For Men’s Night this week, the 1st edition of our 2024 Shootout series is here! For our Shootout format on the Front 9, all players meet on the 1st tee at 4:45 PM — please be a few minutes early (around the range / putting green by 4:30 PM) so we can organize everyone’s Front 9 course handicaps.
As a full group (think 25-some), all competitors play #1 together (please mark your ball). The low 9 net scores on #1 progress to the 2nd tee. A chip-off will be used to break any ties for who proceeds to #2 (top 9 low net from #1).
On holes 2-9, we eliminate 1 player with the highest net score on each hole: i.e. 9 competitors play #2, 8 competitors play #3…all the the way down to 2 players on the 9th hole. Chip-offs decide tied-for-high-score holes.
The last man standing after #9 has been played is the Shootout winner.
For this week’s Shootout festivities, our special guest Shootout referee is back—current Springfield Golf & Country Club member, 2019 Stearns Cup Champion, former MGA Competition Chair, fantastic match play opponent, and all-around great guy—Mr. Mike Lyons. Mike will handle all handicap calculations, rulings, and chip-off decisions for elimination.
22 players came out last Thursday for a Chicago showdown on the Back 9 and one man proved that a trip to the ER was no hurdle at all for breaking into positive points. With a triple birdie streak to close out his round on #16, #17 and #18, James Hsiao ended with a gross 35 and a +4 Chicago tally. Well played sir!
The deadline for Round 1 matches in the Main Bracket is Sunday, June 9th. Please be in touch with your Round 1 opponent ASAP about scheduling your match if you have not yet set a match date. Contact [email protected] or call the Pro Shop (301) 292-1100 if you need your opponent’s contact information.
Thank you to all matches who have played and reported their results. If you do not see your match result listed in the updated online bracket, please let us know the result via email.
For Men’s Night this week, we’ll be playing our Chicago format on the Back 9. All players play from white tees and Rule of 75 players (age + handicap >= 75) may play golds. Please record gross scores for all holes on scorecards with names clearly marked and turn in all completed cards to the Pro Shop.
Chicago Format:
Players start with a negative number of points (based on 18-hole course handicaps) then add positive points during their round. The idea is to get from the negative to the positive, clearing your “hurdle” by as many points as possible.
0 & 1 handicaps start with -20 2 & 3 start with -19 4 & 5 start with -18 6 & 7 start with -17 8 & 9 start with -16 10 & 11 start with -15 12 & 13 start with -14 14 & 15 start with -13 16 & 17 start with -12 18 & 19 start with -11 20 & 21 start with -10 22 & 23 start with -9 24 & 25 start with -8 26 & 27 start with -7 28 & 29 start with -6 30 & 31 start with -5 32 & 33 start with -4 34 & 35 start with -3 36+ start with -2 points
During the round, positive points are added on the following basis using gross hole scores:
Double Bogey or worse = 0 points
Bogey = 1 point
Par = 2 points
Birdie = 4 points
Eagle = 8 points
Albatross = 16 points
Competition Rules for Men’s Night 5/23
For this week, all Men’s Night competitors play the Back 9 using 100% of their 18-hole course handicaps converted to Chicago starting points. There is no entry fee for Men’s Night this week and only Points Chase points will be awarded to the top one-third of the field.
Men’s Night rounds may be played at any time on Thursday with an accompanying MGA member. Please record gross scores for all holes on scorecards with names clearly marked and turn in completed cards to the Pro Shop.
With the possibility of storms in the forecast, an overall assessment of course playability / availability throughout the day will be used to determine if there has been enough time for Men’s Night play to count submitted scores for an official result.
We will be playing LIFT, CLEAN, and PLACE in your OWN FAIRWAY, one club-length, no closer to the hole.All BUNKERS will be played as GROUND UNDER REPAIR. If your ball ends up in a bunker, you may either rake and place within the bunker or take free relief outside the bunker. To take relief, you must find the nearest point of complete relief outside the bunker and DROP from within one club-length of that point, no closer to the hole.
Balls marked on the green may be replaced to the side of any aeration holes or “Dollar Spot” fungus/disease, no closer to the hole. Additionally, “Dollar Spot” brown-patch areas on the green larger than 2 feet may be considered Ground Under Repair from which putting-line relief may be taken (as far as necessary), no closer to the hole.
Bare areas larger than one club-length, bare areas immediately adjacent to cart paths, and tire tracks should be considered Ground Under Repair. DROP within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, no closer to the hole. Additionally, netting in re-sodded areas, drain trenches, and exposed rocks added as topper for drainage systems should be considered Ground Under Repair from which free relief may be taken, no closer to the hole.
Tall grass and unmaintained sections of the course may be played as penalty areas. These areas include: the hill between the cart paths for the 4th and 5th holes, right of the 7th hole fairway, surrounding the back and left of the 11th green, right of the 13th fairway and surrounding the 13th green, right of the cart path on the 14th hole, on the hill between the 14th and 16th holes, right of the 15th hole and surrounding the 15th green. In the case you do not find your ball in these areas, follow the standard red penalty area dropping procedure.
Any player who does not meet the MGA 2-in-30 handicap posting policy or has not submitted a written appeal for exemption prior to play to [email protected] if they are unable to meet the requirement, will automatically play as a 0 handicap for Men’s Night.
This week’s format allows for the completion of a 9-hole round that is valid for handicap posting purposes. Men’s Night scores must be posted promptly to your handicap account. Any player who places but has not posted will have their score disqualified from placement consideration.
Upcoming MGA Schedule
April 26th through June 9th — Match Play Tournament 1st round matches. Match dates + times scheduled directly between opponents
May 23rd — Chicago: Back 9
May 30th — Shootout: Front 9 — all players tee off #1 at 4:45 PM
For Men’s Night this week, we’ll be playing our Chicago format on the Back 9. All players play from white tees and Rule of 75 players (age + handicap >= 75) may play golds. Please record gross scores for all holes on scorecards with names clearly marked and turn in all completed cards to the Pro Shop.
Chicago Format:
Players start with a negative number of points (based on 18-hole course handicaps) then add positive points during their round. The idea is to get from the negative to the positive, clearing your “hurdle” by as many points as possible.
0 & 1 handicaps start with -20 2 & 3 start with -19 4 & 5 start with -18 6 & 7 start with -17 8 & 9 start with -16 10 & 11 start with -15 12 & 13 start with -14 14 & 15 start with -13 16 & 17 start with -12 18 & 19 start with -11 20 & 21 start with -10 22 & 23 start with -9 24 & 25 start with -8 26 & 27 start with -7 28 & 29 start with -6 30 & 31 start with -5 32 & 33 start with -4 34 & 35 start with -3 36+ start with -2 points
During the round, positive points are added on the following basis using gross hole scores:
Double Bogey or worse = 0 points
Bogey = 1 point
Par = 2 points
Birdie = 4 points
Eagle = 8 points
Albatross = 16 points
Upcoming MGA Schedule
April 26th through June 9th — Match Play Tournament 1st round matches. Match dates + times scheduled directly between opponents
May 23rd — Chicago: Back 9
May 30th — Shootout: Front 9 — all players tee off #1 at 4:45 PM
For all scores from this weekend, we ask that all Memorial Cup participants post their own tournament scores to the GHIN handicap system as “Competition” scores from white tees (and as gold tees for our Rule of 75 players) with May 18th / May 19th dates.
All postings will be double checked this week and corrected if necessary by the club.
Our 2024 edition of the Memorial Cup is in the books and, despite the rain on Saturday, we had an outstanding tournament. We’d like to send out a huge thank you to all the maintenance staff, Matt Doherty, and Jim Sussmann for their tremendous efforts squeegeeing the greens on Saturday morning so we could play! Thank you to Donnee for always being there with the whistle to keep us organized, Lauren for keeping the beverage cart rolling, Terry for marking the course, Chuck Roster for the awesome photos, Silas Nichols for the post-tourney fun, and NGC for the hospitality at our home away from home. And thank you to all our MGA members, especially those playing in their first major at the club!
Finally and most importantly, thank you to all our service women and men who gave their lives for this country. It is their sacrifice that allows us to hold tournaments like the Memorial Cup at the golf club we all love — we are all truly thankful.
Memorial Cup Results
On the course, we saw some great golf played and the good and bad shots alike were surrounded with great camaraderie.
In the net division, playing in the final net group, new MGA member Brad Adams took home the victory shooting an absolutely stellar 2nd round (gross 74) to finish the week -7 net. Congrats and great playing Brad!
And, in the gross division, Clay Thatcher separated himself from the field with a tremendous 2nd round, closing with a 2-under 70 to finish at -1 for the tournament. A truly deserving champion — well played Clay!
We had a fantastic turnout of 38 players last Thursday for a pre-major Stableford battle on the Front 9. When all the points had been counted, two men shared first place honors. With 20 Stableford points, well played to Micah Busbee and Matt Nolan and congrats on taking home the W!
Well done gentlemen getting through a complete Round 1 today! Attached you’ll find our Round 2 groups and starting holes. We will start tomorrow with a 9:30 AM shotgun start.
UPDATE (9:50 AM): The squeegee crew is out on the course and we are a go for our 12:00 noon shotgun start for Round 1 of the Memorial Cup. Thank you squeegee crew!
