portal Page & Info on how to register: https://wmc-majors2021.golfgenius.com/ 

(You may need to use a browser on your phone - Safari, Chrome, etc.)

 

Upcoming and ongoing events

 

  • July 24th:  July two-man.  Not related to the 2-man match-play event, this one day tourney has you and your partner playing Chapman Format, a form of Alternate Shot.  You can use the same partner as the other event or mix it up and play with someone new. Singles can sign up and we’ll match you up as well.
  • August 21/22:  Club Championship.  This two day event determines the WMC Club Champion. Champions and prizes are rewarded for both gross and net, so there’s room for players at all levels.
  • Presidents Cup:  Most first round matches have been played with the second scheduled to be completed hopefully by the end of May.  So far, being on the WMC board has done little to help win a match.  If you haven’t heard, there is a consolation bracket being set up.  The cost is $10.  Venmo Matt the money if you want to be included in the race for #33.
  • 2-Man Match Play:  First Round matches have started to be played as well.  Please show flexibility in your day to allow these matches to get scheduled and keep the tournament on schedule.  I know, it’s nearly impossible to find the “perfect time” for all 4, so please work with each other.  This board member has agreed to play his match at the Unsightly hour of 7 am on a Sunday.
  • Thursday Night and Points Championship:   We have heard all the complaints from members and have voiced many ourselves regarding the new pricing.  The new pricing will mirror that of Member pricing and will be variable based on when you tee off and which course you play.  Here’s a quick summary:
    • Tee off before 5:30 and you pay Member twilight or Senior rate, whichever you qualify for. 
    • 5:30 or later and you pay Super Twilight. 
    • Those who want to pay less, can request a later time and the tournament director will attempt to accommodate this.  Keep in mind, depending on the time of year, the last few times are occasionally battling darkness.
    • In addition you pay a separate $7.50 into the prize fund.  As such the “all-in” can be as low as $34 for a 5:30 or later time on Coyote and as much as $49 for a before 5:30 time on Eagles.  While all these are higher than the deal we were getting the last several years, in most cases it is less than the “blended” rate so far this season. 

 

All these events will have separate "Skins" pots.  Entry is done through Venmo @welleout.  $5 for Thursdays and $10 on weekends.

 

Rule of the Month

 

Last month we discussed how Preferred Lies aka Winter Rules are handled here at Willows.  This month we will attempt to explain the new(2019) rules for balls in the Bunker in various situations especially about the unplayable relief options and the new option to drop out of the bunker “back on the line between the ball and the hole” for a two stroke penalty.

 

Your ball lies in a bunker when any part of it touches the sand.  Due to COVID and the removal of rakes, Willows Men’s Club currently allows you to lift your ball and use your foot to smooth out a footprint or unraked bunker, and then replace your ball as close as possible to the same location to provide a more natural bunker shot.  (You do not get to move it 6 inches.) Additionally,under the 2019 rules, you can now remove natural and artificial objects (loose impediments and movable obstructions) from the bunker since those are not considered part of the challenge of playing a ball from sand. I just watched Brooke Koepka do that on TV. In preparing to play from a bunker, you can set your clubs down in the bunker and rake the bunker to care for the course before playing, as long as you aren’t testing the bunker or improving the conditions for your next stroke.  You are also allowed to touch the sand with the club, just not just prior to hitting.  Brooks Koepka took advantage of this in today’s round.

 

If you want to take relief for an unplayable lie, you have the three standard one (1) penalty stroke relief options of (1) stroke and distance (from where you hit your original shot), (2) back-on-the-line between the ball and the hole (remaining in the bunker), or (3) lateral relief within two club-lengths (remaining in the bunker). You must drop your ball in the bunker for options (2) and (3).

 

Finally starting in 2019, you have an additional fourth option, this time for two (2) penalty strokes, that allows you to get out of the bunker by going back-on-the line between the ball and the hole as far back as you’d like.

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about this new option but it’s fairly simple – anywhere back on the line, if you stay in the bunker it’s 1 stroke, if you drop out of the bunker, it’s 2 stroke penalty.

 

Other News and Notes

 

Check your Scorecards 

We have had a quite a number of cases recently where there were discrepancies between the official, signed scorecard and the results in Live Scoring. We will always use the official scorecard, and update any results in live scoring. In one recent case, a player thought he’d double checked scores, but the actual scorecard had a clear entry that was one stroke higher on one hole, and it cost him a first place finish.  In another, it looked at first like a 4 was written over a 3 so we updated the online results; after the player said it was really a 3, we looked again, tilted the card just right in the light, and you could see the 3 was on top of the 4.  Please check two things:  1) The official scorecard entries, and 2) What is in live scoring.  

 

  • Step 1: Get your actual scorecard back and check the scorecard against your marker’s notes (Don’t let the marker check your card while you read off the marker’s notes – check your own card!)  Also, don’t just have someone read out the live scores while everyone verifies live scoring from their own marker’s notes – no one is checking the official card.  If markers notes and live scoring agree, but the marker didn’t catch an error on the official scorecard, the official scorecard is still what counts. 
  • Step 2: Live Scorekeeper should read out the live scoring results and each player should check the scores on their actual scorecard against live scoring results so the Tournament Director doesn’t have to fix a bunch of typos in the live scoring results every week.

 

Remember that as long as Live Scoring is available, if you don’t score during your round, it has to be done prior to turning in your scorecard.  The “paper” card is a back-up and used to double check scores in case of confusion

 

Score Posting 

This is a friendly reminder that during posting season (March 1 though Mid-November,) it is your responsibility to post the scores of all rounds played regardless of if they are in a tournament or not.  Regular rounds played in WMC events will be posted for you, but not Match Play.  Rules for how to post Match play scores were presented when the pairings were sent out and are also available on the Member portal.  If you play only 9 holes, post it as a 9 hole score.  If you play 13 or more, even if you do you do not complete the round, there is a process in place to post that as a 18 hole score.  If you play in an outside tournament, remember to post it as a "C" score.  The USGA and WaGolf says rounds played under Winter Rules are still to be posted.  If you have questions, ask either Rich Klep or any other board member.

 

Member Benefit – 29% Discount on Range Balls!

Do you buy a bucket of balls every week before your game? Do you come out to the range to practice from time to time? Did you know you can get a 29% discount on buckets of range balls?  Just ask the Pro Shop front desk to buy a Range Key at member rates.  You’ll get a key with $70 worth of range balls (for use with small, medium or large buckets) for $50.  Once you have the key, just push the button for the size bucket you want and hold the key to the socket.  When it’s empty, refill for another $50.  Why haven’t you done this yet?  If you’re throwing away $20 bills, can your newsletter author get a few?

  

Thursday League Signups

Don’t Give Up on the Waitlist – We’ve noticed some people sign up, find out they are on the waitlist, and cancel right away.  Don’t give up so easily!  So far this year we have been taking most of the Thursday waitlist every week, sometimes everyone So if you sign up and get on the wait list, have faith!  Also, if you can’t play on Thursday and fail to give at least 24 hours notice, you will be waitlisted at the back of the field for the next event. 

 

Finally, there is an old saying about Father Time being undefeated.   Today, May 23rd, 50 year old Phil Mickelson knocked him out of the ranks of the unbeaten, if only for a day.  When your drives are going errant and you can’t chip or putt worth a darn, remember that it’s just a game, and who knows, maybe tomorrow will see you back in the winner’s circle.  See you on the course.