|
Vol. 1 Issue
2
| Letter
from the President It
has been a busy summer for the Alabama Golf Association
(AGA) with a full tournament calendar in addition to
our normal daily office routine.
Congratulations to the following for winning state championships:
Ben Moody, Tuscaloosa, State
Amateur Championship at NorthRiver Yacht Club in Tuscaloosa
Frank Johnson, Prattville,
State Senior Amateur at the Auburn University Club in
Auburn
Jacob Randall, Trussville,
State Junior Championship at Ol’ Colony in Tuscaloosa
Patton Kizzire, Tuscaloosa,
State Match Play Championship at Kiva Dunes in Gulf
Shores
All of these events went off beautifully as Buford McCarty and
his staff did their usual professional job of running
golf tournaments.
In addition to these major events, our association is also involved in running the prestigious Southern Amateur's 100th Anniversary Championship at The Country Club of Birmingham in July. Congratulations to Kyle Stanley of Gig Harbor, Washington for his victory there, which earned him an invitation from Arnold Palmer to play in Arnie’s Bay Hill invitational next March. Hit 'em straight!
Billy Wood, AGA President
|
Meet
Alabama's New Amateur Champion
Ben Moody didn't start playing golf until he was 12 years old, which he says is "kind of a late start" compared to his team members on the University of Alabama Golf Team. But after less than a decade on the links, the Tuscaloosa native already has some major accomplishments under his belt. Most recently, he became Alabama's State Amateur Champion at the tournament held at Tuscaloosa's Northriver Yacht Club on June 8-11.
"Winning the State Am was a great experience, especially doing it in my hometown in front of all my family and friends," Ben says. "I also had my dad on the bag, so it was special for both of us because he has been with me since I started playing golf."
While he doesn't necessarily have a favorite course, Ben says he plays a lot
of golf at Indian Hills and Tuscaloosa Country Club,
where his parents are members. "However, we were members
at Northriver for five years and I have won the club
championship out there before and have played the golf
course hundreds of times," he says. "And because I play
golf at Alabama, I also play Ol' Colony a lot."
| 
Ben Moody
Alabama Amateur Champion
For the rest of the summer, Ben will be playing in the Southern Amateur, the U.S. Amateur Qualifier, and the State Match Play. After taking last year off from college golf to catch up on school, he's ready for the season to begin again in September. Taking a year off "taught me how much I enjoy competition," Ben says. "Being put in the situations to win golf tournaments is a lot of fun. One of my main goals is for me to help the team improve because we have a chance to be one of the top teams in the country."
When he's not playing golf, Ben enjoys hanging out with his friends and watching "anything on TV that has to do with sports." A public relations major, he hopes to coach after finishing college. "I've put some thought into turning pro," he says. "But I would have to show some more consistency in college tournaments before I would consider it." |
|
| The
Old Committeeman: Handicap Represents Current Playing
Potential
The Old Committeeman, returning to the 19th Hole after posting his score, found the octagonal table empty. His fellow players thought, "The Old Committeeman will not have to hear once more an explanation of the handicap system, especially the potential ability aspect." But up walked Stanley and joined the Old Committeeman.
The Old Committeeman said, "Before we discuss handicapping, I must ask you, how did you play today? Well, I hope."
"I played like a dog," Stanley replied. "Up in the 80s. You know I am a mid- to high-70s player. That is my real game."
The Old Committeeman thought a second and said, "You have just given me two ideas by saying that. You confirm to me that your good game is your potential ability and you know it. The handicap system knows it too, by using your best ten scores of your last twenty scores to set your handicap.
"My other thought is that if we have the same handicap and on the first tee I report that currently I am playing very badly, as you did today, and for us to have a fair match, I would need two strokes aside from you," the Old Committeeman continued. "You would say that is nonsense and would no doubt add, 'We will play on level terms or no match.'"
"I am afraid," Stanley replied, "that I agree with you on these points, and accept that a player's potential ability determines his handicap. Many thanks for reviewing this again. And if I may, I bid you good night."
With Stanley's departure, the Old Committeeman asked James for his ticket. James reported that the Old Committeeman's friend had signed it.
"That's good," replied the Old Committeeman. "James, I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night, sir."
|
Understand
Your Handicap Index
Donna Stephens fields plenty of calls and questions
about the golfer's handicap index. As the AGA's manager
for the Golf Handicap Index Network (GHIN),
she spends a lot of time dealing with handicapping issues.
Donna says many golfers have inaccurate information
about their handicaps, and it's her job to help set
them straight. Here are a few of the misunderstandings
she often hears.
My handicap index is specific to the course I play most often.
"No, your handicap index is what the handicap formula calculates based on the rating of the course you're playing, among other criteria," Donna says. "Your handicap index travels with you to any course."
In fact, when you're playing a new course, you can easily convert your general handicap index to a course handicap specific to that course. Just ask the club for a handicap conversion chart. Or, if the club has the GHIN system available to golfers on a pro shop computer, log in and GHIN will automatically convert your handicap index to a course handicap, even down to the tees you're playing.
"If I have a 10.2 handicap index and I go to a course and I'm playing the blue tees, GHIN will convert my index to a course handicap for the blue tees," Donna says. "A lot of clubs have a course handicap conversion program available for members and guests."
It takes 10 scores to establish a handicap index.
Many golfers believe it takes 10 golf scores to get a handicap, but it actually takes only five.
When I enter a new score into GHIN.com, my handicap index will change immediately.
"Handicaps are only updated every four weeks," Donna says. "So when you go to a course and then update your scores at GHIN.com, your handicap may not be updated immediately." However, when the next handicap revisions take place, your new handicap index will reflect the change.
For more information about handicapping or GHIN, contact Donna at (205) 979-1234 or donna@bamagolf.com.
|
|
| Meet
Fred Stephens, AGA Manager of Championships and Course
Rating
While Fred Stephens has worked in
the Alabama Golf Association (AGA) office for almost
20 years, he's been a full-time AGA employee for only
the past six. After attending a USGA workshop on the
rules of golf in the late 1980s, Fred was appointed
as an associate director of the AGA. Within a couple
of years, he was serving as a director of the organization
and renting an extra office in the AGA suite for his
own business.
So when Fred joined the AGA staff
on a full-time basis in 2000 he was already a familiar
face. As Manager of Championships and Course Rating,
he works with both individual golfers and member clubs.
"In conducting our championships we provide our players
with a lot of information; we provide them with a player
badge, starting times, hole locations and local rules,"
he says. "We also leave the club that hosts the championship
a host plaque that all the players sign."
The AGA provides course rating services to all
member clubs, and Fred oversees this process. "We are
under contract with the USGA to market their Handicap
and Course Rating System in the state," Fred says. "In
order to provide a player with a USGA Handicap, the
golf courses must be rated. We have rating teams spread
across the state in order to provide this. It is my
job to see that they are trained and that they get the
course information and the proper forms so they can
rate the course. All this information is sent to the
USGA, where they maintain a national database on course
rating."
Fred is especially interested in the rules
of golf and he has officiated as a walking rules official
at numerous tournaments, including the past 17 U.S.
Opens. With a longtime handicap of seven or eight, Fred
rarely plays golf anymore. "I am on a lot of great golf
courses with no clubs in my hands, but I sincerely enjoy
it," he says.
On the rare weekends when he's not working,
Fred likes to sleep in or travel with his wife Sandra.
"This past year she was in around 14 different countries
and I was fortunate to be a part of some of that travel,"
he says.
|
|
|
|
