Hi there Ladies!  I hope this message finds you and your family all safe and healthy.  This is such a crazy time we are going through right now!  And if you are anything like me ... I was counting down the days until the season golf festivities would begin.  Unfortunately, everyone is having to make necessary changes to their plans.  So now it's our turn.  I have received numerous questions about what our plans are for the league and the social.  After much deliberation with the board and Mike at Sun Hills, this is the plan: 

• Due to the social distancing that is currently needed, there will be no icebreaker tournament, no social, no dinner, and no meeting at this time.  We will have the dinner and meeting part of it when things calm down and it's safe to do so.
  
   
• The golf league will officially begin on April 8th instead of the 15th.  So instead of beginning with the icebreaker, we will just start the league on the 8th.  So make your own tee times and go have some fun!  Being outdoors with friends, golfing is good for our mental state and also pretty safe.  Just stay in groups of four or less.  :)
  
   
• A new POD schedule will be posted to the blog and put up at the course.  There will also be a sign put up at the check in desk, reminding you of the specific play of the day for that day.  In addition, you spoke and we listened, there will be more of a variety of plays of the day, and a few less putting ones. 
  
   
• Your opening social gift will be available for pick up at the front desk on the first day you play league.
  
   
• You will also have the option to sign up for the ringer book.  The cost to join the ringer is $5, which will be due at time of signup.  The ringer starting date will be May 6th.  Jan will keep track of it for three weeks or so, until everyone has been out at least once.  Then it will be available in the clubhouse for you to update each time you play.
  
   
• We also need you to respond to this email with a YAY or a NAY on the following proposed change:  We propose that Tuesday be designated as an optional day to play for the league.  What that means is that if you cannot play on Wednesday of a specific week, for any reason, you can play the Tuesday before and it will still count as league play.  However, those who play on Tuesday will not get a chance to play for closest to the hole that week.  You will need to make your own tee time and you must play with another member of the league.
  
  
  In addition to those things listed above, there is a new World Handicap System that is being implemented this year.  And I'll admit, if you aren't used to playing in tournaments, and figuring out stroke holes, it might be a bit hard to understand, but I'll do my best to explain it.  We were actually going to have Karen Gardiner give us a quick seminar at the opening social, to help everyone understand it a bit better.  Karen Gardiner is on the UGA Board of Directors, and she is actually joining our league this year,  But since we are not having our opening social right away, that isn't going to be a possibility.  So I will sum it up as best I can.  If you have questions when figuring it out, please don't hesitate to ask one of us, Mike, or someone at the golf course for help. 
  
   The good news is that for new players to our league, they have until May 27th to get their handicaps established.  Because of that, none of our Plays of the Day will have anything to do with handicap so you won't have to figure anything out right away. 
  
   But from June on, we will be using handicaps.  So here goes: 
  
   Jan will have a handicap posted at the golf course for everyone to see.  Handicaps will actually change daily now, but that would be impossible for us to keep up with.  But we will change the listing of handicaps each week.  The handicap listed at the course, will be your Course Handicap, so that is the one you will use. 
  
   With the new handicap system, the maximum score for each hole played is limited to a net double bogey - which is equal to Par of the hole + 2 strokes (double bogey) + any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on that hole based on their course handicap.
  
   For example, a player with a course handicap of 12 is entitled to one additional stroke on the 12 hardest holes.   So on a par 4 hole, which is ranked the 2nd hardest hole, the player would receive a stroke on that hole.  So the players maximum score allowed for that hole would be 4 (par) + 2 (double bogey) + 1 (handicap stroke received) = 7.  So for the adjusted score, the player could only take a 7 on that hole.  This will be different for each person. 
  
  Please don't be overwhelmed .... I'm overwhelmed enough for all of us.  We will get this figured out and soon it will be second nature.  :)  If you have trouble figuring it out, just ask someone for help.
  
   I hope this letter answers any questions you may have.  If you have any further questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out!  Stay safe and healthy and we'll see you soon!  (And don't forget to respond with a Yay or a Nay about the Tuesday play.  It is a change we'd really like to pass, but just need votes to get it through)

            Karen Mitchell