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Winter 2007 Vol. 1 Issue
4
| Letter
from the President
2006
was another great year for the Alabama Golf Association.
I hope that all of you, as members, realize all that
your association does to promote golf in our state.
Not only do we run the many championship
golf tournaments better than any organization in the
country, but we also provide a significant number of
services for all our members such as the GHIN handicapping
services, golf course rating service, involvement in
junior golf and Alabama high schools, to name a few.
It has been a great experience
for me to serve as your president these past two years.
Thank you for your interest and involvement in golf.
What a great game!
Billy Wood, Alabama Golf Association President
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Want to Become an Amateur Again?
A golfer may relinquish his or her amateur status for a number of reasons. Often, a golfer who has done so decides that he or she would like to regain that amateur status again in order to participate in amateur events. While that change is certainly feasible, the golfer must follow the proper procedure.
"When a player gives up his amateur status and wants to regain it, he must make application to the USGA, who will determine if he is eligible to apply, which, in most cases, a golfer usually is," says Buford McCarty, executive director of the AGA.
In order to become reinstated as an amateur, a golfer must go through the following steps:
- Apply for reinstatement. Apply
to the USGA through the state golf association for
Reinstatement to Amateur status.
- Undergo probationary period. If
a player is determined to be eligible for reinstatement,
the USGA will determine the length of his or her probationary
period based on the violations the golfer reported.
(A list of possible violations of amateur status is
included in the back of the USGA's Rules of Golf booklet.)
The probationary period generally ranges from six
months to two or three years, and begins immediately
following the date of the golfer's last violation.
"So it could very well be that if a golfer has waited
to apply, the probationary period has already been
served," McCarty says.
- Enjoy limited participation. During
the probationary period, the golfer is limited to
participating in competitions in which both amateurs
and professionals will play, or events that include
only fellow club members with permission from the
club's Golf Committee. In both cases, the player must
waive rights to any prizes awarded prior to the beginning
of the competition. The player's official status during
this waiting period is A/R, or Amateur Awaiting Reinstatement.
For more information about amateur reinstatement, consult the Rules of Golf
booklet published by the USGA, or visit www.usga.org.
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The
Old Committeeman: The Club Championship: Early Planning
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The Old Committeeman, sitting at
the octagonal table in the XIX Hole, was finishing his
last bit of coffee when up walked Stan with a nice smile.
The O.C. said, “I have heard some news about your
being appointed chairman of the club championship committee
this year. The smile confirms it. Correct?”
“Yes,” said Stan as he sat down. “I
need to start talking to you about it and making some
plans.”
“You are an expert,” replied the O.C. “You
proved that, by the way you helped me when I was chairman.”
“You told me what to do and I did it,”
Stan said. “Now, I’ll be telling others
and I want to guide them in the right way.”
“I am glad to hear that,” retorted the
O.C. “We have too many club golfers who have no
more interest in the game than just trying to avoid
double bogeys. Thank goodness you are not one of them.
And now you are embarking on an interesting part of
the game. This is great. And as a start, let’s
touch on the main aspects of a club championship.
“To me, the club championship, in a good club,
is the most important golf event for the year,”
the O.C. continued. “Generally it is near the
end of the season, when all the active members are trying
to play their best before fall and the club championship
gives them the opportunity to show their best.
“As you know, the cherished award is to be the
club champion for the upcoming year,” the O.C.
went on. “In our club, we have approximately 400
golfers and only 15 to 25 have a chance to qualify for
the championship flight. For the rest, there should
be a series of flights grouping entrants with neighboring
handicaps or by age. A qualifying round on the Friday
before the tournament should arrange all this.
“Over the years, I have seen on occasion a chairman
walk into the pro shop the weekend before the championship
to ask for last year’s championship file. After
a quick review, he will say, ‘We’ll play
this year’s tournament as we did last year,’
and add, ‘Please be sure to change the dates.’
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“I am being a bit extreme and I know that you
will in no way be nonchalant about the preparation and
the conduction of your tournament,” added the
Old Committeeman. “I have been talking too much;
you have been thinking about the championship and no
doubt have been asking yourself what you need to do
to get organized.” On that note, Stan asked, “In a general way,
what are the important matters needing early attention?”
The O.C. replied, “The ones that come to mind
are: One, does the format need to be changed to attract
more members? Two, does the administration of the handicap
system at our club need bolstering to ensure that all
entrants are comfortable playing in a large and varied
field? Three, will the course be in good shape and not
present problems to set up for a fair test? And four,
does playing by the Rules and in a timely fashion present
difficulties to our members? The pace of play could
be helped by the use of the USGA Checkpoint Pace Policy.
We have time. I look forward to working with you on
all this. Let’s end on this note: Feel free to
discuss any of this with me at any time. I must end
now because my wife and I have an early engagement this
evening.”
“Thank you for all this,” Stan said. “I
look forward to your help. Let me collect my thoughts
and further questions and I’ll be in touch.”
Stan bid the O.C. goodbye and departed. The O.C., then,
asked James if he had any tickets needing his attention.
“No sir,” James replied. “You have
no unsigned tickets tonight.”
“Then I am off before I end up being late,”
said the O.C. “Thank you, James. Good night.”
“Good night, sir.”
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Scholarships
Available for Female Golfers
Young women across the state of Alabama who are interested
in golf can now transform that interest into college
tuition. At least two state organizations offer college
scholarships for young women with an interest in golf,
and both are seeking applicants for their 2007 scholarship
awards.
The Lady Legacy Scholarship Foundation, in cooperation
with the Ladies Birmingham Golf Association (LBGA),
provides scholarships to deserving young women who are
pursuing baccalaureate degrees at accredited colleges
and universities in Alabama. These scholarships are
available to any high school senior female golfer who
has an interest in golf and will be attending any college
in the state of Alabama. Recipients need not play for
the college golf team. The Foundation offers three scholarships
each year, and in 2007, will also offer an additional
scholarship award in honor of LBGA member Tillie Bailey.
Each scholarship award is $2,500, so scholarship recipients
who maintain the required grade point average throughout
four years of college can receive a $10,000 award over
four years. For more information or to apply for a 2007
scholarship award from the Lady Legacy Scholarship Foundation,
visit http://www.lbgagolflinks.com/ladylegacy.asp.
The Women’s Alabama Golf Association (WAGA) also
offers college scholarships to deserving female golfers
from Alabama through its Scholarship Foundation Trust.
The amount of the scholarship is currently $2,500 per
academic year. Each recipient must be a young woman
who is an Alabama resident and has an interest in the
game of golf; a graduate of an accredited secondary
school who has shown academic excellence, good citizenship,
and sportsmanship; and in need of financial assistance
to pursue an undergraduate education in a college or
university in Alabama. Renewal of the scholarship is
subject to annual review of performance, interest and
need. The WAGA’s Scholarship Foundation Trust
has awarded 11 scholarships since 1993. For more information
or to download a scholarship application, visit www.womensalabamagolf.com/scholarships.asp.
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Meet
Rusty Harder,
AGA Assistant Manager of Championships
and Course Ratings
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| Rusty
Harder just graduated from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington
last spring, but he’s practically an old pro when
it comes to managing championship golf. While a college
student majoring in business management, Rusty spent
two years working as a Championship Intern with the
USGA at both Shinnecock Hills and Pinehurst. After graduating
last May, he moved to Alabama and began work at the
AGA in June, where he serves as Assistant Manager of
Championships and Course Ratings.
Rusty works with Fred Stephens, AGA’s Manager
of Championships and Course Ratings, to ensure that
course ratings for all member clubs are up to date,
and to prepare for and set up for AGA-run championship
tournaments. He’s also available to answer members’
questions about the Rules of Golf.
In almost a year on the job, Rusty has found his work
at AGA to be a good fit. “I absolutely love getting
out on the golf course and setting up for championship
play,” he says. “I enjoy working with everyone
on the staff; they have made me feel welcome. Interacting
with the players is great and I look forward to seeing
them on the course. Also, I enjoy learning new things,
and in dealing with the game of golf, something different,
new and challenging can happen each day.”
When he’s not working, Rusty enjoys playing golf,
spending time with his girlfriend, traveling back to
North Carolina to visit family and friends, and watching
sports, especially the Carolina Tar Heels. “I
look forward to becoming a familiar face to amateur
golfers around the state of Alabama,” he says.
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