TOPICS NEWSLETTER - South Florida PGA Golf

TOPICS NEWSLETTER
VOLUME 22 NO. 4 - JULY 2012
THIS ISSUE:
TOURNAMENT NEWS
JUNIOR TOUR NEWS
TRAVEL PRO-AM
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
AND MORE...

CHIP SHOTS
NEW MEMBERS
The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new members to the Section:
Nicholas Dwyer, PGA A-8 West Bay Club
Christopher Ewing, PGA
IN
Joseph Kern, PGA A-1 The Indian River Club
Patricial Kuehner, PGA A-8 Gulf Harbour Yacht & CC
Daniel Lanman, PGA A-8 Okeechobee Golf & CC
Kyle Olson, PGA A-8 Highland Woods G & CC
Christopher Phillips, PGA A-8 Heritage Palms G & CC
Christopher Ryan, PGA A-8 Naples Heritage G & CC
Duncan Smith, PGA A-8 Seven Bridges @ Springtree
NEW APPRENTICES
The South Florida PGA would like to welcome the following new apprentices to the Section:
Daniel Gervasio B-8 Admiral’s Cove
Kristina Carvalho B-8 Dunes Country Club
Paul Robito B-8 Coral Oaks Golf Course
HALF CENTURY CLUB
Congratulations to PGA members Tom Malone and Wes Barrios, who was just elected
to the Half Century Club of the PGA of America, an elite group of members who have
served the PGA with honor and pride for 50 years.
QUARTER CENTURY CLUB
Congratulations to PGA members James, Weeden, Jim Tureskis, Bill Moser, Thomas
Metzger, Gene Fieger, Scott Dietrich, Greg Cerulli, Patrick Cattanach, and
Ed Biehl who were elected to the Quarter Century Club of the PGA of America, an elite
group of members who have served the PGA with honor and pride for 25 years.
DECEASED MEMBERS
On June 05, 2012, Life Member William Polumbro, PGA passed away. He is survived by his
wife Nancy. Our condolences go out to family and friends of the Polumbro family.
SFPGA PROFESSIONALS HELP TO GROW THE GAME AT DAD’S
FEST
South Florida PGA Professionals came out to help grow the
game at Dad’s Festival in Midtown Palm Beach Gardens on
Father’s Day, June 17th. Mike Jonges, PGA of Ironhorse
Country Club and Joe Canny, PGA of PGA of America, spent
the morning and early afternoon providing men, women, and
children of all ages with free 5-10 minute swing lessons. The
event attracted over 400 people and was great exposure for
the game of golf to a new demographic of individuals. We
thank Mr. Jonges and Mr. Canny for generously donating their
time and talents to help generate even more interest to the
game of golf in our community.
BEST PRACTICES
We would like to acknowledge the good use and display of the PGA
Professional logo by Chad Kurmel, PGA of Boca Grove Golf and Tennis
Club. He has visually displayed the PGA Professional logo outside
of his facility. We encourage all professionals to display the PGA logo
at their facility as it is a way for your customers to recognize that your
facility employs the very best in the business; A PGA Professional.
JULY IS FAMILY GOLF MONTH
Similar to TEE IT FORWARD month in June, The PGA of America is
PGA Professional Mike Jonges working
with a youngster at Dad’s Fest
CONTACT
SOUTH FLORIDA SECTION
186 Atlantis Boulevard
Atlantis, FL / 33462
PHONE / FAX
561-729-0544 / 561-729-0914
EMAIL
sflorida@pgahq.com
WEBSITE
www.sfpgagolf.com
PRESIDENT
Brian Peaper, PGA
VICE PRESIDENT
Warren Bottke, PGA
SECRETARY
Mark VanDyck, PGA
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Steve Cox, PGA
SOUTHERN CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Dick McNeill, PGA
SOUTHEAST CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Neil Lockie, PGA
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Ben Bryant Jr., PGA
ISLAND CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Brian Shaver, PGA
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Geoff Lofstead
ADVISORY BOARD
Paul Anderson
Rick Bayliss
Steve Sponder
Ken Kennerly
Matt Lambert
Peter Lund
launching another soial media campaign in July which features this 1

CHIP SHOTS
month as FAMILY GOLF MONTH. We encourage all of our SFPGA professionals to participate
and encourage family golf activities at your facilities this month!
JAYE MARIE GREEN TO COMPETE AT THE 2012 WOMEN’S OPEN
IN KOHLER, WI
Former SFPGA junior tour player, and daughter of SFPGA Professional Donnie Green
will compete in the 2012 US Women’s Open Championship played at Blackwolf Run in
Kohler, WI. Green has been playing on the Futures tour for the past year finishing 2nd
at the Daytona Beach Invitational. We wish Ms. Green the best of luck in the upcoming
Major Championship.
KBS SHAFTS
Help support SFPGA partner KBS Shafts by taking
advantage of a special offer they have for
you the PGA Professionals. Click here for complete
details!
QUOTE OF
THE MONTH
“Be decisive.
A wrong decision is
generally
less disastrous than
indecision.”
- Bernhard Langer
SFPGA TRAVEL PRO-AM GOES TO WHISTLING STRAIGHTS
ATLANTIS, Fla. - The SFPGA Travel Pro-Am took
21 teams comprised of one professional and three
amateurs to Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wisconsin to play three days on the
Irish, River, and Straits courses. PGA Professional Jeff Raimer’s West Bay Club
team was victorious with a three day total of 309. Low Pro honors went to Matt
King, PGA at 220 and second was Danny St. Louis, PGA finishing at 221.
Low Professional, Matt King, PGA and
his team.
PROS ON THE GO
Don’t miss an incredible opportunity to be
a part of the 2013 Travel Pro-Am event going
to play the finest courses in Ireland. We
are now accepting applications for the trip.
This opportuinity is sure to fill fast so make
sure to bring three of your best amateurs
out to be one of 15 teams to compete on
some of Ireland’s finest courses; Portstewart
Golf Club, Royal Portrush Golf Club, Castlerock
Golf Club, Ardglass Golf Club, and
Royal Country Down Golf Club. CLICK HERE
Warren Botke, SFPGA President, with Jeff Raimer of the West Bay
for more information about the July 27-August
3, 2013 trip or to register your team of
and Dan Swiglo (a)
Club, Mark Van Dyke, PGA, SFPGA Secretary, Patrick Haley (a)
one professional and three amateurs today!
Professional TO FROM
Roger Maas, PGA Unattached A-1 - Island Dunes CC, Jensen Beach
Charles Bisignano, PGA A-4 - Plantation G&CC, Ft. Myers A-4 - North Florida Section
Glenn P. Hall, PGA
A-14 - St. Andrews CC, Boca Raton A-4 - St. Andrews CC, Boca Raton
Greg French, PGA A-13 - Southern Texas Section A-9 - Three Oaks Hospitality, Boca Raton
Ben Bauer, PGA A-1 - St. Andrews CC, Boca Raton A-8 - St. Andrews CC, Boca Raton
Jay Staton, PGA Unattached A-1 - Wilderness CC, Naples
Paul Clivio A-4 - St. Andrews CC, Boca Raton A-1 - St. Andrews CC, Boca Raton
2

CHIP SHOTS
SFPGA PROFESSIONALS
COMPETE IN 2012 PNC
BAYONET/BLACKHORSE GOLF COURSE
BAYONET IN SEASIDE, CALIFORNIA
After a great showing in Seaside, CA two of South Florida’s nine Professionals
competing in the made the 45th PGA Professional National Championship
qualified to compete over the final two rounds of play for the Medalist Honors
as well as an opportunity to compete at the 94th PGA Championship. Paul
Scaletta of the Bear’s Club fired a 67-72-75-71 at Black Horse Golf Course
and finished in 5th place overall with a four round total of 285. Finishing in the
top 20 overall at the event has guaranteed Scaletta a spot to compete in the
PGA’s most prestigious Major tournament.
Along with Scaletta, South Florida PGA Professional Alan Morin of the Falls
found himself in the top 20 and in the 94th PGA Championship field after finishing
in a tie for 13th with a four round total of 289 (69-73-76-71).
Congratulations also goes out to the SFPGA professionals who participated in
the championship event this year. Shawn Hall, Jim Karr, Ken Martin, Matt
Newman, Lee Stroever, Jerry Tucker, and Jay Westerlund all admirably
represented the section in this prestigious event.
A field of 312 PGA Professionals, representing 42 states and the District of Columbia, began play in the $550,000 Championship.
The PGA Professional National Championship is presented by Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and OMEGA, and is the second National
Championship to visit Northern California, and first since 1970.
ATLANTIS, Fla. – Each summer two South Florida PGA Junior Tour
Members are granted the unique opportunity of attending the Jim
McLean Golf School at Doral. The juniors are chosen based on an application
process each spring.
JUNIOR SCHOLARSHIP
WINNERS
The Jim McLean Junior Elite Program is an intense week of golf instruction focusing on the long game,
short game, course management, and mental strategy. Students enjoy Doral Resort accommodations,
exceptional meals, 4 rounds of competitive golf, a Ryder-Cup tournament, and world-class instruction from
Lead Master and Certified Jim McLean Instructors. Students will play a variety of golf courses including the
TPC Blue Monster, Great White, and Jim McLean Signature Courses. Each student leaves the camp with a
complete improvement plan on CD with video swing analysis and video voice-overs from the instructors.
This year Blake Schmalenberger of Vero Beach and Katie Gribbon of Boynton Beach have been granted the opportunity to spend the
week at Doral. Blake attended the school at the end of June and Katie will attend this month. We would like to congratulate both
juniors and wish them luck during their respective weeks.
About Jim McLean Golf School-
The Jim McLean Golf Schools Junior Elite Camp is for the aspiring junior golfer looking to improve his/her long game, short game
and mental game with an emphasis on course management. The program is structured to prepare juniors for competing successfully
at a national level. The combination of range and on-course instruction will teach students to practice and play golf more efficiently.
Offered only during the summer, this school is an intense week-long program. With an average handicap improvement of
6.5 shots per student, many juniors have competed successfully on the national level. The following juniors who have been ranked
#1 in America attended the McLean Golf School for instruction: Cristi Kerr, Erik Compton, Tyler Leon, Liz Janangelo, James Vargas
and Alexis Thompson.
The Jim McLean Golf School at Doral is entering its 21st season. Since the school’s inception in 1991, it has been established as the
#1 Golf School in America. Their top position in the golf school industry has been recognized by US News and World Report, CNN
and Travel & Leisure Magazine.
3

TOURNAMENT NEWS
PRESENTED BY
SUPPORTED BY
E-Z-GO SOUTH FLORIDA OPEN
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. - Pete Oakley of Palm
City has become the first player to win the open and
senior divisions of the E-Z-GO South Florida PGA
Open supported by Cutter & Buck, GolfBuddy, and
KBS Shafts in the same year in its 28-year history.
A former Delaware club professional, Oakley, 63,
capped his unprecedented week Wednesday, June
13th, with a two under par 70 at The Colony Country
Club. At 206, he finished three strokes ahead of
2010 champion Chris Trout of Fort Myers and Paul
Scaletta of Jupiter, the runnerup in 2009. Trout and
Scaletta tied for second at 209. Chris Kaufman of
Palm Beach Gardens, the first round pacesetter and
co-leader with Oakley after two days, closed with
77-213 to slip to sixth place. Kaufman won the Section
Championship last year.
John Baughman (E-Z-GO), Pete Oakley, PGA, Matt
Taylor (a), Nick Forest (E-Z-GO), Jeff Barrett (E-Z-GO),
Craig Morton, PGA, Marianne Deibel (Golf Buddy), and
Tone Lily (Golf Buddy)
Oakley won the 50-and-over flight Tuesday, June 12th, at 136 on a pair of 68s, June 11th on
the Creekside course at the Bonita Bay Club and June 12th at The Colony. Bill Kennedy, a former
Cape Coral professional, is the only other player to win both divisions, the open in 1990 and the
senior in 1994-95. He no longer lives in Florida. After an erratic front nine of 37 Wednesday,
June 13th, with birdies at the second and sixth holes and bogeys at 3, 5 and 7, Oakley pulled
away with birdies at Nos. 10,13 and 14 for his third SFPGA title.
Last year he captured the Senior Open and the Pro-Pro with Jerry Impellittiere. Oakley
earned $3,019.88. As an open qualifier, Oakley stunned the field by winning the Senior British
Open in 2004. In PGA of America competitions, he won the Senior Club Professional Championship
in 1999, the Senior Stroke Play is 2001 and 2003, and had three victories in the Club Professional Tournament Series. Matt
Taylor of Naples was the low amateur with 216, tied for 12th among the 54 players who made the 36-hole cut, which came at 153
after one round each at The Colony and Bonita Bay-Creekside. 125 competitors teed off on June 11th to start the event. A big thank
you to the staff at both facilities, especially Mike Weiler, PGA at Bonita Bay Club and Bob Radunz, PGA at The Colony Country
Club.
SUPPORTED BY
PRO-ASSISTANT
PARKLAND, Fla. – The team of Chris Toulson and
Mark Ledom of the Jim McLean Golf School in Doral
won the 2012 South Florida PGA Pro-Assistant Championship
after birdieing the 3rd playoff hole in order to split a
purse of $2,294.36. They were tied with two other teams,
the teams of Justin Bertsch and Gene Fieger of The
Hideout Golf Club and the team of Adam Kolloff and
Wesley Mensing of the Jim McLean Golf School after
18 holes of competition. All three teams finished their
rounds at 9 under par 63, one stroke ahead of the team
of Trevor Gliwski and TJ Shelton of the Rick Smith
Golf Academy who finished in fourth position.
Kevin Holt (Golf Buddy), Mark Ledom, PGA,
Chris Toulson, PGA, Marianne Deibel (Golf
Buddy), Mike Bronkema, PGA
The Pro-Assistant Championship is a 18-hole four-ball stroke play (better ball of two) teaming a
PGA Professional and his or her Assistant from the same facility. Parkland Golf and Country Club
in Parkland hosted the championship. The Championship was supported by The PGA Tour, Golf
Buddy, Global Golf Sales and Mizuno. A huge thanks to the staff at Parkland Golf and Country
Club; Michael Maloney, PGA and Mike Bronkema, PGA.
Ken Smythe, PGA of Osprey Point Golf Course aced the 173 yard 11th hole with a 7 iron, winning
$1,000 from Global Golf Sales.
4

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT NEWS
PRESENTED BY:
SUPPORTED BY:
ATLANTIS, FL – The South Florida PGA Junior Tour
presented by the Honda Classic hosted Event #6 at
Raptor Bay in Bonita Springs on June 12-13.
Tim Cahill of Royal Palm Beach claimed his 1st Overall Championship in
the Boys 14-18 division by shooting 71-74 for a 145. Finishing in second
place with a 2 under 69 on Wednesday, June 13, was Derron Peyton of
Boynton Beach with a 147 two-day total. Coming in tied for third with a
149, was Charlie Kennerly of Jupiter, and Brandon Meyer of Lehigh Acres.
Claudia De Antonio of Weston won her second Overall Title of the year, by
shooting an impressive 6-under 65 in round 2. De Antonio finished with a
two-day score of 140. Andreina Merchan of Weston finished second with
a 146. Finishing third from Parkland was Morgan Gardner with a 151.
Alberto Martinez of Weston, led the Boys 12-13 division with a two-day
score of 137, 5-under par. Coming in second place with a 141, 1-under,
was Michael Checo of Boca Raton. Finishing
third with a 144, was David Giandomenico of
Boynton Beach.
Paige Lee Garris of West Palm Beach won her first event of the season in the
Girls 12-13 division with a second round par 71. Garris had a 2 day score of
151. Valeria Sophia of Hallandale Beach came in second place with a two
day score of 153. Finishing third with a 157 was Sabrina Fonda of Wellington.
Notable mentions for under par (71) rounds go to: Spencer Alexander (70
– Wednesday), Michael Checo (70 – Tuesday), Claudia De Antonio (65 –
Wednesday), Alberto Martinez (69-68), Derron Peyton (69 – Wednesday)
Head PGA Professional Ed Weber
and Boys’ winner Tim Cahill PGA, as well as all operational and professional
A huge thanks to the staff at Raptor Bay Golf Club including Ed Weber,
staff.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Anthony Gabriele of
Wellington followed up his South Florida Junior PGA
Championship win by claiming a two-stroke victory
over the field at Mayacoo Lakes. Gabriele shot a twounder
69 on Wednesday to be the first round leader,
and win the tournament with a total score of 143.
In the Boys 16-18 age division, Gage Marino of Palm
Beach Gardens claimed his first title of the season with
a 145. Zachary Smith of of Palm Beach Gardens was
came in second place with a 148. Finishing third was
Dominick Vennari of Stuart with a 149.
In the Boys 14-15 division, Joshua August of Boynton
Beach claimed victory over Daniel Whelan of Coral
Springs in a scorecard playoff. Both players finished
with a two-day score of 149. Coming in third with a
152, was Zachary Bariso from Boca Raton.
A big thanks to the 2012 sponsors of the SFPGA Junior
Tour and all of their support throughout the 2012
tournament season. Also a huge thanks goes to the
Professional and operational Staff at Mayacoo Lakes
Country Club, especially Cary McGaughey, PGA.
JUNIOR TOUR #6
RAPTOR BAY GOLF CLUB
Head PGA Professional Ed Weber
and Girls’ winner Claudia De
Antionio
JUNIOR TOUR #7
MAYACOO LAKES COUNTRY CLUB
Head PGA Professional Cary McGaughey and Anthony
Gabriele of Wellington
5

JUNIOR TOURNAMENT NEWS
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Anthony Gabriele of Wellington and
Valentina Haupt of Weston will represent South Florida next
month in the 37th annual Junior PGA Championship. They were
the overall winners Thursday in
the 33rdSouth Florida PGA Junior
Championship at Boca Grove.
Gabriele, 16, a home-schooled
junior, won the boys division by a
stroke on rounds of 69-77—146. Haupt, 15, won girls honors
by three shots with 73-77—150. Haupt arrived from Chile about
a month ago and will be a sophomore at Cypress Bay High
School.
The Junior PGA is scheduled July 31-Aug. 3 at Sycamore Hills in
Fort Wayne, Ind. It’s the third straight year at Sycamore Hills for
the tournament, acknowledged as one of the major championships
in junior golf. The field is comprised of one boy and one
girl from each of the PGA of America’s 41 geographical sections
as well as a number of special invitees.
“The wind got me a lot today,” said Gabriele, the first round
leader. “It was pretty tough but no one ever caught me.” He
made six birdies and three bogeys Wednesday, one birdie, two
bogeys and two double bogeys Thursday. “My mother, Angela
Montello, is from Indiana and I’ve played a lot of courses up
there but not Sycamore Hills. I’m already looking forward to it.”
Haupt won the Chilean Women’s Open last November, likely her
biggest victory. She had three birdies and four bogeys Wednesday,
a birdie, four bogeys and a double bogey Thursday. Speaking
mostly through an interpreter, Arianna Presilla of Weston,
another player in the field, Haupt said she “played equally both
days but did not putt good today.”
Valentina Herrera of Plantation, the SFPGA girls representative
last year, was third in her age group Thursday.
A big thanks to all the help and support from the operational
and professional staff at Boca Grove G&CC. Especially Chad
Kurmel, PGA.
CHAPTER NEWS
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
Firecracker Pro-Am
@ Quail West
July 6, 2012
JUNIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
BOCA GROVE GOLF & TENNIS CLUB
South Florida PGA Junior Championship
Boca Grove G&TC, Boca Raton, Fla.
Boys, 6,587 yards, par 72
Overall – Anthony Gabriele, Wellington, 69-77—146
16-18 – 1, Daniel Allen, Weston, 72-75—147. 2, Morgan
Hobbs, Tequesta, 72-77—149. 3, Sean Mazzola, Bonita
Springs, 77-74—151.
13-15 – 1, Joshua August, Boynton Beach, 74-75—149. 2,
Charlie Kennerly, Jupiter, 75-77—152. 3, Zachary Bariso, Boca
Raton, 71-81—152.
12-under (front nine Wednesday) – 1, Michael Checo, Boca
Raton, 35. 2, Clay Gibbs, Wellington, 35. 3, Jayson Iten,
Naples, 38.
Girls, 5,881 yards, par 72
Overall – Valentina Haupt, Weston, 73-77—150.
16-18 – 1, Annie Dulman, Palm Beach Gardens, 75-78—153.
2, Katelin Glass, Lake Worth, 76-84—160. 3, Valentina Herrera,
Plantation, 77-83—160.
13-15 – 1, Carolina Garrett,
Miami, 81-80—161. 2, Emily
Faulkner, Palm City, 84-80—
164. 3, Samantha Haubenstock,
Weston, 83-83—168.
12-under (front nine,
Wednesday) – 1, Gabrielle
Fulfaro Xavier Soares,
Weston, 41. 2, Isabel Herrera,
Wellington, 54.
SOUTHEST CHAPTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
Chapter Championship
@ Jupiter Hills - Hills Course
July 16-17, 2012
Head PGA Professional, Chad Kurmel and winners,
Valentina Haupt and Anthony Gabriele
Global Golf Sales CS #3
@ Estero Country Club at the Vines
July 18, 2012
SOUTHERN CHAPTER
UPCOMING EVENTS
Pro-Am
@ Ft. Lauderdale Country Club
July 20, 2012
6

This past weekend I tuned into CBS’s coverage
of the PGA Tour’s AT&T National event.
After watching for quite some time I couldn’t
figure out why there were so few spectators.
For example, they showed Tiger, who usually
has a sea of fans following his every step, but
this day there were only a hand full of people
outside the ropes. As I continued to watch,
Jim Nantz made reference to the powerful storms
that slashed though the Midwest that Friday night,
eventually making their way to the East coast and
the Washington area all while causing significant
damage and power outages along the way. Unfortunately
the grounds of Congressional Country
Club were among those reporting significant
damage in the wake of the storm. The damage
to the course was so severe that it forced officials
to close the event to spectators and volunteers.
Longtime PGA Tour Rules official, Mark Russell said
he could not remember another time when a tour
event did not allow fans. “It’s too dangerous out
here,” Russell said. “There’s a lot of hanging limbs.
There’s a lot of debris. It’s like a tornado came
through here. It’s just not safe.” As I watched the
coverage, I couldn’t help but think how the playing
of the game and the Rules of Golf would be affected
by the outcome of this storm.
Periodically the coverage shifted its focus from
golf and showed the damaged left behind from this
mid-summer storm. They showed many downed
trees, sawed up trees, twigs, branches and other
structural damage. They showed many fresh tree
stumps and I wondered if they were going to grant
relief from them? Decision
25/8 asks, “Do the Rules provide
relief without penalty for
a tree stump? No, not unless
it has been marked as ground
under repair or it is in the
process of being unearthed or
cut up for removal, in which
case it is “material piled for
removal” and thus automatically
ground under repair. A
tree stump which the Committee
intends to remove, but
which is not in the process of
being removed, is not automatically ground under repair.”
There were also many trees which were cracked at the base and still
attached to the stump. Does a tree still attached to the stump change
how it was just classified above? Decision 23/7 asks, “Is a fallen tree
a loose impediment? If it is still attached to the stump, no; if it is not
attached to the stump, yes.” So if a tree were still attached to the
stump, the player would not be permitted to move parts of the downed
tree if they interfered with his stance or area of intended swing. To do
so would be a breach of Rule 13-2. But what would be the ruling if the
tree was no longer attached to the stump, thus making it a loose impediment?
Decision 23-1/4 asks the question, “If part of a large branch
which has fallen from a tree (and thus is a loose impediment) interferes
with a player’s swing, may the player break off the interfering part
rather than move the whole branch?” The answer is yes. The Rules do
not force you to move the entire loose impediment. You are permitted
to move just the part that interferes with your play.
A little later in the telecast Jim Nantz praised the grounds grew
who had worked tirelessly cleaning up the debris to make the course
playable. There were piles of stacked up tree branches, leaves, sticks
WEATHER THE WEATHER
SFPGA TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR
ANDREW MILLER
and sawed up trees everywhere. How
would these areas be classified under
the Rules? Decision 25/7 states, “A
greenkeeper is in the process of sawing
up a fallen tree and stacking the wood.
What is the status of such a tree? The
tree in its entirety is ground under repair
as it constitutes “material piled for removal.”
The definition of ground under repair states
that material piled for removal is ground
under repair even if it hasn’t been marked
as such. Thus if a players ball were to come
to rest in an area where a pile of debris
interfered with the lie of his ball or area of
intended swing, the player would be permitted
to take relief under Rule 25-1. However,
if the player found his ball several yards
behind the material piled for removal, thus
having interference for his line of play and
not for the lie of the ball or area of intended
swing, the player would not be granted any
free relief under Rule 25-1 since that Rule
does not provide intervention relief.
Mark Russell had mentioned how dangerous
the grounds were following the storm with
all the debris and hanging braches. We’ve
already covered how a fallen tree, whether
still attached to its stump or not is treated
by the Rules of Golf, but what kind of special
consideration would be given for a tree
which falls during the stipulated round? Decision
25/9.5 states, “A large tree falls onto a
fairway during a stipulated
round and cannot
readily be removed.
What should the Committee
do? The most
appropriate course of
action will depend on
the circumstances in
each case. The Committee
has the following
options: (1) require
play to continue, providing
no additional relief
from the fallen tree;
(2) suspend play and have the tree removed; (3) declare the tree
and the area covered by the tree to be ground under repair (Rule
25-1) and may, as an additional option, establish a dropping zone;
or (4) in equity (Rule 1-4), adopt the relief procedures under the
Local Rule for Temporary Obstructions, thus providing intervention
relief from the fallen tree.” I was actually quite familiar with this
particular Decision since this exact situation happened at few years
back during the final round of the Florida State Senior Open. We
decided on option 3 above to deal with the situation however we
decided not to establish any additional dropping zones.
Mother nature plays a tremendous role in the sport we all love
and given the fact that we can’t take the game indoors or hide
behind a retractable roof, sometimes we have to take what she
gives us. The gifts she left in the form of fallen trees and debris at
the AT&T was neither ideal nor appreciated. A feeling especially
felt from the grounds crew. However with a lot of hard work and
a little help from the Rules of Golf, another successful PGA Tour
event was achieved.

NEW AND UPCOMING
UPCOMING EVENTS
SENIOR-SUPER SENIOR
July 13
@ Tequesta Country Club
Supported by The PGA Tour
PRO-PRO
July 10-11
@ The Ocean Reef Club
PRO-SCRATCH
July 30
@ Club at Mediterra
Presented by Nike Golf
Supported By Tour Sticks
FLORIDA SENIOR OPEN
QUALIFIERS
July 24
@ John’s Island West
July 25
@ The Club at Renaissance
July 26
@ Turnberry Isle Resort
July 27
@ Breakers Rees Jones
APPROACHING REGISTRATION
DEADLINES
SFPGA
PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Thursday, July 5th @ 5:00 PM
SFPGA SENIOR
PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday, July 11th @ 5:00 PM
ASSISTANT’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Wednesday July 18th @ 5:00 PM
Enter by CLICKING HERE
or call 800.474.2776
GOLF 2.0
TIP OF THE MONTH
Placing an inexperienced
golfer on
a 7,000 championship
golf course can
be one of the most
intimidating things you can do for a beginner to the game.
The American Society of Golf Course Architects and the PGA
of America have proposed a fix for the problem that includes
the construction of what will essentially become the “Bunny
Slopes” of the championship courses at our facilities. The PGA
has already begun to practice this implementation with a threehole
practice facility at PGA Village in Port St. Lucie. They have
renamed the practice facility the Discover Course and have incorporated
it into beginner programs and promoted it as a fun
loop for families and beginners. Although this is not necessarily
a project that every facility can initiate, it serves as encouragement
to think outside of the box, and get creative with the
ways you are able to grow the game at your own facility.
EDUCATION OPORTUNITIES
July 24 - SNAG Golf and Don Law
August 28 - BoxGroove
September 4 - Bill Davis & Paul Schemp
UPCOMING JUNIOR EVENTS
JUNIOR TOUR EVENT #8
July 12-13, 2012
@ Ocean Reef Club
Presented by The Honda Classic
Supported by Titleist, Don Law Golf Academy, Club Med
Golf Academy, Palm Beach Sports Commission, Allianz
Championship, and The Fun Group at Mirasol
JUNIOR TOUR EVENT #9
July24-25, 2012
@ Plantation Preserve Golf Course
Presented by The Honda Classic
Supported by Titleist, Don Law Golf Academy, Club Med
Golf Academy, Palm Beach Sports Commission, Allianz
Championship, and The Fun Group at Mirasol
7