Volume 8 | No. 8
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
The Metropolitan
AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION
24th Old Warson Cup Champion Alex Locke 1
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
By The Numbers
MAGA
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
2 - The number of pro golfers who are actual members of Augusta National Golf Club - Jack Nicklaus and former amateur standout John Harris (who recently retired from the PGA Tour Champions). Arnold Palmer, who died in 2016, was also a club member.
WHAT WE DO: - Provide the GHIN Handicap Service to 140+ Member Clubs under the World Handicap System
431 - The number of calories per hour the average golfer burns while playing a round. According to health experts, the game is considered an excellent workout that burns calories while promoting greater muscle mass. On the health and fitness website ShapeFit.com, it is reported that the typical 190-pound golfer burns around 431 calories per hour. Of course, that’s assuming he or she is walking from tee to green, not riding a golf cart. The calorie number also presumes - we might conclude - that the player is not eating hot dogs and drinking beer at various times in the round.
- Conduct ten (10) Metropolitan Championships each season - Conduct USGA Qualifying for nine (9) USGA Championships each season - Conduct the Amateur Series of Events for golfers of all ages and abilities - Provide the USGA Course/Slope Rating service to our Member Clubs
0 - The number of PGA Championships Arnold Palmer won. The PGA
is the only one of the four majors “The King” did not capture. He won 92 tournaments, 62 PGA Tour titles and seven majors, but the best he could do with the PGA was finish in a tie for second three times. Jack Nicklaus, on the other hand, won the championship five times between 1963 and 1980. He also finished in the top five a record 14 times. Tiger Woods has won the championship four times, including back to back in 2006 and 2007.
- Regional authority on the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status
6
METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Amateur Championship Old Warson Cup (Match Play Championship) Shogren Cup (Match Play PGA Pros vs. MAGA Amateurs)
154 - The score John Kelly carded in the 2007 Masters. A St. Louisan and University of Missouri senior, Kelly was in the field on the basis of a second-place finish to Richie Ramsay in the 2006 U.S. Amateur. By the time Kelly arrived at Augusta the following spring, he was the 404th-ranked college player in the country. But under difficult weather conditions, playing alongside two-time Masters champ Ben Crenshaw, Kelly had consecutive rounds of 5-over 77. The scores weren’t good enough to make the cut, or challenge eventual winner Zach Johnson, but they were good enough to beat U.S. Amateur champ Ramsay (7680) and make Kelly the low amateur. “I wish I could have played a little better,” Kelly said at the time. “Right now it hurts, but I know I will look back and realize it was pretty cool. I’ll remember everything about it.”
Open Championship Women’s Amateur Championship
3. Bio/Numbers 4. Curt’s Corner 5. USGA Qualifiers 6. Old Warson Cup 8. Supe’s On
Junior Amateur Championship
10. Bogeyman 12. Amateur Series 13. Dear John
Senior Amateur Championship Metropolitan Cup Matches Four-Ball Championship
13
9-Hole Championship Mid-America Junior Cup USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS
1457 - The first year in which the game of golf was banned in Scotland. The gentlemanly endeavor was outlawed by the government because officials feared it interfered with military training. In the earliest days of golf, players would routinely golf in public places, such as the streets, walkways and the properties of businesses. In fact, the game was banned three times between the years of 1457 and 1744. To be fair, football (or soccer, if you prefer) also was banned. In other words, back in those days, when you hit a bad shot and wound up “in jail,” you could literally
U.S. Open U.S. Senior Open
13
U.S. Women’s Open U.S. Amateur U.S. Mid-Amateur U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur
wind up in jail.
U.S. Junior Amateur U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur U.S. Amateur Four-Ball U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball U.S. Senior Amateur U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur
12 2
3
4 - The number of times in succession Young Tom Morris won the British Open. The golf pioneer had the moniker “Young” assigned to him because he was the son of a legendary greenskeeper that won four of the first eight “Open Championships,” Old Tom Morris. The younger also was golf ’s first prodigy, talented enough to accomplish something that has never been accomplished since. Morris won the championship in 1868, 1869 and 1870 in succession and by doing so, was allowed to keep the “Challenge Belt” which traditionally went to the winner. The championship did not take place in 1871, as organizers reconfigured the event and came up with a new trophy. No worries, Morris bided his time and won again when the championship returned in 1872.
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
Curt’s Corner
MAGA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Curt Rohe - Executive Director
Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org 2022 EXECUTIVE BOARD Officers Scott Engelbrecht, President/Treasurer Mike Marquart, Secretary At-Large Members Stan Grossman, President Emeritus Kelli Kirchoff Mike Marquart Rick Meyer, Jr. John Moore Mick Wellington John Bugh ADVISORY COMMITTEE Scott Thomas, Chairman Dustin Ashby Tom Barry Skip Berkmeyer Chris Kovach Ryan Eckelcamp Tom Portner Curt Rohe P.J. BOATWRIGHT INTERNS Tanner Weberling Parker Leavitt Jack Underwood THE METROPOLITAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dan O’Neill
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
2022 USGA CHAMPIONSHP QUALIFYING Click on the image for Full Results
Greetings golfers! Phew...I came up for air this morning to get this LATE edition of The Metropolitan completed and sent out! May has been crazy thus far to start the season. I was in Arizona for 6 days with the Ladies National Golf Association that we partner with and assist in the conduct of their championship. Their 2nd LNGA Mid-Amateur and Senior was a success, but was glad to get home and jump in feet first with MAGA championships. The 24th Old Warson Cup was a fantastic weekend to start the season, congratulations to Alex Locke on his great play in winning his first Old Warson Cup title. Buddy Allen took home the Senior Old Warson Cup in its inaugural campaign. Along with the kickoff to the season we welcomed the first of our 3 PJ Boatwright Interns, Tanner Weberling. Tanner has been drinking from the fire hose this first week or so. Parker Leavitt starts this week in time for the East Side Amateur and Jack Underwood has a couple weeks yet. We had a great turnout for the 1st Amateur Series Event at WingHaven CC on May 2! 116 players teed it up on a chilly, damp morning. Over 160 golfers have signed up for the Amateur Series this season already, the next event is June 13 at Crescent Farms GC. You can see all the results later here in the newsletter. USGA Championship qualifying began this past week as well with US Women’s Open and US Open Local qualifying taking place. Many thanks to Fox Run Golf Club and Lake Forest Country Club hosting these first two qualifiers on the season. May does not slow down with the East Side Amateur, Metropolitan Open and Shogren Cup Matches coming up these next two weeks...be sure to follow all of our social media for results, updates and what is going on with MAGA events. As always, thank you for taking the time to read...even if a few days late the newsletter. I have tried to wing it myself in getting these last couple issues out, not my cup of tea! Keep golfing and keep reading! Curt
4
5
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
Old Warson Cup is a Locke!
There is no limit on golf trails in Louisiana.
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
Alex Locke Captures 24th Old Warson Cup with 6&4 victory over Jason Landry Click Here for All the Results Alex Locke came in as the 12 Seed this weekend to Old Warson Country Club and had never seen the golf course until Saturday morning. He saw the entire course, plus some, in his first round match win over Tony Gumper in 20 holes. Sunday morning in the semifinals he needed those same 20 holes to prevail over 2021 Player of the Year and 1-seed Curtis Brokenbrow. A quick bite to eat and Locke was into the final match with Jason Landry, who was playing in his second consecutive final, last year falling to 3-time champion Sam Migdal. Landry battled Brad Carpenter in the morning semifinal to a 2&1 victory. The morning matches faced some brutal conditions, cool and winds gusting to 25+ miles per hour made the always tough Old Warson that much more difficult.
ary Trails n li u C & lf o G
Golf & Fish ing Trails Golf & Gam ing Trails
Golf & Music Trails rails Golf & Craft Beer T
In the final match, Locke jumped to an early 3up lead thru 4 holes. He got to 4up thru 6 and saw finished the front 9 at 3up. A birdie at 11 got it back to 4up. Locke and Landry traded birdies at the par 5 12th. Locke would take 13 with a par and birdie the par 4 14th to seal the 6&4 victory for his first Old Warson Cup title. On the senior side, Buddy Allen and Brian Lovett went back out of the gate before Allen built a 3up lead after 9. The two would halve 7 straight, including a chip-in par at the 13th by Allen. Lovett would get one back at the tough par 4 15th before Allen would close out the win at 17 for the 2&1 win.
Get swinging in more ways than one in a place where you can get away from it all while getting a little closer to what brings you joy. Come one, come y’all – Come feed your soul in Louisiana. Visit LouisianaGolfTrails.com and plan your custom “golf & more” getaway today. 6
©2022 Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
7
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
Supe’s On
The Metropolitan
Player of the Year Points Standings
June 2021 March/April 2022
Presented by:
Carter DeMay
Golf Course Superintendent Tavern Creek Country Club of St. Albans
I saw this photo of life spans for varying areas of a golf course about a week ago, and although many of these items are spot on, I also thought how this timeline could be misinterpreted. I will saw that there is a saying by golf course managers and it’s that the thirty-year woes are real. Stuff just doesn’t last forever, and we do our best to make things last as long as they can, but if you don’t prepare financially for some of these renovations, they can feel crippling to a capital expenditure budget really quick. Looking at this list, the first item is something that I felt might be off. Greens can last longer than 30 years, as many of the greens you all play on probably falling in the category of older than 30 years. What can dictate the nature of greens on a golf course is what is done to them on a yearly basis. Obviously aerification is a big practice that helps the longevity of greens. Aerifications of varying depths are even better than only a 3-to-4-inch aerification. Mixing in a “drill and fill” or just a deep tine aeration will help the subsurface drain water. Speaking of drainage, is the drainage in condition on those 40-year-old greens? Is there even drainage in the greens? Both things can be dealt with to improve the longevity of greens. Irrigation systems are integral parts of the golf course. I consider them the heart and blood vessels of the property. This life cycle of 10-30 years is industry expectations. A system should last to 25 or 30 years with proper preventative maintenance and care. But once that 25-to-30-year mark hits, and your club or course isn’t ready to make improvements, it can be millions of dollars to renovate. Including closure to the golf course if new pipe is going into the ground. Financial preparation is key to an irrigation system upgrade or renovation. New irrigation system installations are pushing $2 million dollars for an 18-hole golf course and won’t be getting cheaper in any near future. Infrastructure items are important as well, such as cart paths. The life cycle in this list can vary depending on the amount and type of traffic getting put on these paths. If a maintenance department is taking heavy equipment on the paths somewhat regularly it can decrease the life. The type of pour of concrete in terms of thickness can dictate how long those paths will last. Asphalt paths can be easily affected by tree roots, but can also be overlayed or sealed to buy more time before needing to be milled then replaced. The conclusion to the list of life cycles on items on the golf course is to be aware of these items and as prepared financial to predict the needs. Renovations can be time consuming and may cause partial or full closures to the golf course. Remember to understand the practices done by maintenance departments, such as aerifications or topdressing sand on greens and tees, are meant to help ensure playability and longevity to the surfaces on the golf course.
Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene and exceptional year-round golf on courses along Men’s of the the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail await youPlayer in Alabama. Plus,Year with Jerry Pate’s Kiva Dunes and Arnold Name Affiliation No. Events No. Wins Totalyou Pts Palmer’s Craft Farms in Gulf Shores, from the mountains to the coast can take it Pts all in.Behind
Curtis Brokenbrow Chad Niezing Christopher Ferris Sam Migdal Tony Gumper Max Kreikemeier Ryan Eckelkamp Peter Weaver Jason Landry Ryan Sullivan
The Quarry
3 1 2 0 Aberdeen GC 0 0 Norwood Hills CC 2 1 Old Hickory GC 2 2 Forest Hills CC 1 0 Franklin County CC 3 0 www.GolfAlabama.org Bellerive CC 0 0 Greenbriar Hills CC 2 0 Tapawingo National GC 3 1 Metropolitan eClub
1275 975 940 932.5 925 832.5 727.5 595 480 437.5
300 335 342.5 350 442.5 547.5 680 795 837.5
Full standings here Name Brian Lovett Buddy Allen Joe Malench Paul Neeman Joe Richardson Joe Timpone Kevin Giese David Bremer
Senior Men’s Player of the Year
Affiliation No. Events No. Wins Total Pts Pts Behind Bellerive CC 0 0 710 Metropolitan eClub 1 0 450 260 Metropolitan eClub 1 1 350 360 Persimmon Woods GC 1 0 267.5 442.5 Old Hickory GC 0 0 200 510 The Quarry 1 0 200 510 Metropolitan eClub 1 0 162.5 547.5 Persimmon Woods GC 1 0 132.5 577.5 Full standings here
Name
Women’s Player of the Year
Affiliation
No. Events No. Wins Total Pts Pts Behind McKenna Montgomery Persimmon Woods GC 1 1 1075 Kathy Glennon Country Club of St. Albans 1 0 750 325 Alyssa McMinn Far Oaks GC 1 0 525 550 Ellen Port Sunset CC 0 0 400 675 Melanie Wolf Bogey Hills CC 1 0 400 675 Madeline Larouere Metropolitan eClub 1 0 350 725 Full standings here
8
Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Birmingham
9
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
T h e Ma g i c o f O a k l a n d Hi l l s The Bogeyman Dan O’Neill
(Editor’s note: This story appears courtesy of Morning Read (www. morningread.com)
in golf. These are not sympathy cards from the USGA, these are arrangements that were in the works for some time, long before the devastating fire. Oakland Hills didn’t just get these championships, they refused to give them up. And the statement being made by the club is clear - fire or no fire, we’re still standing. “Given the breadth of these championships today, it’s just remarkable,” Bodenhamer said. “Given everything the club has been through in the last few weeks, we are honored they wanted to move forward with this announcement and this run of championships in the years that we originally discussed. It’s quite amazing.”
The world of golf is gigantic in many ways, and in other ways remarkably small. That is, we all feel a part of it. We have similar experiences, in similar places, while we admire similar things.
Some of us might not be around when the USGA celebrates the 110th anniversary of that 1924 U.S. Open with its 2034 edition at the club. All of us won’t see 2051, when the club commemorates Hogan’s win in 1951, or “the greatest test of golf I have ever played and the toughest course.”
That’s why when fire ripped through the clubhouse at Oakland Hills Golf Club on Feb. 17, the whole golf community felt the burn. The flames tore through the 100-year old, 90,000 square foot structure, engulfing the artifacts of 11 USGA championships, six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup. They scorched the lineup of champions past, including Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
But it’s enough to know Oakland Hills will be here. I covered a number of events at Oakland Hills, including the 1996 U.S. Open, 2008 PGA Championship and 2016 U.S. Amateur. The club has an aura about it, beyond its resume. As with places like Augusta National, Pinehurst and Pebble Beach, Oakland Hills is as much a golf museum, a mecca, as it is a club. You feel it when you’re there; you absorb it.
That history lay in the rubble at Bloomfield Township, $80 million worth of charred memories. The past was painful to ponder and the future uncertain. That’s what made the timing of the USGA’s announcement on March 22nd so important, and so encouraging.
Renowned architect Gil Hanse has rejuvenated the Donald Ross courses. Many of the paintings and artifacts damaged by the fire have been saved and can be restored. Under the leadership of president Rick Palmer and general manager Christine Pooler, the club membership plans to build a state-of-theart replica of historic white clubhouse. At an estimated cost of $50 million, the new digs will open in 2024, better than ever.
In the midst of so much darkness, a bright light emerged. USGA chief championship officer John Bodenhamer formally announced the association has committed to four more Oakland Hills events - the 1924 U.S. Junior Amateur, the 2029 U.S. Womens’ Amateur and, the brightest baubles of all, the 2034 and 2051 U.S. Opens. The dates are added to championships the club previously secured, and insists on retaining. They included the 2031 U.S. Women’s Open, 2038 U.S. Girls’ Junior, 2042 U.S. Women’s Open and 2047 U.S. Amateur. All in all, it’s eight USGA championships assigned to the club over the next 29 years. The championships are for women and for men, for kids and adults. They are the toughest championships in golf, now part and parcel with the toughest club
Golf can be incredibly cruel, and golf can be remarkably rewarding. It can happen in one round, one day, one place. It can be a heart-gutting fire, and it can be a spirit-lifting announcement. We call know it. That’s why we all felt the hurt, and the happiness at Oakland Hills. It’s a magical place.
“I’m pretty humbled today,” Palmer said at the Detroit Athletic Club, where USGA press conference was conducted. “I kind of feel like the offensive lineman that recovered a fumble in the end zone, and the referee blew a whistle and said, ‘Hey, we won the game!’ Because there are so many people that have made this moment possible.” Andy North, who won the 1985 U.S. Open on the South Course at Oakland Hills, had an interesting perspective. He applied the summary to the game of golf, but it could also apply to Oakland Hills. “It’s funny in this game how you can completely lose it and you can get it back somehow,” North said. “That’s what makes it magical.”
1
1
10
11
The Metropolitan
March/April March/April 2021 2022
The Metropolitan
2022 Amateur Series Presented by Imperial Headwear
Tamping Bunker Before Taking Drop
We kicked off the 2022 Amateur Series on May 2 at WingHaven Country Club! 116 players took to the course to start the season in seven Divisions. It was a cool, damp day on the WingHaven layout, but a great time was had by all. Shotgun starts are new to the Amateur Series this season and it was well received, a very good pace was played. The highlight of the day came from Mary Ann McLaughlin who recorded a holein-one on the par 3 15th, congratulations Mary Ann! Division Winners were: Open: Mike Walton (73) Senior Open: Bobby Wooten (77) Super Senior Open: Glen Hall (80) Net: Justin Vogt (72) Senior Net: Dave Verhulst (68) Super Senior Net: Butch Campbell (68) Women’s Net: Kay Tice (75) CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE RESULTS Players will accumulate points throughout the season to earn a spot in the Amateur Series Championship in October. CLICK HERE FOR POINTS STANDINGS
12
March/April 2022
This edition of Rules Quiz features an excerpt from MAGA official John Thorman’s e-book, Let’s Get It Right.
Dear John: I was playing a match and my opponent had an impossible lie in the sand under the lip of a greenside bunker. Instead of playing the shot, he decided to take back-on-the-line unplayable ball relief and drop in the bunker. I understand the relief procedure. My question is about his drop. Before dropping in the new fluffy sand, he tromped around in the relief area, packing down the sand. I’m pretty sure that he wouldn’t have had that good lie after dropping if he hadn’t tamped down the sand. Should I have said something? By the way, he didn’t get up and down, and I won the hole with a bogey. -- Compactor Dear Compactor: That’s a new one! Not everyone appreciates that the “relief area where the player will drop or place a ball” is one of the “protected conditions affecting the stroke,” along with lie of the ball, areas of intended stance and swing, and line of play (Rule 8.1). It must not be improved, in part, by “removing or pressing down sand or loose soil” (Rule 8.1a(4)). The penalty for doing do is two strokes in stroke play and loss of hole in match play. The Rule is result based. It makes no difference that the opponent was unaware that he or she was breaching a Rule. But can’t the player negate the penalty by simply restoring the sand to its original condition (i.e., re-fluff the sand)? Nope. In general, restoring physical characteristics of the ground is not allowed when it comes to conditions affecting the stroke (see Rule 8.1c second bullet). \\\\Should you have said something? That’s your call. In match play, the player may overlook a penalty by his or her opponent, so long as there is no agreement between the sides to waive a Rule, by waiting at least until after someone makes a stroke at the next hole before saying anything (Rule 20.1b(2) and Interpretation 20.1b(2)/1). However, if both sides know that a Rule was breached, they must enforce the penalty; otherwise, both sides are disqualified for waiving the Rules (Rules 1.2a and 1.3b(1)). Alternatively, before anyone makes a stroke at the next teeing area, the player may make a timely request for a ruling, stating the facts of the situation and advising the opponent that he or she wants a ruling. Fortunately, it didn’t make any difference in your situation.
13
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
2021 MAGA Championships Championship Location Date Entries Close East Side Amateur
Gateway National GL May 15-16
May 5
Robert A. Shogren Cup
Bellerive CC
May 23-24
Invitational
Old Warson Cup
Old Warson CC
June 5-6
Invitational
Women’s Championship
St. Clair CC
June 7-8
May 26
Open Championship
Lake Forest CC
June 17-19
June 7
9-Hole Championship
Ballwin GC
June 26
June 16
Junior Championship
Normandie GC
June 28-29
June 16
Four-Ball Championship
Franklin County CC July 11-12
June 30
Amateur Championship
St. Louis CC
Aug. 5-7
July 21
Normandie Amateur
Normandie GC
Aug. 21-22
Aug. 11
Senior Championship
Sunset CC
Aug. 24-25
Aug. 11
Southern Illinois Amateur
Green Hills GC
Sept. 11-12
Sept. 6
Thomas O. Sobbe Cup Final
Algonquin
Sept. 24
Mid-America Junior Cup
Kansas City, Mo.
TBD
MAGA Championships
14
15
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
2021 USGA Qualifying Rounds Qualifier Location
Date
Entry Close
U.S. Women’s Open
Old Hickory GC
April 28
April 14
U.S. Open
Spencer T. Olin GC
May 10
April 21
U.S. Girl’s Junior Ama.
The Legends CC
June 14
May 19
U.S. Junior Amateur
The Legends CC
June 14
May 26
U.S. Amateur
Aberdeeon GC
July 5-6
June 23
U.S. Senior Amateur
Quincy CC
Aug. 9
July 14
U.S. Senior Women’s Am.
Quincy CC
Aug. 9
July 14
U.S. Mid-Amateur
Kokopelli GC
Aug. 16
Aug. 4
‘22 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
CC of St. Albans
Aug. 30
Aug. 11
USGA Qualifying Rounds
16
17
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
The Metropolitan
March/April 2022
2021 Amateur Series Tournament
Date
Winghaven CC
May 3
Woods Fort GC
May 20
Annbriar GC
June 24
Birch Creek GC
July 29
Persimmon Woods
Aug. 16
Sunset Hills CC
Sept. 20
The Quarry GC
Oct. 11-12 “The appeal of this project to me was to be involved in an effort
MAGA Amateur Series
that could serve as a catalyst to change needed in our country today, beginning with parts of St. Louis County. Restoring Normandie for a community in need will have a long-lasting positive impact on the lives of youth in St. Louis.” .
18
- Jack Nicklaus on his involvement in Normandie GC project
19