Spring Four Ball Qualifying Round
Steve Keegan and Dan Brennan combined for an unbelievable net score of 56 to lead all Spring Four-Ball qualifiers. Coming in 2nd, Bill McAlduff and Rob Justice were close behind scoring an equally impressive 59. Mike and Matt Champagne secured the final match play spot in a playoff over perennial contenders TJ Lombardini and Steve Jepsen.

Click here for qualifying results. View the match play tree here.

Ladies Division News:
On Wednesday, the 3rd annual “Swing into Spring” Clinic and Meet and Greet was held. For a change, the weather for it was fantastic. After an hour of golf instruction, the ladies enjoyed a social hour meet and greet in the dining room. Patty and the kitchen staff served up some delicious hors d’ouevres for the occasion. That was followed by an open MGA rules forum conducted by Kevin Eldridge, the Director of Rules and Competition for the Massachusetts Golf Association. The evening was fun and informative.

As the Ladies Golf Division kicks off the new season, we would like to remind everyone that ALL women members of any golfing level are welcome to join in the fun on Tuesday mornings. Just contact Joan Small, Eileen Flanagan, or simply call the Pro Shop to get involved. Next Tuesday (May 11th) is the opening Scramble and Luncheon. Sign up is in the women’s locker room. If you are unable to make the golf, consider joining the ladies for the luncheon. We would love to see you!

May 17 – Parent Son/ Daughter under 12 years
Bring the kids out for 9 holes of alternate shot. A perfect excuse to come to the club!

May 23 - 1-Day Member-Guest
Open to all members. Bring 1,2, or 3 guests. Entry Fee includes prizes, range balls and dinner. Shotgun start at 1 pm. Sign up in Pro shop. Field is limited to the first 60 players to sign up.

May 26 – Memorial Day Pro-Am
A-B-C-D teams by blind draw. Sign up on bulletin board. Open to regular members. If the field is not full, limited, intermediate juniors, and junior members can signup 1 week prior to the event.

Attacking Slow Play:
It seems pretty clear . . . “IN THE INTEREST OF ALL, PLAYERS SHOULD PLAY WITHOUT DELAY! If a match fails to keep pace and there is one clear hole in front, it MUST allow the match following to play through.” (from page 62 in the LGC Policy and Procedures 2014)

That does not sound like a suggestion. Please remember, when it comes to inviting faster groups to play through, simple common courtesy dictates it, the USGA rules of etiquette recommends it, and our very own LGC policies and procedures demands it.

Please allow faster players to play through.

The golf committee continues to work hard at addressing slow play at LGC. Awareness of the issue at the club has been front and center the past few years. As we gear up for a new season at LGC, it is a great time to review some ways to improve the pace of play and to build on some of the faster play momentum that has been created. Here are some thoughts on the matter.

It is important to note that many of these tips have nothing to do with rushing your play, but rather with simply being ready to play, and with using common sense and good etiquette on the course.

The bottom line is, when it is your turn to play, you should be ready to step right up and make the stroke.

• Choose the correct set of tees. Shorter is better, faster and more fun. We now have 3 sets of gender neutral tees from which to play. Quoting golf course architect Alice Dye, “Who wants to play two woods and a wedge to every hole?”
• Members of a group should not travel as a pack. Each member of the group should walk directly to his/her own ball.
• When two players are riding in a cart, drive the cart to the first ball and drop off the first player with his choice of clubs. The second player should proceed in the cart to his ball. After the first player hits his stroke, he should begin walking toward the cart as the second golfer is playing.
• Use the time you spend getting to your ball to thinking about the next shot
• Provisional ball. If you think you may be out of bounds or lost, play a provisional ball.
• Be ready to play your shot. Put your glove on, check your yardage, pick your club and line up your putt while others are playing. Begin reading the green and lining up putts as soon as you reach the green. Don't wait until it's your turn to putt to start the process of reading the green.
• Do not delay making a stroke because you're having a conversation with a playing partner.
• At the green, speed up your exit by positioning your bags on the way to the next tee. After putting out, leave the green quickly so the group behind can play.
• When leaving the green and returning to your golf cart, drive to the next tee and THEN put your putter away.
• Mark your scorecard after reaching the next tee.
• Play ready golf, where order of play is based on who's ready, not on who's away. When waiting on the tee for the group in front to clear the fairway, shorter hitters who can't reach the group ahead, should go ahead and hit.
• After a lag putt, go ahead and putt out if it's short and you won't be on another player's line. Marking and remarking adds a tremendous amount of time to the playing of a hole.
• Leave your cell phone in the car.
• Walk at a good pace between shots.
• Carry extra tees, ball markers and an extra golf ball in your pocket to avoid having to return to your golf bag to find one when needed.
• The first person to putt out should be responsible for picking up and replacing the flag in the cup when all are finished.
The following is a great rule of thumb when it comes to pace of play on the golf course: “Your position on the golf course should be behind the group ahead of you, not just ahead of the group behind you.”

Additional thoughts:
The 7th hole is a key choke point at the club. Here are a few things that add to that choke point:
- Stopping to talk to others on the putting green, 1st tee or clubhouse on the way to the 7th tee - Stopping for drinks or food - Stopping to use the facilities. (“Stopping” is the key word here.) Keeping your pass by the clubhouse to a minimum will help here.
- Using the safety light properly. If there is no one in the group behind you that can reach the green on their drive, use of the light is not necessary. If you cannot clear the hill with your drive, you can tee off before others in the group that can, even if the light is flashing.
- The light flashes for almost 6 minutes. Most groups should have putted out in less than 5, so please use the shut-off switch when leaving the green.

Final thoughts:
- Think of the golf course as a one lane highway. You can only play as fast as the slowest group on the course. In an ironic twist, when the course is full, the slowest group usually catches up with the slow play they themselves created.

As Al Czervik famously shouted to Judge Smails in the legendary scene from Caddie Shack, “. . . let’s go, while we’re young!” Even the USGA used that catch phrase in a national campaign last year to address pace of play.

Bag Tags Now Available
Please note, the new member bag tags have arrived. You can pick up your new personalized bag tag in the Pro Shop.

Also available for pick up in the Pro Shop are the Ouimet Scholarship bag tags for those members who have generously donated to that program through LGC.

Check Your Grips
This is the perfect time to check the condition of your grips. The dry winter months has undoubtedly taken its toll on them. Whether stored in the house, garage, or even worse yet, your car trunk, most grips are ready for replacement after the winter. I see many golfers who try to get some extended play with old worn out grips. Sometimes grip wear is hard to detect because it can be so gradual. The fact is, once the grips have worn out, more grip pressure is required to keep the club from slipping in your hands. This added grip pressure increases tension in the swing and does not allow for the proper release (rotation) of the hands and clubhead. Grip replacement . . . it might just be the first step in curing that dreaded slice!

There are some awesome new grips available this year. So bring your clubs by the shop sometime for a FREE grip evaluation. If new grips are in order, we can get them installed in 1 day.