One of the best events of the North Dakota Golf Association is coming to Minot at the end of July.
Souris Valley Golf Course will host the 2008 Senior Match Play Championship. Minot's own Doyle Radke won the tournament the last time it was at Souris Valley in 1995. Doyle has won this event numerous times and if his flat iron is working, I am sure he will be a force to be reckoned with this year.
This event was not scheduled for Minot but was scheduled for Apple Creek Golf Course in Bismarck. As many golfers are aware, the North Dakota winter was tough on a lot of area courses and Apple Creek was one of the courses hardest hit. A decision was made to move the tournament after a course inspection about a week ago. It was decided that Apple Creek just would not be in good enough condition to host this prestigous tournament.
Rather than cancel the tournament, the Minot Park District agreed to host the event.
Souris Valley is in excellent shape and we will welcome the senior golfers from around our great state. This event will be great for our city and will showcase our wonderful course. We also will get new ideas from other golfers to try and improve our facility for our local golfers. I am looking for volunteers to help with the event so if you have some time and would like to help just give me a call at the golf shop. Please do not text message me because I have no idea how to get them or read them! The golf shop number is 857-4189.
Even though this is a men's golf tourney I could use some gal volunteers also. With the late change of site we will have to work hard to show golfers our great facility and our fine city.
I would like to remind golfers and non-golfers (and, of course, our future golfers) that the Jack Hoeven Wee Links is open to the public. It is great place to try golf and is not as intimidating as a big course. Adults can play for $5 but must have a child playing with them. Kids play for $1 and we have club rental for 50 cents. So if you want to try golf, this is a great place to give the game a try. If you are to shy just let me know, and I will try and take the fear out of the game for you, There are no dumb questions about the game!!!
Tip fo the week - Lay 2 clubs on the ground like a narrow railroad track. One of the clubs should point to your target and the other should be along your feet. This is a good way to check you alignment. Please do not do this on the course but on the driving range!
Rule of the week - Rule 7 Practice
A. Match Play: On any day of a match-play competition, a player may practice on the competition course before a round.
B. Stroke Play: Before a round or playoff on any day of a stroke-play competition a competitor must not practice on the competition course or test the surface of any putting green on the course by rollling a ball or roughening or scraping the surface. The rules of golf can by found at (www.USGA.org).
Interesting Golf fact - During World War II, the British dug wide trenches across the fairways to many of their golf courses to keep German aircraft from using them as landing strips. And because German bombers would sometimes attack golfers at play, a set of war rules were drawn up. One allowed that in competition during or while the bombs are falling, players may take cover without penalty for ceasing to play!
From "Golf's Golden Grind" by Al Barkow, 1974.
Etiquette rule of the week - On the putting green players should not stand on another player's line of putt or, when he is making a stroke, cast a shadow over his line of putt.
By the way, take a kid golfing or take a neighbor golfing and have a friend walk along.
Good golfing and keep it in the fairway.
(Steve Kottsick writes a weekly column during golf season. He can be reached by email at sports@minotdailynews.com)