LIMEKILN GOLF CLUB
2008 SEASON
SATURDAY, 5/10 & SUNDAY, 5/11
THE MEMORIAL DAY TOURNAMENT IS COMING UP IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. IT WILL BE HELD IN THE MORNING, MONDAY, MAY 26TH. LIKE LAST YEAR, THE TOURNAMENT IS A BETTER BALL OF PARTNERS, WITH TWO FLIGHTS. THE RED/WHITE FLIGHT IS FULL HANDICAP. THE WHITE/BLUE FLIGHT IS 80% HANDICAP, AND THE COMBINED HANDICAP OF EACH PLAYER CANNOT EXCEED 30. A MEMORIAL DAY TOURNAMENT SHEET IS ATTACHED TO THIS E-MAIL.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONFUSION THE PAST FEW YEARS ON WHAT FLIGHT YOUR TEAM SHOULD BE IN, SO I’LL TRY TO CLEAR IT UP. THE WHITE/BLUE FLIGHT IS FOR THE LOWER HANDICAPPERS. WE’RE TRYING TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD A LITTLE. IF YOU AND YOUR PARTNER’S COMBINED HANDICAP IS LESS THAT 30, SIGN UP FOR THE WHITE/BLUE FLIGHT. IF YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH YOUR NORMAL FOURSOME, AND ONE OF THE TEAMS DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE 80% GROUP, THEN YOU’LL HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FULL HANDICAP FLIGHT. THE TWO TOURNAMENTS ARE SEPARATE, AND PLAY SEPARATE COURSES. REMEMBER, THE FULL HANDICAP FLIGHT IS USUALLY WON WITH A SCORE IN THE MID FIFTIES. FOR TWO 12 HANDICAPS TO SHOOT 55, THEY’LL HAVE TO SKIP A COUPLE HOLES TO DO IT. THE WHITE/BLUE FIGHT IS USUALLY WON WITH A SCORE AROUND 60. THE WHITE BLUE FLIGHT IS RESTRICTED TO 16 FOURSOMES, SO IF YOU QUALIFY FOR THAT GROUP, SIGN UP EARLY. THE RED/WHITE TEE IS OPEN ALL MORNING, SO WE CAN ACCOMIDATE MORE GROUPS.
I’VE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THE “WHITENESS” OF THE GREENS. THE FIRST THREE WEEKS OF MAY IS THE TRADITIONAL TIME THE “POA ANNUA” GRASS ON THE GREENS IS SEEDING. OUR GREENS, LIKE MOST IN THE AREA, ARE ABOUT 75% POA, AND 25% BENT GRASS. LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, WE TRY TO KEEP AS MUCH BENT GRASS AS WE CAN, BUT THE POA IS POWERFUL, AND USUALLY TAKES OVER. MANY PRIVATE CLUBS IN THE AREA HAVE SPENT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO KEEP THE POA OUT, BUT IT IS USUALLY A LOSING BATTLE. THE POA IS NOT POPULAR IN THIS AREA, BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN IN HOT HUMID WEATHER. IN JULY AND AUGUST, YOU’LL SEE OUR WORKERS SYRINGING THE GREENS WITH WATER DURING HOT AND HUMID SPELLS. THIS IS TO KEEP THE POA ALIVE. POA IS ACTUALLY A GREAT PUTTING SURFACE. IN AREAS WHERE HEAT AND HUMIDITY ARE NOT A PROBLEM, SOME CLUBS HAVE 95% POA GREENS. OAKMONT CC IN THE HILLS OF PITTSBURGH IS ALL POA, AND THEIR GREENS ARE THE FASTEST IN ALL OF GOLF. PEBBLE BEACH’S GREENS ARE ALL POA. IN FACT, FEBRUARY, WHEN THE AT&T “CROSBY” TOURNAMENT IS HELD, IS THE SEEDING SEASON FOR THE POA IN CALIFORNIA. THAT IS THE REASON TIGER WOODS WON’T PLAY IN THE AT&T. HE DOESN’T LIKE THE SLOWER, BUMPY GREENS. POOR BABY! WHEN THEY PLAY THE US OPEN AT PEBBLE BEACH, IT’S JUNE, AND THE GREENS ARE SMOOTH, AND TIGER WINS BY 100 SHOTS. WELL, WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THE SLOWER, BUMPY GREENS FOR ANOTHER WEEK OR SO. THEN THE WHITE FLOWERS DISSAPPEAR, AND THE GREENS ARE READY FOR THE SUMMER.
LAST WEEKS TOURNAMENT RESULTS ARE ATTACHED. I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THEIS WEEKEND.
ROB
