VSWGA CALENDAR
We all know that Vermont weather can be fickle and can wreak havoc on our golf plans.
Because the Bellows Falls State Day was rained out this month, we have rescheduled it for Tues, August 5th. The Northfield CC State Day was also cancelled because of weather and will be rescheduled; date TBD.
Also, even though it’s a holiday, registration for Enosburg, JP Larkin and Equinox State Days will open on July 4th at 7am as planned.
When you sign up for ANY VSWGA event, you should receive an email confirmation. It may say that you are registered or it may say that you are in pending confirmation status (for lotteries and majors). If you don’t receive this confirmation it probably means that your registration did not go through, in which case contact vswgaquestions@gmail.com for investigation and resolution.
Visit https://vswga.org/calendar/ for the full lineup of State Days, Majors and Invitationals around the state.
PACE OF PLAY
Great pace of play as the season progresses. Only 5 slow play warning letters have been sent through the week of June 23rd. Big kudos to the players at Orleans and Brattleboro for playing in the extreme heat on that day. We did not issue any pace of play letters for those two state days as safety was of highest priority.
Please do keep in mind that split up to catch up is a great way to keep pace and does not add any stress during a heat wave, it just lessens the stress on the field behind you. We are so pleased that most players are on board with the pace of play initiative and it really is so much more fun to have rounds close to the course expected time as we all work together to keep play moving. Thank you all for your great efforts!
POSTING SCORES
Whether you’re new to having a Handicap Index® or H.I. savvy, here are a handful of pointers so that you can post with confidence!
1. After you’ve selected the golf course you are playing (or just played), choose your method of score entry. It is recommended to use hole-by-hole. Why? Not only does this provide additional insights about your performance, it also ensures that net double bogey is calculated automatically and correctly.
2. Select the tees played so that the appropriate Course Rating™ and Slope Rating® can be applied to your score. If you played 9 holes, make sure you choose Front 9 or Back 9, as those Ratings will likely be different.
3. Choose the score type among three options: Home (H), Away (A), or Competition (C). Let’s break this down:
- Home – You’re on the club’s handicap roster. This is the course you likely play most often.
- Away – This could be a course you play once or even quite frequently. However, if you’re not on the club’s handicap roster, post as an Away score. We post our State Days as “Away”.
- Competition – This score type should be communicated to you by the tournament organizers. The Committee should also let you know whether they, or you, are responsible for posting the score.
4. Indicate the date you played the round. Our ask of you – post your scores on the same day of play. This ensures an up-to-date Handicap Index and allows your score to contribute to the daily playing conditions calculation.
5. If you’ve recently started posting scores, know that a total of 54 holes is required to get a Handicap Index – which can be achieved by posting 9- and/or 18-hole scores.
Information courtesy of USGA: USGA Posting Scores
ETIQUETTE
We received lots of comments about the etiquette post we did in a newsletter last summer. It’s worth repeating, with a few new tips identified in blue:
Many of you are seasoned tourney players. Others may still be dipping their toes into golf competition. Regardless of your experience, there are a few golf etiquette topics to keep in mind. You may know the preferences (or quirks) of some of your close golf buddies, but in tournaments you may get paired up with women that you have never golfed with before. Things that may not bother your usual group may not work in a tournament foursome. Some things to keep in mind include:
- SCORING: Some ladies like to know what their current score is, others don’t want the total until the round is over. Don’t tell someone that they are “close to breaking 90” unless you are sure that they like to know where they stand. One caveat, in golf match play, if someone asks for your score, you must answer, and you must answer truthfully. There’s no obligation to volunteer your score, but if asked, you must provide the correct information. Failing to do so can result in a penalty, typically the loss of the hole.
- MORE SCORING: During competitions, State Days included, it is appropriate for others to ask you for your score on each hole. It’s ok (and sensible) if someone is keeping a master scorecard. And if anyone challenges you on a score, don’t get angry. Verbally go back through the hole with them and determine the score. It’s a competition; we need to protect the field and make sure our cards are accurate.
- TALKING ABOUT THE SHOT: Don’t compliment a shot until after it’s done moving. Many tournament players will be quite annoyed by “Nice shot!” as they watch their “power fade” take a bounce 10 yards to the right and into a hazard or “Nice putt” before the ball is actually in the hole and instead rims out or comes up a couple inches short on a 3 footer. While you may think that landing anywhere on the green from 100 yds out is a “great shot”, your competitor may not feel the same way; they may expect to land within 5 feet of the pin every time. Know your audience. This tip is perhaps the one that we hear about the most; I think we all have done a better job of holding compliments until we are sure the shot/putt ended well.
- DISTRACTIONS: Keep yourself still while others are hitting. Be a bit more aware of noises including talking, rattling clubs or crackling potato chip bags while others are in shot prep or at address. Watch your shadow and keep it out of the line of a shot.
- ON THE GREEN: A lot of casual players avoid walking through a player’s line, but often step into their “through line” – the line that a ball will roll through if it rolls a few feet past the hole. Don’t do this. And we all love the blingy ball markers, but be ready with a flat marker in case you are marking near someone else’s line. Avoid standing on the far side of the hole, on an extension of the line on which someone is putting.
- RULES: If you have a question on a rules situation, instead of holding up play to figure out the answer by calling a rules official, you can play two balls for each potential outcome. Decide which one you think is right and play that ball first each subsequent shot. When your round is finished, ask the pro and mark down the correct score. Talk to your group about any rules question. While you may not know the rule, someone in your foursome may be well briefed on it.
- PACE OF PLAY: Try to prepare as much as you can for your shot while others are playing. Get a distance measure ahead of time and have your club ready. You can definitely move ahead of a player as long as you’re off to the side a bit. If you don’t like where someone is standing or parking their cart, just ask them to move. You don’t need to rush when it’s your turn, you just need to be prepared to go when you’re up. If your group is falling behind, ready golf is acceptable. It’s ok to say to something like “hey guys looks like we’re a hole behind so I’m gonna tee off” or “ready golf ok?” Or “Let’s split up to catch up”. Everyone falls behind on occasion. Don’t take it as an insult or think that it’s too much pressure if someone in your group is focused on pace of play. Remember: it’s not the total time of your round that counts, but rather the length of time your group comes in after the group ahead of you. Less than 20 minutes is the expectation. Many more tips to speed up pace of play can be found on our website, here.
- COURSE MANAGEMENT: Take care of the courses that we are golfing on. Fix divots, rake the bunkers, repair ball marks, and tread gently on the greens. Be kind to everyone at the course, i.e. pro shop attendants, course maintenance workers, and restaurant staff.
- LOST BALL: Should you help someone else find a lost ball? In the name of pace of play, it’s helpful if everyone watches each other’s shots so that any wayward shots are easier to find. It is good practice to help your playing partners look for a lost ball; however, it’s always a good idea to ask the person if they want help looking for a lost ball. Sometimes their best option may NOT be to find the ball (think about a ball deep in fescue). Ask them first. And remember, only 3 minutes for searching. It’s ok to say “Claire, it’s been 3 minutes. We need to move on.”
- MUSIC: Is it ok to play music while you are golfing? During a friendly round, or even on a State Day, music is fun and sometimes a welcome relaxation tool. Always keep the volume low enough so that it can’t be heard if you are more than 10 feet from the cart. However, it’s also very important to ask your mates if they are ok with music. Some people prefer to hear the sounds of nature while they golf. Also, musical tastes are different, so if someone asks you to turn it down or even to turn it off, graciously accept the request. And the VSWGA has a policy of no music during our major tournaments.
- CELL PHONES: Many of us have life situations that require us to keep our phone with us while we golf. No problem. Avoid distractions by keeping your phone on silent and refraining from loud, extended conversations during your round. Also, using a phone with a slope feature during a casual round of golf is generally acceptable, but not in tournaments. While some golf apps provide “plays like” distances that factor in slope, the use of slope-measuring devices (including those on phones) is prohibited during competition play. This restriction is in place to ensure fair play and prevent players from gaining an advantage through technology that isn’t universally available.
- DRESS CODE: We play at a variety of courses in Vermont. Some courses have no dress code, others have rather strict dress codes. Adhere to the dress code of the specific course you are playing. Check the website and make sure you have a collar and appropriate length skirt, dress, or shorts if necessary. Paige Spiranac is a great golfer, but I’m not sure her attire would pass the muster at most of the courses in Vermont.
- SMOKING : Again, be respectful. If you smoke, move off to the side of the group and watch where the smoke is going so it’s not blowing in the direction of others. And of course, leave no butts on the course.
- DON’T TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE’S BALL: A more lighthearted tip is not talking to a playing partner’s golf ball in flight. People are funny sometimes, and may not appreciate your chatter. You may mean well with your comment of “Sit Ball…Sit!” or “Bite!” but sometimes people take things you say
differently than you may have intended. Save it for your own shots! - BE A GOOD GUEST: Tipping at the end of the round is greatly appreciated by the course maintenance staff and cart cleaners, often times college or high school kids on break from school. Clipping a few bucks on the steering wheel can make someone’s day, and is a nice way to say thank you for the work they are doing.
Tell us what you have experienced out on the course. What else would you recommend?
A FEW HOT DAYS
The State Days at Brattleboro and Orleans on 6/24 were hot, hot, hot! Some basics for staying cool and healthy during a hot round include:
Here is Trish Wade, using a “cooling accessory” during her Brattleboro round:
2025 New England Women’s Amateur
The New England Golf Association ® (NEGA), established in 1926, is an amateur golf organization comprised of leaders from the six New England golf associations – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. In addition to serving the needs of golf in New England, the organization’s primary purpose is to conduct the following premier Championships: New England Women’s Amateur Championship, New England Amateur Championship, New England Junior Amateur Championship, and New England Senior Amateur Championship.
This year the New England Women’s Amateur was held at Haverhill Country Club on June 24-26 in Haverhill, MA. We had two Vermonters in the Women’s Senior Am: Kim Barkyoumb and Amy Butcher. Great job ladies! More information and results
2025 MAJORS
Consider golfing in one of our upcoming major tournament events, or if you can’t golf, consider volunteering:
July 8-9: Senior Amateur Championship at Champlain Country Club (registration closed); Follow the tournament using your Golf Genius App. Either search for the Senior Amateur, or the event GGID is 2025VSWGASENIORAM.
Aug 4-6: Amateur Championship at Ekwanok Country Club (registration closes 7/21)
Sept 6-7: Mid-Amateur Championship at Haystack Golf Course (registration closes 8/22)
Contact vswgaquestions@gmail.com and we will get you set up to help.
VSWGA – WHERE FRIENDS COME TO PLAY