Hello DRGA Member,

Greetings from the board.  Things are really shaping up at Dobson Ranch
and we want to keep everyone up to date on the happenings.

DRGA Website

The board is happy to announce that our website is up and running.  The site has a list of the officers, club news, tournament results, Pro Shop news, tee times and handicap information.  Steve Ching has been appointed the webmaster and will be in charge of the site.  The site looks great.  We can be found at www.members.tripod.com/drga2001/.

If you would like to receive the newsletter via e-mail, you can reach Steve at saching@home.com or thru the website.

Pro Shop News

1) The Pro Shop construction scheduled for this month has been postponed by the city until next year.  A couple of snafus in the bid process resulted in the whole project going out for bid again.

2) Certs in the Pro Shop.  All certs in the Pro Shop must be used by May 1st. If a member has certs not used by this date, they will be issued a gift certificate with a one-year expiration date.  All tournament certs will be issued this way starting with the May 6th tournament.

3) Global Golf Exchange - Ever wonder what your set of clubs is worth? Do you have an extra set of blades you'll never hit again?  Stop by the Pro Shop and check out the "Blue Book" on used clubs.  The Global Golf Exchange is a company that will tell you what your clubs are worth, buy them from you or trade a set with you.  Dust those old irons off and see a Pro in the shop, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Operating Procedures and Rules

Ever have a question on how a tournament is scored?  How a playoff is
figured to break a tie?  How to contest a penalty?  How your handicap is calculated?

... But were afraid to ask.  Well, the board has been hard at work the
past couple of months on developing an operating procedure book.  This should answer a lot of questions that come up in tournaments.  It will help when an obscure rule or unusual circumstance comes up.  It will be in the lounge, by the computer, for member reference.  This book should be completed by the beginning of May.

Fivesomes

In an effort to accommodate more members in tournament play, the board
experimented with fivesomes.  The March and April tournaments had more
complaints and time clock violations that we have had in one year.  In the first tournament on March 4th, 33% of the field was assessed a penalty.

After a review by the board, the field was paid then the penalties were
removed and those penalized were paid.  The board felt this was the
fairest way to handle the situation.  The following tournament with fivesomes ran a lot smoother with only a few groups being assessed a penalty.  The time clocks make players aware of where they are on the course and help keep play moving.  The fivesomes experiment was just that, an experiment.  We will go back to regular foursome play.

Calendar of Events

Upcoming events
May 6th ..................Sunday ...... Two Man Combined
May 19th ................Saturday..... Individual Net/Gross
Major - see qualifying info
June 9th-10th ..........Sat/Sun ..... Summer Sizzler
June 23rd ...............Saturday..... Individual Net/Gross
June 30-July 1st ......Sat/Sun ......Mesa City Championship

Summer Sizzler Facts
1) Each player must have played in four events in 2001.
2) By combined handicap, all teams play within their flight both days.
3) Players may sign up as singles or their team only.  Call the Pro Shop Friday night to get your tee times.
4) All flights will be scored net only both days.
5) Two-man net best ball on Saturday, combined net on Sunday.
6) Maximum handicap difference between team players is eight strokes.
7) The first flight is restricted to teams with a maximum combined
handicap of twelve strokes.

Slow Play Clock
The starting pro on the first tee box will mark one scorecard with the
foursome's departing time.  A time clock will be in the front of the
scoreboard area at the turn.  At the turn and after the round, only after they replace the flag, each foursome is required to "punch in" their time on the designated scorecard (marked with the starting time by the starting pro) on the back in the specified areas marked for the front and back nine.

They may not stamp the card until they replace the flag after the last foursome member putts out.  The Pro Shop will monitor the stamping procedure.  We recommend the first person who putts out go to the clock area prepared to stamp the card immediately after the flag is replaced. Walking foursomes should particularly follow this procedure to avoid excessive finish times.  The scoring pro will compare finish items to the previous foursomes item.

The rules are as follows:

Front Nine Holes - 2 hours 20 Minutes
Back Nine Holes - 2 Hours 10 Minutes

Foursomes can be penalized (two shots per foursome member) for the
following offenses:

A) Finishing in the prescribed time but more than 15 minutes behind the
previous foursome.
B) Finishing over the prescribed time and more than 10 minutes behind the previous foursome.
C) Punching their scorecard before the last foursome member putts out.

Any foursome exceeding the 2 hour 10/20 minutes per nine play time because of the group in front of them will not be penalized providing they finish within 10 minutes of the previous foursome.  It is the responsibility of all members of each foursome to monitor their time.  All foursome members bear the responsibility for the scorecard being punched properly.  If a player's) within a foursome is exceedingly slow, the other foursome members must encourage faster play to avoid a foursome penalty.

Senior Flight

The Senior Flight was looked at by the board, but failed to gather enough support.  The limited amount of players would be difficult to have it's own flight.

Good Golfing,

Billy Pilawski and The DRGA Board

1st Annual DRGA High School Benefit Tournament

Who: Open to all DRGA members
*** Tournament will count as a major qualifier ***
When: Saturday May 12th
Format: Individual Gross / Net in Flight
Time:   Tee Times
Sign Up:    Tee sheet will be available on May 1st in the Pro Shop

You can sign up for the May 12th & 19th tournaments on the same day!
 (Bring 2 checks)

Entry Fee: Normal DRGA Fees

This is a great opportunity for our club to support a local High School
and also help all of our members get in the required number of tournaments for the majors.

 **********************
Exciting Golf Packages!

June 3-6 Monterey Peninsula, California
Play Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay

July 26-29 Whistler Resort,
British Columbia, Canada
Play 3 Rounds of Golf on Championship Courses

August 10-16 Ireland Golf and Castle Tour
Play Five Rounds of Golf and Enjoy the Irish Countryside

September Lake Tahoe, Nevada
Play Three Rounds of Golf and Stay at Harrah's

October / November Jamaica Golf Trip
Play Tryall, Half Moon and White Witch

For More Information, Questions or Reservations
Call Paul Seiferth, President
Terra Travel
480-820-0701
Cell 602-570-7775
e-mail: seiferth@terratravelaz.com