VOLUME #1, ISSUE #1  -  APRIL 2, 2007

Welcome to the first issue of WPGA Times. The purpose of this electronic newsletter is to update the golf community on events and happenings of the Western Pennsylvania Golf Association.  Readers are welcome to suggest articles, photos, and other materials for upcoming editions.

Two former WPGA Presidents, Jack Brand, Oakmont, 1964 & 1974, and Bob Swinston, Longue Vue, 1987, passed away this winter. You can read their biographies: Jack Brand, Bob Swinston.

John VanderBorght, who joined the WPGA staff in October, 2002, as Director, Membership Development & Services, has assumed duties as Championship Director. Executive Director Jeff Rivard now has day to day responsibilities for membership programs.

Rivard and VanderBorght have Rules Committee assignments for the 2007 at US Open at Oakmont, and will also officiate at the British Open Qualifying Rounds on July 1 at Oakland Hills CC, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, an historic place, site of several major championships including five US Opens, the 2002 US Amateur, and an upcoming PGA Championship.

The 2006 WPGA Financial Statements and Additional Information are available to bona fide representatives of Member Clubs upon request.  

Four new clubs joined the WPGA since last winter.  They are Oakview Golf Club, Slippery Rock; River Forest Country Club, Freeport; Whispering Woods Golf Course, Fairview; Williams Country Club, Weirton, WV.

The West Penn Golf Association championship season will soon be in full swing. Many players have already registered for events.  Our first event of the 2007 season is the Tournament of Champions to be held at Hannastown Golf Club on Thursday, April 26. Earlier this year, the Championship Committee of the WPGA approved a Senior Tournament of Champions which will be run in conjunction with the Tournament of Champions. The Senior event is an 18 hole event to be played the morning of the 26th.

Entries for the Tournament of Champions close on April 11th.

Late entries for WPGA events may be accepted if there is room in the field, but there is $50 late fee so it is advisable to enter events on time.

The WPGA accepts online or mailed in entries.  To enter online, you can go to the Championship Schedule, where you will also see the closing dates.  From there, you will need to login with your Player’s Club account and password.  If you do not have an account, please e-mail your name, address, club and birth date to us at tournamentinfo@wpga.org or call John Vander Borght at 412-826-2180.  Once you are logged in, you will see the events for which you are eligible.  If you wish to mail in your entry, you can print an entry from by going to the specific event and printing it.  If you are unable to print the entry form, please call our office and we will be happy to mail or fax you an entry form.

To enter USGA championships online, you must go to their website www.usga.org or you may call us for an entry form.  The USGA does not accept late entries.  If you fail to enter on time, there is nothing that we can do to help you.

Club Representatives

Club Rep Day is April 19 at Green Oaks.

As an additional service in 2006, the Association added a revision during the inactive season. This year's inactive season revision occurred on January 10, 2007. Each Handicap Index® was also updated on April 1, 2007, to reflect any scores posted between January 10 and March 31.

If you are not taking advantage of the eRevision Service that is being offered by the GHIN Service at no charge, please enroll today (click here). On each revision you will be sent an update of the update.

The Association's Course Rating Program has already begun and we plan to be business at the start of the season. When a new golf course has been rated, the Association will post the updated numbers on its website under "Course Rating Update." The information will also be available on the GHIN Service and the USGA National Course Rating and Slope Rating Database™.

Finally, the USGA Handicap Seminar scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, 2007 at Edgewood Country Club has been cancelled. All WPGA Member Clubs are presently licensed to use the USGA Handicap System. To view all clubs in Western Pennsylvania authorized to use the USGA Handicap System, please click here.

The Association made a $1000 donation to the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council, presented during the USGA Regional Conference.

Q: You hit your second shot onto the putting green.  You lift the ball, clean it and replace it, but you leave your coin behind the ball in case you want to reposition it.  While you are looking at your line, a gust of wind causes the ball to move 5 feet away.  What do you do?

A: Rule 18 covers the cases of a ball at rest that is moved.  Once you replaced your ball in front of your ball maker, it was back in play.   It does not matter that you left the ball marker in place.  When a ball in play is moved, it usually must be replaced, but when it is moved by wind, water or it just moves on its own, it is to be played from its new location.  If you did replace it, you would be penalized for playing from a wrong place which would be two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play.

If an outside agency such as a fellow competitor in a stroke play event, another ball or a dog had moved the ball it would be replaced without penalty.  If you, your partner or your caddie had moved it, it would be replaced with a one stroke penalty.  If your opponent in match play had moved it, it would be replaced and he would get a one stroke penalty. 

The USGA has an office at Oakmont.  Contact them by calling 412-435-0067. 

Entry deadline is Wednesday, April 25.  Local Qualifying Rounds, 18 holes, are scheduled for Indiana CC on Thursday, May 9 and Quicksilver on Thursday, May 17.  Local Qualifiers advance to Sectional Qualifying Rounds (36 holes) of their choice on June 4.   Most likely sites for area players are Columbus, Ohio, and Rockville, Maryland.