Some of you may have noticed some of the changes in 2017, but the following are five of the big changes happening this year. From new events to new venues there are always changes happening at the IJGA and MAJGT. Let’ s take a look at some of the other differences you’ ll see this season:
1
Playing member single-day events are now all called PM Stroke Play Events. Player of the Year points will be awarded according to the number of players in the applicable division within the field. The size of the field is determined by the number of tee times that are available at the golf course on the given day of the event. Read more about this change later in this issue.
2
The Youth Development Program( YDP) now features a three-day Championship. The YDP Sizzler Championship will take place on July 31- August 2 for the 12-13 year olds and the July 31- August 1 for the 10-11 year olds. Not to worry, the single-day, 18-hole event will still take place on August 1 for those YDP players who do not wish to participate in the Sizzler Championship. Read more about this event in the Youth Development section.
3
GPS devices are now approved for use during official IJGA and MAJGT tournament rounds. For all Association competitions, a player may obtain distance information by use of a distance-measuring device including GPS devices. You are still not allowed to use any device during a stipulated round to gauge or measure other conditions that could affect your play, this would include elevation changes, wind speed, etc. The exception to this policy is that the use of a communication device( i. e. mobile phone) will remain prohibited in all competitions.
4
Range balls are included in your tournament entry fee if the course has a range. You may have noticed that there are two different price points for many of the single-day events. The entry fee will include range balls for courses that have a range on property.
5
Each division now features a team event. The MAJGT will host their second invite-only Fall Shootout this year. The Playing Member Division has an invite-only team for the Challenge Cup, but also invites everyone to grab a partner to compete in the 2-person Four-Ball event at the end of the summer. New this year for YDP is a team event, which is open to players of all skill levels. For the YDP team event, you can either register as a team online or call the office to be put on a list of other individuals who wish to participate.
The Hole Story // February 2017 7