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2020 Season Start Postponed to no earlier than June 1, 2020

Fun and fellowship are our mission.  However, the safety of our members, volunteers, and service vendors is our highest priority.  We are not willing to risk the health and safety of anyone during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The Executive Committee acting for your Board of Governors has established that Metro St. Louis Seniors Golf Association (MSLSGA) must postpone the start of our tournament season to no earlier than early June 1, 2020.  We have started planning for a shortened season.

Why?

1. We are in the highest risk category (60 to 90+ years old). Most would recover from an infection.  HOWEVER, we would be directly exposing hundreds each week to possibly serious illness up to 10% to possible death. Many more would be exposes indirectly – family and friends at home.
2. We must comply with Emergency Orders currently in place in Missouri and Illinois.
3. We must comply with policies implemented by each golf course to protect their staff and players (and us).
4. MSLSGA (all volunteers) do not have the capability to develop procedures and training for all members and volunteers to meet these new and rapidly changing requirements.
5. COVID-19 infections in late March are still in an early stage and expected increase in number. Continuing changes to rules, regulations, and risks are expected.

MSLSGA has started working with courses for a shortened season.  This includes our regular weekly tournaments, Special Events Tournaments and Metro Plus.

MSLSGA will continue to monitor the situation and as needed announce future changes via our website or email communications.  We are now redesigning for a shortened 2020 season. 

REFUNDS – Prepaid Events & Membership Dues:

For any prepaid events that are canceled, members will receive a refund per our refund policy.  For Special Events, these events may be rescheduled if time allows.  We will wait until June 1^st, to make those adjustments. Metro Plus members will receive a separate email with additional options. 

REFUNDS – MEMBERSHIP DUES

Members wishing to resign will receive a refund of member dues per our refund policy for either Division 1-5, Division 9, or Metro Plus dues.  We hope that most members will stay on board for the 2020 season.  We will evaluate changing in dues, or prize payout to adjust for any shortening of the tournament season. For Division 1-5, most of the dues are paid out as member benefits (flight prizes, CTP prizes, Hole-In-One, championship tournament, or handicap services). 

Many golf courses are remaining open for now.  Almost all of our scheduled courses have new written policies for safety for their staff and players.  Gathering sizes (10 people or less) and social distancing (6 feet separation) and stringent hygiene are key components.  Some are allowing one person per cart to maintain social distances.  Some are requiring online payment only.

You as an individual may choose to play golf safely.  However, it will be your responsibility to follow all requirements.  View the course policies (course webpage or Facebook page).  Contact the course to make sure you are informed.

Play only if YOU are satisfied it will be safe for all – you, friends, family and the course staff.

Larry Roth

President, Metro St Louis Seniors Golf Assn.

St Louis County Executive, Sam Page has issued an executive order for seniors 60 years of age or older that no meeting may be held with more than 10 people.   Our General Meeting scheduled for March 24^th at 1:00 PM is canceled.  The Executive board, Treasurer, Secretary and the VP’s will meet to discuss the upcoming 18-Hole season, starting April 9^th.  At this time the season will start on time. I will relay additional information to Division 9 VP after we meet.

After our meeting you will hear from the VP’s on how to obtain information and handouts that are usually available at the Division tables at the General Meeting.  Your wallet schedule, discounts cards, membership business cards, updates on Special Events, Metro Plus changes will be relayed to you by email.  It’s extremely important and you stay tuned and if you have questions, please contact your Division VP, the Special Events Chair, Metro Plus chair with additional questions after they meet.  Look for updates by March 26^th. 

These are difficult times that we are facing.  We need to work together as a group and remember to watch out for your fellow member.  Once we start play, we need to request, if you are not feeling well, have a cough, other negative symptoms that you may pass on to your fellow Metro Seniors members, to not come that day. Let’s err on the side of caution.  Any information that needs to be passed on, please contact your Division VP and inform them immediately. 

I look forward to seeing all of you on the golf course real soon

Larry Roth

President Metro St Louis Seniors Golf Association   

Life is about changes and adapting to them as they presented to us.  I have heard from many concerned Metro Seniors members regarding the upcoming General meeting on March 24^th and with what going on, why do we need to have it.  Generally speaking, I am someone who doesn’t worry much and I don’t get worked up when the media creates a “frenzy” about a topic, but this covid-19 virus is potential damaging to all of us, seniors over 60 for the most part. 

I would tell everyone to error on the side of caution.  If you are feeling ill, worried about what you may catch from another Metro Senior member, of just feeling uncomfortable don’t come the meeting.  I have shortened it somewhat.  No longer will we have St Louis Sportswear displaying our apparel, or Pro-Am selling golf equipment, and I have also decided to remove the Rules presentation that we had scheduled.

I will be meeting with the Executive Board and the Division VP’s to go over possible changes we may need to implement at our weekly golfing tournaments starting in April, so please read those emails and if  a friend of yours is in the group needs help, please get the message to them if necessary. 

The meeting will go on as scheduled and shouldn’t last more than 30 minutes.  For those of you who have been members for more than 1 year, most of what we discuss you already know and we will be relaying the same info to you from your division representatives.  New members, if you do not feel safe, all the information will be sent out by email to everyone in each division, so please monitor.  The meeting is scheduled for 1:00 PM sharp and at this time, I see no reason not to have it. 

This is something none of us know completely what the next step is.  As we are updated, I will update you.

Respectively Submitted,

Larry Roth

President

Metro St Louis Seniors Golf Association

The Metro St Louis Seniors Golf Association will hold its Spring General Membership meeting at Kirkwood Recreational Center on March 24^th 2020, located at 111 S. Geyer Rd. Kirkwood, Mo 63122.  The meeting will start at 1:00 PM sharp but there is so much going on I’d suggest you arrive by noon.

St Louis Sportswear, Metro Seniors apparel company will be displaying all our items that are available to order and have by the 2^nd week of the Metro Senior golf season.  Logo shirts, hats, golf towels and other items will be on display with instruction on how to order them and how to get them immediately.  Payment for these items is ONLY by credit/debit card.  The “store” will be open until March 31^st at midnight just in case you forget to bring your credit/debit card with you.

Pro-Am Golf Center will have for sale golf items that we use every time we play.  Balls, shoes, hats, clubs, and other items will be for sale at their table.  They take cash, check or credit cards for payment. 

If you haven’t signed up for a Special event, there is a table dedicated just for these outings.  Stop by, sign up and get involved.  If this is your first year in Metro Plus, stop by the table and introduce yourself to the committee.  They will have some handouts just for Metro Plus members that may of interest you.   

Make sure you stop by your division table, especially if this is your first year in Metro Seniors.  Introduce yourself to the Division VP, sign up for a starter/scorer if you haven’t done so, and pick up your wallet schedule & your Discount cards.  These cards may be used for various discounts at golf courses and shops.  The complete list of all participants may be found on the Metro Senior website under Member Resources/Metro Senior Membership Discounts.

At your Division table this year are Metro Senior business cards.  In the meeting we will explain how each of you can help us get more members in Metro Seniors with these cards.  One of the best ways to promote Metro Seniors is by word of mouth.  This form of advertisement will hopefully help us to gain more members.

Have you had your photo taken?  We would love to put a name together with a face.  Each of your handicaps may be found on Our Golf Stats, our handicapping service we use.  If you need instruction on how to use this service, check with your division VP.  There is so much information on Our Golf Stats link once you learn how to use it, you will be coming back frequently.   With photos we will be developing social media pages to promote Metro Seniors.  Soon we will be developing pages, groups, and links, because you provided us your photo. 

Our 2020 Rules presentation will be a part of this year meeting.  All those items you are been either hearing or reading about will be discussed.  I’m sure there is something each of us can learn that we didn’t know.

I encourage all of you to attend our Spring General Membership meeting and hope I will see you there. 

First Tee will be accepting donations this year again. They will be present before the General Meeting of Metro Seniors on March 24th at the Kirkwood Recreational Center. Their van/truck will be outside the facility by 12:00 PM.

First Tee will be accepting golf balls, gently used golf clothing and shoes, Junior Golf clubs and bags, and Golf Clubs that are less than 7 years old an in good condition. They are especially looking for brands, such as Ping, Callaway, Nike, Titleist etc.

Most of the adult clubs they receive cannot be used by our kids, so First Tee is looking for clubs that have some value that they can ship to their partner Swing ‘Em Again. They in turn give us money for those clubs and we use those funds to purchase new sets for our young golfers.

If you have items that you are no longer using please donate to First Tee and bring them with you to the meeting.

Metro Plus will not be accepting any more new members this year. We have reached our maximum number of 170. Renewals will start in November of 2017 and new members can register starting January 1st 2021 pending availability. Thanks to everyone who joined or showed an interest.

Effective immediately, unless otherwise noted, payment for all Metro Seniors Dues, Special Events registration and Metro Plus must be done with a credit/debit card or a check.  We will no longer take cash for payment.  With credit/debit cards or checks automatically a receipt is rendered.  We can track items better especially when refunds are in order. It’s a change we just need to embrace. 

Metro Seniors has partnered with St Louis Sportswear as our apparel outlet.  Currently we have over 12 shirt styles available with over 74 different color selections, 4 different hat selections and 2 golf towels.  Ordering is done thru an online store we have set up.  The store is open until March 3^rd at 11:59 PM to order items that you will receive before the March 24^th meeting to display to all of us in attendance.  You still have time to order.

Here is the link: https://metrostlouissrgolfassoc.itemorder.com/sale

Payment must be made by Credit/Debit card only and items may either be picked up at St Louis Sportswear 3615 Ridgewood St Louis, MO. 63116 on or after March 17^th or for a $10.00 fee, they will ship it to you house.

The store will open again soon.  Stay tuned for details.

We are good golfers who happen to be seniors.

PACE OF PLAY RESULTS FOR 2019

Pace of Play will be a continuing process for many years. There will always be a “slowest” group and a “slowest” round. Our goals are to keep those slowest groups below 4 hours 45 minutes and to have an average pace of play of about 4:30 across all courses, starts, and players.

• Tee groups and players playing at 4:30 or less are WONDERFUL!
• Tee groups that stay up with the group ahead (10 minutes or less separation) are GREAT!
• Tee groups that average 2:15 on each of front and back are ON TRACK!
• Tee groups that are running 15 minutes per hole or less are GETTING IT DONE!
• Slow groups are over 4:45 Pace AND are 15 minutes or more behind the group ahead (a hole empty ahead).
• If every slow group simply played 1 minute faster per hole, everyone would have a faster round, more fun and perhaps better scores!

Ready Golf is mostly eliminating time wasters between your golf shots.  Faster travel to the balls, Better cart management. Watching (and remembering) shots to eliminate ball searches.  Making your shots as soon as possible and safe – no “honors”, no “order”.

2019 RESULTS

Overall Pace of Play (POP) for 2019 over 10,000 rounds, all 18 hole divisions and courses was 4:31. It improved slightly over 2018 and a huge IMPROVEMENT over 2016 and earlier.

Pace in 2019 was especially challenging.

• Pace early in the season with wet and cold weather was slower than “normal”. Half of our slowest rounds were in April and early May and many of those were Path Only that slows pace by about 30 minutes. Several were also shotgun starts.
• Occasionally 1 or 2 slow groups playing early in a Tee Start held everyone back.
• With fewer shotgun starts and NO REVERSE SHOTGUNS we were able to improve pace as the season moved on.
• Challenging courses (long, blind shots, deep rough, hilly) especially when coupled with shotgun starts and wet or Path Only conditions.

• Being ready to play and staying aware are far more important than skill, age or physical capabilities in pace of play.

2019 had only 15% of events with average play of 4:45 of more, and over 1/2 of them were Shotgun starts and difficult courses.

All the data from 2018 – 2019 continues to show that an overwhelming majority of our members can and do play at pace between 4 and 4:30. All ages and physical and golf abilities have been playing quickly.

Unfortunately there is still a very small minority (less than 4%) of players and groups who are playing slower than our targets. Continued effort for these members and new members added for 2019 and beyond will be needed.

Each Division VP is the primary contact for his division’s Pace of Play. If you have issues or complaints especially about a slow group or player, please talk with your VP. In most cases the problems are known and action is already underway.

2020 Pace of Play Efforts 

This will be a continuing process for many years. Efforts for 2020 and beyond

• Reduced Shotgun Starts and Complete elimination of Reverse Shotgun
• Continue and improve Pace Log measurements
• Continue member education and encouragement
• Improve Weekly Tournaments operations

For more details by course, division, start type and more see below.

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