March 16, 2009

{edited 4/23/2009}

Fellow Duffer,

This info is only being posted here on the Duffer web site. If you have friends in the league with no Internet access,
or other friends who wish to join the league, please pass this on to them.

Here are the results of the Spring Kick Off Meeting, held Sunday, at Creekwood Country Club.
As usual, all topics were open to discussion and this was your only opportunity to determine this years’ League Policies.

Elections…

League Officers

President Paul Chichester

Secretary John Stanbrook (Stanny)

Treasurer John Stanbrook (Stanny)

Committee Members

Fun / Outing

FunNite #1 Chris Pizzuli, Glenn McLaughlin, Charlie Wright, and Dale Sandvick

FunNite #2 Paul Ebright, Tom Broadhurst, Skip Skufca, and Dale Sandvick

FunNite #3 Mickey Lima, Fred Lima, Mark Clark, and Dale Sandvick

Rules Frank Bago, Pete White, Mickey Lima, along with alternates Dave Gedeon, and Scot Pennell

Skins Chip Dubosh, Skip Skufca, Mark Sustarsic, Mike Milam, and Todd Cramer.

2009 Tee Time remains 4:20.

Again this year, we have the same league ahead of us. They have the tee box from 3:48 - 4:06.

Play begins…

With ‘Day Light Savings Time’ upon us, practice rounds start March 24^th;
and the First Official Play date was to have been April 21^st

But with the bad weather this spring we are hoping to get going on April 28^th.

FunNites have tentatively been rescheduled to:
June 2, July 7, and August 11.

KnockDowns were rescheduled to:
May 26, (front); June 30, (back); August 4, (front); and September 8, (back).

Final Outing…
In accordance with the revolving Final Outing Date schedule, This years Final Outing Date is…
Saturday Sept. 12^th @ 9:00,

Place: Creekwood Golf Course

Menu: BBQ Ribs
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW

Future Outing dates will be…
2010, September 18, 2nd Saturday after Labor Day
2011, September 24, 3rd Saturday after Labor Day
2012, September 8, 1st Saturday after Labor Day, etc…

Other issues discussed and agreed upon plus past rules and procedures that will remain in effect are…

Visitors…

The Visitor policy from last year will remain in effect…
Guests have always been welcome to come out and enjoy a Duffer Tuesday evening at Creekwood Country Club.

Expanding the Duffer experience has been good for both the league and the golf course.

Again this year, it was decided that guests would not be permitted to participate in any Skin game held during regular Duffer play.
Only league members whose dues have been paid-in-full will be permitted entry into The Skin Game.
This Skin Game policy will take effect the first official week of play, Tuesday April 21^st, until then anyone is welcome to participate with no restrictions.
Any and all guests who attend on a FunNite evening will be charged a $5 visitor fee regardless if they eat/drink or not.

Gimmies…
After a few gender specific comments, it was decided that the current putt rule would remain in effect.
Again this year NO GIMMIES will be permitted during any Duffer League events. ALL PUTTS MUST BE HOLED OUT!
Any member who accepts a GIMMIE is potentially taking points away from other members and is deemed to be cheating.
Even though Chip Dubosh is not a Rules Committee member this year, I expect he’s willing to discuss this issue with anyone who doesn’t quite understand the rule.

Senior Tees…
Any member over 65 years of age may use the “Senior Tees” if he so desires.

Handicaps…
The handicap formula, which was adjusted last spring to 80%, will remain in effect.

Make-Up Rounds…

The Make-up Round cap has been adjusted again.
Maintaining ones Final Tournament Eligibility, by missing less than three weeks of Regular Weekly Tournament Play, has always been very important to The Duffers Golf League. To help maintain that eligibility, missed regular weekly play dates can be made up at any time prior to the league teeing it up the next week. Make up rounds must be played on the same nine holes that the league was originally scheduled to play the week that you missed. In an attempt to place a premium on regular Tuesday attendance, make-up rounds will be limited to earning a maximum point total not exceeding the AVERAGE POINTS awarded to the league players who participated the week of the missed round.

Match Play Tournament…
The Match Play Tournament will return with the same rules and regulations as last year.
Entry into the ‘Match Tourney’ will be VOLUNTARY, $10, “first come – first served“, and limited to the first 32 paid-in-full ($100 dues + $10 match) members.

Secretary & Treasurer

Stanny will continue as League Secretary and Treasurer under the existing terms.

Established League Members…
Established members will again begin the season with a handicap that will be computed using league scores from last years 2^nd half, (final outing included) and this years practice rounds. The league standard adjustment factor of 80% will be used to calculate these handicaps.

New Member…
Handicaps will be computed using an adjustment factor of 70% applied to their practice rounds. Until they have established a handicap, new members must play with a scratch (zero) handicap, so getting their practice rounds played should be very important to them. Once a new members handicap has been established, (3 rounds of league play) the league standard adjustment factor of 80% will be used in the computations.

Rain Check Policy…
The Duffers will continue to use ‘The League’ Rain Check policy. This Creekwood policy states that players will receive ‘rain checks’ regardless of their position on the golf course. Those ‘rain checks’ may be used any day except during “regular scheduled league play”. Note, if used on weekends or holidays, you will be responsible to pay the difference between weekday and weekend rates.

Maximums…

Handicaps will remain limited to the USGA maximum for Creekwood GC. Those maximums are eighteen (18) for regular nine-hole league play, and thirty-seven (37) for the eighteen-hole tournament held during the Final Outing.

Outing Tournaments…

The “Winners Bracket” Tournament remains modified so that anyone winning money in the “League Championship Tournament” will be removed from contention in the Winners Bracket Tournament. This is believed to spread prize money around to more members.

Skin Game…
As mentioned above, the ‘Skins Game’ is limited to members only. Also, as in years past, entry into the Skins Game is ‘self serve’ and must be policed by your fellow members. All Skin Game entry (payment and entry indication) must be made prior to teeing off. Regardless of the Skin Game pot balance, posting and/or paying after your round is completed is not permitted.

Cash Prizes (Anglin Rule)…

To be eligible to receive any Duffer Cash Prize, the individual must have played the round with at least one fellow member who will confirm and attest to the accuracy of the score.

DUES…

Dues will remain $100 to cover normal league expenses and maintain our substantial PRIZE POOL. These dues are considered past due after the first official week of play, Tuesday April 21^st. If you have some special circumstances that prevent you from being able to pay your dues, please speak directly with Stanny, he will be glad to work with you to come up with a special personal payment arrangement.

In lieu of raising the Duffer Dues and in an effort to raise a few extra dollars to enhance the Duffer general fund (prize pool), it was decided that the Duffers would be running a 50/50 raffle each week. Skip Skufca will be running the raffle. More details when they are finalized. “Donate $1, you might win $20!”

Question… Should we allow (require) guests to participate in the raffle?

In the continuing effort to collect dues in a most-timely manner, the following policy will remain in effect…
Any member whose dues are not PAID-IN-FULL by the first official play date, April 21^st will receive NO POINTS and be EXCLUDED from the SKIN game until their dues have been paid.

Stanny wishes to express that CASH is still the preferred form of payment. If you must pay by check, please make it payable to either CASH or John Stanbrook. The Duffers do not have an open bank account, so any checks incorrectly made payable to ‘The Duffers’ will have to be returned and reissued. If you wish to pay your dues by mail, send a properly endorsed check to:

John Stanbrook

26714 Henry Rd.

Bay Village, OH. 44140

New Members…

If you know of anyone who wishes to join the Duffers please pass this information on to them and e-mail me their name, address, zip, phone, and e-mail.

As stated earlier, this info is only being posted here. If you have friends in the league without Internet access or other friends who wish to join the league, please pass this on to them. If I have not heard from you but you wish to play in the league this year, please e-mail or call me at 440-871-7821. If I don’t hear from you, I will assume that you’re NOT playing this year.

Sincerely,

John Stanbrook (Stanny)

440-871-7821

Home