Date: 5/22/2022

LMGC Tournament Corner from Dan

Hello Members,

·        ​The LMGC calendar for 2023 has been approved by the board and is available online.

·        There is a video tutorial available to talk you through mobile scoring.  A link to the video may be found on the 2023 calendar page.

I want to extend a big Tournament Director thanks to Willie Howard for his article in the March newsletter.  His description of steps to take to avoid slow play is well written.

Our stroke play tournaments at Lakewood involve a theme game and our side pots.  See the table below for further explanation.   As a reminder, in the stroke play tournaments we enjoy at Lakewood, all players are to hole out their putts.  Even if it is a team stroke play event, there are no given putts.  The requirement to hole out all putts supports our individual efforts for our side pots.

Note that the entry fee for July is $75 and because of the $5 donation to the LMGC Memorial Fund, the total August entry fee is $80. The board will let you know when there is a general fee increase sometime this Fall.

Swing smoothly,

Dan Wamba

LMGC Tournament Director

From LMGC Member Willie Howard for the April 2022 Newsletter:

Say No Way to Slow Play.

“What’s wrong with those guys, what’s taking them so long” – you know you’ve muttered these words or something to that effect. Waiting to take your shot and watching the group ahead just stand around on the green or in the middle of the fairway is infuriating to say the least. Five and half, six hour rounds just take all the joy out of what is supposed to be a fun afternoon with the gang turns in to a slow journey into golf’s abyss. We’ve all been there. Let’s look at some suggestions to avoid being “those guys”.

Be ready to play – whether it’s on the tee, fairway or green, have a sense of awareness and be ready to play. Without interfering with your playing partners take your practice swing, line up you putt so when it’s your turn, you’re set to play. As you walk or ride to your golf ball, start thinking about the distance of your next shot and what club you will use. Don’t wait for your partners to hit before deciding on a club. Instead, be at your ball, with club in hand and ready to go as soon as it’s your turn.

Course awareness – watch your playing partner’s shot so you can point it out if they lose sight of its landing area. I’m not saying you must babysit them, just be courteous and helpful. This can help avoid a lengthy search and save time.

Know where the next tee box is, we all should know THE WOOD by heart, and place your pushcart or cart in that direction. When you’re sharing a cart, drop off your playing partner with a couple of clubs and go to your ball. You’ll have plenty of time to laugh about that tree rattling hook shot at the 19th hole.

Pre-shot routine - Seriously, will the six or seven practice swing make your shot that much better? Save it for the range. Same goes for putting – line up your putt while your partner is putting. I don’t mean stand behind him (rude) if your ball is close to their line, but just be ready to putt. When you’re done putting, don’t mark the card or enter your score in the app on the green, head to the next tee and do it.

Keep up your pace - Those signs on the course and notices on score cards reminding you how long you should have taken to reach a certain point are there for a reason. We all agree golf is not a game that should be rushed, but five-hour, six-hour rounds are not great fun. If everyone does their best to keep up with the group in front – and Say No Way to Slow Play

The goal for golf is to enjoy the game and the journey that it takes us on. Be a person who is known as the “fast” golfer vs the “slow” golfer. This starts with not taking yourself too seriously, but still spending the time to get better and to hit quality shots when on the golf course. Remember don’t be one of “Those Guys”.

-Willie Howard

Proud Member of THE WOOD