VSWGA Bulletin – July 5, 2024

STILL LOTS OF CHANCES TO PLAY!

State Days: There are still plenty more State Days (25 by my count) so go sign up.

  • Rutland Country Club State Day is coming up on July 23 and will be another lottery event. Registration opens tomorrow, Friday July 5 at 7am and closes July 15 at 7am. You can register as a single or a twosome, but not as a threesome or foursome, and your registration will show as ‘pending’. Once the field is drawn by random lottery, you will be notified by July 16 if you were selected. At that point your credit card will be charged and you will be assigned a tee time. Also, remember that this event will be offering both forward tees (4579 yards) and regular tees (5063 yards). Come out and play this classic Vermont course!
  • If Rutland isn’t your State Day thing, remember that Country Club of Barre is the alternative course that Tuesday July 23. Registration opens Friday, July 12 at 7:00 am and closes July 22 at 7am (leaving you time to register if you didn’t make it into Rutland).
  • The St Johnsbury State Day scheduled for 7/24 has been moved to 9/11. Please mark your calendars accordingly.
  • Thinking of golfing Jay Peak on 7/29 and then Newport on 7/30?  If so, Jay is offering  a 10% discount off of Jay Peak lodging for all players. Use code 1097532 when booking.

STATE DAY FUN 

  • Big Congratulations to Shirley Grush.  She got a hole-in-one at the Brattleboro Country Club State Day on Hole 3.  It is her first one!

MAJOR TOURNAMENTS

Maybe you are also interested in testing yourself in one of our major competitions. The Amateur (Aug 5-7 at Champlain CC) and Mid-Amateur (Sept 14-15 at Haystack Golf Club) are open for registration here and here. The field is set for the Senior Championship taking place this next week at Country Club of Barre July 9-10.  And of course we can’t forget the Fall Awards Classic, scheduled for Sept 17 at CC of Barre.

INVITATIONALS
Busy on those Tuesday State Days? Then check out the list of invitationals on the website. These events are fun, open to all (could someone please tell me why they are called ‘invitationals’ if you don’t need an invite), and often have some awesome prizes (Ralph Myhre Invitational’s big prize was an annual membership!). Check out the full list of invitationals on the middle of the  VSWGA home page.

How do you know?
If all this scheduling stuff is too much to keep track of, you can find it on the VSWGA Calendar.

UPDATE FROM NEW ENGLAND GOLF
New England Golf Association hosted the New England Women’s Amateur Championship at the end of June at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine. Four Vermont golfers made the trek to compete against a very strong field: Kimberley Barkyoumb (Champlain CC), Amy Butcher (Lakeside), Jazz Bruce (Links at Lang Farm), and Kanika Gandhi (Vermont National). After two days of stroke play, the field is cut to the top 25 in the two divisions (Championship at 5835 yards, Tournament at 5240 yards). Congratulations to Kimberly for making the cut in her division! Way to represent VT.

VOLUNTEER TO SUPPORT YOUNG WOMEN GOLFERS!
The VGA’s Junior Golf Tour has started and they need volunteers. The tasks are simple: you’ll introduce yourself to the players as a volunteer (they are pretty familiar with this whole process). You are there to support the players by helping them search for lost balls if needed, offering public knowledge about the course if they ask, and calling in Rules Officials if necessary. You are not allowed to give advice and actually should encourage them to interact with each other rather than you. But you’ll be helping by being there and you get to watch their awesome games and grow nostalgic over their youthful flexibility. 

Upcoming Junior Golf Events:

Quechee Lakeland: Friday July 12, tee times 8:00 – 12:00
Neshobe GC: Monday July 15, tee times 8:00 – 12:00
Junior Match Play Kwiniaska: Tuesday July 23, tee times 8:00 – 12:00
Junior Stroke Play Ralph Myhre: August 1-2, tee times 8:00 – 12:00

If you can help, please contact John Goodchild, Executive Director of the Vermont Golf Association at (802) 497-3897 or john@vtga.org

MORE ENTERTAINMENT WITH RULES
So many fun rules things to learn while watching golf on TV. From the US Open broadcast a few weeks back…when a sprinkler head is in the way for a shot from just off the green, is it always the case that you get relief? 

Nope, not always. It’s only if the committee has put in place Model Local Rule F-5. (How do you know? It’s on the rules sheet you get at the start of the round. That’s why they are worth reading). This Model Local Rule starts with the regular relief options from an immovable obstruction (Rule 16.1) and adds an extra option: if the ball is in the general area and the immovable obstruction (sprinkler head) is on the line of play and it is within 2 club lengths of the putting green and is within 2 club lengths of the ball (so many ands!) then the player may take relief by dropping at the nearest point of complete relief from both physical interference and line of play interference. 

Does everyone remember how to find and take ‘nearest point of complete relief’? Of course you do. 😉  Remember that it’s not the best, just the nearest, and then you drop within one club length of that point, no nearer to the hole.

GET ON BOARD
This fall we will be looking for three new members to fill our opening board seats. Serving on the Board is a great way to give back to the association, meet new people, and help shape the VSWGA policies for the future.  Requirements include a love of golf and willingness to interact with our members and clubs.  

Terms are for three years.  More details to come. If interested, please talk to any of our current or past board members:   VSWGA Board Members

AND LEST WE FORGET TO MARK PRIDE MONTH
Golfers are a diverse bunch, although that diversity isn’t always so visible or welcome. The USGA pulled together this interesting article entitled “The Importance of Pride Month in Golf” and it’s worth a quick read. Or if you want another article that is a bit feistier, check out this one from a Massachusetts Cannabis Golf Tournament. I guess everyone figures out their own way to have fun on the golf course.

Have a happy, healthy and safe July 4th!