Team Up. Tee Off

This year marks the 28th year of the annual Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia Golf Tournament presented by Gnat’s Landing. The tournament is the Club’s oldest fundraising event and one of the longest running golf tournaments in the Golden Isles. Come out for a day of fun and great food from Gnat’s Landing on the beautiful greens of the Jekyll Island Golf Course on Friday, May 6.

It’s a four-man team scramble format with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Gnat’s Landing will provide breakfast sandwiches, and a Bloody Mary and Screwdriver Bar starting at 10:30 a.m. Free bus transportation to Jekyll Island will be provided by Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia. The bus will leave promptly at 11:00 a.m. from Gnat’s Landing on St. Simons Island to take players to the tournament on Jekyll Island. $100 per person or $400 per team includes breakfast, tournament fee, shared cart fee, lunch, range balls, and post-party. There will be hole contests and great prizes too.

There will be a Post-Tournament Party for the players at Gnat’s Landing from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with complimentary food provided by Gnat’s Landing. Players’ families are welcome to participate. Stop by to check out the final scores and see the winners claim their prizes. For 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia has been dedicated to continually developing new and better ways to make a positive impact on the children of Glynn County. Their quality after-school programs include homework help and tutoring, educational games, national Boys & Girls Clubs of America programs, and a positive environment for kids to learn and thrive. Show your support for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeast Georgia and the children and youth of our community by sponsoring a hole, putting together a 4-player team, or coming out to the post-tournament party at Gnat’s Landing! For more information or to register online, visit apositiveplace. net or contact Brooke Eldridge, Director of Development at 404.904.1611 or by email to developmentbgcglynn@gmail.com. (Golf continues)

The Finer Points of Addressing the Ball: HELLOOOOO, BALL!

by Duffer McMulligan

You don’t hit the links often and one or two charity tourneys a year are the extent of your game? Here’s a little advice on etiquette to keep you on par with your putting peers.

First, show up more than five minutes before tee time. Tardy arrival not only stresses out the others in your foursome, it leaves you without time to warm up, so give yourself at least 45 minutes. And yes, I said warm up. Really. Hit the range for 20 minutes or so and work through the clubs in your bag, taking some time between swings, leaving your driver for last, because that’s what you’ll be using first on the course. And don’t forget about the practice green. That’s like skipping cocktail hour and diving into the main course! This is where the pregame chitchat happens, friendly wagers are placed (and keep those bets small; you don’t need to show off), and “strategies” are discussed. Trying to sink some putts at different angles and distances while that’s going on helps you get a feel for how fast the greens are.

Once you’re on the course, you head straight for the back tees. Hold up there, hoss. Unless your weekend foursomes are usually played with Zach, Kuch and DL3, or you’re completely clueless and love a challenge, you’re gonna want to pick a more reasonable tee. Something with total yardage between 6,0006,300 should be about right for someone who doesn’t spend a lot of time on the links. And don’t forget to tee up behind the markers – never in front.

If you’re playing an informal game, you don’t need to wait your turn and play by distance from the hole. If you’re at your ball, have

your club, and know your shot, just go ahead and play it. This is “ready golf” and most good golfers agree to play this way to keep the group moving. This includes short putts – you don’t have to mark ’em; show some confidence and finish off the hole. You also don’t need to waste time by pacing off yardage and checking GPS and rangefinders. Guesstimate and take your best shot. Remember you’re not the only one playing out there, so be considerate. If someone in your foursome shot into the woods or weeds, help ’em look for the ball. Common courtesy doesn’t disappear on the golf course. If it’s you that blew the shot, don’t berate the gods or spend the rest of the game muttering about your lousy play. It happens and all golfers can commiserate, so keep a sense of humor and remember you’re out having a good time.

Make sure to do those little things that show you have proper respect for other players. Rake the traps, including your footprints as you back out of it, and leave the rake where you found it. If you have a lucky moment where your ball

makes a crater on the green on its approach, be sure to fix the mark and leave the area flat. Also pay attention to where everyone else’s ball is on the green and don’t step in their lines. When you get your Powerade from the cart girl, grab a round for everyone else and tip that girl who has to put up with those who aren’t as courteous as you all day. Last but not least, be happy for the accomplishments of the others in your group: the winner, the impossible shot out of the bunker, that breaking putt – praise, encourage, and celebrate – then let them buy the drinks at the grill.

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