President's Message What a beautiful morning for our Opening Day ABCD Mixer! Fifty members showed up to kick off the 2019 Season. I want to extend a special welcome to our new members - Ralph Bowe, Tom Chicca, Bob Smith, and Steve Levin - all who played in their first HGSGA event. I also want to thank Lew Ship for his event management skills, Felton Satterfield for his photography, and Randy Maddox for those tasty doughnuts! Enjoy your weekend and hope to see you next Thursday...
Mac Ramsey macramsey@verizon.net
Today's Results The team of Bob Egge, Mac Ramsey, Dwight Johnson, and Randy Maddox blistered the course with a net 180 to win first place ($21 per man). Second place went to the team of Michael Panos, Keith Thompson, Nick Girardi, and Steve Levin at net 186 ($17.50 per man). Our third place team consisted of Doug Brooks, Ken Hankin, (Blind), and Tom White at net 189 ($14 per man). Fourth place went to Doug Wilson, Mike McShane, Jim Bona, and Bill Duncan at net 190 ($10 per man). Listed below are the results of the remaining teams:
Gift certificates can be picked up at the clubhouse after 12 noon on Friday, April 5,
More detailed results and player stats can be found by clicking the Golf Genius 2019 button on the sidebar. Next Week Thursday April 11 - Individual Medal Play. Signup deadline - Tuesday, 8 PM.
Change in MISGA Schedule The Hobbit's Glen April 11 visit to Sparrows Point has been canceled and rescheduled for September 19.
Last but not Least:
HGSGA Update - March 31, 2019
Opening Day - Thursday April 4 Our opening day format will be an ABCD mixer. Each team will have an A, B, C, and D level golfer. Team scores will be based upon the best three net scores of the foursome. Play will begin with a 9:00 shotgun start. Please check in by 8:30. The deadline for signing up for this event is 8:00 PM on Tuesday evening. Shortly thereafter, Lew Shipp will be confirming your signup via email. If for any reason you are not going to be able to play, please call, text or email Lew as soon as possible. Lew can be reached at 410-916-1541 or slew0302@gmail.com. After golf, we are encouraging members to enjoy lunch at the Turn House. Like last year, you will be able to pre-order your lunch when signing in at the pro shop. Finally and most importantly, there will be doughnuts!!
Familiarize Yourself with HGSGA Rules With the exception of the local rules stated below, USGA rules will apply throughout the entire season. The officers reserve the right to amend rules as conditions require and inform players prior to the start of the round. As of January 1, 2019, there are a number of USGA rule changes. Please familiarize yourself with these changes. They can be found by clicking here.
Local Rules (many of our previous local rules have now been adopted by USGA) On hole #10, any drive lost to the right of the cart path shall be deemed lost in the red penalty area. The drop area will be within two club lengths behind the red penalty stakes on the right with a one stroke penalty. On hole #11, the drop area for the water hazard is the green tee. You must hit within two club lengths behind the green tee.There is a one stroke penalty (hitting 3 from the green tee). Regarding out of bounds or a lost ball, instead of stroke and distance, a new local rule allows the option of dropping a ball in the general vicinity of where the original ball was lost or went out of bounds, including within two club lengths inside the nearest fairway area as long as the drop is no closer to the hole. There is a two-stroke penalty. This option is not available if you have already hit a provisional or you are certain that your ball has landed in a penalty area. Once this option is taken, any lost ball subsequently found cannot be played. It is important that all members familiarize themselves with this new local rule. Click here to see a video on this rule. Other USGA Golf Rules that we want to emphasize:No putts may be conceded in individual medal play. No gimmes! In team play, match play, Stableford, and other similar formats, players are encouraged to pick up and estimate their score when their score will not be used in the competition. Balls will be played down where they rest unless an alternative announcement is made prior to the beginning of the round. A ball hit in a penalty area requires a stroke penalty. There are various options related to where the next shot can be played. All members should familiarize themselves with these options and abide by them. Clickhere to see a video related to these options. Golfers have three minutes to look for a ball. Please follow this rule and keep pace. Golfers are encouraged to download the USGA Rules of Golf App on their phone and use it when needed. All HGSGA events will be played from the gold tees unless otherwise announced prior to the start of play.Scoring The score you write on your scorecard should be your gross (not net) score. Golf Genius is programmed to score all of our competitions on both a gross and net basis. Special thanks to the many golfers that used the Golf Genius app to score our tune-up round last Thursday. It's simple to use, provides real time scoring for the entire field, and makes end of round scorekeeping a breeze. We encourage you to give it a try!
HGSGA Update – March 22, 2019
Two Weeks to Opening Day (April 4) Our season kicks off April 4th and we hope you have or will be registering for what looks to be a great season of HGSGA golf. Please avoid opening day lines and join now. The easiest way is to download the 2019 membership application (see sidebar), fill it out, and bring it and a $50 check made out to HGSGA to the pro shop. March 28th Member Information Meeting and Tune-up Round Join us on March 28 at 9:00 for our pre-season information meeting. The officers and committee chairmen have been meeting regularly and have developed a great program for the 2019 season. USGA rule changes and feedback from members have helped us make improvements that will make our league even more enjoyable. The meeting will be held in the HG Conference Room. Please signup for the meeting and the 10:00 shotgun practice round by clicking the SignUpGenius button on the sidebar. If you plan to play, say so in the "comment area."
Hole Handicap Ratings - Gold Tees Thanks to Lew Shipp we have scoring information on over 900 rounds of golf – all from the gold tees. The results of Lew's work will be used to designate hole handicap rankings for the upcoming season. Our preprinted score cards will reflect Lew’s findings and they will be included in Golf Genius for scoring purposes. For 18 holes, the #1 handicap will start with the most difficult hole on the backside and will then alternate back and forth between the two nines.
Come on Guys - Try the Golf Genius App! This season we are encouraging each foursome to use the Golf Genius phone app to submit their scores. All you have to do is download the app, enter the event's GGID code (will be printed on your paper scorecard), and click on "enter scores. " It's easy! Each foursome will need one player to handle the paper scorecard and another player to enter the scores on the phone. We'll be providing a quick tutorial at our meeting on March 28. Hoping many of you will give it a try!
Back by Popular Demand Hobbit's Glen is offering another "New Rules Seminar" on March 27th at 6:30 PM. Last month's session was excellent. Participants walked away with a firm understanding of the new USGA rules. We encourage your attendance. Contact Lorraine Seelaus at 410-730-5980 to signup.
Keep Pace - Make it an Enjoyable Round for All Slow play by one golfer can wreck a great day of golf for the entire field. This year we will be placing a great deal of emphasis on making sure each foursome keeps pace. We have modified our schedule to include more formats that will assist us in meeting our goal. New USGA rules to speed up play include:Reducing the time allowed to search for a ball from 5 to 3 minutesRequiring a player to hit their shot within 40 seconds after arriving at his ball (most of us do it in well under 30 seconds)Allowing clubs to implement a maximum score policyAllowing golfers to putt with the pin in placeEncouraging golfers to play out of turn as long as it can be done safely (ready golf) Our goal this year is for each foursome to complete their round in under 4 hours and 15 minutes. So hit, then talk. Prepare for your shot while you wait for others to hit, Play ready golf if you don't see anyone in front of you or if the foursome behind you is constantly waiting for you. We thank you in advance for keeping pace!
MISGA 2019 Tournaments Information for the 2019 MISGA Two Man and ABCD Tournaments is now available by clicking the buttons on the sidebar. For further information contact Ian Sumner at sumner1152@gmail.com.
HGSGA Update (February 28, 2019)
About Halfway There We are pleased to report nearly 50% of last year's members have renewed for 2019. We urge our remaining members and new members to join today. Click the membership application button on the sidebar to get started.
SignUpGenius Awaits You Event sign up for our 2019 season is easy. Click the "2019 SignUpGenius" button on the sidebar and plan your summer golf schedule now!
Turf Talk from our new Director of Golf Maintenance Howdy Y’all! My name is Sean Gilliland, a Certified Golf Course Superintendent (C.G.C.S.) coming to you from Central Texas. I am so EXCITED to be your new Director of Golf Maintenance for the Columbia Association. We hit the ground running on February 1 beginning to learn the two C.A. golf properties. I am thankful everyone has welcomed me as I get acclimated to a Maryland winter!
We have several challenges ahead for each golf course but the foundation is strong. The greens are in great shape and the fertility programs will kick the grass in high gear as we come out of winter. The courses are wet and have several soggy areas to address as fast as we can. The great news about the rain and snow is moisture protects the grasses from winterkill. We have a great stand of two grasses in the fairways with the “Bluemuda” blend of bermudagrass and bluegrasses. Warm weather combined with scheduled fertilization will encourage the “Bluemuda” to mature. The final step will be gradually lowering the height of cut, thickening the grass stand by encouraging sideways growth and not upwards growth.
Hobbits Glen in particular has a monumental task of cleaning up leaves and debris ‘through the green’ as the golf season approaches. We experienced a hurdle with the ice storm on Feb 11-12 which resulted in branch clean up requiring multiple man hours. Before the ice storm, the staff removed approximately 30 trees from #5 in accordance with the McDonald golf course master plan. New trees will be planted ASAP to mitigate the old trees not to impede on sight lines for the hole. Lastly, we will fertilize around the beginning of April with a pre-emergent herbicide to help control weeds for the growing season.
Again, I look forward to many successful years maintaining the grounds and greens for the Columbia Association golf courses. The best part of the golfing year is approaching fast, the Masters! Let’s look forward to the warmer weather with an early spring (according to Punxsutawney Phil) and I will meet you on the course!
Sincerely, Sean Gilliland, C.G.C.S. Director of Golf Maintenance Columbia Association Rules Seminar Hobbits Glen Seniors were well represented at last night's New Rules Seminar. The two guest presenters were excellent. We encourage all HGSGA members to become familiar with the new rules. Due to last night's large turnout, Joan and Paul will be arranging a second seminar in March. In the meantime, the USGA has developed some great videos that will get you up to date. Clickhereto see them. This Week's New Golf Rule Here's an explanation of the new rule regarding the option to keep the flagstick in while putting. Click hereto see
Welcome to the Season! Sunday, March 10th 5:30-7:00 Enjoy a fun and informative evening as we prepare to step into 2019's golf season. Complete the following checkpoints and receive your free drink ticket! Golf Genius Pace of Play How well do you know your membership? Take this opportunity to get your 2019 Ace Card, renew your locker rental, and pay for bag storage. Members please register on Golf Genius. It will be great to see you! More information...contact Lorraine Seelaus at 410-730-5980.
MISGA Flings MISGA is sponsoring two great golf trips in the coming months. The Winter Fling will be held March 3-9 at The Plantation on the Chrystal River, Chrystal, Florida. The Spring Fling will be held May 7-9 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Click here for details. Last But Not Least
HGSGA Update (February 20, 2019)
Snow Days and Membership Applications Today is the perfect time to get your HGSGA 2019 Membership Application filled out and in the mail! The application can be found on the sidebar to your left (or above, if you are using your phone), The earlier we have our membership count, the better we can plan. Looking forward to having you join us!
Schedule and Sign Up Randy Maddox has fully loaded our home and away schedules on SignUpGenius. You can access the schedule by clicking the "2019 SignUpGenius" button on the sidebar. Popular away MISGAs often have limits on the number of golfers we can send. When this occurs, we will use the order of signup on SignUpGenius to determine who will be able to go, Sign up now and make sure you get to play your favorite MISGA courses.
This Week's New Golf Rule Here's an explanation of the new rule on where to drop your ball when seeking relief. Click here to see
MISGA Flings MISGA is sponsoring two great golf trips in the coming months. The Winter Fling will be held March 3-9 at The Plantation on the Chrystal River, Chrystal, Florida. The Spring Fling will be held May 7-9 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Click here for details.
What's with the Golf Genius Buttons? While we are using SignUpGenius to signup for events, Golf Genius will manage our events. It allows us to do just about anything we need to organize and score a golf outing. The buttons on the sidebar will provide you with results and stats for last year, 2018, and the 2019 upcoming season. You don't have to sign in to see, just hit the button and explore. Thanks to our Golf Genius "Genius," Lew Shipp, for moving us forward on this front!
Sad News We were notified by the wife of Peter Fagan, that Peter passed away last September. Peter played with us for several years. He was a remarkable man. His Baltimore Sun obituary can be found here.
New Website The officers and committee chairpersons hope you enjoy our new website. We plan to use this site as the focal point of all HGSGA happenings. League results, announcements, membership outreach, schedules, signup procedures, contacts and program guidelines will all be functions of this site. It will also be the place we maintain our organizational history. For a new twist we ask you to keep smiling at Felton Satterfield who has offered to be resident photographer and will be showcasing his work on a regular basis. Comments and suggestions are welcomed. Send them to macramsey@verizon.net.
P.S. We are intentionally not hyperlinking most of our email addresses due to some problems with scammers. So please just copy and paste email addresses for now.
