2012 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship: Need Some Help

[jamo]

I had really no specific goals set for my 2011 season (other than the relatively bland ones I made up for our [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/t/41931/your-2011-golf-goals-official-thread/54#post_564365]goals thread[/URL]), so I want a whopper for next year. I've decided to try to compete in the 2012 Massachusetts Amateur Public Links Championship. It's in late July/early August at my favorite course in the world, George Wright Golf Course in Hyde Park. The course, for whatever reason, just fits [URL=http://jamo1358.webs.com/rounds/20110331-p31.html]my[/URL] [URL=http://jamo1358.webs.com/rounds/20100516-p9.html]game[/URL] and I think I could seriously compete (likely not win, but place relatively well). Looking at some of the numbers from last year, it looks like I'll have to beat about +6 in qualifying (one day, obviously the scores depend on the course), and then I'd likely be in. The actual tournament is 2 days, and to make the cut all I'd have to do is break 80. To qualify through, I need to establish a handicap below 12. The number won't be a problem (my unofficial one in Scorecard is 1.3), but I really have no idea how to establish it, especially since, y'know, it's the publinks, so I can't be a member anywhere. I know I can be a member simply for handicap reasons, but the [URL=http://www.mgalinks.org/championships/publinks/publinks.html]website [/URL]is a bit ambiguous: "Eligibility Entries are open to amateurs who play at an MGA Member public golf course or semi-private club and maintain an up-todate MGA/USGA GHIN Handicap Index not exceeding 12.0 (as determined by the June 1, 2011 Handicap Revision). Players who have playing privileges or who have an established handicap at any private club are ineligible, with the exception of: Players competing on a school/college golf team, provided those privileges are limited to scheduled practices and competitions; or Players employed by a private club, provided their playing privileges Are limited in nature; Are consistent with those offered other club employees; Do not allow participation in any club tournaments; and No handicap is maintained at the private club." Anyway, what I want to know is how do I go about getting a handicap? Can I go to a course and just sign up, can I do it at Golf Galaxy or something, or do I need to get a group of 12 people together? Thanks.

[WWBDD]

You need to become a member at a course, or at least join some sort of league.

Ka-ching.

[Dave H]

In my area, you can join the CDGA (chicago district golf association). They have a ton of public courses to enter your scores and obtain an official handicap. Maybe you can do something similar in your area?

[iacas]

You can "join" a public course via their "season pass" type thing, even if they call it a "membership." So long as it's not a private facility you're fine. Just pick a good course that has a handicap computer.

[walk18]

I always thought you had to be below a 5.4 or something for the pub links?

[jamo]

I always thought you had to be below a 5.4 or something for the pub links?

4.4 for the USGA version, the Massachusetts one is a little bit more lax. :-P

[BuckeyeNut]

you don't need to join a course.......

Go to any public course and tell them you want to register for a HC.....you pay the $25 USGA/GHIN HC fee and that's all.  You don't even need to go to that course to post your scores.....you can post them online.

[ddtully]

So how did you make out ?

[jamo]

:yucky: :-)

[BuckeyeNut]

Originally Posted by jamo

LOL...... so you learned a 1.5 index doesn't go very far in those competitive environments, right?   Believe me, I know all too well!

[jamo]

LOL...... so you learned a 1.5 index doesn't go very far in those competitive environments, right?   Believe me, I know all too well!

I just played like shit despite great play off the tee. Had 3 blow-up holes (not a loss of temper, but one drive OB, one bunker shot bladed into some woods, one chunked iron from a divot into a hazard) that killed me. I never really had the green speeds down either.

[ejimsmith]

how was the experience?  i'm not a tourney player myself, i get too stressed, but i'd like to work though out and play a bit on the scga or golf channel am tours, as they seem like fun.

[ddtully]

Sorry to hear that - it was playing pretty tough yesterday.

[jamo]

how was the experience?  i'm not a tourney player myself, i get too stressed, but i'd like to work though out and play a bit on the scga or golf channel am tours, as they seem like fun.

I'm usually extremely nervous on the first tee, but I was actually surprisingly calm. I had played well in my practice round, and I hit it well on the range. I hit a perfect two shot on 1, hit a good 8-iron in, hit a bad first putt and then rolled in about a 7-footer for par. Hit another great tee shot on 2, an iron shot pretty close (into a green I miss with staggering regularity), then 3-jacked from about 15 feet. I made my first bad swing on 3, hitting my tee shot OB, and then 3-putted on the green. Hit another bad tee shot on 4 (popped up), but I managed not to compound my error there. Great drive on 5, caught my iron a touch fat and couldn't get up and down. Another iron a bit fat on 5, and hit my bunker shot into some woods (took a few to get to the green from there). Popped up my drive a touch on 7 and had to hit hybrid into the green on a relatively short par-4, couldn't get up and down. Then I parred a bunch in a row. On 15 I hit a solid tee shot but my ball came to rest in a divot that hadn't been filled, and I chunked it into a hazard. Parred 16 and 17 easily, but bogeyed 18 (that was tough, I nearly hit the par-5 green in 2 but 3-putted). It wasn't nerves that got me. My short game was really bad (a touch rusty, I had been putting a lot of work into my swing), and my putting speed was off a bit all day. In my practice round I had the green stimping at exactly 10 (thanks to AimPoint), and I made a few long putts, and almost everything inside 10 feet. The greens were more like 9.25 (estimating, they were definitely less than 10 but a bit more than 9) on the stimp during the tournament, and I never really adjusted well enough. My game off the tee was excellent (the one OB on 3 was the only tee shot that missed the fairway, though a few others were less-than-perfect), but my irons weren't great. I was hitting them solidly but I never really got anything close, even the ones that hit the green were a ways away (which is where my balky putter distance control hurt me). [quote name="ddtully" url="/t/53919/2012-massachusetts-amateur-public-links-championship-need-some-help/0_30#post_738069"]Sorry to hear that - it was playing pretty tough yesterday. [/quote] The sad thing is, a 79 would have got me in, or at least put me on the bubble. That's about 2 or 3 strokes higher than most qualifiers have been.

[BuckeyeNut]

It's possible to average 80 with ESC..........and be scratch providing it's a tough course.   Playing in the STATE AM.......is very different.  Kids come out of the woodwork and shoot 69 on the same course....LOL