Print - Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association

TheMetropolitan
CC of St. Albans #3
Lewis & Clark Course
Vol. 2 No. 1
udly Presented B
Pro
y
O’TOOLE ELECTED TO
SECOND TERM AS USGA
PRESIDENT
AREA DESIGNERS
PAGE 6
BILLY CASPER
PAGE 8
2015 USGA EVENTS
Exclusive Corporate Partner
NOTES FROM THE USGA
ANNUAL MEETING
ANNOUNCEMENT OF
WOMEN’S SENIOR OPEN
HIGHLIGHTS MEETING
PLAY 9 SERIES
A new series of
Amateur events.
PAGE 8
BECOME A VOLUNTEER
PAGE 14
25TH ANNIVERSARY
SEASON - A LOOK BACK
PAGE 16
UPCOMING EVENTS
While USGA President Tom
O’Toole Jr. was announcing the
addition of the U.S. Senior Women’s
Open to the Association’s 2018
championship calendar upstairs,
several new initiatives were being
spotlighted downstairs during the
final day of USGA Annual Meeting at
the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Among the highlights of the
“Serving the Game” exhibit was a
display featuring GPS flagstick
tracking technology the USGA
developed
with
Spectrum
Technologies. Aimed at reducing
pace-of-play issues, a flagstick is
equipped with a radio antenna,
processing and communications unit,
and a ferrule sensor that detects when
US OPEN QUALIFYING
May 14
Norwood Hills CC
Entry Deadline: April 29
US SENIOR OPEN
QUALIFYING
May 19
Persimmon Woods GC
Entry Deadline: May 6
US WOMEN’S OPEN
QUALIFYING
June 2
St. Clair CC
Entry Deadline: May 6
MAGA EVENTS
NORMANDIE AMATEUR
May 16-17
Normandie GC
Entry Deadline: May 8
OLD WARSON CUP
May 30-31
Old Warson CC
- InvitationalSee pages 8 &11
for full schedule
(Continued on page 4)
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association • 11777 Clayton Rd. • St. Louis, Missouri 63131
314.567.MAGA • Fax: 314.261.9250 • info@metga.org
The Metropolitan
January - February 2015
STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org
P.J. BOATWRIGHT INTERNS - 2015
TBD
boatwrightintern@metga.org
METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Amateur Championship
Match Play Championship
Open Championship
Women’s Amateur Championship
Junior Amateur Championship
Senior Amateur Championship
Metropolitan Cup Matches
Four-Ball Championship
Mid-America Junior Cup
USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS
US Open Qualifying (Local and Sectional)
US Senior Open Qualifying
US Amateur Qualifying
US Mid-Amateur Qualifying
US Women’s Mid-Amateur
US Junior Amateur Qualifying
US Amateur Public Links Qualifying
US Senior Amateur Qualifying
US Women’s Open Qualifying
US Amateur Four-Ball
US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Stanford S. Grossman – President Emeritus
Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. – Vice-President
Thomas O. Sobbe Jr. – Vice-President
M. Ray McCraine – Secretary
G. Scott Engelbrecht – Treasurer
G.F. (Rick) Meyer Jr. – At-Large Member
H. Mick Wellington – At-Large Member
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Scott Thomas, Chairman
Dustin Ashby
Tom Barry
Skip Berkmeyer
Jim Dunn
David Rhoads
Curt Rohe
CURT’S COMMENTS
Hello members and
welcome to our second season of
The Metropolitan! Looking
back on our inaugural season of
the newsletter, we could not have
been
happier
with
the
presentation and response we
received from you, our members.
Curt Rohe
We had an amazing open rate of Executive Director
75% for the year of our members
opening, and hopefully, reading The Metropolitan.
We have a very busy 2015 schedule ready to kickoff in
April, starting with the Gateway Cup Matches April 12-13.
After a one year hiatus, MAGA and the Gateway PGA are
excited to bring the two organizations together to conduct
these matches. Fourteen (14) of the top amateurs and PGA
professionals from the area will play at Bellerive CC. We last
played the matches in 2013, culminating in a 14-14 tie at the
CC of St. Albans. Dr. Andy Frost will serve as captain of the
MAGA amateurs on his home course. Four (4) seniors and
ten (10) regular players will make up each squad.
The Play 9 Series will commence April 25 at Ballwin GC.
The 9-hole member clubs are very excited to bring
competitive golf to their facilities in 2015. The premise
behind the Play 9 Series is to give the time constrained golfer
the opportunity to get out and compete and feature our 9hole clubs…Ballwin GC; Berry Hill GC; Ruth Park GC;
Highlands at Forest Park; Creve Coeur GC; Joachim GC
and Four Seasons CC.
While Mother Nature may not be cooperating, March 1
is the beginning of score posting season for our region.
Thank you for taking a moment of your time to read The
Metropolitan, we are anxious to get the 2015 season rolling
and providing this service to our members again this year.
As always, feel free to reach out to me at curt@metga.org.
Curt
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The Metropolitan
January - February 2015
Ever since this incident, I have been very diligent,
anytime I am observing a similar drop, in telling the
player ‘do not touch the ball until it has stopped moving’. Also, keep in mind, the Rules provide for you to
substitute a ball that you cannot recover after a drop
(so you don’t need to catch a ball that is bouncing on
a cart path!)
RULES OF GOLF CORNER
A couple of years ago, I encountered an unusual situation that could also serve as a teachable moment for
players who ever have to drop a ball in an unusual or
tricky spot, such as a cart path.
On the subject of dropping, let me make one last
quick point: I’ve observed a lot of players dropping
above shoulder-height, almost around their eyes, apparently in an effort to remove any doubt that they
are dropping from at least shoulder-height. Let me
tell you, a drop from your eye level is just as invalid as
a drop from waist-high. Rule 20-2 specifically states
that the ball must be at ‘shoulder height’ when
dropped, not below and not above. So don’t be surprised if the Rules Official asks you to re-drop when
you thought you were playing it safe by dropping well
above your shoulder.
I had a player hook his drive into a tall-grass area that
was marked as a lateral water hazard. Coincidentally,
there was a cart path that ran along the length of this
particular hazard, so the player measured his two club
lengths from his entry point into the hazard, and sure
enough, he had to drop on the cart path. He dropped
his ball properly, but instinctively caught the ball in
midair after one bounce off the cart path, probably
fearing that the ball would bounce away to some place
where he couldn’t retrieve it.
Two weeks before this incident, I was playing a casual
round of golf and found myself in the same situationhaving to drop on a cart path adjacent to a lateral water
hazard, and I did the same thing (caught the ball in
midair), which got me to wondering how one should
handle this situation. So of course, I researched this
situation and found Decision 20-2c/4 best addressed
this scenario. In summary, it stipulates that stopping a
dropped ball prematurely before it has had a chance to
roll to a position where a re-drop would be required
(rolls two club-lengths, rolls into a hazard, etc.) is essentially a violation of Rule 1-2 (taking action to influence the movement of a ball).
Good luck this summer!
Contributed by Mike Donat, MAGA Rules
Committee. The Rules of Golf Corner will feature a
member of our Rules Committee.
Rule 20: Lifting, Dropping and Placing; Playing from
Wrong Place
20-2. Dropping and Re-Dropping
Decision 20-2c/4 Caddie Stops Dropped Ball Before It
Comes to Rest; When Penalty Incurred
So to apply that to the situation I am describing, I
had to assess a 2-stroke penalty to the player and abide
by the solution prescribed in Decision 20-2c/4 (the
only Decision I could find on the subject): he had to
place the ball underneath the spot where he initially
stopped it’s movement, in this case on a sloping cart
path. We were able to eventually find, after a couple
of attempts at placing on the path, a patch of grass a
few feet behind our location where he could place the
ball and have it remain at rest.
3
NOTES FROM THE USGA ANNUAL MEETING
Continued from page 1
the flagstick is removed from the hole. When a group
replaces the flagstick after putting out, the cycle time is
recorded and logjams can be more efficiently rectified.
The USGA’s Rules department showcased its digital
resources, which make the Rules of Golf accessible
beyond the pages of a bound book. The resources
include USGA.org, mobile apps and the Rules of Golf
Experience. Set to debut this summer, the Rules of Golf
Experience will include quizzes, a learn-at-your-own
pace feature and simulations.
“This enables the course to monitor pace of play in a
new way, which is the key to a more efficient operation,”
said Hunki Yun, the USGA’s director of strategic
projects. “The hope is this will improve the coursecustomer golf experience everywhere.”
Play 9, an initiative focused on encouraging golfers to
play more nine-hole rounds,
Susan Wasser, assistant director of
embraced that idea in digital
USGA Museum operations, displayed
form. Computers were set up
The USGA announces the creselect pieces from the museum’s
allowing people to play a video
ation of the US Women’s Senior
“More Than A Game” exhibit, which
game version of the ninth hole
Open Championship.
focuses on the creation of Africanat Chambers Bay, site of the
The event will debut in 2018 as
American golf clubs during the Jim
2015 U.S. Open.
a 72-hole championship, the 14th
Crow era and their positive impact on
among the USGA’s National
communities across the country.
A resource management
competitions. The site, field size
and prize money details are still
Exhibit items included the original
station was also set up, detailing
being
worked
out.
Negro National Open Championship
the benefits of the USGA
While many in the golf industry
Trophy, the oldest trophy from the
Course Consulting Service.
wondered why it took so long for
United Golfers Association era, and
Some of the tools USGA
the
USGA to act since the formaartifacts from Clearview Golf Club,
agronomists use during site
tion of the US Senior Open in
the first golf course designed, owned
visits to help courses with
1980, it is nice to see the event
and operated by an African American.
maintenance-related issues were
being formed during the presiSome of Renee Powell’s mementos
on display.
dency of our own Tom O’Toole.
were included in the display. The
The real question will come
daughter of Bill Powell, who founded
This is the first time the
down to the age limit. While
Clearview, Renee received the Ike
USGA
has staged an exhibition
senior men compete at 50, tradiGrainger Award at the Service Awards
like this during the Annual
tionally the ladies stop competing
Dinner later in the evening. The Ike
Meeting,
and the early returns
much earlier. Should the age be
dropped to 45 or so, we should
Grainger Award recognizes those who
were overwhelmingly positive.
see
some
very
exciting
play
with
have served the USGA as a volunteer
the likes of Sorenstan, Neumann,
for 25 years or more.
“It showcases what we as an
Inkster, Pepper, Lopez and others
organization are passionate
polishing
their
games.
LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, which
about, which is great to see,”
offers girls ages 7-17 opportunities
said Greg Ross, the USGA
manager of branded and special
and exposure to the game, welcomed
members of the Big Apple chapter. The girls putted on events. “Having the girls from LPGA-USGA Girls Golf,
a makeshift green and gave away backpacks with a hat, for example, was especially cool. It’s always good when
we can interact with the golf community like this.”
ball marker and information packet enclosed.
...Joey Flyntz, USGA at jflyntz@usga.org
The Metropolitan
January - February 2015
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THE ST. LOUIS GOLF EXPO
For the 6th year, the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association is a sponsoring organization for the annual St.
Louis Golf Expo, held February 13-15, at the St. Charles Convention Center. Once again, the crowds surpassed
expectations as area golfers arrived to check out the latest equipment and specialty items for 2015. With deals
everywhere, many patrons left with clubs, bags, and many additional golf-related items. In addition, for 2015,
Metropolitan eNewsletter editor Jim Healey, took to the main stage on Saturday, February 14, for a presentation on area golf history.
The Metropolitan
January - February 2015
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January - February 2015
The Metropolitan
AREA COURSE DESIGNERS
HOMETOWN COURSE ARCHITECTS WHO HELP MAKE GOLF BETTER FOR ALL PLAYERS!
SO, WHO ARE THESE GUYS?
Gary Kern
Gary studied engineering at Texas A&M and Purdue, where he became a licensed surveyor in Indiana. In
the course of his survey work he had the opportunity to assist Bill Diddel as he was laying out a course in
the area. During this time he found course architecture fascinating. He continued to work with Diddel
during the actual construction, gaining knowledge and some practical insights.
Shortly after this he decided to moonlight as a designer and in 1969 landed his first design job. By the
mid-70s, Gary had enough work to practice full-time. In the 1980s he moved from Indianapolis to St.
Louis where he teamed with Hale Irwin. In 1986, he was joined by his son Ron in the practice and the two
of them have collaborated on many area projects.
Gary is credited with over 20 new constructions and over 30 where he has done remodeling projects. Some
of his best designs are Quail Creek, Fox Run, Bent Creek, Fourche Valley, Sun Valley, Eagle Lake, Fox Creek, Lake Forest, Union Hills
and Rolling Hills. His remodeling efforts include Cape Girardeau, Norwood Hills (East), Lake Valley, Meadowbrook, Westborough, Cherry
Hills, Sunset Hills and Cardinal Creek at Scott AFB. Though currently in semi-retirement, Gary’s works remain an example of solid,
playable courses built for the average golfer.
Stan Gentry
Working with Hale Irwin design for over a decade, Stan did early work on Irwin projects around the
country, including Colorado, Nevada and other states. In the area, he did the majority of work on the
2004 remodel of Forest Park golf course. This project was so successful that when it came time for the
redesign of Triple A, under the new ownership of Eagle Golf, Gentry was picked to lead the project.
Following the completion of the new layout, which now included a practice facility in the middle of the
grounds, the updated design reopened in 2010 as The Highlands GC.
Art Schaupeter
A protegee of Keith Foster, Art worked on Foster’s early projects at Persimmon Woods, Gateway National
and Meadowbrook. Forest Hills, which had looked to Art for design and consulting for years, continues
to do so. He then joined Jeff Whitfield, with whom he had worked with at Persimmon Woods, and
designed Old Hawthorne in Columbia, Missouri. Recently, Art completed a new 18-hole project in
Panama City, Panama and has been working with groups in China, completing one 18-hole project and
has a three others in various stages of development. He completed a municipal project in Elgin, Illinois
in 2011 - The Highlands of Elgin - which grew from an 8-hole course in 2003 (by Schaupeter & Foster),
then completed by Art for the 2011 opening of all 18-holes. It was voted the top Municipal course in
Illinois by Golfweek and the #7 Municipal in the country in 2013. He has additional projects underway
in Denver (Heron Lakes) and one in San Antonio, specifically designed for wounded military veterans
(The Valor Club). He has renovation projects at Bellefonte CC in Kentucky and Oak Hills in Jefferson City, MO.
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January - February 2015
The Metropolitan
AREA DESIGNERS
Roger Null
Having served as superintendent at Old Warson and Norwood Hills, Roger was very instrumental in
the late 1980s redesign of Norwood Hills. He later did work on several area public courses, notably
The Landings at Spirit GC, the Quarry at Crystal Springs and The Falls GC.
Between 2004 and 2014, Null did work for Westwood CC, Sunset CC, Westborough CC and the
courses at Bogey Club and Log Cabin Club.
As a player, Roger was considered one of the top superintendents in the country, winning their
championship on three occasions.
He left Norwood to assume the lead position at Boone Valley GC, where he remains, though in semiretirement.
KERN’S DESIGNS (PARTIAL)
GENTRY’S DESIGNS
Forest Park GC (27) *
GC at The Highlands (9)
Warrior GC (NC)
Links at Cottonwoods (MS) *
Jewel GC (MN) *
Red Hawk GC (NV) *
Grand Bear GC (MS) *
Teton Reserve GC (ID) *
Meadowlands GC (NC) *
Cordillera (CO) *
Fox Creek GC
Fox Run GC
Wolf Hollow GC
Quail Creek GC *
Sun Valley GC
Union Hills CC
The Legends (9)
Crescent Farms GG (Renovation)
Crown Point GC
Aberdeen GC
Bear Creek GC
Columbia Bridges GC
Eagle Knoll GC
Fourche Valley GC
Lake Forest G&CC (9)
Meramec Lakes GC (Renovation)
Westborough CC (Renovation)
* With Hale Irwin
SCHAUPETER’S DESIGNS (PARTIAL)
The Highlands of Elgin, IL
The Club at Old Hawthorne (MO)
Highland Meadows (CO)
Gateway National *
Persimmon Woods *
The Buckhorn (TX)
Highland Meadows (CO)
Haymaker (CO) *
The Republic (TX)
Coral Canyon (UT) *
Forest Hills CC (Renovation)
Bellefonte CC (Renovation)
Meadowbrook CC (Renovation)*
Westwood CC (Renovation)*
Kimbeland CC (Renovation)
* With Hale Irwin
NULL’S DESIGNS
Landings at Spirit GC
GC at Deer Chase GC
Westborough CC (Renovation)
Westwood CC (Renovation)
Sunset CC (Renovation)
Quarry at Crystal Springs GC
Norwood Hills CC (Renovation)
Westwood Hills (Renovation)
Bogey Club/Log Cabin (Renovation)
Old Warson CC (Bunkers)
* With Keith Foster
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BILLY CASPER
Born in San Diego in
FOR THE RECORD...
1931, he caddied at San
Diego CC, where he first
51 Tour wins...
caught the golf “bug.” He
1959 US Open Champion...
won his first PGA Tour
event in 1956, the LaBatt
1966 US Open Champion...
Open, defeating Jimmy
1970 Masters Champion...
Demaret. For 16 straight
years he won a Tour event,
PGA Tour Money Title 1966, 1970...
eclipsed only by Nicklaus
Vardon Trophy winner five times...
and Palmer, who each won 17. It was fate to play in the same era
at the “Big Three” of golf at that time: Arnold Palmer, Jack
Played on eight Ryder Cup Teams...
Nicklaus and Gary Player. However, that did not stop him from
Ryder Cup Captain in 1969...
not only challenging them, but often come out on top. His 51
Tour wins places him seventh on the all-time career win list,
training only Sam Snead, Tiger Woods, Nicklaus, Ben Hogan,
Palmer and Byron Nelson.
Perhaps it was his victory in 1966 at the Olympic Club, which brought him the honor that had eluded him.
With the field essentially conceding victory to Palmer as Arnie played the back nine, Casper came from seven
shots back to overtake Nicklaus, Tony Lema and pull even with Palmer before defeating him in the 18-hole
playoff.
Casper passed away at his home in Utah on February 8, 2015.
PLAY 9 SERIES
MAGA is excited to announce a new program for the
2015 season, the Play 9 Series!
Following the launch of the USGA Play 9 initiative in
2014 and on the heels of the growth and success of the
Amateur Series the last 5 years, MAGA will be providing
this new series of 9-hole, competitive amateur events
featuring our 9-hole clubs in the region. Ballwin GC,
Joachim GC, Berry Hill GC, Creve Coeur GC, Highlands
at Forest Park, Ruth Park GC and Four Seasons CC are all
excited to bring competitive golf to their facilities in 2015.
The Play 9 Series will mirror the Amateur Series in
structure. Six (6) 9-hole events beginning in April (one
each month) with a point system awarding performance
points to how you finish in the events. The points system
will be the base for invitation to the 9-hole championship in
October.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
DATE
VENUE
April 25
May 9
June 27
July 25
August 22
September 19
October 3
Ballwin GC
Joachim GC
Creve Coeur GC
Highlands at Forest Park
Berry Hill GC
Ruth Park GC
Four Seasons CC
Visit the MAGA website for Rules and Regulations.
The Metropolitan
January - February 2015
8
USGA’S PACE OF PLAY INITIATIVES
Progress continues to be made by golf’s governing
bodies on initiatives that are designed to reduce the
time required to play golf.
PRO TOURS STEPPING UP
The USGA continues to gather data on pace of
play, with technical director Matt Pringle overseeing
the study of thousands of rounds throughout the
country using GPS devices that track how golfers
make their way around the course. The data is
helping them to identify the causes of slow play and
propose measures for improvement.
ASGCA Past President Bruce Charlton and Lester
George, ASGCA spoke on behalf of architects to 100
attendees of a two-day symposium on Pace of Play at
the United States Golf Association headquarters in
Far Hills, New Jersey in November 2014. Charlton
and George illustrated how recent projects had
incorporated design elements to reduce lost balls and
give higher handicap players more options to play
recovery shots without slowing down play.
This work has already been put to good use, with
the LPGA Tour seeking advice to inform a new paceof-play policy for its tournaments. A combination of
increasing tee-time intervals to 11 minutes and giving
a single clear message to golfers that
they must keep up with the group in
front have contributed to a 14minute reduction in the average
round time over the course of the
2014 season. “We’ve had a lot of
great feedback,” said Heather DalyDonofrio, the LPGA’s chief Tour
operations officer. “The approval of
the players has been huge.”
At Poppy Hills GC in Pebble
Beach, California, Charlton and the
team at Robert Trent Jones II
recently completed a renovation
where pace of play was an important
part of the equation. Fairways were
widened, rough eliminated, mounds
removed, bunkers rebuilt and green
complexes redesigned, and the entire
course was sandcapped to provide
firm and fast playing conditions.
“Our mantra is now firm, fast and
fun,” says Charlton. “It gave us a lot
of ability to speed up play.”
The USGA has also developed a
practical solution for faster play at
clubs of any size: a simple flagstick
monitoring tool that can help clubs identify groups
with a longer than expected cycle time, enabling staff
to get them back on track instead of letting the delay
increase waiting time for following groups.
George highlighted a project at Independence GC
in Midlothian, Virginia, where rounds had been
averaging over five hours. Among the changes made,
his team reduced roughs, removed more than 500
trees, bushes and shrubs and rerouted cart paths. The
net result was a one-hour reduction in average round
time, increased revenues and reduced maintenance
costs, resulting in a $52,800 annual improvement to
the club’s bottom line. “The popularity of the course
is way up,” said George. “And we don’t get any
complaints from lower-handicap golfers. It’s still a
very challenging course.”
Reprinted from BY DESIGN Magazine
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January - February 2015
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January - February 2015
The Metropolitan
ST. LOUIS GOLF HISTORY
THE 1956 CARLING OPEN
The Carling Brewing company was a significant
Canadian Brewer, which sponsored events on the PGA
Tour. Carling events were held at courses in the US,
Canada and England, the latter as part of the Carling
World Open. Beginning in 1956, they continued
through 1967, before ending. Winners included a
Who’s Who of golfers at the time; Cary Middlecoff,
Julius Boros, Gay Brewer, Tony Lema, Bruce Devlin,
Doug Ford, Bobby Nichols and Bill Casper. However,
only one player captured two of these events: Dow
Finsterwald. His first victory came in 1956 at Sunset
Country Club, followed by his victory in 1959 at Seneca
GC in Cleveland.
At the 1956 Carling Open, Sunset had its original
routing, with the current 9th hole serving as the closing
18th. The field of 90 were competing for the $5,000
first place check. However, in that era, only the top 35
professionals would receive a check, with $76.66 going
to the final six spots!
In the field were Gene Littler, Jay Hebert, Doug Ford,
Arnold Palmer, Jack Fleck, Bob Toski, Ed Furgol, Billy
Maxwell, Bob Toski, Bob Rosburg, Dutch Harrison,
Frank Stranahan and Billy Casper. Several amateurs
joined the professionals, including Bob Goalby, Jim Tom
Blair, Jimmy Jackson, Bob Cochran, Joe Switzer, Dick
Lotz, Frank Furlong and Tom Hullverson.
Finsterwald opened with a 65 over the par 72, 6,277
yard course. Only Jackie Burke, with a 67, was within
two shots of the leader. Finsterwald’s 71 in the second
round brought the field closer, but a pair of 69s over
the final two rounds closed the door as he took a three
shot victory.
Maxwell, Burke and Casper each tied for second at
277, taking home checks for $2,160.
Two years later, Finsterwald went on to win the 1958
PGA Championship and played on four Ryder Cup
Teams. He finished in the money in 72 consecutive PGA
events, second only to Byron Nelson’s record 113 at the
time. Later, he become the long-time head professional
at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. A close friend
of Palmer, he lives in the Orlando area in the winter. His
son, Dow Jr. is the head profesional at Colonial CC in
Fort Worth.
Dow Finsterwald
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The Metropolitan
2015 COMPETITION SCHEDULE
MAGA COMPETITIONS
CHAMPIONSHIP
ENTRY
DEADLINE
DATE(S)
VENUE
Normandie Amateur
May 16-17
May 8
Old Warson Cup
May 30-31
Invitational
East Side Amateur
June 13-14
June 5
Spencer T. Olin GC
Women's Amateur Championship
June 15-16
June 3
Fox Run Golf Club
Open Championship
July 10-12
June 24
Junior Amateur Championship
July 20-21
July 1
July 30 - August 1
June 24
Boone Valley Golf Club
Senior Amateur Championship
August 13-14
July 22
Whitmoor Country Club (South)
MAGA Four-Ball Championship
September 24
September 9
Amateur Championship
Normandie Golf Club
Old Warson Country Club
Country Club of St. Albans
The Bogey Club
The Legends CC
USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS
CHAMPIONSHIP
ENTRY
DEADLINE
DATE(S)
VENUE
US Open Local Qualifying
May 14
April 29
US Senior Open Qualifying
May 19
May 6
Persimmon Woods GC
June 2
May 6
St. Clair CC
US Junior Amateur Q (36-holes)
June 22
June 3
Lake Forest G&CC
US Girls’ Junior Amateur Qualifying
June 24
June 3
Bogey Hills CC
US Amateur Qualifying (36-holes)
July 20-21
June 24
US Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying
August 27
August 12
Bellerive CC
US Senior Amateur Qualifying
September 2
August 12
Sunset CC
US Mid-Amateur Qualifying
September 8
August 19
Aberdeen GC
September 28
August 5
Quincy CC.
US Women’s Open Q (36-holes)
US Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying
Norwood Hills CC
Meadowbrook CC
2015 MAGA AMATEUR SERIES SCHEDULE
NAME
Event #1
Event #2
Event #3
Event #4
Event #5
Event #6
Championship
DATE
April 20
May 4
June 12
July 17
August 6
September 15
October 10-11
VENUE
WingHaven CC
Sunset Hills CC
The Falls GC
Annbriar GC
Glen Echo
Tapawingo National GC
Aberdeen GC
Online applications for ALL MAGA events begin on March 2, 2015.
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January - February 2015
The Metropolitan
MARCH 2015
2 MON
1 SUN
3 TUE
4 WED
5 THUR
6 FRI
7 SAT
12
13
14
18
19
20
21
25
26
27
APRIL 1
2
3
1
2
3
4
Online
Registration for
ALL MAGA
Events
8
9
15
16
22
29
23
30
10
11
17
24
31
28
4
MAGA Events in RED | USGA Events in BLUE
APRIL 2015
5
EASTER
6
7
8
9
MASTERS
10
MASTERS
11
MASTERS
12
MASTERS
13
14
15
16
17
18
21
22
23
24
Gateway Cup
Matches
19
Gateway Cup
Matches
20
WingHaven CC
Amateur Series
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Play 9 Series
Ballwin GC
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US Open Entry
Deadline
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MAY 1
2
January - February 2015
The Metropolitan
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Resources
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Volunteers are the lifeblood of State and
Regional Golf Associations all around the
country. That statement could not be
more true than right here in St. Louis
with MAGA.
MAGA volunteers assist with the conduct of MAGA Championships, USGA
Qualifying Rounds and USGA Course & Slope Rating service provided to our member
clubs. Do you have any interest in getting involved with the game in our region?
Visit the Volunteer page of our website by clicking on the image at the left.
Volunteer
A tremendous part of the success of the MAGA Championship Program is our team of volunteers, officially
designated as MAGA Rules Committee Members. The MAGA is proud to have a large collection of volunteers
who assist with our MAGA Championships, USGA Qualifying Rounds and Amateur Series. While our
Committee Members come from very diverse backgrounds, they all share one common trait: their love of the
game!
Rules Committee
Committee Members serve a variety of functions at our Championships such as Rules Officials, Starters,
Scoring Officials, Forecaddies and many other important roles at each event.
Scoring Committee
Scoring Committee Members serve a variety of functions at our Championships such as collecting scores on
course for Live Scoring to the setup and posting of scores on our scoreboards and more.
Course Rating Committee
Course Raters have the responsibility of ensuring the accuracy of course measurements as part of the USGA
Course Rating System. Click here if you’re interested in joining the Course Rating Committee. Course Ratings
are an essential part of the Handicap System and accurate measurements are a vital part of Course Ratings. The
MAGA has the responsibility of implementing the USGA Course Rating System throughout the St. Louis
Metropolitan region.
Become a MAGA Volunteer today! Here’s how to do it:
Complete the MAGA Volunteer Information Form. Once you have completed the Committee Information
Form please return the completed form to the MAGA.
Observe at a Tournament: Once we receive your Volunteer Information Form, we will help you schedule a
day to attend an event and shadow one of our current Committee members. .
Join the MAGA as a Volunteer: Once you have completed the above steps, you will receive additional
volunteer and training information including your Rules Committee Shirt and Name Badge.
The Metropolitan
January - February 2015
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TheMetropolitan
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association • 11777 Clayton Rd. • St. Louis, Missouri 63131
314.567.MAGA • Fax: 314.261.9250 • info@metga.org
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
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MAGA website: www.metga.org
GHIN website: www.ghin.org
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The Metropolitan
January - February 2015
WHAT A RUN...25 YEARS OF CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF
When the Metropolitan hosted its first championship in 1991, few would have believed that it would have grown
from a lonely men’s event to the 10 current championships, including a pro Open Tournament!
But those early founders saw something within the St. Louis golfing community that provided them with the
confidence to venture into championship golf.
Perhaps it was the who’s who of St. Louis golf that is among the early champions that provided the impetus to
continue; or maybe it was just that the area needed such an event. However, within just a few years, a women’s
event was added, and once again, the names on that trophy need little introduction.
However, a quick look back at some of these early titleholders is appropriate as many of the current generation
know of them only by name, never having the opportunity to see the beauty of their swings and the talents they
possessed in that era.
1991 & 1993- Don Bliss
Having already won four Missouri Amateur titles, Bliss’ talent, smooth, rhythmic swing
and mild manner were legendary. Part of the Norwood Hills crowd - it was said it was
tougher to win the Norwood club championship than the state title - having Bliss as the
MAGA’s first and third champion surely helped cement the event as the one players needed
to win to have on their resume. Bliss posted a 218 total over the CC at the Legends - which
was barely three years old at the time - to edge Terry Tessary. His second win came at Lake
Forest as he set a new standard with his 213 total.
1996 Tom Barry
When it was announced that the 1996 MAGA Amateur would be held at Bellerive, the
golfing community knew that the MAGA had arrived. They also knew that the champion
that year would be long-remembered. They were not wrong The legendary Normandie
golfer was always considered as one of the area’s top players. He had claimed back-to-back
titles at Normandie in the late 1980s, and had qualified for several USGA championships.
However, on the stage at Bellerive, his 213 total was good enough for the win. Toz would
go on to claim additional titles and compete in more USGA events, but the 1996 MAGA
title was certainly one of his finest.
1997 & 1998 - David Estes
One of the most tenacious players in the 1990s, David was someone to be concerned with
if he edged up the leaderboard as an event drew to a close. With his wife Sandy, they cut
their teeth winning countless couples tournaments across the area, beating players from
clubs across the state. When they joined Norwood Hills, David fell right into place with
the legions of players who would go on to be counted among the area’s best. He finished
second with Bliss at the 1994 Metropolitan Amateur with Jim Holtgrieve winning in a
playoff. Estes finished second once more in 1996 to Tom Barry at Bellerive. He then
jumped to the top of the field in 1997 and in 1998, out-playing the 1995 champion, Craig
Schnurbusch in 1997 at Fox Run and getting a bit of revenge from Jim Holtgrieve at Old
Warson in 1998. He would finish tied for second in 1999, behind fellow Norwood member Brian Kennedy at
Norwood. While the 1999 event was the last he would find himself among the top two on the leaderboard in the
Metropolitan Amateur, he would continue to compete well in other events, winning the Old Warson Cup (then
Metro Cup) in 2003 after finished second in 2002 to Skip Berkmeyer.
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