With the handicap system reopening for Maryland tomorrow, March 15th, I wanted to send a quick note out in anticipation of the upcoming MGA season. I am really excited to get the 2023 season underway and we are going to continue to work hard to protect the integrity of the field for all MGA events. Attached you’ll find the 2023 MGA Handicap Rules & Procedures documentation which lays out what we expect of all of you.
I will leave the highlights here for simplicity:
All MGA members will need a GHIN handicap and should be posting all rounds played while playing postable formats.
Players should post both 9 and 18 hole scores, and should do so in a timely manner.
We will maintain the 2-in-30 posting requirement for 2023 starting April 15th. To compete in MGA net competitions with your GHIN handicap, players must maintain two posted 18-hole scores (either full 18 or combined 9-hole scores) from NGC in the last 30 days. See the “Season Specific Guidelines” within the Rules & Procedures.
If any MGA Member is unable to meet the 2-in-30 posting requirement for reasons of travel, work, injury, sickness, or the like, they may submit an appeal in writing to the MGA Handicap Committee at [email protected] to request a temporary exemption from the requirement.
Penalties will be given out for failure to post.
Players should post their own scores for all MGA events after the conclusion of play unless instructed otherwise. MGA tournaments should be entered as tournament/competition scores.
The MGA will audit all player handicaps for Men’s Nights and Tournaments. Players who do not follow the posting guidelines or do not meet the 2-in-30 will not be eligible to compete with their GHIN handicaps in net competitions.
If you have any questions about anything, please reach out and we will be happy to assist. Looking forward to another magical MGA season.
On behalf of the Men’s Golf Association (MGA) at National Golf Club, we’d like to invite you to join the MGA for the upcoming 2023 season. Our $85 yearly membership dues—to be billed February 28th by the club—allow the MGA to conduct organized golf and golf-related social activities for the benefit, pleasure, and recreation of all MGA members. Last year, we had over 85 NGC members participate in MGA sponsored events. This year, we hope to make it 100+ MGA members strong! With the new direction of the club, we are excited for an exceptional 2023 MGA season.
All MGA members who opted in to the MGA last season will be signed up in the NGC billing system for 2023 and will be billed at the end of this month. To change your MGA membership status, please contact [email protected] before February 24th.
Starting in April and running through October, the MGA will host eight weekend tournaments as well as a season-long Match Play bracket. Our tournaments include prizes and food & beverages. While MGA tournaments are generally on weekends, they are open to full as well as weekday members. In addition to weekend tournaments, we conduct a robust program of 30 Men’s Nights held every Thursday. All MGA play includes net divisions with handicaps and Rule of 75 for gold tee players. More information about the MGA can be found on our website: https://mga.golf/
The MGA is here to enhance your experience at NGC and we are open to more suggestions on sponsored golf or social events. For additional information, questions, or to join our MGA email list for the latest tournament and event updates, send a note to [email protected] — We hope to make 2023 a fantastic year at NGC and hope that you will join the MGA!
Sincerely,
– Your 2023 MGA Board
James Hsiao – MGA Chairman Weston Happ – Competition Chair Patrick Escalambre – Social Chair Will Keyes – Handicap Chair Mike Reynard – Treasurer Leo Goff – SMGA Representative Members At Large: Brian Carlstrom Tom DePonty Matt Doherty Silas Nichols Andy Westerkom
With a fantastic playing of the 2023 Mike Miller in the books and temperatures nearing 70º this week, we couldn’t help but start to think ahead to the upcoming MGA season. Attached you’ll find the 2023 MGA Schedule which can always be found on the MGA website at https://mga.golf/schedule/ and can be downloaded here as a PDF.
We are so excited for all that 2023 has to bring for the MGA and NGC as a club!
Another New Year’s Day in the History Books at NGC
The 1st day of the New Year and the 2023 golf season at NGC got off to an amazing start yesterday with a tremendous edition of the Mike Miller Tournament. In its 11th annual playing as the Mike Miller and with a half century of playings in the history books, the ritual of January 1st golf at NGC is a tradition that we all truly love. Champagne was popped (and used as a tee), warmth and cheer filled the air, our shoes got a little wet, and some very good golf was played.
Thank you to all the members, former members, guests, and especially all the NGC staff that made yesterday such a great success. Thank you to Norm Brunelle for opening the season in style and to Maureen Brady & Carolyn LeCrone for providing some great NGC history. Also a huge thank you to Betty Sussmann and all those who brought food to share after the round! We are so excited for what the New Year has in store for the club — can we place an order for this warm weather to carry on straight through to April?
In the Team Net competition, the team of MORE CHAMPAGNE PLEASE — Jim Prendergast, Matt Nolan, Eric Fleming & Bruce Sedlak — shot a very impressive 52 to capture victory. Well played gentlemen! And, with a score of 59, the team of Average Drive: 238 yards — Weston Happ, Patrick Escalambre, Will Keyes & Calvin Harkless — took home the team win in the Gross Division. We heard they made 18 birdies as a team!
In the individual competition, 18 holes were not enough to determine Gross or Net champions and playoff holes ensued. After 2 shamble playings of #18 to break the ties, Victor Grinev edged out Travis Handerson to take the Net Championship. For the Gross Championship, Matt Hollerback was able to go back-to-back and defend his 2022 title defeating Weston Happ in a sudden death chip-off that followed the 2 playoff playings of #18.
Congratulations to all our 2023 Mike Miller Champions!
New Year’s Eve also means the eve of the 2023 Mike Miller Tournament which is set for tomorrow, January 1st — we will be starting with a 10:20 AM champagne tee shot off of #1. Attached you’ll find the starting holes / team sheet for the 10:30 AM shotgun start as well as the tournament rules.
We ask that all guests check in with the Pro Shop before the start of play to settle guest fees.
Scoring
All tournament scoring will be handled via the NGC App. The app can be found here for iPhone and here for Android. All teams will be pre-loaded into the App and we ask that each team uses the App to track their individual shamble scores.
Mike Miller Tournament Sign-Ups close tonight at 8:00 PM
Sign-ups close tonight at 8:00 PM for the Mike Miller Tournament which is set for this Sunday, New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2023. For this tournament, 4-player teams compete playing a shamble format with Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team awards.
If you are an individual player, please sign up ASAP so we can set you up with a team.
11th Annual Mike Miller Tournament: Sunday, January 1st, 2023 — 10:30 AM shotgun start with annual champagne tee shot off 1st tee at 10:20 AM
Format: 4-Player Shamble — All players in foursome tee off, select the best tee shot to play 2nd shots from and, from the selected tee shot, all players play their own balls into the hole recording individual gross scores. Awards in Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team categories.
Cost: $20 entry fee for members (walking) — $45 for guests (with cart)
Please sign up online as a complete team foursome if possible. If you do not have a team of 4, sign up online with as many as you have and we will set you up with a group!
Longtime NGC member, Maureen Brady, put together and shared the following fantastic writeup which details the history of New Year’s Day golf at NGC:
Today, the Mike Miller Tournament is our way of welcoming the New Year. It’s a very important welcoming too. However, the New Year’s Day Tournament has not always been the Mike Miller Tournament. Yes, Mike played in the tournament many times. However, he played as a “Wet Shoe.” It used to be the “Wet Shoes New Year’s Day Tournament.”
Let me explain:
In the Early 70’s the first group of men to tee off on weekends was known as the “Wet Shoes.” It was a good name. The course was usually still wet that early in the morning, so the name was very appropriate. The group played every weekend, and sponsored a couple tournaments. Their most famous tournament was the New Year’s Day Tournament.
They played it every year. Rain, snow, sleet, sun, had no effect. It was 18 holes, and you played.
There were rules. For example, you had to drink on every hole, or you could not win. Drinks were already on every hole by the time the group teed off.
Originally, ladies were not allowed to play. We ladies provided food in several fairways. For example, I had ham biscuits on the first hole. Carolyn Lecrone had goodies beside the 8th green. Betsy Smith also took care of her hole which was number 10. Eventually, we did get to play, however, not with the men. We started on the back.
Since the kitchen was closed, Frank Bryan, a wet shoe, took care of lunch. He worked for a food service company, and as soon as he finished playing, he went in a warmed up soup, and put out sandwiches.
Mike Miller was a part of this. Not in the early 70’s, but as soon as he became a Tantallon member he joined the wet shoes. And, as time progressed, and we were not allowed to use the club’s kitchen, Mike invited us to lunch at his house.
Some memories still make us smile. Dick Ruane (lived on the 8th green) hit his tee shot on 18 and then walked straight out to the green. Thank God the pond was frozen. When he teed off, Tom Nunno still had on his Tux from the New Year’s Eve party. There was no time to change before teeing off.
I don’t know how many decades the Wet Shoes lasted. Members moved, passed away, or were unable to play golf in their twilight years. However, I am happy that the Mike Miller Memorial Tournament keeps the Wet Shoes’ Tradition going forward.
Happy New Year. Enjoy Sunday. Mike is proud of us.
Thank you so much, Maureen — this is the NGC history that we all love to learn about as we celebrate by playing golf on January 1st!
Last Call for Sign-Ups
As we count down to the new year, sign-ups close tomorrow at 8:00 PM for the Mike Miller Tournament which is set for this Sunday, New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2023. For this tournament, 4-player teams compete playing a shamble format with Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team awards.
If you are an individual player, please sign up ASAP so we can set you up with a team.
11th Annual Mike Miller Tournament: Sunday, January 1st, 2023 — 10:30 AM shotgun start with annual champagne tee shot off 1st tee at 10:20 AM
Format: 4-Player Shamble — All players in foursome tee off, select the best tee shot to play 2nd shots from and, from the selected tee shot, all players play their own balls into the hole recording individual gross scores. Awards in Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team categories.
Cost: $20 entry fee for members (walking) — $45 for guests (with cart)
Please sign up online as a complete team foursome if possible. If you do not have a team of 4, sign up online with as many as you have and we will set you up with a group!
We hope that everyone had a great holiday and, as we count down to the new year, team sign-ups continue for the Mike Miller Tournament which is set for this Sunday, New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2023. For this tournament, 4-player teams compete playing a shamble format with Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team awards.
To confirm your team’s registration, please check the online leaderboard.
About the Mike Miller January 1st Tradition
A famous line in golf, “A tradition unlike any other,” has been coined for the Masters, but the same can be said for the playing of New Year’s Day golf at National Golf Club. For years, players of all ages and abilities have taken to the course on January 1st to ring in the New Year with a fun 18 holes. There are stories of shoveling the driving range and impromptu get-togethers just to say golf was played on January 1st at NGC.
Mike Miller was an ambassador of the January 1st tradition and would host a party at his home following the event. Mike left us January 24th, 2013 but we continue the tradition in his memory.
This year we celebrate the 11th annual playing of the Mike Miller Tournament. We hope you can join us for a great day of team shamble golf— all NGC members, previous members, and guests are welcome!
11th Annual Mike Miller Tournament: Sunday, January 1st, 2023 — 10:30 AM shotgun start with annual champagne tee shot off 1st tee at 10:20 AM
Format: 4-Player Shamble — All players in foursome tee off, select the best tee shot to play 2nd shots from and, from the selected tee shot, all players play their own balls into the hole recording individual gross scores. Awards in Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team categories.
Cost: $20 entry fee for members (walking) — $45 for guests (with cart)
Please sign up online as a complete team foursome if possible. If you do not have a team of 4, sign up online with as many as you have and we will set you up with a group!
NGC’s Annual Toys For Tots Collection Drive continues through December 18th
As we have for many years in the past, NGC members will be collecting toys to donate to Toys For Tots. Please bring unwrapped gifts to the table in the clubhouse for collection. We greatly appreciate everyone’s generosity during this holiday season!
If you’re at the club this weekend for the Santa Open or Breakfast with Santa, it would be a great time to bring in a toy for donation.
We look forward to seeing the toy collection stack up as we sneak out all the remaining golf days 2022 has to offer.
Happy Holidays NGC!
—–
11th Annual Mike Miller Golf Tournament at NGC
Team sign-ups continue for the Mike Miller Tournament which is set for New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2023. For this tournament, 4-player teams compete playing a shamble format with Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team awards.
To confirm your team’s registration, please check the online leaderboard.
About the Mike Miller January 1st Tradition
A famous line in golf, “A tradition unlike any other,” has been coined for the Masters, but the same can be said for the playing of New Year’s Day golf at National Golf Club. For years, players of all ages and abilities have taken to the course on January 1st to ring in the New Year with a fun 18 holes. There are stories of shoveling the driving range and impromptu get-togethers just to say golf was played on January 1st at NGC.
Mike Miller was an ambassador of the January 1st tradition and would host a party at his home following the event. Mike left us January 24th, 2013 but we continue the tradition in his memory.
This year we celebrate the 11th annual playing of the Mike Miller Tournament. We hope you can join us for a great day of team shamble golf— all NGC members, previous members, and guests are welcome!
11th Annual Mike Miller Tournament: Sunday, January 1st, 2023 — 10:30 AM shotgun start with annual champagne tee shot off 1st tee at 10:20 AM
Format: 4-Player Shamble — All players in foursome tee off, select the best tee shot to play 2nd shots from and, from the selected tee shot, all players play their own balls into the hole recording individual gross scores. Awards in Net + Gross divisions for both Individual and Team categories.
Cost: $20 entry fee for members (walking) — $45 for guests (with cart)
Please sign up online as a complete team foursome if possible. If you do not have a team of 4, sign up online with as many as you have and we will set you up with a group!
