Topics Newsletter October 2010

TOPICS NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 18, NO. 4 - OCTOBER 2010

WHAT’S INSIDE: 2010 SFPGA Award Winners Announced Travel Pro-Am to Spain Patriot Golf Day Chapter News ...and more!

Section Office Hires New Junior Tour Coordinator Rick Rider - page 3

Junior Tour Presented by the Honda Classic Event # 9 - page 8 (L to R): Ed Lockhard, PGA; Ryan Celano; Drew Donnelly

Chris Toulson wins Golf Professional of the Year and other 2010 SFPGA Award Winners - page 4

chip shots

NEW MEMBERS

The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new members to the Section: Ryan Berger, PGA Charles Dannewitz, PGA Allison Lepping, PGA

A-6 A-8 A-8

Golf Concepts Academy Copperleaf Golf Club Palm Cove Golf Club

NEW APPRENTICES

The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new apprentices to the Section: Craig Morton Alex Lucia Daniel McLellan Bethany Denzer Travis Stoelting

B-8 B-8 B-6 B-11 B-1

The Colony Golf & Country Club Olde Hickory Golf & Country Club John Webster Golf Academy PGA of America National Office Fairwinds Golf Course

PGA CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM

The South Florida PGA would like to congratulate Joseph Canny, PGA on becoming certified in Executive Management through the PGA Certified Professional Program; Ken Martin, PGA, for becoming certified in General Management; Travis Wehrs, PGA, for becoming certified in General Management and Golf Operations; Darin Hoff, PGA, and Chris Masteron, PGA for earning their second certification through the PGA Certified Proefssional Program in Golf Operations, and Michael DeJordy, PGA, for earning his sixth certification in Instruction.

JUNIOR TOUR VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The South Florida PGA is in the midst of another successful year of junior golf. To continue the trend, we need volunteers to come out and act as Pace of Play/Rules Officials during the events.

Each volunteer will receive 1 MSR Credit per hour worked. If you would like to help, please click here to view the tournament dates and site, and then contact Meredith at 561-729-0544 x105 with your availability.

APPRENTICE LEVELS Michael Bove Jordan Boyle Bethany Denzer Bradley Hicks Mitch Jefferson Christopher Koppy Michael Korenoski Alex Lucia Daniel McLellan Craig Morton John Mullen Michael Pater Charles Starrs

PASSED

Boca West Club Foxfire Country Club PGA of America Nat’l Office Dunes Country Club Villages at Country Creek Plantation Preserve GC Quail Ridge Country Club Olde Hickory Golf & CC John Webster Golf Academy The Colony Golf & CC The Polo Club of Boca Raton Card Sound Golf Club The Links at Fisher Island

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GOLF LICENSE PLATE PROGRAM

This year the South Florida PGA has partnered with the Golf License Plate Program to help promote the plate to Florida residents. For every Golf License Plate sold in the state of Florida $25 goes to the Florida Junior Golf Council in support of junior golf throughout the state.

Every facility in South Florida should have received promotional information about the Golf License Plate Program, and we encourage you to display it at your facility.

Please note that grants are available for PGA professionals conducting junior golf camps, clinics, etc. and more information can be found by visiting http://www.fjgc.org/.

SEPTEMBER 2011 TRAVEL PRO-AM TO SPAIN

Entries are now being accepted for the 2011 Travel Pro-Am to Spain, Sept. 3rd-10th, 2011. This event will feature 6 nights at a 5 star deluxe hotel, and 5 rounds of golf, including Valderrama and Finca Cortesin. The event is open to the first 18 teams of four. For complete details and entry form please visit the home page of sflorida.pga.com.

contact information SOUTH FLORIDA SECTION, PGA OF AMERICA 186 Atlantis Boulevard Atlantis, FL / 33462 PHONE / FAX 561-729-0544 / 561-729-0914 EMAIL sflorida@pgahq.com WEBSITE www.sflorida.pga.com PRESIDENT Stephen A. Cox, PGA VICE PRESIDENT Brian Peaper, PGA SECRETARY Warren Bottke, PGA IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Jeff Raimer, PGA SOUTHERN CHAPTER PRESIDENT Dick McNeill, PGA SOUTHEAST CHAPTER PRESIDENT Rick Heard, PGA SOUTHWEST CHAPTER PRESIDENT Bill Constantine, PGA ISLAND CHAPTER PRESIDENT Aaron West, PGA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Geoff Lofstead ADVISORY BOARD Paul Anderson Dean Baker Rick Bayliss Ed D’Alessandro, PGA Ira Kaplan Jim Maitland Jim O’Connor Craig Perna Steve Sponder Harry Tempkins Roger Woonton

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chip shots section news

PRO

Christian Sheehan Bryan McManis David Startzel James Weeden Steven Hill John Nelson Greg Wetzel Michael Sizemore

PRO’S ON THE GO

TO

FROM

A-4 – Pelican’s Nest GC A-4 – Pelican Preserve GC A-1 – Pelican Preserve GC unattached A-7 – Osprey Point Golf Crs A-4 – Palm Aire CC unattached A-24 – PGA Golf Club

A-1 – Gateway Golf & CC A-1 – Pelican Preserve GC A-8 – Pelican Preserve GC A-1 – Ocean Breeze Golf & CC A-9 – North Florida Section A-13 – Okeeheelee Golf Crs. A-13 – Gateway Golf Club A-4 – Southwest Section

new section staff member

ing familiar with BlueGolf tournament software and the PGA of America’s Section Management System.

As Junior Golf / Special Events Coordinator, Rick will concentrate his time in four main areas of section operations. Rick will coordinate all preliminary, on-site and post tournament operations and activities involving South Florida PGA Junior Activities. In addition, Rick will support some major section championships and PGA Tour qualifying competitions. This position will also serve as coordinator of section special events primarily focused in the area of Play Golf America activities.

Rick may be reached at 561.729.0544.

On October 11th Rick Rider will begin his employment with the South Florida Section as Junior Golf / Special Events Coordinator. Rick received his B.S. in Business Management and Sport Management from the University of Georgia. Rick is currently a level 1 apprentice in the PGA PGM program.

“I am very excited to join the South Florida PGA team! I feel very fortunate to be able to be a part of an organization held in such high regard as the South Florida Section! Hopefully I will be able to contribute just as much as I will learn from both the employees and the members,” says Rick.

Rick has extensive experience in the golf business and specifically in Section Operations. Rick served as Tournament Coordinator for the Georgia Section PGA this summer where he assisted in all section tournament operations and junior tour operations. Rick learned all aspects of tournament operations this summer while becom-

quote of the month

“The older I get, the better I used to be.”

Lee Trevino Professional golfer

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chip shots 2010 SFPGA award winners announed Golf Professional of the Year - Chris Toulson

This award is the highest honor a PGA Professional can receive, recognizing the individual for their overall performance, level of service to the Association, leadership, image, and the ability to inspire fellow professionals and promote the game of golf.

Teacher of the Year - Chris Czaja

This award recognizes the professional who provides outstanding service as a golf instructor. The recipient is selected based on his/her efforts in promoting golf, use of teachings, involvement in junior golf activities, and teaching techniques.

Junior Golf Leader - Don Law

This award is designed to pay recognition to a PGA golf professional who is a leader in junior golf, reflects the qualities and ideals of those who work with our nation’s youth, and provides opportunities and experiences for juniors to learn and play golf.

Horton Smith - Aaron West

This award is designed to recognize individual golf professionals for their outstanding and continuing contributions to developing and improving education opportunities for the PGA golf professional.

Bill Strausbaugh - Jeff Raimer

This award is presented to a PGA member who by their day-to-day efforts has distinguished themselves in the field of Club Relations, causing dramatic improvements in employment conditions at the Section or national level of the PGA of America.

Merchandiser Public - Harry Ferguson

This award is presented to the PGA Member that has demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf with a focus on the individual’s inventory, shop display, staff, and merchan dising techniques at a resort facility.

Merchandiser Private - Marshall Carpenter

This award is presented to the PGA Member that has demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf with a focus on the individual’s inventory, shop display, staff, and merchandising techniques at a resort facility.

Merchandiser Resort - Dave Feightner

This award is presented to the PGA Member that has demonstrated superior skills as merchandisers in the promotion of golf with a focus on the individual’s inventory, shop display, staff, and merchandising techniques at a resort facility.

PGA President’s Plaque - Jeff Nixon

This award is designed to recognize individual PGA member professionals for their extraordinary and exemplary contributions and achievements in the area of Player Development. This is Jeff ’s fourth consecutive year winning the PGA President’s Plaque from the South Florida PGA Section.

Assistant of the Year - Trevor Johnson (photo unavailable)

This award recognizes an individual for their overall performance as an Assistant, willingness to accept responsibility, promotion of the game through teaching adults and juniors, and promoting the image of the PGA of America.

Salesperson of the Year - Steve Sponder (photo unavailable)

This award recognizes an individual for their overall performance as a sales representative serving the South Florida PGA Section.

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Courses Raise Money for Folds of Honor Foundation

patriot golf day Patriot Golf Day is the flagship fundraiser for the Folds of Honor Foundation, a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that provides postsecondary educational scholarships for the children and spouses of military men and women disabled or killed while serving our great nation. On Labor Day weekend, golfers across the country are asked to add an extra dollar to their greens fees to fund Folds of Honor scholarships. The Patriot Golf Day campaign is jointly supported by The PGA of America and the United States Golf Association. Last year, the Section raised over $79,000 for the Folds of Honor Foundation. Here are a few courses that participated this year: Jupiter Country Club held a five week raffle leading up to their Patriot Golf Day event on September 4th. Half of the proceeds went to the Folds of Honor Foundation, the other half covered the prizes.

JCC hosted a tournament Saturday, September 4th. $10 of every $20 entry fee went to the Folds of Honor Foundation. the Foundation.

In total, Jupiter Country Club raised over $4,200 for

Image to the right: a snapshot of Jupiter Country Club members having fun at their Patriot Golf event September 4th.

Heritage Bay Golf and Country Club held a three day closest to the pin event and put all contributors into a drawing for a round of golf.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Heritage Bay raised over $1,000 for the Folds of Honor Foundation.

Also thanks to the following courses for hosting events for the Folds of Honor Foundation:

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Patriot Golf Day at PGA Village With pomp, circumstance and moving displays of patriotism, the 4th Annual Patriot Golf Day Weekend at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie was a stunning show, as a preliminary total of $20,000 was raised for the Folds of Honor Foundation from more than 1,000 participants over Labor Day Weekend.

Patriot Golf Day events at more than 3,800 registered PGA facilities nationwide benefit the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to the families of military veterans disabled or killed in action. Since 2007, more than $5.3 million has been raised through these efforts, supported by The PGA of America and USGA.

“Golf is a sport that teaches great values,” said PGA of America Chief Executive Officer

Joe Steranka. “Throughout the 50 states, 140,000 times a year golf facilities have outings that raise a total of $3.5 billion for charity. We’re proud that this is bigger than all other sports combined, but what keeps us coming back is being able to make a difference in someone’s life.”

This year’s event at PGA Village further showcased the charitable goodwill of golf, as Steranka; Maj. Ed Pulido, who lost his leg while serving in Iraq; and Ginger Gilbert Ravella, whose husband was killed in action -- and the first recipient of a Folds of Honor scholarship -- all served as Grand marshals. Following the annual parade down PGA Golf Club’s Perfect Drive, United States Marine Corps members appeared on a hill along the driving range to raise the American Flag for the National Anthem, setting the tone for an opening ceremony that featured everything from riveting speeches to color guards to the PGA Golf Club’s traditional “21 Golf Ball Salute.”

“I am so incredibly proud of what The PGA of America and PGA Village have accomplished to bring awareness and honor to the brave men and women who have served so honorably in our United States Military,” said Bob Baldassari, PGA general manager for PGA Village, which includes the PGA Golf Club, PGA Center for Golf Learning and Performance and the PGA Historical Center. “For those who perished in the fight to protect our freedoms and gave the ultimate sacrifice, this is why we work so hard each year to make Patriot Golf Day a success.”

Two lives undoubtedly touched by golf ’s charitable efforts today are those of Maj. Pulido and Ravella. “How great it is to stand in front of you so honored and humbled,” said Pulido, as he addressed the crowd. “I miss my leg everyday, but I wouldn’t trade the life I have now, as I stand in front of you with inspiration, drive and passion.”

As tears rolled down the faces of many attendees, Ravella recounted the story of how military officers in dress blues knocked on her door four years ago and informed her that her husband (and father of their five young children) Maj. Troy Gilbert’s plane had gone down in Iraq. His body was removed by insurgents and never found, yet DNA evidence confirmed his tragic fate.

“The moment war knocks

on your door, your whole life changes,” added Ravella,

who has since re-married another Air Force Fighter Pilot, Jim Ravella, who lost his first wife to breast cancer. “The money these Folds of Honor scholarships provide proves that the sacrifices of our heroes were not in vein.”

Afterwards, the John Shimkonis Memorial Medal Golf Tournament at PGA Golf Club, held in honor of the first PGA Professional to sacrifice his life while serving his country, hosted a sold-out field of 200 participants – filling up two courses.

Golfers participate in the John Shimkonis, PGA Medal Memorial Golf Tournament during Patriot Golf Day at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA, on Saturday, September 4, 2010. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/The PGA of America)

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education Earn More MSR Credits As a member of the PGA you are required to complete 54 MSR credits per three year cycle. As the current MSR cycle quickly approaches please remember of the 54 you must complete 12 in education and 12 in meetings.

The current MSR cycle will end June 15, 2011. As you plan ahead for recertification below are some MSR opportunities available at this time.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR MSR CREDITS:

October 12, 2010 - Southeast Chapter Meeting Jonathan's Landing Golf Club (East) - 6pm 4 MSR Meeting Credits October 18, 2010 - Southwest Chapter Meeting Worthington Country Club - time TBA 4 MSR Credits November 8, 2010 - Section Education Seminar Atlantis Country Club - 8am-12pm 4 MSR Education Credits November 7, 2010 - Southern Chapter Fall Meeting LaGorce Country Club - 6:30pm 4 MSR Meeting Credits

2011 - Annual Meeting of the Membership Location and time TBA 4 MSR Meeting Credits To register for national events, please visit pgashow.com.

To volunteer at Junior Tour or Play Golf America, please call Meredith at 561-729-0544 x105.

To register for any other education meetings or seminars, please visit the website at sflorida.pga.com.

January 27-29, 2011 - PGA Merchandise Show Orlando

tournament news

Due to course conditions and inclement weather, the South Florida PGA Professional Championship was cancelled. The event will be rescheduled as soon as possible. Keep an eye out for more information coming soon on the new date for the SFPGA Professional Championship.

travel pro-am to spain

Entries are now being accepted for the 2011 Travel Pro-Am to Spain, Sept. 3rd-10th, 2011. This event will feature 6 nights at a 5 star deluxe hotel, and 5 rounds of golf, including Valderrama and Finca Cortesin. The event is open to the first 18 teams of four. For complete details and entry form, please visit sflorida.pga.com.

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junior news

SFPGA Junior Tour presented by The Honda Classic Event #9 Presented by:

Supported by:

For the first time in Junior Tour history the South Florida PGA Junior Tour visited The Sanctuary Golf Club, September 11th and 12th for Junior Tour Event #9. This was a special venue for all those competing in the field.

Shooting an impressive round of 66 on Sunday was Naples resident Ryan Celano placing him in a sudden death playoff against Jack Hernandez of Fort Myers who shot two sub par rounds of 68 and 70. Celano’s 66 was fueled by a hole-in-one on the seventh hole from 140 yards with his eight iron. On the first hole of the sudden death playoff Celano struck quickly by rolling in a 30 foot putt to claim the Boys Overall Title. Stephen McPoyle of Lake Worth finished in third was a two day total of two under par, 142.

Claiming the Girls Overall title was Juliana Herrera of Plantation shooting a 72 in the final round. Finishing one shot behind Herrera was Olivia Lynch of Naples. Georgia Price of Fort Myers finished in third with a two day total of 155.

In the Boys 12-13 Age Division Stefano Butti of Palm City finished first with a 147, one shot ahead of Zachary Bariso of Boca Raton. Finishing in third with a Ed Lockhard, PGA Director of Golf, 149 was Matthew Mourin of Miami Lakes. winner Ryan Celano and Drew DonLorena DeAntonio of Weston shot a 172 finishing in nelly, Head Professional and PGA Apprentice at The Sanctuary first place by two shots to Kaely Krayeski of Wellingon and Emily Faulkner of Palm City.

Congratulations to Naples native, David Burnham on his ace during the event! During round one David Burnham hit an 8 iron 150 yards on hole number twelve.

The South Florida PGA Junior Tour is proudly presented by The Honda Classic and supported by Titleist, Don Law Golf Improvement Center, Allianz Championship, The Fun Group at Mirasol, and ParKit Golf.

For more information on the Junior Tour, please visit the South Florida PGA website at www.sflorida. pga.com and click on Junior Golf.

Junior player Lily Morrison

Junior player Ryan Mason

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chapter news

a word from a sponsor

The Island Chapter Open will be contested Satur October 2, 2010 and Sunday October 3, 2010 @ Trump International golf club in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. This Island Chapter major championship is the second major of the year and is a first step in qualifying for the PR Open in 2011.

Tee-Marketing is eager to Tee off the 2010 fall and winter golf season with its premier golf digital network, as well as introduce added value programs for their partner clubs. Deployed in February of this year, content-rich digital screens have gained positive feedback from members and managers of the 45 golf clubs currently operating in Central and South Florida. Set in the golf shop of each club, the 42-inch LCD screens provide members and visitors needed information and entertainment; all content and ads are executed to maintain the store-like environment intended for the shop.

The Island Chapter would like to thank its important sponsors Sky Caddie, Q1, Don Q, Medalla, SportsGroup and Titleist. They make this event the major championship it truly is.

In addition to relevant advertisements currently running, the screens allow for internal club promotion and customized announcements that are club and event-specific.

For more information please contact: Victor Ramos at vramos@wyndham.com; Brian Shaver at brians@caguasrealgolfclub.com or 787-564-2119; Alberto Rios (host professional) arios@trumpintlgolfclub. com or 787-550-2298, or Aaron West (Island Chapter President) at awest@doradodelmargolfclub.com or 787-310-7991.

The chapter tournament season winds down with an e vent @ Mahogany Run in St. Thomas USVI, Wednesday October 20, 2010, The Island Chapter Intra Island Interclub Sunday November 7, 2010, Liberty Cablevision tournament, Rio Mar, Rio Grande, PR, November 19, The Chapter Championship November 29, 2010 @ Costa Caribe, Ponce, PR and finallt the Pro-Super December 5-6, El Conquistador, Fajardo, PR Aaron West Island Chapter President

The Southern Chapter recently conducted a Pro-Am at The Key West Golf Club on Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 11-12. The event included two rounds of golf, a cocktail party at the Conch Republic, and lunch after the final round. This event was a great success, and I would like to personally thank Doug Carter, PGA and his staff for an extremely enjoyable weekend.

On Monday, Sept 20, 2010 the stroke play tournament and match play qualifier were held at the TPC at Eagle Trace. Congratulations to Keith Burt, medalist of the event and the other 15 qualifiers who have advanced to the match play portion of the event beginning October 29th at Ft. Lauderdale Country Club.

Thanks for reading.

Dick McNeill, PGA Southern Chapter President

The current advertisers include Trump International Resorts, Circa Jewels, Ivanka Trump Jewelry, Condo.com, and newly added Ceiba Del Mar Spa and Resort. Tee-Marketing has an impressive lineup of new advertisers coming to the screens over the next six months.

Tee-Marketing has maintained strong relationships with its partner clubs, making sure the content is streaming to the screens while technical teams are always on call to solve any transmission issues.

Tee-Marketing has supported Florida PGA Section events including the 2009 SFPGA Tournament held at Admirals Cove CC in April. They are committed to continuing sponsorships and striving for greater involvement within the Florida Golf Community.

In the next few months, Tee-Marketing will be expanding to additional clubs in Florida, as well as expanding their network to Southern California. The company is exploring major Golf TV Network and Golf Publisher Content Partnerships to increase the viewer enjoyment for members and visitors at its participating club golf shops.

Tee-Marketing is also responding to incremental revenue needs asked for by its clubs in this challenging economy, by offering two additional services that clubs should learn more about: -ClubStore (www.clubstore.org ) is an online pro shop FREE to clubs. ClubStore builds an online golf shop for its member clubs at no charge, provides members hundreds of additional items their pro shop would not consider putting into physical inventory, and revenue-shares with the club on each item sold online. ClubStore is currently in 150 clubs in 33 states. ClubStore does not discount and does not compete in any way with the pro or the golf shop. It does offer exciting “gift with purchase” incentives for members.

-TeeTime Advantage (www.teetimeadvantage.com) is the official Tee Time Booking Service of the PGA Tour. It is a (ZERO) out of pocket service for clubs to enjoy, built to sell unsold rounds whenever participating clubs have availability/need assistance in driving traffic to the first tee. Partnered with MasterCard, TeeTime Advantage currently has over 30 clubs in Florida signed up including Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and the Meadowbrook Clubs.

For more information regarding The Golf Digital Network, visit www. tee-marketing.com. To contact them directly, call 212-354-8584 or email nora@tee-marketing.com. If you are interested in signing up your golf course, email sales@tee-marketing.com. For information on ClubStore or TeeTime Advantage call Bob at 203-227-0095 or email bob@ clubstore.org.

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education rules with drew

You Make the Call

digit handicaps, the likely hood of me granting relief would be slim due to the simple fact that more times than not the player would not be able to advance the ball from that type of lie.

Another interesting ruling came up during the Section Championship and I felt the need to include it in this month’s segment not because of its complicated nature but because I feel it is one of those rules that are sometimes forgotten. Those who have played a lot of Florida golf know that many courses have sandy areas bordering holes with pine straw and the like and it is very easy for a ball to become embedded in these areas.

On numerous occasions during the Section Championship we (rules officials) had requests for relief for a ball embedded in sand through the green. Would you grant relief in this situation? Rule 25-5 states, “A ball embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground in any closely mown area through the green may be lifted, cleaned and dropped, without penalty, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green. "Closely mown area" means any area of the course, including paths through the rough, cut to fairway height or less.”

SFPGA TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR ANDREW MILLER

The majority of the time a rules official is asked to merely interpret the rules of golf for the player but occasionally an official must make a judgment call on whether or not a player is entitled relief under a certain rule of golf. One of those situations arose (see picture below) during the Section Championship presented by TaylorMade-adidas last month.

As you can see from the picture the player’s ball was precariously positioned in a tree while the player’s feet were on the cart path. The player asked an official if he was permitted to take relief under Rule 24-2bi? Rule 24-2a clearly implies that the player is entitled to relief because, “Interference by an immovable obstruction occurs when a ball lies in or on the obstruction, or when the obstruction interferes with the player's stance or the area of his intended swing.” And the player would be entitled to relief under Rule 24-2b and must, “lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief.”

The rule itself does not grant relief in this situation but there is a local rule for an embedded ball which many golfing associations, including the South Florida PGA have adopted. Appendix I, part B, item #4 states, “Through the green, a ball that is embedded in its own pitch-mark in the ground may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped as near as possible to where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green.” This local rule would have you believe that relief is available for a ball embedded in sand through the green. However, there is an exception to the local rule which states, “A player may not take relief under this Local Rule if the ball is embedded in sand in an area that is not closely mown.” Ok, so relief for an embedded ball in sand through the green is not permitted but for arguments sake what would be the ruling if a player’s ball was embedded in dirt? Well, the Rules of Golf is silent on this issue. Again, it falls on the official to make a judgment call as to whether or not he feels the player’s ball is in sand, dirt or a mixture of them. In my opinion if the area in which a player’s ball is embedded (through the green) is clearly not identifiable as just sand, then I think I would probably grant them relief.

As I’ve shown in the examples above, golf officials are occasionally called upon to make judgment calls a lot like officials in other sports like football, baseball and basketball. A good rule of thumb when presented with a situation that requires a judgment call would be to apply the rules to the best of your ability, make a decision, and be able to defend that decision.

The doubt as to whether or not the player is entitled to relief comes after reading the exception to Rule 24-2b which states, “A player may not take relief under this Rule if (a) it is clearly unreasonable for him to make a stroke because of interference by anything other than an immovable obstruction or (b) interference by an immovable obstruction would occur only through use of an unnecessarily abnormal stance, swing or direction of play.”

The judgment falls onto the official who must determine whether or not it is unreasonable for the player to make a stroke at the ball. I’m not going to tell you if the official granted relief in this situation at the Section Championship because I feel you could ask 100 different rules officials and have a 50/50 split. However, I am going to suggest that if you were faced with a situation similar to this one, that you take into consideration the player’s ability before granting or denying relief.

Obviously there is nothing in the rules of golf which would require you to take into consideration the player’s ability but I feel in situations like this, ability might be one of the few factors to help you make the judgment call. For instance, if a PGA, Nationwide or Champions Tour player requested relief, I would probably grant it because more times than not a player of that caliber would be able to advance the ball from that lie. On the other hand, if I’m running a club event with single and double

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other news

florida state senior honoree

CONGRATULATIONS GARY BAKER!

upcoming events October 1 P.A.T. Held at San Carlos Golf Club

October 3-7 SFPGA Travel Pro-Am Supported by Callaway Golf Soft Goods & Kirk & Matz Held in Las Vegas, NV October 11 Miccosukee Open Qualifier Held at Plantation Preserve / Jacaranda October 12-13 Challenge Cup Matches Supported by Jack Nicklaus Sportswear Held at Bay Colony Golf Club October 14 Bobby Goodman Pro-Am Held at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club

PGA Member Gary Baker has been selected as the 2010 Florida State Senior Honoree. Gary will be honored at the Bobby Goodman Pro-Am for State Seniors at Naples Beach Club October 14, 2010.

October 15-17 Florida State Senior Open Supported by The Naples Beach Hotel & GC & Pepsi Held at Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club October 16-17 Junior Tour #10 Presented by the Honda Classic Supported by Titleist, Allianz Championship, Don Law Golf Improvement Center Held at Jonathan’s Landing at Old Trail October 27-30 First State PGA Tour Q-School Held at PGA Golf Club - Wanamaker October 26-27 Senior Challenge Cup Matches Held at West Bay Club November 1 P.A.T. Held at Atlantis Country Club

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a message from the South Florida Chapter of the Midnight Golf Program

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