dlwicks@sbcglobal.net

Special Event – Rescheduled – 2 Man Scramble at Bluffs – Now July 24

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2 Man Scramble at Missouri Bluffs rescheduled to Tuesday July 24.   Player reservations have been re-opened effective immediately.

Current Confirmations

  • If you were confirmed and checked in at the course on June 26, you are CONFIRMED for the July 24 event.
  • If you were a no-show yesterday, you are either confirmed for the July 24th date or on the wait list

New Reservations

  • If you were not reserved or wait listed for this event, you may apply to play using the Special Events Registration.
  • New reservations will be  confirmed if space is available and wait listed if event is filled.
  • All new reservations will be filled or wait listed in order of receipt of payment confirmation.
  • Use this link to signup – Date on Online Form is old date June 26, reschedule date is July 24th

Reservation confirmations and new wait list will be updated within about a week.  New player pairings will be developed about 1 week before the event (after July 16, withdrawal deadline).

Cancellations or Withdrawals

  • If you were confirmed / checked in yesterday and cannot play on July 24th
    • Please contact us immediately to withdraw.
  • If you were a No-Show yesterday and cannot play on the July 24 date, you will receive a full refund
    • Please contact us immediately to withdraw
  • Any registration or wait list will receive a full refund if withdrawal notice is received before 5 PM, July 16
    • Refunds for withdrawals after July 16 may be forfeit or reduced

Email contacts for cancellations or withdrawals are:

fmmcl@hotmail.com;

metroseniors@charter.net;

jlwc@sbcglobal.net;

 

Frank McLaughlin, Event Leader

636-358-8072

 

 

Division 9 – 2018 Update

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Division 9 is our 9 hole league that plays Wednesday mornings at Riverside Golf Club in Fenton, MO (I44 at the Meramec River).  It has a 9 hole flight competition with closest to pin very much like our 18 hole divisions 1 – 5.   Handicaps used for Division 9 are generated and used only there.  Tee groups are filled as people arrive.  No commitments and you don’t have to have a 4some established.

This year there are about 60 Division 9 only members.  However about 30 members from Division 1-5 play in Division 9 too.

I’ve played several times with Division 9, had fun, and will continue to to do so.  Play is competitive and quick,

This might just be the little extra practice that you need to score better on Thursday or Friday.

CLICK HERE for more information on Division 9

How to Win Your Flight

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Want to know how to win or place more in the Metro Seniors Weekly Tournaments?

What increases your chances of winning or at least placing in the money?

Want to know if you score is likely to be a 1st or 2nd place for your flight?

Bottom line – Or Short Answers

  • If your net score is lower that the course rating, you are probably going to win some flight prize money.  Example – Course Rating 68.5     Net Score 66    Probably wins.
  • If your net score is 2 to 3 strokes below the course rating, winning chances improve significantly.
  • Frequent players are more likely to win, more chances, and perhaps improved play.
  • Very few players win more than once in a season.  Competition is significant.
  • 15 to 20 different players win their flights over 25 tournaments.

There are several factors will increase your chances of winning in your flight.

  • Play more outings
    • Members playing less than 10 outings won less than 10% of flight prize money
    • Members playing 15 or more outings won 74% of flight prizes
  • Improve your game
    • Playing more is a big factor in improving
    • Practice – especially putting and short game
  • Play strategically
    • Select the best tees for your scoring (usually forward tees)
    • Use rules properly for lost balls and hazards
    • Plan you shots for reality not wishful thinking
    • Play more low attendance outings – less competition

 

For those of you who want more data, read on.

Here is some real data that may help.

Actual data for 2017 for Division 1 (Friday, 18 hole). We had about 130 members for 2017 and played in 24 events (one rainout). Handicap distribution for Division 1 is a little higher than other divisions, but the trends and concepts will be the same.

For 2017, First Place Flight winners were well distributed. Between 15 to 20 different players won a 1st place in each flight. There were a few 2 time winners, and only 4 with 3 or more wins for the season. No one player is dominating any flight.

1 Time 2 Time 3 or more Total
Wins Wins Wins Players
First Place A Flight 8 Players 6 Players 1 Player 15
B Flight 16 Players 4 Players 20
C Flight 15 Players 3 Players 1 Player 19
D Flight 11 Players 3 Players 2 Players 16

Almost all of the first place flight winners in every flight played at least 15 or more rounds.

One important point, handicap is calculated at about your best 25 percentile – it is the about the average of the best 50% of your history. So matching or just beating your handicap can be a 10% to 20% event. Beating your handicap significantly – more than 5 or 6 points could be a 1 or 2% event.

Winning a flight once or twice a year is likely. Winning three or four times per year is very unlikely. Reduced competition, fewer players, course conditions, weather, will all be factors that influence who is winning and the winning scores.

What scores does it take to win a flight?

To win or place in your flight you will usually have to play better than your course handicap for the tees played.

Net Scores – Rating and Flight Placement
Net Score
– Tee/Course
Rating
1st Place – All Flights -0.8
2nd Place – All Flights 1.2
3rd Place – All Flights 3.5
4th Place – All Flights 4.1
5th Place – All Flights 5.3

To take 1st place in any flight, on average your net score would have to be about 1 stroke better that the course rating. Example – with a course rating of 68.8 a net score of 68 would put you close to winning. A net score of 64 would give you a very good chance of placing first.

Scores of 70, 72, 73 and 74 would give you an “average” chance of placing in 2nd through 5th place respectively. This placement is more competitive and you will usually need to be 2 to 4 strokes lower to really be competitive.

But we know that flights A – D have different competition. Looking only in 1st or 2nd in the different flights the competition is tougher.

Flt Net Score
– Tee/Course
Rating
1st Place A -1.3
B -1.0
C 0.4
D 2.7
2nd Place A 0.0
B 0.3
C 3.7
D 6.4

Essentially scoring a 1st place in A, B and C flight requires a net score about 1 to 4 strokes LOWER that the course rating. Example – a net score of 67 vs a course rating of 68.5 gives an “average” chance to win (68.5 course rating – 1.3 = 67.2). Getting to a net score pf 65 would be more likely to win.

2nd place in A or B flight would require about 68 or lower (68.5 – 0.0).

By contrast, D flight winners and 2nd place in D and C flights can be higher that the Course rating and still win. Why? Division 1 D flight frequently has low attendance. Fewer players, less competition, and higher scores will win. Flight C also has a little lower attendance and more variability in players skills week to week.

 

 

2018 Season Started – Pace Information

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The new season is now officially underway.  All our 18 hole divisions (Div 1-5) completed the first tournaments.

Scores for Division 3, 4, and 5 are in.  Div 1 and 2 are in the mail.  Check out the top scores at OurGolfStats – CLICK HERE

We also have our first Pace of Play results for Div 1-4.

Generally we are doing well.  We did have a few groups that fell behind and slowed groups behind.

We will continue to measure Pace of Play.  Our targets are 4:30 pace with less that 15 minute finish gap for each group. Most groups already finish with less than a 10 minute gap.  Your Division VP will be able to help groups that are having problems.  Groups or individuals who are frequently “slow” will be warned and asked to improve.

Start Gap and Finish Gap are important indicators.  Div 3 had an average Start Gap of less than 7.7 minutes for 34 tee groups.  Other divisions averaged 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Taking a minute or two to each tee off simply delays everyone behind.  Adding 1 minute to each start tee off can delay the last groups’ start time by 15 to 20 minutes.

Almost everyone should be able to start their round about 8 minutes after the group ahead.

Please be at the start tee box ready to get started as soon as the group ahead moves off.  Start your tee off as soon as it is safe to hit.  Have everyone in your tee group ready to hit.  Don’t make the groups behind wait for you.

Division 1 at Incline Village.  We started with good weather, but had a 30 minute lightning delay.  We had only 19 tee groups (about 70 players) – due to lower headcount in Div 1 and distance to the course.  Adjusting for the delay and restart sequences, the pace was about 4:31, with the fastest group in at 4:20.  Start gap and finish gap both averaged 8.8 minutes.

Division 2 at Emerald Greens.  Strong turnout at 26 tee groups, about 100 players. Pace averaged 4:31, lead by about 10 tee groups in the front who finished in 4:15 to 4:20.  Unfortunately there were 6 tee groups, mostly  starting on the front nine who had big finish gaps – between 17 to 23 minutes.  Later groups who started on the front finished about 30 minutes slower than the late groups who started on the back nine.  Only one group finished over 4:50.  Start gap averaged 8.6 minutes, but finish gap was 10.7 minutes – indicating that the later groups were falling behind.

Division 3 at Aberdeen.  With excellent weather we again had a huge turnout – 34 tee groups, 130 players.  Average time was 4:38, a great time for this many groups.  Last year we had 4:31 average pace. The fastest group was 4:26.  Three groups finished between 4:50 – 4:53, two of these immediately followed the only group with a large finish gap > 15 minutes. Start time gap was 7.7 minutes and the finish gap was 8.1 minutes.

Division 4 at Wentzville. Turnout was strong with 31 tee groups, about 120 players.  Average pace was 4:38, again a good time.  Start time gap was 8.7 minutes average – groups were a little slower getting started.  Finish time gap averaged 9.4 minutes.  There were 5 groups with Finish gaps over 15 minutes.  The fastest group was finished in 4:20.  Unfortunately three groups finished over 4:50 and they did slow the groups following.

Division 5 – Data not yet available.

Smartphone Scorecard Aid APP for 2018

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Looking for the right tee choices (forward/back with colors) for the weekly tournaments?

Want to make sure you have the right member names and numbers for scorecards?

We have a smartphone app for that!

It will work for any smartphone (or tablet or PC) with internet access.  You simply go to the division form webpage and the form pots up.  No apps downloaded.  No security issues. It works great with a touch screen.

You simply select the course and number of players.  You can then select each player (for name and number) and the selected tees for the outing.  This is a simple “lookup” form.  You will still fill out and submit the paper scorecards.

This type form will be the basis for our future electronic scorecards.  One form for each 18 hole division (Divisions 1 – 5) with the most recent player listing, courses and tees.

This version DOES NOT have scoring.  You do not have to complete the form or submit any data.

However, this is a start to get you used to using the mobile data platform.  When we add scoring, you will already be comfortable with the form.

This form does allow information on starting groups (Tee Sequence Number) and Start and Scorer Times.  We will be testing this for pace of play logs.

Want to see it?  Sure you do!

Simply click on the following links for each Division.

Division 1          https://enketo.ona.io/x/#pzyD

Division 2          https://enketo.ona.io/x/#pzUv

Division 3          https://enketo.ona.io/x/#pzUT

Division 4          https://enketo.ona.io/x/#pzUM

Division 5          https://enketo.ona.io/x/#pzUX

You can access it on you smartphone by copying the same link to your smartphone browser.

Note: Select 2, 3, or 4 players to get 2, 3, of  4 players selections respectively.  This keeps the form shorter.

Also, if you complete the form including the Start and Finish Times, you can submit the form and the data can be added to our Pace data.

Finally – I will be forming the Mobile Scorecard Committee soon to start testing of the full scorecard form.  This will include collecting and submitting real scores for outings in test mode.

Want to Help?  Contact me – david.l.wicks@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Member Book Now Available Online

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Members, new and old, we had higher than expected turnout at the Membership Meeting last week.  Thank you for coming!

Unfortunately, we ran short of the Member Book.

Good News!  We have printed more copies and you can pick yours up at your first weekly tournament.  These have been delivered to your Division VP.

Better News!  We have a complete copy of the Member Book now available on this website as a PDF file. This copy will be updated for changes as needed during the season.  You can view the book from your PC or smartphone at any time.  You can download it for your PC or smartphone.  You can also print it all or page by page using your PDF viewer controls.  See Below.

This has everything in the print version including Starter/Scorer Instructions, Special Events information, Close To Pin and Tee information, and schedules.

Wallet /Credit Card sized schedule is the last 2 pages of the book are a special printable wallet schedule for each division including Special Events.  If you have a duplex printer (prints on 2 sides of paper) you can print it directly and cut out your division.  If not print 2 pages and attach front and back.

So all I really want to print is the wallet schedule!   Here it is – 2 pages, print on both sides is you have a duplex printer.  

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Member Book 2018 for Viewing or Download

Download (PDF, 663KB)

 

Special Events Handicaps Explained

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Special Events handicaps are “challenging”.

Fair handicaps that allow enough separation to rank finished scores over a wide range of formats, team sizes, and player skills are the goal.

The Special Events Committee has settled on some methods that should be as fair and accurate as possible.  These follow recommendations from USGA.  Plus we use your most recent handicaps from our regular weekly tournaments,

Want to know more – Click here

This is now a page on our menu for Special Events.

More questions?  Make your comments and we will get you an answer.

Close to Pin Selections for Special Events

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Here are the selected CTP holes for Special Events and the Association Championships.  These are chosen to match our target distances / difficulty for both the forward and back tee locations for each course.  These have been reviewed by the Special Events and Tournament Committees with cooperation from the Handicap Committee.

The Event Leaders and Special Events Chair have the final authority for selection of tees at the Event to adjust for course or event conditions.

Special Events and Championship CTP Holes 

Download (PDF, 34KB)