Newsletter

The Pairing List for the Find Your Swing Special Event has been posted to the Metro Seniors web site.

Attached is a new opportunity for golfers who are dealing with Parkinson Disease.  This clinic is free but space is limited to folks with PD.

This is not a charity golf program. It is a free service program for golfers with PD.  

REGISTER HERE and get mor information about APDA services and support here in St. Louis.

PD estimates are 1 to 2% of people in ages over 65.  Metro Seniors could easily have 10 to 20 members who are dealing with it directly.  This clinic could help them with their golf game and more.  

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) here in St. Louis provides FREE direct support and services to People With Parkinson (PWP) and their care givers and families.

If you or your family or a friend is dealing with Parkinson Disease, please suggest that they contact the American Parkinson Disease Association here in St. Louis. CLICK HERE

Please contact David Wicks, (david.l.wicks@gmail.com) for questions about this clinic, or any of the services provided by APDA.

Thanks to eagle-eyed Ken Hammond, an error to the summary (simplified) bunker rules was identified. Thank You Ken!

The original full rules in the Policies and Procedures were correct and have not changed.

The summary list is corrected on the rules summary page CLICK HERE

The complete set or rules is in the Policies and Procedures Addendum 4 CLICK HERE

The terms used here are very specific and affect the relief

UNPLAYABLE BALL – always requires a 1 stroke penalty, but your personal declaration.

An ABNORMAL CONDITION your ball could land in would be puddle in a bunker, a mud flat in a bunker, gully or no sand area. Your get a free drop (no penalty) in the bunker if there is a playable area in the bunker. If there is absolutely no playable spot in the bunker, you get a free drop outside the bunker (Back On The Line).

UNPLAYABLE BUNKERS – if the bunker is completely unplayable or if Course or DVP declare bunkers to be unplayable, you get a free drop outside the bunker (Back On The Line) – you still have to play across the bunker.

Note – for the most part we follow USGA rules. We define our exceptions in Addendum 4. Our exceptions are recognitions of our members seniors status, our needs for pace of play, and that we want fair, competitive and fun play.

Revisions to Policies and Procedures – Addendum 7

Addendum 7 – Metro Plus has been updated to reflect our current procedures for 2025.

The only major revision during 2024 was increasing the flight prizes by increasing the flights from 3 to 4. The position prizes remained the same for all flights.

Other changes were minor – primarily language edits.

You can and should read the procedural details for Metro Plus.

CLICK HERE for a PDF version of the Metro Plus procedure.

We revised and clarified some rules of play for 2025. This is a brief summary. For more details CLICK HERE. For the full details on our rules – CLICK HERE There are links to examples.

WRONG BALL

Any player hitting a WRONG BALL is now required to take a 1 stroke penalty. In addition, if your ball was hit (WB) by another player, you may be allowed relief from declaring a Lost Ball.

All this can be TOTALLY ELIMINATED if everyone marks their balls AND pays attention to identify their ball BEFORE hitting.

BUNKER Relief

We clarified all the options available for relief (free drops and penalty relief) in bunkers for unplayable balls, abnormal conditions in the bunker, completely unplayable bunkers, or if you simply don’t want to play out of a bunker (2 penalty strokes).

Back-On-The-Line Relief – Penalty Areas, OB, and Abnormal Conditions

In many cases dropping the ball withing 2 club lengths from where the ball crossed the boundary of Out of Bounds or Penalty area will work well for penalty, OB and abnormal conditions

However, Back-On-The-Line Relief (from the hole through the ball -going forward to the hole) is an important optional relief method for out of bounds, relief from penalty areas or abnormal course conditions.

THIS IS NOT LINE OF FLIGHT from the last stroke. LINE OF FLIGHT IS NOT/NEVER ALLOWED AS A RELIEF OPTION. This is a big source of confusion for many golfers.

Questions or comments and volunteers are always welcome.

If you are committed to getting the Rules just right, you can join us on the Rules Committee. Tell you Division VP. He will forward your name and interests.

The schedule for 2025 is now available.

CLICK HERE then open the schedule link.

Membership Renewals and Year End Prize checks

Total membership renewals are moving along well. Almost 400 members have renewed. We are expecting membership to grow a little.

Division 3, 4 and 5 – Renew before Jan 1.

Our Thursday divisions fill up fast. 3 and 4 are already over 110 renewed with a wait list of several members. Renewing members have priority for 2025 until January 1, 2025.

After Jan 1 we fill positions with new members. Renewals no longer have priority. If your division is full, we can transfer you to another.

New Members

We already have over 20 new members on the wait list.

Almost all joined to play with a friend or relative. Recommending Metro Seniors to a friend is BY FAR the source of our new members.

Share your fun with a friend – invite someone to join Metro Seniors. A newly retired co-worker or neighbor. Someone from one of your groups or clubs.

Metro Seniors makes it EASY to have a regular golf schedule at a variety of courses, with friendly and fair competition.

2024 Year End Prize Checks

Good news – almost 90% of the prize checks have cleared the bank.

The checks were mailed to arrive by Nov 1, but some were still being received and deposited last week. DEPOSIT YOUR CHECK PLEASE.

Only 2024 winners will receive checks – to see if you get a payout – CLICK HERE

If you have not received your check by early December, let me know – email – david.l.wicks@gmail.com. Please don’t email me if you are NOT on the payout list.