Members,

Hope you’re getting excited for the new season.  The first EMGA Board meeting of the year will be held on Thursday, 20 February, 0900, at the EGC Clubhouse.  All members are encouraged to attend but not mandatory.  In addition to Board meetings held throughout the year, we will have three General Membership meetings in 2025 (22 May, 31 July, 18 September).

The agenda for the Board meeting is below.  If you’re not attending but want to comment, please send them to me at [email protected].

Are you ready for the new season?  Have you paid your annual fees, due 1 March 2025, and any other optional fees for the season-long tournaments (Match Play, Ringers, or Ike Cup)?  If you haven’t you can pay for them by mail or drop your check into the EMGA box in the men’s locker room.

Annual Dues: $80

Optional fees:

Match Play: $10

Blue Ringers: $5

Silver Ringers: $5

Ike Cup: $5

Mail To:

John Hayes

5190 Farmingdale Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80917

Proposed Agenda for 20 February 2025 EMGA Board Meeting for 2025 Season

1. Policies review

                a.  Constitution

                b.  Code of Conduct Policy

                c.  Pace of Play Policy

                d.  Terms of Competition

2. Calendar review

                a.  Schedule of competition events (tournaments, OPCs, H/As, etc)

                b.  General Membership meetings

                c.  Meals

                d.  Junior Golf

3. Financials

4. Rules and Handicap updates

5. Website update

6. Any other business

Thanks, and looking forward to seeing everyone.  Take care.

Larry Walker, President

EMGA

FORE!

Our Rules Leaderboard has had a bit of a shake-up.  Q2 proved to be a difficult one with 43% of respondents getting it incorrect.  About 10% of our membership have responded thus far on the two questions.  Q3 is an easy one with everyone having a 50/50 chance of getting it correct! 

Rule 19.  Unplayable Ball

Here are your options for when you find your ball Unplayable.

There are three options when taking relief from an Unplayable lie anywhere on the course except when in a Penalty Area.  They all incur a 1-stroke penalty. 

1. Replay under Stroke and Distance
2. Drop as far back on a line to the flagstick from where the ball lies
3. Lateral relief. Drop within 2 club lengths from where the ball lies

When in a Bunker, you have the same three options, all with 1 penalty stroke. However, Options 2 and 3 require you to stay within the bunker.

If you want relief out of the bunker, then you must use Option #2, but that incurs a 2-stroke penalty. 

Here’s a link that shows how it is done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KYoSvWx3MI

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Rules Refresher Quiz #2

Q2. Which is correct regarding a penalty area?

Correct answer:  “a”

a. A ball appears to lie in the general area, but overhangs the edge of the penalty area; the ball is in the penalty area.  (Ref 17.1a Answer is straight from the definition)

“b” is incorrect since the ball is inside the penalty area even if it is off the ground.  Penalty areas edges extend above and below the ground.  Definition of Penalty Area.

“c” is incorrect since Rule 17.1e(1) states that you must take Penalty Relief if the ball lies inside a No Play Zone that’s within a Penalty Area. 

And the winner of Q2 is….Terry Bennett!

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Rules Refresher Quiz #3

Q3.Yellow penalty areas have two relief options; red penalty areas have three relief options. (Ref# 79)

True or False?

We’re back with a Happy Gilmore themed ball marker for the Q3 prize.

Hit’em straight and not too often,

Tom McKernan

Rules and Handicaps

Welcome all to the 2025 EMGA season.  We are again offering the Adidas Performance Polos for EMGA members.  Your choices are the Red, White or Blue Polos for the Home and Away matches.  In addition, we will have the Collegiate Green and Black Polos and the Ottoman White/Grey Stripe Polo.   Projected Cost: $50-$55 (See Attached Photos)

Note: The logo arrangement will change this year. (See Attached)

1. “EMGA” on the front chest and the Eisenhower logo on the sleeve  

Or

2. The new EMGA Logo on the chest                         

To order: SUSPENSE 14 Feb 2025

– Send me an email, Provide your name, size (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL), color and quantity of each.   

– No money will be collected until shirts are shipped/available.   

Questions: Contact Don Becker

Email [email protected] or call me at 719 351-6444 (Cell)

FORE!

We’re not done with Penalty Areas just yet.  Results from our first rules question and our next one is below.

But first this Public Service Announcement:  Eisenhower GC is hosting a CGA Rules Seminar on 27 Mar, 0800-1200, cost is $20.  Register here:  https://coloradogolfassociation.regfox.com/2025-rules-of-golf-seminar-eisenhower

Rule 17 Penalty Areas.

What’s the difference between red and yellow penalty areas?

Only one itty, bitty, thing: there is NO lateral relief from a Yellow Penalty Area.

First, you can always play it as it lies from within the penalty area with no penalty. When you play it as it lies out of a red or yellow penalty are, note that you can ground the club, remove loose impediments, and even remove movable obstacles. 

So, if no Local Rule Drop Zone is in effect, there are two 1-stroke penalty options when taking relief from a Yellow Penalty Area. 

1. Replay under Stroke and Distance
2. Drop as far back as you want on a line to the flagstick from where the ball last crossed the edge

There is a nice picture of these two options in your USGA Rules of Golf, see Rule 17,  Diagram #1 17.1d: Relief for Ball in Yellow Penalty Area.

Here’s a link that recaps both the Red and Yellow Penalty Area relief options.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Br6WklZdIuo

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Rules Refresher Quiz #2

Q2. Which is correct regarding a penalty area?

a. A ball appears to lie in the general area, but overhangs the edge of the penalty area; the ball is in the penalty area.

b. A ball, inside the vertical edge of the penalty area, lies off the ground in a small bush that is rooted in the penalty area; the ball is not in the penalty area.

c. A ball lies in a no play zone in a penalty area; the player may not play the ball as it lies but must either take free relief inside the penalty area or outside the penalty area under the penalty area relief Rule (17.1d).

Prize:  The Legend Has Retired (See attached)

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Rules Refresher Quiz #1

Q1. In stroke play, a player accidentally steps on and moves their ball-marker on the putting green. What is the ruling?

a. No penalty

See Rule 13.1d(1). Corrective action is to replace it to its original spot or best estimate.

Many thanks to the 17 that responded and congratulations, all answered Q1 correctly.  And the winner of the hat clip and “It’s All in the Hips” ball marker is…Ken Pearson.

Hit’em straight and not too often,

Tom McKernan

Rules and Handicaps

Here it is with our updated 2025 EMGA email Banner

Dear EMGA Members,

Please find attached the 2025 Eisenhower Golf Club (EGC) Tournament Guide; all tournament registrations will be open on March 1^st at 0700 hrs. You can sign-up through Golf Genius on the Eisenhower App or Website. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding any of the tournaments.

Regards,

Josh Rodrigue-Bailey, PGA – Head Golf Professional

Eisenhower Golf Course – 3169 Golf Course Road

United States Air Force Academy, CO 80840

O: (719) 333-2606 ext.1001 – P: (307) 701-2005

FORE!

Happy New Year to all! 

As I said last year:

“A New Year holds such promise…a better swing, straighter shots, a smoother putting stroke, a lower score.  Well, I can’t help you if your swing looks like Charles Barkley’s, your shot trajectories are like today’s politics, hard left and hard right, or your putting stroke looks more like a muscle spasm.  But I can help you lower your scores but getting you to better understand the Rules of Golf.”  

Remember those rules refreshers from last year?  We’ll revisit those AND add a chance for you to win a prize. 

I’ll republish our refreshers from last year (I’ll verify the video links are still good) but I’ll add a one question contest with each one.  The question will be from the USGA Rules of Golf BASIC quizzes. To make it a little more challenging, I won’t guarantee that the questions will be related to the same refresher topic. Those that reply to me with the correct answer before I send out the next refresher will be in the drawing for this hat clip and ball-marker (see attached photo).  

Speaking of ball-markers, the first question is:

In stroke play, a player accidentally steps on and moves their ball-marker on the putting green. What is the ruling?

a. No penalty

b. One stroke penalty

c. General Penalty

d. Disqualification 

****************** 

Rule 17 Penalty Areas.

Here are your relief options for when you find your ball within a Lateral Red Penalty Area.

First, you can always play it as it lies from within the penalty area with no penalty.

There are four penalty options when taking relief from a Red Penalty Area.  They all incur a 1-stroke penalty. 

1.     Lateral relief. Drop within 2 club lengths of where the ball last crossed the edge

2.     Drop as far back on a line to the flagstick from where the ball last crossed the edge

3.     Replay under Stroke and Distance

4.     If the course has the Local Rule E-1 Dropping Zones in effect, you may drop in a designated Drop Zone.

Here’s a link to see it done properly:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTTfXcEm5sk

Hit’em straight and not too often,

Tom McKernan

Rules & Handicaps

Members,

The last OPC of the season, 14 November,, has been canceled due to snow.  And as things go the OP/OPC 2024 season is completed.

We thank you all for participating and hope to see you next year for the weekly OPCs.

Final thought is we do have opportunities for volunteers to get everyone off the first tee.  Thanks to this year’s volunteers.

Your OPC Committee

Ron Black, John Henninger, Larry Walker

Members,

This is an update to the 5 Nov email sent about the upcoming 2025 dues and fees.

The annual dues will be increased from $75 to $80.  The additional $5 per member increase is to cover the Golf Genius software per our agreement with the EGC.

Breakout:

Annual Dues:  $80

Optional Fees:

Match Play:  $10

Ike Cup:  $5

Blue Ringers:  $5

Silver Ringers:  $5

Open Play Competition (OPC):  Pay as you play cost ($5 to $6)

If you are planning on doing it all, it will cost $105.00.  Again, please send your check to our treasurer:

John Hayes

5190 Farmingdale Drive

Colorado Springs, CO  80917

Thanks.

Larry Walker, President EMGA