Play Ready Golf

Scott R Chilcutt, Edmond, OK (March 11, 2013) During a recent event on the Dallas tour, we had four groups (16 players) penalized for violating the Golf Channel Am Tour pace of play policy.  Penalties may clearly change the outcome of the event, take you or members of your group out of a skin and cost points and awards.

Tour Players that have competed in a Dallas, Hill Country or Oklahoma tour event that I’ve directed may have noticed “Play Ready Golf” printed rather large on the bottom of the “Notice to Contestants”.

The rules of golf define the proper Order of Play with USGA Rule 10-2 during stroke play.  That rule however, offers no penalties unless playing out of turn creates an advantage.   On the tee, honors; everywhere else, the player within a group who is away (farthest from the hole) hits first.  

“Ready golf allows the golfers within a group to take their shots when each member of the group is ready to play. If you reach your ball and are ready to hit, while other members of your group are not yet prepared, then go ahead and hit - even if you are not away.

Here are just a few tips to help speed up play to make your day more enjoyable and keep you off the clock.  Be sure to understand that none of the tips have anything to do with rushing your play, but rather help keep you out of a “rush” situation when you get behind. 

TEE BOX

• On the tee, pay attention to your partners' drives. If they lose sight of their ball, you can help direct them to it and avoid any searching.

• If you are unsure about the club you’ll play off the tee, bring three, one on each side of your expected play so you’ll have other options readily available.

• Carry an extra golf ball, tees and ball markers in your pocket so you never have to return to your golf bag to find one when needed.

• If you are unsure whether your ball has come to rest out of bounds, or may be lost outside of a hazard, notify your playing partners that you intend to hit a provisional ball and tee it up again so that you won't have to return to the spot to replay the shot.

FAIRWAY

• When two players are riding in a cart, drive the cart to the first ball and drop off the first player with his choice of clubs. The second player should proceed in the cart to his ball. After the first player hits his stroke, he should begin walking toward the cart as the second golfer is playing.

• All players should GO TO THEIR BALLS as soon as possible. The only time players should wait for other players is if the first player's ball is in front of the other players' in such a way that the other players could be hit by the first player's shot.

• Help other players locate lost balls, but do it AFTER playing your shot not before. 

GREEN

• Never park the cart in front of the green. Park it only to the side or behind the green. And don't mark your scorecard while sitting in the cart next to the green (do it at the next tee). These practices open up the green for the group behind.

• When chipping around the green, carry both the club you'll be chipping with plus your putter so you don't have to return to the bag.

• Begin reading the green and lining up putts as soon as you reach the green. Don't wait until it's your turn to putt to start the process of reading the green. Do it as soon as you reach the green so that when it's your turn you can step right up and putt.

• Finish out short putts if you won’t be in another players line or through line.  Notify the group that “I’ll finish” and make your putts consecutively.

Navigating around the golf course in an efficient manner will help speed the game, won’t cause you any rushing problems when Marshall's put you on the clock and will help keep you out of penalty situations.

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Tour Director
Dallas / Fort Worth Tour - Hill Country Tour - Oklahoma Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.302.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com

 

 

Classic @ The Creek, Dry but Windy!

Scott R Chilcutt, Carrollton, TX (March 9, 2012)   Indian Creek Golf Club a premier 36 hole daily fee facility in Carrollton was the returning host of the second event of the calendar year on the Dallas Tour.  60% - 80% rain chances for the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex didn't stop 124 tour players from the second consecutive sellout on the Dallas tour.  Cloudy and misty at times, along with some very windy conditions didn't stop some very favorable scoring.

The Tournament Champion Trophy, returned back on the tour after a short sponsorship hiatus,  with the help of Carlisle's Engraving of Lewisville, TX.  Burnie Rodgers overtook Denine Taylor by a stroke on the back nine of the scorecard playoff to take home the prize.

"BIG WINNER":  Oklahoma Tour member, Sammie Martin of Elgin, OK made the trip to the event in spite of a better half that was closely approaching her due date.  Contacted on the fifth hole, Martin had to race off to be with his wife for the delivery of a healthy, 7 lb 2 oz baby boy.  Congratulations to the Martins. 



RESULTS:

Championship Flight:   Midland, TX member Terry Rice matched his career low AM Tour round of three under par from his 2009 DFW Masters at The Tribute win to defend the 2012 Classic @ The Creek Championship.  Rice, with five birdies on the day, picked up his ninth win on tour, six strokes ahead of second place finisher John Bohling from Lewisville, TX.  Bohling went out in +1 on three birdies to finish two strokes ahead of a trio in the third spot.  Edmond, OK traveler Al Swanson, Dheeraj Jangalwa of Dallas, TX, and absent from the tour since 2011, Nick Quast from Grapevine, TX returned to share the third place honors.

Palmer Flight:  Chris Wadle from Coupland, TX grabbed his second win on tour by two strokes over Dallas, TX member Ivan Zweig.  Wadle bounced back from a double on the par 4 - 4th with five straight pars to go out in +3.  Zweig followed a tough opening hole with two birdies on the day,  to edge out Gregory Haddon from Rowlett, TX by a stroke after Haddon birdied his first and last holes on the day.

Senior Palmer Flight:   In his second event on tour, Jeff Feyerherm from Whitney, TX went +2 on the back nine to command a three stroke win over Lewisville, TX resident Mark Taylor.  Taylor's birdie on the par 3 - 4th was just enough to edge out three players in the third spot.  Rockwall, TX player Rick Davis, Fort Worth, TX standout Sean Fenton and Oklahoma Tour member Dave Kirby from Edmond, OK split the third place finish.

Hogan Flight:  Gabriel Brisco from Mesquite, TX cruised to his first win since being promoted to the Hogan Flight in July, 2012 and third on tour.  Brisco went out in +3, added a birdie on the par 5 - 11th and came back to the club house in +2 to hold a four stroke advantage over a pair knotted up in the second place spot.  Hill Country Tour member, Wes Reed from Corpus Christi, TX and Frisco, TX player Chad Maynard matched 81's to split the second and third place points.

Senior Hogan Flight:  Windy conditions didn't bother the West Texas native, Jim Sumner of Odessa.  Sumner a first time winner at the prestigious 2012 TPC Sawgrass Open Major,  played the back nine one over par to pick up his second win on tour by three strokes.  All alone in the second spot, Sanger, TX player Steve Killion carded three birdies on the day, including one at the par 4 - 17th to cancel out a Giant Skin in route to a two stroke cushion over two players in the show position. Randy Sellers of Lewisville, TX and Arlington's Jordan Minyard finished T-3.

Sarazen Flight:  Richard Marr from The Colony, TX last taste of victory came during his impressive 6 of 7 win year in 2010.  After a triple of the par 4 -2nd Marr played out the final sixteen holes in +6 to finish two strokes in front of Bedford, TX resident George Peddy.  Melvin Wilson III of Dallas, TX birdied two of his last three, including a Giant Skin on the 16th  to get within one of Peddy and round out the top three.

Senior Sarazen Flight:  The "always driver off the tee, unless it's a par three", Burnie Rodgers of Haslet, TX had a +7 round going to the 18th when he decided to tee up a three wood.  The caution may have contributed to a double bogey that would open the playoff door for Grand Prairie, TX member Ken Benjamin with a par on his final hole.  Three extra holes later, Benjamin would hold his fourth trophy on tour and first since the 2011 Championship @ TPC Craig Ranch .  The +9 finish was Rodgers best score on tour and best finish since his self promotion to the Senior Sarazen Flight. John Cox  from Mansfield, TX finished three strokes back to take the third place honors on two birdies.

Jones Flight:  Vaughn Jackson of Euless, TX marched into victory lane for the first time in three years on tour.  Jackson, with his first round in the 80's finished three strokes ahead of Parker, TX member Dion Casto alone in second place with his best finish since a move to the Jones Flight.  New member Robert Glittenberg of Rowlett, TX followed up his T3 during his first event on tour to hold off Trecia Wood by a stroke.

Senior Jones Flight:  Recently relocated back to the Lone Star state from the West Coast, Ray Blackshear, now residing in Hideaway, TX recorded his tenth win on the Am Tour.  Blackshear maintained a seven stroke advantage over Dallas, TX member Lloyd C Reid Jr.  Reid kept his own seven stroke lead over the pair of Mike Logsdon from Wylie, TX and Euless, TX member Tom Stockton rounding out the top three.

Snead Flight:  First year member Tom Reynolds of Belton, TX had the flight covered by three strokes on the front nine, but ran into a trouble hole on the par 5 - 11th.  Reynolds bounced back with a par on the 12th, but could only hold on to a share of the top spot when another new comer Christopher Johnson of Duncanville, TX went +1 over his last two holes.  After the two hole sudden death playoff, Johnson picked up his second win in as many attempts.   Normally relegated to the runner up spot, Saginaw, TX member Mike Adcock finished one stroke back for the third place finish.

Senior Snead Flight:  Doyle Fleming from Haslet, TX knotched his third win of the points year and sixth on tour with a seven stroke advantage. North Richland Hills, TX resident Luis Dayer had a two stroke lead heading to the back, but couldn't keep the momentum, falling into the runner up position for his best finish on tour two strokes ahead of Billy Hendrix of Flower Mound, TX.                          



SKINS:

Giant Skins:  1 -- Terry Rice, Midland, TX; Melvin Wilson III, Dallas, TX.

Championship:  2 -- Dheeraj Jangalwa, Dallas, TX; Terry Rice, Midland, TX.  1 -- Al Swanson, Edmond, OK; John Bohling, Highland Village, TX; Jeremy Frenzel, Fort Worth, TX; Adrian DelaGarza, Coppell, TX.

Palmer / Senior Palmer: 2 -- Rick Davis, Rockwall, TX. 1 -- Ivan Zweig, Dallas, TX; Jeff Bolton, Midlothian, TX; David Canu, Allen, TX; Gregory Haddon, Rowlett, TX; Kem Albritton, Garland, TX; Sean Fenton, Fort Worth, TX; Danny Nicholls, Mansfield, TX; Jeff Feyerherm, Whitney, TX.

Hogan / Senior Hogan:  3 -- Steve Killion, Sanger, TX. 1 -- Jordan Minyard, Arlington, TX; Scott Harper, Ranger, TX; Scott Leavelle, Colleyville, TX; Nancy Geihl, Grand Prairie, TX.

Sarazen / Senior Sarazen:  2 -- George Peddy, Bedford, TX; Melvin Wilson III, Dallas, TX. 1 -- John Cox, Mansfield, TX; Scott Lane, Plano, TX; Dave Ducray, Plano, TX; Chris Gassaway, North Richland Hills,TX.

Jones / Senior Jones:  2 -- Ray Blackshear, Hideaway, TX; Trecia Wood, Frisco, TX. 1 -- Gary Chrisman, Yukon, OK; Vaughn Jackson, Euless, TX; Dion Casto, Parker, TX.

Snead / Senior Snead:  1 -- Tom Reynolds, Belton, TX; Leo Washington, Watauga, Tx; Thomas Rauch, Arlington, TX; Christopher Johnson, Duncanville.

Next Up:  The Dallas Tour resumes action at the Frisco Lakes Challenge on March 30th at The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes, registration closes Friday, March 22nd.  Registration closes for March 24th Round Rock Open on Friday, March 15th.  The Oklahoma Tour kicks off the year at the March 16th Kickingbird Challenge.  

For More Information:

Scott R Chilcutt

Tour Director

Dallas / Fort Worth Tour - Hill Country Tour - Oklahoma Tour

GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467 - 972.302.9478
schilcutt@gcamtour.com