Dear SCGA Tournament Player:

I hope the New Year has been good to you and your family.  We at the South Carolina Golf Association have already gotten off to a fast start with our Tournament of Champions at the Tradition Club in Pawleys Island.  We had 128 players sign up to brave the elements and managed to get all 36 holes in.  The first eighteen holes might not have been the most comfortable of playing conditions, but we got through it.  You can see the results on our web page at the Tournament of Champions site

We wanted to start 2008 out with a quick note to you, a tournament player, to let you know of some of the things happening with the SCGA and tournament golf this year.

• SCGA Tournament Schedule – The 2008 tournament schedule is once again filled with top notch golf courses around the State.  Some of the highlights include: The Senior Championship which will be celebrating its 50^th Anniversary at Greenville CC’s Chanticleer course in May.  The Mid Amateur will be conducted at historic Camden Country Club in October and the SC State Amateur will be held at the difficult Musgrove Mill layout in August.  The entire SCGA tournament schedule can be found here: 2008 SCGA Schedule ; 2008 SCGA Forty Plus Schedule ; 2008 USGA Qualifying Schedule; 2008 SCGA One Day Schedule; 2008 SCGA Sr One Day Schedule
   
• 2008 Rules Changes – This is another year of Rules changes and there a couple of them that I want to make sure you are aware of.  Rule 12-2: You now are no longer free of penalty if you hit a wrong ball out of a hazard.  When in a hazard you are now allowed to identify your ball just as you would if you were in the fairway. Rule 24-1: If a ball is going to hit the flagstick while it’s lying on the ground, anyone can now move the flagstick without penalty.  Rule 19-2:  Now when your ball hits you, your equipment, caddie or partner it’s only a one shot penalty instead of two.
  
  For an online version of the Rules of Golf  - USGA’s Rules of Golf
   
• SCGA Cart Policy – Due to cart limitations at facilities and an increasing number of spectators at our events, the following policy was introduced at the 2007 State Amateur and will be put into place for all SCGA events:
  ”Carts will be restricted to the minimum amount needed per pairing.  In a situation where a player registered to ride and has a caddy, either the caddy or the player must walk and the other can ride.  Spectators are restricted from riding in “empty” seats in a cart.  Spectator carts will not be rented unless a valid SC Handicap issued ID is presented upon arrival.”
   
• Pace of Play – For the most part, our pace of play is pretty good for our events.  I need your help to keep that going.  Many Associations throughout the USA (including the USGA in their Amateur events) are going to a check point system that penalizes an entire group when they are out of position at a certain location.  I don’t want to have to get to that point.  Even though we may ask a group to speed up, we look at pace of play problems on an individual level.  For us to maintain a comfortable tournament pace we need to play READY GOLF!!  Grabbing a couple of clubs when you have to walk to your ball, getting yardage before it’s your turn to hit and reading your putt while someone else is putting are all examples of Ready Golf.  Please do your part to keep things moving.
   
• SCGA Phone Policy – This one has been in place for a couple of years now, but just to remind everyone:”The use of cellular phones and other electronic devices by competitors during SCGA competitions is strongly discouraged.  Repeated violations by a competitor shall result in disqualification for a serious breach of etiquette under 33-7.”

1st offense – Warning
2nd offense - Disqualification
 

• Tipping – I’ve been seeing it for awhile, but now I think we’ve been officially labeled as a bunch of CHEAPSKATES!  For any of you who come to one of the fine facilities we play and see the cart / bag guys working their tails off to give you a better experience, how about slide them a dollar or two.  Most of these outside guys depend on tips to make up the majority of their income and when SCGA players come in, the common theme is that we don’t tip at all or very well.  Just keep those folks in mind the next time you stop at the bag drop and find your clubs sitting nicely in the cart for you when you walk up.
   
• 40+ Finale – The 40+ Series continues to grow and gain popularity each year.  The 2008 season ending tournament will be conducted at the newly renovated Founders Club in Pawleys Island on December 14-15.  Just to clarify, priority for this team event is given to those where both players have participated in a 40+ tournament throughout 2008.
   
• Inaugural Lathrop Championship – The SCGA has once again added a new event to the schedule this year.  The Lathrop Championship will be a senior version of the popular Trescott Championship.  Three club members over the age 55 will compete for the Lathrop Cup to be proudly displayed at their club throughout the year.  As in the Trescott, there will also be a Pro-Am played simultaneously.  Due to a conflict with another event, there has been a date and site change since the original schedule was released – the Lathrop Championship will now be conducted at Camden Country Club on November 10, 2008.
   
• Palmetto Golfer Magazine - The Palmetto Golfer is a semi-annual magazine geared towards the golf industry and news and information about the South Carolina Golf Association, South Carolina Junior Golf Association, and the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation.  The next issue of the magazine is scheduled for April 2008 and will be sent to all individuals of our Member Clubs.  Make sure your club has sent us the most recent address list for your membership.  If your club hasn't given us their mailing address, you can sign up yourself by emailing Palmetto Golfer and you’ll soon have the latest issue sitting on your coffee table.

We are looking forward to another exciting year of SCGA tournament golf.  As usual, we’re always available for questions or comments so feel free to contact us at anytime.
 

See you on the course soon,

Biff Lathrop

Director of Competitions & Services
803-732-9311

blathrop@scgolf.org