Topic of the week: Fall Golf
"I put the clubs away after
Labor Day." Does this sound like you? It's
surprising how many people actually put their clubs away once school
starts. The golf season in Michigan seems to get longer each year
giving many golfers playing opportunities well into November. Fall
is the best time to play golf - the courses are not as busy, the
temperature is pleasant, the trees changing color on golf courses
are beautiful to look at, and many golf courses offer seasonal
discounts.
What competitions can I play in? Girls
High School golf is in full swing now, (boys golf is in the spring) but
unless boys play another sport, there are few opportunities for
competition. Read below for information about the
Michigan PGA Junior Tour Fall Series:
Fall
Series -
Michigan
PGA Junior
Tour
The Michigan
PGA Junior
Tour
sponsored by
Carl's
Golfland and
Nike Golf
recently
announced
its "Fall
Series"
schedule.
This will be
a series of
(6) events
open to boys
ages 13-18.
The events
will be on
the
Saturdays in
September
and the
first two
Saturdays in
October with
mid morning
starting
times.
There is no
membership
fee for this
"Fall
Series" for
2008 regular
season
Michigan PGA
Junior Tour
members. For
juniors that
are not
regular
season
members the
membership
fee is $50.
The fee for
each of the
event is
$50.
This tour is
a great way
to continue
to
experience
competitive
golf into
the fall,
especially
with the
transition
of the boy's
high school
season to
the spring.
The players
will earn
points at
each event
and a "Fall
Series"
Player of
the Year
will be
awarded in
each
division;
Boys 13-15
and Boys
16-18.
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Visit
michigan.pga.com for sign-up information.
Not looking for competition? The Kalamazoo area has
many golf courses to choose from. Many of the
JGA Host Courses
would appreciate your business this fall, but if you're looking for a
weekend getaway, visit the new
Pure Michigan travel site for more information. Wherever you
go, have fun, enjoy the scenery and remember, golf is not just a game,
it's a game that everyone can play together for the rest of their lives.
Rule
of the Week: 28. Ball Unplayable
The player may deem his ball
unplayable at any place on the course, except when the ball is in a
water hazard. The player is the sole judge as to whether his ball
is unplayable.
If the player deems his ball to be unplayable, he
must, under penalty of one stroke:
a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the
spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5);
or
b. Drop a ball behind the point where the ball
lay, keeping that point directly between the hole and the spot on
which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind that
point the ball may be dropped; or
c. Drop a ball within two club-lengths of the
spot where the ball lay, but not nearer the hole.
If the unplayable ball is in a bunker, the player
may proceed under Clause a, b or c. If he elects to proceed under
Clause b or c, a ball must be dropped in the bunker.
When proceeding under this Rule, the player may
lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE:
Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.
12 & Under Instructional:
The August 15th
12 & Under Championship
will be divided into two tournaments:
The 12 & Under Tournament group
will play 9 holes at Grand Prairie
The 12
& Under Instructional group play either 6 holes or 3 holes at Red Arrow.
Please confirm if you will be
playing on the 15th and if you would like to move from the Instructional
group to the Tournament group by email.
Click here to see who
confirmed and how many holes each
player is signed up for. Tee times will be posted online by August 12th.
Players moving up
to the Tournament group will play by the Tournament rules - no caddies
or advice from parents. Players in the Instructional group at Red
Arrow will continue to play 6 holes or 3 holes.
Tee Times for the final Tuesday event at
Red Arrow are posted online here.
If you need to change a time or
think you should move up from 3 holes to 6 holes, let us know by email
or when you check in Tuesday. It's ok to come at a different time
as long as you are patient with us getting you onto the golf course.
Remember, parents are encouraged to walk
with their children while playing at Red Arrow. Parents are
allowed to caddy and/or give advice in this age division, but we'd
prefer the players do as much on their own as possible. Parents
should refrain from "over coaching".
12 & Under Tournament:
Your next event is scheduled at
Kalamazoo Country Club on Monday, August 11th. Tee times
are posted online here.
Collared shirts are required at the Country Club. Player's may be
dropped off near the JGA banner, but all vehicles must be parked in the
parking lot by the clubhouse. Spectators will not be able to rent
power carts. Remember to arrive
at least 15 minutes before your scheduled tee time to get your scorecard
and get checked in.
Click here to view
your age group's rules.
Tee times for the 12 &
Under Championship at Grand Prairie on Friday, August
15 will be posted online here
by August 12.
13-15:
Your last event for the summer is scheduled at Eastern Hills on Wednesday, August 13th. Tee
times are posted online here.
Remember to arrive
at least 15 minutes before your scheduled tee time to get your scorecard
and get checked in.
Click here to view
your age group's rules.
At least 10 of the top players from this division
will be invited to play in the 15-17 JGA Championship on August 21-22 at
Eastern Hills and The Prairies. If you are
interested and able to play, email us at
jga@kalamazoogolf.org.
We will need to confirm by Wednesday, August 13th to be eligible to
play.
15-17:
The next boys event is the 2-day championship scheduled at Eastern
Hills and The Prairies on Thursday and Friday, August 21-22.
Tee times for the first round will be posted online
here by Thursday, August
14. Remember to
arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled tee time to get your
scorecard and get checked in.
Click here to view
your age group's rules.
Junior Golf Leagues:
** ALL MAKE-UP GAMES MUST BE
PLAYED THIS WEEK!!!
** The week of August
18th will be the final week for leagues. All make-up
rounds must be completed before the last league day. Here is the
schedule for playing and league luncheons:
Monday, August 18:
JL1 will shotgun start at 8:45. JL2 will
shotgun at 12:00. (Shotgun means all players start at the same
time but on different holes.) All players should arrive by
8:30/11:45 to get checked in and receive their scorecards.
Since both leagues are so large, we will sign up and play with 5
players per group. Players are allowed to play a make-up
round ahead of time and just come to the luncheon.
Luncheon times are scheduled for 11:00 (JL1) and 2:00 (JL2).
Awards and prizes will be distributed during the luncheon.
Wednesday, August 20:
JL3 will shotgun start at 11:00.
Luncheon time is scheduled for 1:00. Awards and prizes will be
distributed during the luncheon.
Thursday, August 21:
JL4 will shotgun start at 11:00.
Luncheon time is scheduled for 1:00. Awards and prizes will be
distributed during the luncheon.
Please let us know if you are unable to play or
attend the luncheon on your final day.
**
Click here to visit and bookmark the Junior Golf
Leagues home page. You will find all updated information on this
page. Scores, handicaps, points, and JL1 event winners are all
posted online.
** Please download and read the League
guidelines.
** Please arrive at least
15 minutes before
your scheduled tee time to get checked in and to receive your scorecard.
Your tee time is the time you should be hitting your first shot, not the
time you arrive at the golf course!
JGA QUICK FACTS:
Established - 1987
Director - PGA Certified Professional Dean Marks, named
2007 "Junior Golf Leader" by Michigan Section PGA
Headquarters - Grand Prairie Golf Course
Address - 3620 Grand Prairie Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49006
Phone # (269) 388-4447
email - jga@kalamazoogolf.org
2008 Total Participants to date - 580 (385 JGA, 195 Jr.
Leagues)
2008 Total Events - 30
2008 JGA Entry Fee - $50.00
2008 Jr. League Entry Fee - $15.00
JGA Scholarships awarded since 1997 - 37, totaling over
$49,000
