There is a General Membership Meeting for the Deer Valley Men’s Golf Club, next Tuesday April 26, 2016.

The Meeting is in Summit Hall A at the Palm Ridge Rec. Center.

Coffee and Donuts served at 8:00 AM, the Meeting follows at 8:30.

Membership meetings, with a quorum present, are required by our SCWRC charter.

Please come, meet your fellow club members and support your Club.

Drawing for Gift Cards!

In an attempt to address numerous complaints of SLOW PLAY during Deer Valley Men’s Golf Club play, the following recommendations are made to ALL Players:

1. With a decent Pace of Play, Bogey-plus golfers can traverse Deer Valley in 3 hours 40 minutes, or less. With a full slate of Players, 4 hours and 15 minutes is the MOST it should take our Club to finish a round.
2. The Pace of Play is the responsibility of ALL PLAYERS in a group. All it takes is ONE GROUP to back up the course.  Encourage each other to maintain a proper Pace of Play.
3. A proper Pace of Play is defined as maintaining a close gap with the group ahead of yours. (foursome-to-foursome from the same tees)
4. Please play Ready Golf at all times.      
   1. Drivers should drop off their passenger, with 2 clubs and sand, and proceed directly to their own ball and hit as soon it is safe.
   2. When hitting from the desert areas, take the 2 most likely clubs with you.
   3. If Players are looking for a lost ball behind you, hit your shot first, before helping the look.
   4. All groups will have a bad hole occasionally, when this occurs, wave the group behind you up while you recover.
   5. After hitting, carry your clubs to your next position before putting them in your bag.
   6. On the putting green, if players are raking a sand bunker, or walking up to the green, have another player tend the flag as you hit you lag putt.
   7. After putting out, leave the green promptly and drive to the next tee box before recording the scores.
5. Team Captains are encouraged to return to the Club House area immediately at the conclusion of their play. Please do not remain on the course to socialize or fill out your score cards.

If these recommendations do not improve the Pace of Play to a satisfactory level, action will be taken with chronically slow groups. The following policy was proposed by the DVMGC Board, to a quorum of the Club Membership, at the April 26, 2016, General Meeting and was approved by the Membership by a show of hands.

Since DVMGC plays from a shotgun start, if all groups maintain the proper Pace of Play, all of our groups should finish within 10-15 minutes of each other, depending on if they finish on a Par 3 or Par 5 hole, and how far from the Clubhouse they finish. Our Most Excellent Monitor, Patti, will be charged with tracking the chronically slow groups. (YOU know who you are!)

1. After a verbal warning, the group’s next round of Club Play will be on a YELLOW SCORECARD, as a visible reminder to maintain proper Pace of Play.

If a group playing with a YELLOW CARD does not improve the Pace of Play, they will be Disqualified for Next Weeks Play.

After the May 4 Club Play, Patti reported the following:

There were 24 groups in the 7:00 AM Shotgun, with 91 players. 

All the bags were in by 11:10am. 

8 groups were in before 11:00am.

The 11:30 PM Shotgun had 21 groups with 76 players. 

15 groups came in between 3:10-3:30PM. 

The remaining groups were in by 3:40PM. 

So all less than 4 hours 15 minutes. 

There was a group that was a few holes behind and the group behind politely requested they pick up the pace and the group did. 

Obviously, there are fewer Players than during peak months. But if we develop the culture of a good Pace of Play it will carry over when the snowbirds return again.

Thanks for the great effort.

Keep Up the Good Work!

Monthly Tournament for May is a Modified Stableford format.  It is individual Stroke Play with a Team component.  The Stableford format awards points based on your score for each hole.

A Bogey is ONE point; a Par is TWO points; a Birdie is THREE points; an or Hole-in-one is FOUR points.

All of these points are based on your GROSS score.  After the round, you will add your handicap to your accumulated points.  The sum of each players points & handicap is recorded as the TEAM SCORE.

This event will be posted as a Tournament Score, so be sure to mark your actual score and the points earned underneath it.

A Hot Dog / Brat Lunch will be provided with drink tickets, so the PM groups are encouraged to come early.

As we barrel-roll towards the Arizona Summer, it’s time to refresh your Personal Hydration Plan (PHP)!

We all learned in grade school Health class that our bodies are made up of about 75% water.  What they didn’t tell you is that as we have aged, our water content has dropped to 55-60% of our body weight.  Staying hydrated is even more important as we get older.  We all need a Personal Hydration Plan!

It’s a Dry Heat!

Arizona Summers can be killers, literally!  Even seasoned full timers with plenty of years here, should take heed.

The summer heat can do more than just get you dehydrated, there is a whole range of maladies from heat-cramps, to heat-exhaustion up to heat-stroke, a serious, potentially life threatening condition.  Exercising or playing in the high heat not only makes you lose water through sweat, but also drains you of salts, minerals and electrolytes.  As you deplete these essentials, you can experience muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea and confusion.  At this point, just drinking plain water may not be enough!

Please talk with your buddies and discuss hydration and hot weather play.  Someone getting dehydrated may not recognize he is getting in trouble.  Keep on eye on the rest of your group, if someone starts to act exhausted or dizzy; or starts to talk or behave erratically; step in and suggest they drink something and cool down a bit.  In serious cases, don’t be afraid to call the Golf shop or 911 for help.  Last summer we had several golfers taken to the hospital with heat related ailments.

We have restrooms and drinking fountains on all of our courses, use them to replenish your fluids and to wet a towel or cooling rag to keep your neck cool. 

Start drinking more fluids at home to build up a reserve before hitting the heat.  Drinking enough on the course that you have to use the restroom is a good idea.  The color of your urine can be a good indicator of your hydration level. (light color good, dark color bad)  

Carrying a small cooler with water and sports drinks is a great idea.  Just remember to fill your chest with ice AT HOME.  Save the ice machine just for filling your cup, don’t be an ICE HOG!

Be Prepared and Stay Cool!

The National Weather Service has issued an EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING through Thursday night, as West Valley temperatures reach near record levels.  All Deer Valley Men’s Club golfers, especially the PM groups, are urged to be vigilant of their group’s state of hydration. 

The summer heat can do more than just get you dehydrated; there is a whole range of maladies from heat-cramps, to heat-exhaustion up to heat-stroke, a serious, potentially life threatening condition.  Exercising or playing in the high heat not only makes you lose water through sweat, but also drains you of salts, minerals and electrolytes.  As you deplete these essentials, you can experience muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea and confusion.  At this point, just drinking plain water may not be enough!

Please talk with your buddies and discuss hydration and hot weather play.  Someone getting dehydrated may not recognize he is getting in trouble.  Keep on eye on the rest of your group, if someone starts to act exhausted or dizzy; or starts to talk or behave erratically; step in and suggest they drink something and cool down a bit.  In serious cases, don’t be afraid to call the Golf shop or 911 for help.  Last summer we had several golfers taken to the hospital with heat related ailments.

We have restrooms and drinking fountains on all of our courses, use them to replenish your fluids and to wet a towel or cooling rag to keep your neck cool. 

Start drinking more fluids at home to build up a reserve before hitting the heat.  Drinking enough on the course that you have to use the restroom is a good idea.  The color of your urine can be a good indicator of your hydration level. (light color good, dark color bad)  

Carrying a small cooler with water and sports drinks is a great idea.  Just remember to fill your chest with ice AT HOME. 

Save the ice machine just for filling your cup, don’t be an ICE HOG!

Hot Weather Slows Everyone Down,

Here’s 15 Ways to Play Faster Without Losing Your Cool.

1. Ditch your head covers! Taking them on and off is a serious time suck.
2. Mixed tee groups, players from the same tees should ride together.
3. After you tee off, move back towards your cart, you can watch from there.
4. Play ready golf! If it’s safe to hit, HIT IT.
5. First player to a Par 3 gets the yardage, and informs the others.
6. First player that hits on a Par 3, stands by with the sand to fill everyone’s divots.
7. Waiting? Take as many practice stokes as you want. Your turn to hit, you get one!
8. Hit it O.B., need a provisional ball? Always have a spare ball handy.
9. Balls on opposite sides of the fairway? Rider should be dropped off and driver proceeds to his ball. Once rider hits, he should start walking towards the green, until driver picks him up.
10. Two players in the same bunker? The last to hit rakes. The first to escape, marks and lines up their putt.
11. At the Green, the carts and any clubs carried to the green should be in the direction of the next tee.
12. If you have to walk back towards the tee, you are wasting time and holding up the group behind.
13. First person to putt out grabs the flagstick and waits to put it back. As others holed out, grab your clubs and move towards the cart.
14. Jokes and stories are best told while waiting. Once the fairway/green is open, hold the rest of the story until later.
15. Medical flags on carts are used by guys with trouble walking. They should NEVER be parked in front of the green, and please observe the 15 foot rule.

The July Tournament at the Deer Valley Men’s Golf Club will be a MOVE-UP SCRAMBLE!

White Tee Players will tee off from the GOLD TEES.

Gold Tee Players will tee off from the RED TEES.

Green Tee Players will stay at the GREEN TEES.

Foursomes must use each Players tee shot 4 TIMES.

Threesomes must use each Players tee shot 5 TIMES.

Usual Scramble Rules apply:

1).      All Players tee off from the Tee.  The best shot is selected, and all players hit from there.  The Scramble format is followed until the ball is in the cup, NO GIMME’s.

2).       Balls player through the Green can be placed ONE CLUB length from the selected ball, no closer to the hole.  Balls must be played from the same ground condition as the selected ball.  If it’s in the fairway, play from the fairway, if it’s in the desert, play it from the desert, etc.  Playing the subsequent shots can not allow for the escape from O.B.’s or Unplayable Lies.

3).      On the Green, balls may be place within ONE CLUB-HEAD length of the selected ball, no closer to the hole.

4).     The Team GROSS Score will be recorded on the score card.  Teams will be flighted by handicaps and 3-some/4-some.

5).      This will NOT be recorded for Handicap purposes.

The Month Tournament for August will be a scramble of 2-Man, or where necessary, 3-Man Teams.

On Wednesday 8/1, Please indicate on your white sign-up sheets in your pouch which players in your foursome want to be paired.  Otherwise, the Monitor will pair players.

Two-Man SCRAMBLE

1).        Four-somes will be (2) separate two-man teams. Three-somes will play as a three-man team.

a). Foursomes please indicate on your sign-up sheets how the teams are to be split.

b). Otherwise Monitor will decide team’s

c). Both (all three) players tee off, from their normal tees, as usual.

2).        ONE ball is chosen to be played next.  Both (all three) Players will hit from this spot.

3).        THROUGH THE GREEN, the ball can be played within ONE Club length of the original ball, no closer to the hole, but staying in the same type of ground.  Example:  Original ball on fairway, within ONE CLUB length on the fairway; Original ball in desert, within ONE CLUB length in the desert; Original ball in bunker, within ONE CLUB length in the bunker.  The ONE CLUB length CAN NOT be used to escaped out-of-bounds, a water hazard or an unplayable lie.

4).        ON THE GREEN, balls must be played within ONE CLUBHEAD length of the original ball’s position, no closer to the hole.

5).        Each Two-some Player’s DRIVE must be used 6 Times during the round.  All three-some Player’s DRIVE must be used 5 Times during the round.

6).        The GROSS SCORE on each hole is the Team Score. Teams will be flighted by 2 or 3 Players; and grouped by total combined handicaps.

Pebblebrook Golf Course will remain closed for the month of August while the bunkers get rebuilt.  During this time the Pebblebrook Men’s Golf Club will be sharing our facilities.  We will continue with our shotgun start format, but DVMGC and PMGC will alternate starting on the front nine and the back nine holes.

The ramification is that the course will be loaded in the AM and we could see round times creeping up.  Please be vigilant of your groups position on the course.

And, Remember, PATIENCE is a virtue!

Back by Popular Demand!

Our September Tournament will be a SHAMBLE!

No, it’s not a typo, it’s a SHAMBLE TOURNAMENT

1. A SHAMBLE is a type of golf tournament that combines elements of a Scramble with elements of regular handicapped Individual Stroke Play.
2. All Players tee off from their normal tees, No Moving Up.
3. As in a Scramble, The Best Shot is selected, the other balls are moved to that spot*, then its Individual Stroke Play until each member of the group has holed out. This repeats on each hole.
4. Please note for the SECOND shot only:
   1. *THROUGH THE GREEN, the ball can be played within ONE Club length of the selected ball, no closer to the hole, but staying in the same type of ground. Example:  Original ball on fairway, within ONE CLUB length on the fairway; Original ball in desert, within ONE CLUB length in the desert; Original ball in bunker, within ONE CLUB length in the bunker. From this point, the hole is played out at stroke play, with all members of the team playing their own ball into the hole.
   2. *ON THE GREEN, balls must be played within ONE CLUBHEAD length of the original ball’s position, no closer to the hole.
5. Once the Players ball is “In Play” after the SECOND shot, regular USGA Rules of Individual Stroke Play are in effect.
6. Each Player’s drive must be used at least 4 times.
7. Players will use their full current handicaps to figure their NET score for each hole.
8. The Lowest Two Net Scores will be recorded as the TEAM Score.

It’s that time again!

Time for our General Membership Meeting.

Tuesday September 27, 2016 in Summit Hall A at the Palm Ridge Recreation Center.

Coffee and Donuts at 8:00 AM, Meeting Starts at 8:30.

All Members are Invited.  Door Prizes!

At our General Meeting on Sept. 27th, Blayne Hobbs will be present to talk. 

Blayne is with Reid-West Golf Academy and is the teaching Pro at Deer Valley G.C.. 

Blayne still actively plays competitively, and has qualified for the Senior Section National Championship to be held in Port St. Lucie, FL on 11/17-20/2016. 

The top 35 players out of a field of 256 players will be eligible to play in the 2017 Senior PGA Championship.

This Pro Tournament has a substantial entrée fee, and several groups in SCW are trying to help him raise the money to enter. 

To raise funds for the entry fee, Blayne will be raffling off several lesson packages.  Tickets will be on sale at our breakfast; $5 per Ticket, 6 tickets for $20.

Please help support Blayne, with what can only be a dream opportunity! 

He will be raffling off the following lessons:

Five 30-minute lessons

Three 1-hour clinics, any subject, up to ten people

Two 3-hole Playing lessons

One full series of four 45-minute lessons.

Blayne has help several of our members raise their game to a higher level, and deserves our support. 

Over-seeding time is upon us.

Deer Valley Golf Course will be CLOSED from September 29 to October 17, 2016.

On October 5th and 12, the DVMGC will play at PEBBLEBROOK G.C.

Our Morning Shotgun will start at 7:00 AM; and the Afternoon Shotgun will start at 12:00 PM.

We will alternate the front/back nine holes with the PMGC.

Our October Tournament on 10/12 will be a Team Scramble.

When DVMGC returns to Deer Valley, our start times will advance to 7:30 AM and 12:00 PM.

Remember for a short time after we return, the turf will be tender and it will be CART PATH ONLY!

DVMGC will have a new tournament format in October.

It’s called “Second Shot Bingo”

It’s based on the SCRAMBLE format with a twist!

FOURSOME RULES

PRIOR TO TEEING OFF the Captain will assign each Player a Position. i.e. “A”, “B”, “C” or “D” for Foursomes.

All Players tee off on the hole, The Captain choses the best ball for the SECOND SHOT.

On the 1st Hole, ONLY the “A” player hits the SECOND SHOT. (and on the 5^th, 9^th, 13^th holes)

On the 2nd Hole, ONLY the “B” player hits the SECOND SHOT. (and on the 6^th, 10^th and 14^th holes)

On the 3rd Hole, ONLY the “C” player hits the SECOND SHOT. (and on the 7^th, 11^th and 15^th holes)

On the 4^th Hole, ONLY the “D” player hits the SECOND SHOT.  (and on the 8^th, 12^th and 16^th holes)

On the THIRD SHOT, if needed, all players will hit from that spot where the SECOND SHOT finished.  The Captain picks the best ball, and all players hit from there.  Repeating the Scramble format until ball is holed. 

Foursomes- Each Player’s Drive Must be used at least 4 times.  On Your Team’s LAST TWO HOLES the Captain choses who will hit the SECOND SHOT. (Cannot be the same player for both)

The resulting Gross Score for the hole will be reported as the TEAM SCORE.

THREESOME RULES

PRIOR TO TEEING OFF the Captain will assign each Player a Position. i.e. “A”, “B” or “C”.

All Players tee off on the hole, The Captain choses the best ball for the SECOND SHOT.

On the 1st Hole, ONLY the “A” player hits the SECOND SHOT. (and on the 4^th, 7^th, 10^th and 13^th holes)

On the 2nd Hole, ONLY the “B” player hits the SECOND SHOT. (and on the 5^th, 8^th, 11^th and 14^th holes)

On the 3rd Hole, ONLY the “C” player hits the SECOND SHOT. (and on the 6^th, 9^th, 12^th and 15^th holes)

On the THIRD SHOT, if needed, all players will hit from that spot where the SECOND SHOT finished.  The Captain picks the best ball, and all players hit from there.  Repeat Scramble format until ball is holed.

Threesomes-Each Player’s Drive Must be used at least 5 times.  On Your Team’s LAST THREE HOLES the Captain choses who will hit the SECOND SHOT. (Cannot be the same player)

The resulting Gross Score for the hole will be reported as the TEAM SCORE.

A question has come up over the rules for our new tournament.

It is just like a Scramble, but ONLY ONE PLAYER HITS THE SECOND SHOT.

Question: Does the A, B, C, D rotation for the second shot start on the first hole you play, or on Hole #1?

Answer:  DVMGC Players will be starting on the back nine of Pebblebrook on this Wednesday.  The A, B, C, D rotation begins on the first hole you play.  If you are assigned to hole #16, your A player hits the second shot on hole #16, B player on hole #17, etc.

Tee assignments are posted so Team Captain can start thinking about who they will assign as their A, B, C, or D players.

Foursomes must use every players drive at least 4 times.  The 17th and 18th hole that you play ( not holes # 17 & 18) are captains choice for the second shot, it cannot be the same player.

Threesome will rotate A, B, C, and must use at least 5 drives per player.  The 16th, 17th and 18th holes you play (not holes #16, 17 & 18) are Captains choice.

Have fun and let us know how you liked it.

This Wednesday, October 19, 2016 DVMGC will return to Deer Valley GC.

Over-seeding looks like it is transitioning well to the winter rye mixture and Deer Valley will re-open on Tuesday 10/18.

Four items of note:

1).     Pending the Golf Course Superintendent’s releases, Deer Valley Golf Course will be CART PATH ONLY!  This includes Medical Flags!  Players Assistants will be on the job to insist that EVERYONE observes the CART PATH ONLY RESTRICTION.  Let’s do our part and give the turf a chance to mature.

2).     The Shotgun starts will move back for the AM group to 7:30, and the PM group to 12:00.

3).     RENEWAL FORMS for DVMGC will be available in the drawer below the Men’s Club box when the Golf Shop opens, Please fill out and deposit BOTH forms with your check for $60 in the Men’s Club box.

4).     When Pebblebrook GC closes for over-seeding from 10/20 until 11/7, we will have the PBMGC sharing our course.  Patience and courtesy, as always, would be appreciated.

The DVMGC Membership drive for 2017 officially began on October 15.

Forms are available in the DV Golf Shop.

They are in the drawer beneath the Men’s Club box on the counter by the front window.

Please filled the form completely and deposit BOTH copies in the box with your check for $60.

Renewing members need not include your GHIN number.

New Members should include your GHIN number, if you already have one.

For out of town members not back yet, a pdf copy of the form is HERE.

Print it, fill it out and Return to Membership Chairman Tim Hurley at the address below.

The dues will remain at $60 as long as we receive your check by the December 14th.

DVMGC

c/o  Tim Hurley

15317 W. Sentinel Dr.

Sun City west, AZ 85375

Our November Tournament will be COLORAMA.  As a refresher, the Tournament Rules are below:

Colorama Tournament

1. The Tournament will be individual stroke play, with a TEAM component.
2. Players will play from their normal tees, NO Moving Up.
3. No gimme putts, each player must finish each hole
4. Each Player will have a Designated Color on the Official Score Card.
5. The Flag Sticks will have a color indicator on the bottom of the pin.
6. Each Player will have four holes with the color indicated.
7. For holes where a Player’s Color is indicated, the TEAM Score will be That Player’s Net Score, PLUS the LOWEST NET SCORE from the other Players.
8. On holes with NO COLOR indicator, the Team Score will be the TWO LOWEST NET SCORES
9. Teams will be flighted by 3 or 4 players; and by the team’s overall handicap.

Player’s individual scores will be posted as a Tournament Score

As our Snowbird friends rejoin the Club, the course is going to be loaded for both the AM and PM groups. Maintaining a Proper Pace of Play will be critical.  A Proper Pace of Play is defined as maintaining a close gap with the group ahead of yours. (foursome-to-foursome from the same tees)

Please find below some common sense recommendations to maintain a Proper Place of Play.

If these recommendations do not improve the Pace of Play to a satisfactory level, action will be taken with chronically slow groups. The following policy was proposed by the DVMGC Board, to a quorum of the Club Membership, at the April 26, 2016, General Meeting and was approved by the Membership by a show of hands.

Since DVMGC plays from a shotgun start, if all groups maintain the Proper Pace of Play, all of our groups should finish within 10-15 minutes of each other, depending on if they finish on a Par 3 or Par 5 hole, and how far from the Clubhouse they finish.  With a Proper Pace of Play, Bogey-plus golfers can traverse Deer Valley in 3 hours 40 minutes, or less. With a full slate of Players, 4 hours and 20 minutes is the MOST it should take a group to finish a round. Our Most Excellent Monitor, Patti, has been charged with tracking chronically slow groups. (YOU know who you are!)

1. If a group is identified as a chronically slow group, the group will be given a VERBAL Warning by a Board Member.
2. The group’s next round of Club Play will be on a YELLOW SCORECARD, as a visible reminder to maintain a Proper Pace of Play. 
3. If a group playing with a YELLOW SCORE does not improve their Pace of Play, they will be DISQUALIFIED from the Next Week’s Play.

Recommendation for a Proper Pace of Play:

1)      The Pace of Play is the responsibility of ALL PLAYERS in a group.  All it takes is ONE GROUP to back up the course.  Please encourage each other to maintain a proper Pace of Play.

2)    Please play Ready Golf at all times.

1. Drivers should drop off their passenger, with 2 clubs and sand, and proceed directly to their own ball and hit as soon it is safe.
2. When hitting from the desert areas, take the 2 most likely clubs with you.
3. If Players are looking for a lost ball behind you, hit your shot first, before helping the look.
4. All groups will have a bad hole occasionally, when this occurs, wave the group behind you up, while you recover.
5. After hitting, carry your clubs to your next position before putting them in your bag.
6. On the putting green, if a player is raking a sand bunker, or walking up to the green, have another player tend the flag as you hit you lag putt.
7. Putt out continuously, unless you’ll step on someone’s line.
8. After putting out, leave the green promptly and drive to the next tee box before recording the scores.

3)    Team Captains are encouraged to return to the Club House area immediately at the conclusion of their play. Please do not remain on the course to socialize or fill out your score cards.

Proper Pace of Play is EVERYONE’s concern, please do your part!