Golfers Tee Times 2008 Winter Edition

USGA announces Important Rules Changes

Beginning January 1, 2008, a golfer will be allowed to lift a ball for identification in a bunker or water hazard. However, there now will be a two-stroke penalty for playing a wrong ball from a hazard. In match play, the penalty will be loss of hole.

“There are a number of reasons for this significant change that will allow a player to lift a ball in a hazard for identification,” said James T. Bunch, Chairman of the USGA’s Rules of Golf Committee. “First, there are already several Rules, such as Rules 5-3 (Ball Unfit for Play) and 22-2 (Ball Interfering with Play), that allow or require a player to lift his ball from a hazard, so the idea of lifting and then replacing a ball lying in a hazard is nothing new.

“Second, this provision will eliminate many difficult and unfortunate situations that occurred under the present version of Rule 12-1. For example, there is the case of a player who finds a ball in a hazard that may be his, and he then hits it out of bounds, without ever really knowing whether it was his ball. Third, there is the general principle that the elimination of one large exception from the Rules will only lead to a more consistent and understandable code.”

Another notable change is the reduction in penalty in Rule 4-1 for carrying, but not using, a non-conforming club from disqualification to, in stroke play, a penalty

The penalty for the accidental deflection of a ball by a player, his partner or either of their caddies or equipment under Rule 19-2, will be reduced to one penalty stroke in both match play and stroke play. (In 2007, the penalty was loss of hole in match play and two strokes in stroke play.)

Women in Golf – Expanding the horizons for women - By Andrea Stuart

In the golf world, the 21st century has seen big changes not only in equipment and apparel, but also what was once a male-dominated enclave, has evolved into a new environment.

As women become increasingly interested in golf – both for family/personal reasons or for business – the more savvy organizations and country clubs are understanding the changing times and adopting their facilities to accommodate the changes.

>In 1991, the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWG) was established to provide opportunities for women to learn, play and enjoy golf for networking and social purposes. Currently there are nearly 20,000 members in 120 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

New Jersey has three of its own chapters – Northern NJ (www.ewgannj.org), one of the largest chapters in the country, Central New Jersey (www.ewgacentralnj.org), and Southern New Jersey (www.ewgasj.org). Each chapter holds tournaments, leagues and clinics for women throughout the golf season.

Over the years, the EWG has partnered with the PGA of America and Golf for Women magazine to provide an even greater awareness of women in golf through initiatives like Women In Golf Week.

Whether near home or traveling, an increasing number of women enjoy vacationing together with their families at golf resorts, and many prize their memberships at exclusive country clubs.

While the women’s participation on the golf course has taken several different forms - sometimes as a couple, family or individual, private country clubs are opening their doors and providing new experiences in which women can play a central role.

“Women want to play with their husbands – especially couples that are just starting retirement,” says Mark Vernon, Executive Director of Marketing and Member Services at Battleground Country Club in Manalapan. “ We are also seeing more women at the golf course who are wanting to play with their children, or use the club for business.”

Established in 1961, Battleground Country Club is situated on 220 acres next to the historic site of George Washington’s Continental Army’s victory over the British at the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. It is the dream of the small group of investors who have owned The Club since 1984 to make “the Battleground” the best full service country club in Central New Jersey.

Battleground is one of several clubs that has become women-friendly, as well as family-oriented. Since 2002, they have invested more than $15 million in renovations to its championship golf course, banquet facilities, locker rooms, swimming pool and state-of-the-art fitness center. They also plan to open a Spa in the near future. Memberships are open to everyone, and there are few restrictions on associate members or even juniors.

“Whether it be for pleasure or business, we can accommodate their needs,” continued Vernon.“Whatever they want to do as a family, they can now do together. It’s a family affair.”

The exclusive Ridge at Back Brook in Ringoes, NJ is a gender-neutral club. The brainchild of Joel and Pam Moore, The Ridge is one of the most acclaimed new county clubs in the state.

“Everyone is treated equal here – Our goal was to build a world-class, gender friendly private golf club,” said Joel Moore in a recent interview.

Such words from a golf club owner would have been non-existent only a few years ago, when women were fighting golf clubs with discrimination lawsuits.

“Policies at other clubs, such as men’s weekend tee times, don’t exist here,” Moore went on to say.

What a refreshing change from the philosophy heard so often at golf clubs all around.

Maybe it’s the beginning of a truly new generation in golf.

Jack Nicklaus - Simply the Best! - By Martin Davis

There have been many books written about the career of legendary Jack Nicklaus, but few are as informative and photographically outstanding as Martin Davis’ latest, Jack Nicklaus – Simply the Best!

Davis starts off the book with an overall tribute to Nicklaus’ many accomplishments. “Jack’s basic numbers are easy to remember. It’s just a straight arithmetic progression – 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 – as in one NCAA Championship, two U.S. Amateurs, three British Opens, four U.S. Opens, five PGA’s, six Masters and a member of seven winning Ryder Cup teams.”

From there, the book is basically divided into three sections, the first part filled with vignettes by some of Nicklaus’ better known on-course competitors, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson. Each speaks about the great respect that they have for Nicklaus, along with some his attributes, which really struck them.

“Jack was a different animal altogether, unlike anything I had ever chased” says Palmer. “It was uncanny how he could concentrate on the task at hand. I have never seen anyone who could stay that focused the way he did.”

Dave Anderson, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer from the New York Times, provides a lengthy biographical essay entitled “He Always Made the Putt (…Well, Almost Always).

Humorist Dan Jenkins talks about his “precautious” playing style, acknowledging his twenty second-place finishes in Majors. “Jack was first or second in 39 major championships. Think about that for a moment. How many more majors he might have won.”

“He had a way of knowing just how good he was and he never let his self-confidence, and often stubbornness, melt into arrogance,” adds broadcaster Jack Whitaker in his essay entitled “Always a Presence.”

The middle section of the book is filled with extensive photographs of Nicklaus’ swing and putting stroke, dating back to when he was 13 years old, with analysis by golf instructor Jim Flick.

The remaining two-hundred pages provides a complete reporting (both in writing and photos) of the major events in Nicklaus’ life, starting with the 1956 Ohio Open, and including his twenty major victories, a few misses, some team championships, his golf course design business, photographs from the Jack Nicklaus Museum and much more.

The finale comes with a 5-½ foot timeline of his life, folded into a two-page spread of Nicklaus being honored by the Ohio State University marching band during their football half-time tribute to him.

Between the well-written essays and more than 600 photographs, this coffee-table sized book is a “must-have” for any true historian of golf.

(Available at local books stores and also on-line. It is published by American Golfer, and retails for $60. It is the fifth book in a series on the world’s greatest golfers).

Barclays Classic (August 21-24, 2008) leaves Westchester for Ridgewood CC in New Jersey - Posted On Golfinnyc.com

The first event in the FedExCup playoffs is moving to Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey, leaving Westchester Country Club in New York. It will be the first time in 40 years that New York will not host a PGA TOUR event.

Under an amended agreement, The Barclays will return to Westchester at least once before between 2010 and 2012.

“As we have said before, we believe it is in the best interest of The Barclays to rotate among various venues in the New York area,” PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem.

The Barclays had been played at Westchester since 1967, but it moved from June to late August last year as the first of four PGA TOUR playoff events. It was the only playoff event that Tiger Woods did not play. The 2008 Tournamen dates are August 21-24.

The TOUR previously had said the 2009 tournament would be held at Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J.

Ridgewood, a 27-hole complex designed by A.W. Tillinghast in Paramus, N.J., previously hosted the 2001 Senior PGA Championship and the 1990 U.S. Senior Open, as well as the Ryder Cup in 1935.

Ticket and tournament information will be available on www.barclaysgolf.com.

Next Golfers Tee Time Edition March 2008