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RDGA NEWS
May 2, 2016
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REMEMBER TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE
FOR THE 2016 RDGA/USGA HANDICAP SEMINAR!
During
the off-season, the
USGA
released its latest updates to the official
Rules of Golf
and, along with those updates, changes to the
USGA's Handicap Index
were also announced - including the stipulation that scores made while playing alone will no longer be acceptable for handicap purposes.
To keep up with these changes - as well as review the USGA Handicap System in general - the USGA Handicap Department will be presenting a USGA Handicap Seminar at Oak Hill Country Club on Thursday, May 19.
The seminar is open to
ALL RDGA Members
and will run from 9 a.m. to Noon, including a continental breakfast.
PGA of America Professionals
are also welcome and will receive education credit for attending.
Attendance is $10 per person and will be limited to 100 registered participants on a first come-first served basis, so be sure to register early!
A SPECIAL REMINDER FOR RDGA HANDICAP COMMITTEE MEMBERS - although your participation expenses are covered by the RDGA, you must also register for this event.
For more information - including how to register for this event -
CLICK HERE
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RDGA PLAY DAYS OPEN THE
2016 TOURNAMENT SEASON
Time to 'Play...' Registration for the next RDGA Play Day - at Mendon Golf Club on June 27, above - has just opened and includes a new "Tee It Forward" format, featuring a shorter course for a fun, faster round!
NEW 'TEE IT FORWARD' PLAY DAY
COMING TO MENDON
Back for another year in
2016
is the popular
RDGA Play Day
series; events open to
ALL
amateur golfers - men and women, ages 18 and above - with an active
USGA GHIN Handicap Index
through the
Rochester District Golf Association
. If you've never played in an actual golf tournament before - or if you've always wanted to play some of the best courses in the area -
then RDGA Play Days are for you!
The first RDGA Play Day of 2016 is Monday, May 2, at Irondequoit Country Club, and included a full field playing on the 100-year-old Donald Ross-designed private club.
The next event on the RDGA Play Day schedule is next Monday, May 9, at Penfield Country Club. Part of the "second wave" of classic golf course designs to open in the Rochester area, Penfield first opened in 1959 and was designed by noted local architect Pete Craig.
ALSO - an all-NEW event has JUST been added to the RDGA Play Day schedule for 2016: the "Tee It Forward" RDGA Play Day, scheduled for Monday, June 27 at the beautiful Mendon Golf Club. As part of a joint initiative between the USGA and the PGA of America, the Tee It Forward RDGA Play Day will encourage golfers to play from a set of tees best suited to their driving distance. In addition to providing more enjoyment for golfers, teeing it forward also can be one of the most important steps that golfers take in improving pace of play: studies have shown that golfers playing from shorter tees play faster, play more often and have more fun!
CLICK HERE to register for the Tee It Forward RDGA Play Day at Mendon Golf Club!
RDGA Play Days are designed to be a fun, yet competitive day for golfers of all ability levels. Registration for Play Day events is $80 per person and includes use of the club's practice facility; a cart and 18 holes of stroke play at 100-percent handicap and hors d'ouvres after the tournament. Contestants are welcome to request pairing in foursomes with friends who are also registered to play. Flights include Men's White Tees, Men's Gold Tees and Women; prizes will be awarded for top scores in both net and gross competitions.
We look forward to seeing YOU out on the course this year for the 2016 RDGA Play Day schedule!
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The Rochester District Golf Association is proud to welcome MassMutual Rochester as our Exclusive Financial Services Partner!
The local MassMutual office, located in downtown Rochester has made some very significant changes in the last year and a half. Along with a recent expansion of their facilities, they have made a commitment to our community by making sure they are visible and accessible. MassMutual has over 160 years of experience, helping people build a strong financial future - even during challenging economies. As a
mutual company
, MassMutual is owned by its policy owners and makes decisions with their long-term interests in mind. The company's success is reflected in its financial strength.
MassMutual Rochester
is committed to the people who depend on them - and also to the communities they serve. From their numerous philanthropic programs to their earth-friendly practices, they strive to be good citizens in all that they do.
As the golf season begins,
MassMutual Rochester
is excited to be part of the fun, and will be offering giveaways, raffle prizes and hole-in-one contests throughout the year!
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FIRST-YEAR FORESIGHT JUNIOR PROGRAM
SET TO KICK OFF THIS MONTH
GENESEE VALLEY TO HOST 'OPENING DAY' ON MAY 14
Last month, the RDGA Foundation Inc. and the Rochester District Golf Association - in partnership with the Monroe County Parks Department and Kless-Myers Management - announced its groundbreaking new junior golf program,
ForeSight
: an innovative pilot program designed to bring more young people to golf and grow the game in the Rochester area.
As part of this new program, the Foundation and the RDGA will be working
with physical education teachers to select students from their Introductory Golf Programs who have apparent interest in golf and award them with passes for Unlimited Summer Golf at the three Monroe County Parks Department golf courses, located at Churchville, Durand Eastman and Genesee Valley Parks.
In this, the "pilot year" of the ForeSight Program, it is expected that 60 to 70 young people will be receiving complimentary summer passes and participating in the Program. "
Opening Day
" for
ForeSight
is planned for
May 14
at
Genesee Valley
, with all participants and their families invited. At this event, participants will receive their playing "cards," as well as lessons on how to participate properly in the program, and at the game of golf.
To help keep ForeSight as an active and vibrant program in the local community, we need YOUR help. If you would like to help support this program
consider making a donation to the RDGA Foundation Inc. by contacting RDGA Executive Director Tim Vangellow - by phone, at 585-292-5950, or by email, to: timvangellow@rdga.org - for more information, and to become part of growing the great game of golf!
The RDGA Foundation Inc. is recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, dedicated to the support and growth of the game of golf in the Rochester aea through the development of its junior golf initiatives. For more information about the RDGA Foundation Inc. - and how you can support its efforts - CLICK HERE.
Our goal is for students to fall in love with the game
...and ultimately become golfers for life!
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The RDGA Course Rating team of (left to right), Don Bennett, Kitty Colliflower and Rick Harter, finished first among all teams at the recent USGA Course Rating Calibration Seminar.
RDGA COURSE RATING TEAM FINISHES
No. 1 AT NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Congratulations to the
RDGA Course Ratings Team of
Don Bennett,
Kitty Colliflower and
Rick Harter, who recently attended a
2016 USGA Course Ratings Calibration Seminar in Florida, where they finished first among all other such teams across the country!
This is the second consecutive year in which an RDGA Course Ratings team has finished among the top teams in the U.S.
For more information about the USGA Course Ratings system - and how you can become involved at the local level with RDGA Course Raters,
CLICK HERE
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ROCHESTER PREPARES FOR THE
2016 NCAA MEN'S DIVISION III
GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS!
Next week, May 10 through 13, the
2016 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship will be hosted by Mendon Golf Club and Midvale Country Club. Local fans will get the rare opportunity to see a local team - the
St. John Fisher Cardinals Men's Golf Team - play against some of the top teams in the country as they compete for the Nationa title on the familiar fairways of Mendon and Midvale!
Golf fans are encouraged to attend this National Championship event - FREE OF CHARGE - when Mendon and Midvale host Rounds 1 and 2 on May 10 and 11, and Midvale hosts Rounds 3 and 4 on May 12 and 13.
For more information about the 2016 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship, follow the St. John Fisher Championship event website HERE - as well as the NCAA website HERE - for event updates and schedules.
The RDGA is proud to partner with the NCAA, St. John Fisher, Mendon Golf Club and Midvale Country Club to help organize this National Championship event!
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SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS!
Students interested in the annual
RDGA Foundation Scholarship Awards who live in any of the counties served by the
Rochester District Golf Association - including
Genesee,
Livingston,
Monroe,
Ontario,
Orleans,
Steuben,
Wayne and
Yates - have until
Sunday,
May 15 to submit their official application for review by the Foundation's Board of Directors.
Preference will be given, but not limited, to applicants enrolled in golf-related fields of study, such as Agronomy, Turf Management, Professional Golf Management, etc.
Applicants may be interviewed and selected on the following criteria:
- Academic Record [High School/College Transcript(s)]
- Demonstrated Financial Need
- Citizenship / Outstanding Character
- Community Activities/Involvement
- High School/College Activities
- Evidence of Leadership Skills
- Communication Skills
- Golf/Sports Involvement and Participation
CLICK HERE for more information about the RDGA Foundation Scholarship program, as well as a downloadable application.
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