NEW RULES FOR THOSE WHO MOVE UP TO THE WHITE TEE BOX!
10-1-2019-By Doug Healy
For the second week in a row, Commissioner Emeritus Don Nichols dropped the mike and walked off with the low net bounty wearing a smile on his face and holding a tight grip on $20 in cash. (Editor’s Note: not second in a row, last week’s low net was won by Mike Schmal with a resounding net 5 under but was not reported in this publication because Acting Commissioner Healy failed to submit a write up of that match which will forevermore be known as the “lost to history” match.)
However, after turning in a winning score of net 33, Mr. Nichols endured a sleepless night after replaying hole after hole in his mind and finally realizing that he had turned in an incorrect scorecard missing a stroke. He immediately reported his error to this Acting Commissioner and corrected the record to a net 34. As luck would have it, David Danzig also turned in an incorrect card at net 35 which was subsequently corrected to net 34 because of someone’s math error applying the handicap. To complicate matters further, Danny Morris then reminded everyone that he too had shot net 34 but without, supposedly, any errors on his card. However, questions were then raised on the matter of how many strokes are to be forfeited when a player moves from the blue tees to the whites. In moving to the white tees, Mr. Morris deducted 2 strokes from his 18 hole handicap giving him a 16, or 8 for the nine hole match. In the past, ATAG’ers were required to drop three strokes from their 18 hole handicap to play the less taxing whites (and then apply accordingly to front or back). This would have caused Mr. Morris’s 18 handicap to adjust to a 15 and would have resulted in 7 shots for the back nine match making his net score 35.
However, Acting Commissioner Healy believes this rule is not documented in the ATAG Bylaws (mostly because they don’t exist) but instead appears to be founded in some formula that our Club Pros use in actual club tournaments to tap the brakes on would be sandbaggers or those of a certain age attempting to improve their chances by moving up.
The Acting Commissioner was left in an ethical conundrum; (i) DQ Nichols and Danzig for incorrect cards and award the prize to Morris in spite of failing to adhere to past white tee handicap setting precedent, (ii) follow ATAG tradition and require a delayed 3 way chip off or (iii) split the prize requiring Mr. Nichols to disgorge $6.66 to each of his fellow competitors. In an effort to set the record straight for all future generations and deliver justice that would leave everyone equally dissatisfied, the Acting Commissioner has made the following un-appealable determinations:
First, any player moving from the blue tees to the whites will forfeit strokes in accordance with the GHIN system. Using this new system, Mr. Morris’ 8 stroke handicap qualifies him in a 3 way tie for low net. (Note: As Mr. Morris has not as yet achieved the age of 70, this also opens the door for any ATAGer to move up to the white tees, thereby eliminating the age 70 precedent that followed the Ansley Golf Club tournament rules.)
Second, in the next ATAG match where all three players are present, the low net among the three will take the bounty. Third, until the replay occurs, Mr. Nichols will be deemed a trustee for the $20, meaning he cannot squander the money on beer or other necessities pending the outcome of the replay.
Back to golf. The winning team of Sellner, McGlynn, Thornhill and Danzig played steady golf starting off at -2 and working their way to -8 over the 9 hole back nine.. The losing team of Colbath, Kohn, Greene and Schmal started slow, but then throttled back after #13 to come in at +1 forcing them to the bar to buy drinks. One stroke separated each of the next three teams with the team of Thornton, Anderson, Jobson and Nichols team dropping to 4th place after the one stroke scorecard correction.
Other items of note, Substitute Commissioner Healy had the Shot of the Day on #11 with a chip in for par and Brooks Cowles had a bogey on #18. Why are we reading about the bogey you ask? After pitching up to 4 ft. and carrying a stroke, Mr. Cowles stubbed his putter on the next shot moving the ball about halfway to the hole. What made the effort epic however, were the first words out of his mouth as he walked off rubbing a sore wrist from the stubbed shot – “this won’t go in the newsletter will it?” Sadly it did.
Two birdies were recorded, one by Tom Houle on #1 and one by Tom Lewis on #17. Jeff Kohn apparently had a premature birdie as his scorecard had a circled 2 on #18 erased and replaced with a par 3. No explanation was given.
Low net has been previously discussed and the Pink Lady was presented to Scotty Greene with a net 44 who was overheard in the aftermath discussing the recent reduction in his handicap. Low gross went to newcomer Eric Anderson who shot a 41 in his second ATAG event but still seemed confused that he had not won anything for his effort.
And, for the record, a cameo appearance was made by ATAGer Tim Martin who joined in with the socializing.
Individual scores as follows: 10-2-19 Back Nine Gross/Net
Sellner 49/37
McGlynn 49/39
Thornhill 43/38
Danzig 45/34
Houle 44/35
Wymer 47/35
Morris 42/34
Buist 50/36
Williamson 50/41
Lewis 47/39
Healy 47/39
Cowles 46/36
Thornton 45/38
Anderson 41/37
Jobson 47/39
Nichols 45/34
Colbath 52/41
Kohn 47/40
Greene 50/44
Schmal 44/39
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