[Tom Huckaby]

http://www.ncga.org/major-changes-announced-for-california-golf-association-events/

No carts in event proper....

Net Amateur discontinued....

Thoughts?

I'm kinda bummed the Net Amateur was discontinued as it's something I've always wanted to play in - but taking an entire week of work off was never going to fly.  Perhaps declining entries were due to guys like me?  Man I remember when my friends would FedEx their entries to this on the first day they were accepted... it was that tough to get in.  Now entries have declined and it's discontinued... I really wonder why?  Can't blame them for calling it off though if entries are down and lots of people no-show.

As for the cart prohibition in the event proper, hmmm.... not sure the point of that, but more power to them, I guess.  I just figured this might elicit some good arguments in here.  So fire away.  

[David Ober]

No riding in the state am is going to be tough for me. I'll have to figure a way to make it through (assuming I qualify again).

[Tom Huckaby]

I recalled you like to ride, David... figured you would not be pleased about this.

Good news is it's at Lakeside this year and that is a pretty easy walk.

It's interesting to me they made this change... I wonder what spurred it?

[Mike Benham]

No shock that the Net divisions were eliminated as with the tournament changing venues from NorCal to SoCal each year, arranging and scheduling courses for all the flights would be quite a task.

[Tom Huckaby]

Good point!  In the past they had always been up here, they used a bunch of Monterey-area courses, it worked pretty well.  Trying to recreate in SoCal would have been problematic for sure, and having the event proper down there and the net part up here would have been weird.

Now why didn't I think of that?

[David Ober]

I recalled you like to ride, David... figured you would not be pleased about this.

Good news is it's at Lakeside this year and that is a pretty easy walk.

It's interesting to me they made this change... I wonder what spurred it?

Golf should be a game of walking. I have no problem with the change. Hopefully it will force me to get in (better) shape.

[Tom Huckaby]

That's a cool positive attitude, David.

I still wonder what spurred the change though... they've never had this stipulation before... perhaps Lakeside wants you all to use caddies?

That's cynical, but well... given for years they haven't mandated this, I just have to wonder.

TH

[Kalen Braley]

Perhaps Casey Martin has given up his pro status and is now threatening to bring the sticks out to the CA Am.

[AndrewB]

I've found it odd that the NCGA Am and Stroke Play Am are walking only -- at least I'm pretty sure they are -- but the State Am isn't.  I asked an official about the policy in 2006 when I saw a number of people in carts and he said they changed it to allow carts several years ago based on pressure that they felt might turn into lawsuits.

My guess is that the desire to make the event walking only has always been there, but the committee in place now has decided to take action.  I seem to remember reading about a large number of carts being out on the course during the final few matches at last year's event and that causing some problems.  Perhaps that was a catalyst for this.

This is a wonderful change, in my opinion.

As for the Net Amateur, the Senior Amateur will still be at Poppy Hills every year so why couldn't the Net Amateur do the same?  I suspect its elimination was caused more by the lack of entries and perceived lack of interest from the no-shows cited in the article.  Quite a shame.

[Dennis_Harwood]

It's interesting to me they made this change... I wonder what spurred it?

In order to insure that the event retain its character as an event from which the winner will be indentified as an amatuer who should be considered for national and internation team recognition--

The USGA (which is the primary selection committee for such events) believes walking is a part of the game and hence their standards will be used at the CGA events re walking--

An event that permits carts by contestants tends to diminish the achievement of the winner (perhaps, at least, in the eyes of the national selection committees)--  This event has been considered one of national importance and its elimination of automotive transportation tends to retain its importance on equal footing with other major amatuer events, all or most all of all  do not allow carts.

Spectator carts are never the issue since the Conditions of Competition may always bar spectator carts without regard to whether they are allowed for players-- This is a "quality of the champion" issue, not multiple carts on the course issue-

[Tom Huckaby]

Dennis - great stuff, makes perfect sense.  Thanks.

TH

[Jason Topp]

Man I remember when my friends would FedEx their entries to this on the first day they were accepted... it was that tough to get in.  Now entries have declined and it's discontinued... I really wonder why?  

Tom - Last year at some point I read a book titled "Bowling Alone" that discussed decline in participation in all sorts of formal and informal group activities, from clubs like the Elks, to church, to bowling leagues and neighborhood bridge games.  Regardless of the activity there is a clear trend showing participation peaking in the 50's and declining steadily since then. The author argues that participation in such groups is important both for communities and individuals.

At the end of the book the author gives his analysis as to what people are doing instead of participating in groups.  There are many factors but by far the biggest factors are driving cars and watching television.  People report that they are busier than they used to be but the amount of time spend working has not actually increased.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Very interesting, Jason.

It is weird to me how wildly popular this Net Am event was only a few years ago, and now it's canceled due to lack of interest.  I guess TV and computers and other things really are having an effect.

TH

[Bob_Huntley]

Tom,

One reason is the sandbagging that goes on in the net event.

The Nor-Cal Golf Assn's net tourney bacame a joke at one time with two guys making a mockery of the event.

Bob

[Tom Huckaby]

NCGA Net Am has bagging without a doubt... it's a constant problem, and they try their best.

But this event was flighted, with SO many flights that few if any strokes were given... 8 hdcps played 8s, 7s played 7s, etc.  Oh sure someone could bag to get into a winnable flight, and maybe that did occur.... but that seems beyond desparate to me.

TH

[Pete Lavallee]

NCGA Net Am has bagging without a doubt... it's a constant problem, and they try their best.
TH

Whoa,

Tom are finally admitting that we have sandbaggers due to an ineffective handicap system?

[Tom Huckaby]

Pete:

I have made no such admission.  Baggers exist world-wide; there is no system that can prevent such if a dishonest golfer wants it bad enough.  Here in the US they try their best, as they do elsewhere.

TH

[Stan Dodd]

There are a couple of guys I know from SoCal who were consistently winning their flights in the Net Am who groomed their Hcap for this event.  If they won a flight the next year they should be moved down/up a flight, IMHO.
It was always an event that I wanted to play but could never fit in.

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