The 2011 SNGA Tournament Series is underway with the completion of the first event of the year, the SNGA Sunrise Vista Veterans Charity Classic, which benefits the Mili-tary Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) Local Chapter #730. Sunrise Vista Golf Club generously discounted the cost of green fees so that a portion of each entry fee for this event could be given to the MOPH. This charitable deed by the course added up to $580 being contributed to the total monies raised. There was also a raffle held by the MOPH with equipment from Cleveland Golf as the prizes (see further for the winners). In total, the MOPH received $1855 from this SNGA event.

Story continued on page 6

2011 Issue Mar.

In This Issue >>>

The Official Newsletter of the Southern Nevada Golf Association

1. Veterans Charity Classic 2. WSNGA 3. Misunderstood Rules 4. MetLife Auto and Home® 5. Veterans Classic (Cont.) 6. First Tee of Southern Nevada 7. Community News 8. PJ’s Super Section 9. What’s on Tap

The Grind

Page 1

SNGA Home Course Specials for Palm Valley Golf Club and Highland Falls Golf Club

SNGA members receive special rates on tee times with reservations up to 7 days

in advance with no restrictions

SPECIAL RATES:

$50 Anytime $36 after 11:30

Visit www.golfsummerlin.com for more information

Call 702-254-7010 for your tee time

Highland Falls Golf Club Hole #5

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Have you ever watched the Solheim or Ryder Cup matches and thought, “What would it be like to play golf as part of a TEAM?” Do you prefer to play golf with a partner? Well, THE SILVER CUP MATCHES are exactly what you have been looking for! These matches are played between a team from Southern Nevada and a team from Northern Nevada. Teams are selected every year to repre-sent their respective organization. The WSNGA will be selecting their team this year through a 2-

day qualifying event June 14-15, (also the Southern Nevada Amateur Championship). So, as you all are participating in the numerous member-guest and invitational tournaments this spring, think of

how much fun it would be to play with a partner AND be part of a team! The Southern Nevada team was victorious in 2010 and we are looking for a repeat performance! Give this some serious

thought….if you want more information regarding the actual matches, please go to www.nevadawomensgolf.org and click on “Silver Cup Standing Rules.” Entry to the Southern Ne-

vada qualifying event will be available mid-April on the WSNGA website, www.wsnga.org.

The Southern Nevada Senior Amateur Championship is coming up quickly. This year’s event will be played at the Las Vegas CC, May9-10. Women who have reached their 50th birthday on or before

the starting date can participate. Entries are now available on the WSNGA website.

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Misunderstood Rules By Mike Charrie

How many times have you been playing a round of golf and you hit a big drive off the tee, only to find it has come to rest directly on the cart path? This situa-tion often occurs on the golf course, and it is impor-tant to know the proper way to proceed when your ball finds it’s way onto a paved path. The most important point to consider is: Has the path or road been declared an ‘immovable obstruc-tion’? Most paved roads, gravel paths, etc. will fall under the category of immovable obstructions, enti-tling the player to free relief. However, there are unique situations like Hole #17 at The Old Course at St. Andrews, deemed the “Road Hole,” where the road is declared an integral part of the course and no free relief may be taken. Secondly, you always have the option to play the ball as it lies when resting on a cart path or road, but if you wish to take relief from the immovable obstruction, under RULE 24-2, you must determine the nearest point of relief. This is where many players make mistakes: your nearest point of relief is the point on the golf course where the immovable obstruction you are taking relief from no longer inter-feres with your stance, lie, or area of intended swing. Often times players will only take relief for lie of the ball, they drop and play their next shot while still standing on the cart path. The penalty for this common breach of Rule 24-2 is 2 strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. Lastly, once the nearest point of full relief has been determined, you must drop the ball properly. The ball must be dropped within one club length of the nearest point of relief and must not be closer to the hole than the nearest point of relief. The ball must also be dropped on a part of the golf course that is neither in a hazard nor on a putting green (assuming the ball lies through the green.) Finally, if the ball comes to rest nearer to the hole than the nearest point of relief after dropping, the ball must be re-dropped. Or if the ball rolls more than 2 club lengths after dropping, it must be re-dropped. If either of these conditions occur on the 2nd drop, the ball is placed at the point it first struck the golf course on the 2nd drop. Now your ball is in play, and you have taken proper relief from the cart path.

Taking Proper Relief from a Cart Path

Have a rules Question? Contact the SNGA!

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2011 Sunrise Vista Veterans Charity Classic Continued from page 1

This event was also the first test event for the newly formed Open Division and also had the recurring Senior and Super Senior Divisions as well. The winners from the Senior and Super Senior Divisions were: Lance Baral(141) - Senior Scratch, Bill Montgomery(143) - Senior Net, Kyle Davis(153) - Super Senior Scratch and Jim Cail(142) - Super Senior Net. Baral fired a very impressive opening round of 67(-5) to jump out to a 5 stroke lead over John Turk and the rest of the field and hold on to that lead on day two. In the Open division there were four flights. The winners of those flights were: Zane Thomas(152) - Flight 1, Charles Roy(162) - Flight 2, Barry Isaacs(165) - Flight 3 and Mark Easton(176) - Flight 4. The event started off with less than pleasant weather conditions, but the players fought through the elements. We’d like to say the elements did not play a factor in the event, but with only one gross round under par and two net rounds under par the first day speaks for itself. The second day felt like the event was moved to a completely different hemisphere. With the temperatures soaring to nearly twenty degrees warmer and not a cloud in the sky, things were looking up. The course still did its part and didn’t allow any gross rounds under par and just a handful of net rounds under par on the second day. Overall the tournament was a success and the MOPH received considerable donations from the SNGA and the raffles held on their behalf. The winners of these raffles for the Cleveland equipment were Trik Caspary, Burke Cahill and Bill Spencer. The winners received the following Cleveland equipment: Trik-a wedge, balls, a towel and an SNGA hat, Burke-a wedge, balls, a towel and an SNGA hat, and Bill-a Hybor hybrid, balls, a towel and an SNGA hat. Congratulations guys! The SNGA would like to thank its Corporate Sponsors MetLife and Las Vegas Golf and Tennis for helping to make this event possible. The staff at the Sunrise Vista Golf Club did an exceptional job making sure the event went off without a hitch. Thank you to everyone who was a part of this event from the players, to the club staff, the SNGA volunteers and the MOPH for helping the SNGA staff run such a cause worthy event!

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TFTSN Receives ACE Chapter Award  The First Tee has grown into an extensive network of chapters and facili-ties. While always recognizing that chapters and facilities are different and operate in unique fashions, in 2004 The First Tee realized that there are certain operational components that are essential and must be consistent throughout the network. ZONE (Zeroing in On Network Excellence) guide-lines were created and implemented to ensure that chapters shared some basic operational consistencies. Since 2004, ZONE has continued to evolve as a tool developed to quantitatively measure network consistency.    ZONE measures key components that demonstrate a chapter's overall operations, leadership, financial position, program delivery and most importantly, the chapter’s ability to influence its participants through impactful pro-grams. Each of these components are key to the successful operation of a chapter in The First Tee Network.    At the recent Network Meeting in San Antonio, TX, The First Tee of Southern Nevada was given the highest rec-ognition as an ACE Chapter for 2010; the 7th year in a row.  TFTSN Executive Director becomes Master Executive  Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., CEO of The First Tee, presented the Master Executive Pin to TFTSN Executive Director, Danielle Gladd at the 2011 Network Meeting. Ms. Gladd is one of only thirteen (13) Master Executives globally.    The First Tee Master Executive series targets individuals who have achieved Rec-ognized Executive status. The advanced courses emphasize strategies for inter-acting with representatives from other Chapters in order to strengthen The First Tee Network. Executives utilize and incorporate the tools and problem-solving techniques delineated in previous courses and illustrate through a project how these strategies are used beyond the recognized executive’s Chapter. The project provides executives an opportunity to utilize a consulting and technical assistance model linked to the extensive knowledge base generated from years of network activities and experiences. The Master Executive program parallels the Master Coach program, and is intended for executives at The First Tee Chapter.  Danielle's project focused on the utilization of a Professional Employer Organization in order to offer competitive benefit packages to small non-profit organizations.

2011 Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame Nominations Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame posted 3-15-2011 The Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame is taking nominations for the Hall of Fame Class of 2011. The form is located on the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame website and is to be used to nominate worthy individuals to the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame. New inductees will be considered in early 2011 to be inducted in the fall of 2011. Nominations must be received by April 5, 2011. Completed nominations must be mailed to the Association office at SNGA c/o Hall of Fame Nomination, 2625 N. Green Valley Parkway, Ste: 100, Henderson, NV 89014 and labeled clearly as Hall of Fame Nomination Form. Use the form as a guide and add supplemental sheets, as necessary. Forms may be typed, but legible handwritten forms are acceptable. Nominations must be signed by the originator. Visit www.lasvegasgolfhof.com for more information and to download a nomination form.

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LPGA Legends Ready for Patty Sheehan & Friends Tournament in Reno June 3 – 6

Patty Sheehan, World Golf and LPGA Hall of Famer, in partnership with The Legends Tour, the official senior tour of the LPGA, brings The Legends Tour to Hidden Valley Country Club in Reno, Nev., June 3 – 6, 2011. The official three day tournament, Patty Sheehan & Friends, boasts a field of 40 LPGA Legends competing in a two-day, stroke play tournament for a $225,000 purse. In addition to Sheehan, LPGA Hall of Famers Betsy King, Pat Bradley and Amy Alcott as well as 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Captain Rosie Jones and Legends Tour Money Leader Jan Stephenson have confirmed that they will be teeing it up in Reno this June. Tournament week begins Thursday, June 2 with a junior clinic for girls of The First Tee as well as professional practice rounds and an evening pairings party for sponsors and guests. The Patty Sheehan & Friends Pro-Am is set for Friday, June 3. The first round kicks off tournament play on Saturday with the final round to be held Sunday. A Monday Pro-Am has been added due to demand. Tickets for Patty Sheehan & Friends are $10 per day and free for military and children under 17. Tournament proceeds benefit the newly-formed Patty Sheehan Foundation designed to support local charities and the Reno community. For information about Patty Sheehan & Friends, a Legends Tour event, visit www.pattysheehanandfriends.com.

2011 UNLV PGA Golf Management GolfathonBenefiting the PGA Program and Breast Cancer Research April 29th, Angel Park Golf Course On Friday, April 29th at the Angel Park Golf Course, students from the UNLV PGA Golf Management program will each attempt to play 100 holes of golf benefitting Par for the Cure (a local charity dedicated to breast cancer research). Since 2005, the students have raised $41,065 by the efforts of Gol-fathon and other philanthropic community service benefitting breast cancer research. We encourage you to visit the students' Golfathon website to learn more about the event. Please feel free to send this link to any others interested in supporting this cause. Golfathon 2011 web page: http://unlvpgagolfathon.dojiggy.com Making a difference...one golf shot at a time.

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I hate to get political but I am going to. I am not a political person. I try to stay out of conversations or arti-cles involving politics because I think it is too divisive, and polarizing, even amongst close friends. But I am going to “go there” here because one thing I am passionate about is the game of golf, and on a bigger scale the business of golf. Golf has fed my family for almost 25 years now. I may not have cared much in the beginning but as I matured and grew I came to appreciate the true depth of this industry. Golf is a 76 billion dollar a year industry in America. It is bigger than the newspaper and print business. It is bigger than the motion picture industry. There are more golf courses in the United States than there are McDonalds. At its very core golf is an integral part of American life. Even if you don’t play golf, odds are someone in your circle of friends is employed or supporting their family because of the game. Golf is di-rectly and indirectly the reason my home is still worth a little money, and the reason some busboys, maids, card dealers, valet, bar tenders, real estate agents, day care workers, and fast food servers have their jobs. On a local level golf is intrinsic to any warm weather golf destination. Las Vegas depends on tourism dol-lars to support all the critical industries that power our economy. In fact I don’t think you could name a sin-gle, warm weather, resort destination anywhere on the planet that did not include golf in its list of reasons to visit. Golf is absolutely vital to all of Nevada’s tourism efforts. Golf courses in Southern Nevada are in serious financial jeopardy. Many courses have closed and shuttered operations. Others have been foreclosed on and taken back by the banks, still others are in the midst of these financial processes and their fate is not yet known. Every club who closes the doors puts locals out of work, reduces the places High School golf teams can practice, or where the First Tee of Southern Nevada can host a junior tournament. Even the courses not stopping operations may have staff reduced drastically and the conditions deteriorate along with operating dollars. I know I paint a grim picture of golf in Las Ve-gas but if you talk to any operator or general manager they will tell you, rounds are down and expenses are up, way up! Fuel prices alone can smash a budget because many of our high dollar purchases are tied to fuel prices including manufacturing costs for fertilizer, and seed. On a recent visit to Carson City to host a reception for the Nevada Golf Industry Alliance these points were reiterated to our state politicians meeting in the 76th Nevada Legislative Session. The reason was to show how important golf is to Nevada and explain the positive side of a healthy golf industry, and its roll in driv-ing our life blood, Tourism. Recently legislation has been introduced that could literally cripple golf courses in Southern Nevada. Addi-tional tax burdens have been suggested by way of altering the way golf courses are taxed in the state. I say any legislation that puts people out of work, or adds net costs to an already shaky financial situation for golf operators, can only add to the slowing of the state economy. Less people working and fewer businesses paying taxes cannot add money to the state’s budget deficit. I worry about golf and its ability to thrive in this area. We cannot standby and allow our politicians to pass laws to damage such an important part of Nevada’s economy.

PJ’s Super Section Information about Golf Course Maintenance

PJ McGuire, CGCS Nevada Golf Industry Alliance

thoughts... final

Las Vegas National Golf Club Site of the 2009 SNGA Season Opener

What’s on Tap >>>

Page 9

2625 N. Green Valley Pkwy. Suite 100 Henderson, NV 89014

702-458-4653 www.snga.org

"If I had cleared the trees and drove the green, it would've been a great shot." ~ Sam Snead

The 2011 MetLife® Team Amateur returns to historic Boulder City Golf Club. This year all four divisions in-cluding Scratch, Net, Senior (50+), and Super Senior (60+) competitors will compete on Saturday and Sunday March 26-27. There will be lots of golf and fun to be had. We look forward to the upcoming event and hope for great weather to continue this SNGA team tradition. Visit www.snga.org for more information about the entire SNGA Tournament Series.

2011 MetLife® Team Amateur

Boulder City Golf ClubHole #18