ON THE FIRST TEE...
With Nick Dietzen
We are squarely in the middle of the golf season in Montana. Weather has provided us an earlier start to the season and its officially primetime for long days of sunshine and good times on the course. Whether you’re a recreational golfer or enjoy competition, we appreciate you being a part of our Montana Golf Community. Right now, we are in the thick of a busy tournament season and I’d like to express my admiration for our staff and volunteers who have made our events better each year.
Ask any golfer what makes a tournament memorable, and you'll hear about a clutch putt, a perfect weather day, or maybe a personal best. But behind every great tournament is a small army of people, hours of planning, and countless moving parts that most players never see. At the Montana State Golf Association, we believe the best-run events are the ones that feel seamless—because everything behind the scenes worked exactly as it should. Just like golf, not everything goes perfectly each time, but we aspire to that goal.
A successful tournament begins long before the first ball is teed up. Site selection, course coordination, and scheduling are foundational. We work with host clubs across the state, building relationships and ensuring that logistics—like course conditions, cart availability, food service and lodging options—are aligned well in advance. One size doesn’t fit all. A junior event in Shelby looks different than a Mid-Amateur in Bozeman. Each demands its own unique attention to detail. 2 - 406GOLF - AUGUST 1, 2025
Once the site is locked in, preparation ramps up. Committees meet, entry forms are created, field sizes, tee sheets, rules sheets, pairings, player communications, sponsorships, and scoreboards all come to life. Technology helps streamline some of the process, but the core of tournament operations remains people—committed staff and volunteers who understand the rhythms and pressures of competition.
Preparation with painting of penalty areas and other components of play occur, and our partner courses work to prepare the course for championship play day. Day-of logistics are where the magic (and sometimes chaos) happens. Equipment is unloaded. Starter boxes are prepped, volunteer assignments are set. There’s a rhythm to it, but no two mornings are exactly alike. A frost delay, a no-show, a last-minute withdraw, or a cart path-only mandate can force on-the-fly adjustments. It’s a dance between preparation and flexibility onsite. We are grateful that
the courses we work with understand the opportunity to showcase their facility and for our players to put their best competition feet forward.
For players, a great event might mean fast greens and a smooth check-in. But to us, it also means brisk pace-of-play, timely scoring, fair setups, clear rules, and all the small details coming together. We aim to create a
competitive environment that feels special, whether you’re a first-time junior or a defending champion. That also means honoring traditions, answering questions and ensuring everyone feels welcome and expectations are set.
Volunteers deserve special mention. From spotters on tough holes to rules officials with decades of experience, they are the unsung
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heroes. Their presence brings both credibility and camaraderie to our events, and without them, much of what we do wouldn’t be possible. It has been a tall task to develop a volunteer corps across the geography of Montana. There are scheduling conflicts, injuries and last-minute events that can change who is available the day of the event. If you’ve ever been curious or interested, please reach out to us and we can provide helpful information. We would love to have you!
Great tournaments aren’t just about competition—they’re about community. When players shake hands on the 18th green, when parents snap photos of their kids, when seniors linger for a post-round recap—that’s when we know the event was a success. It’s not just about crowning a winner. It’s about creating a moment that feels bigger than a scorecard and make next year a must-attend.
Over the past few years, our events are attracting record numbers, and we understand that it can be disappointing to not make a field at a course you’re desiring to play. We are working to build more event opportunities and access to further showcase our incredible courses from west to east and everywhere in between. So next time you tee it up in an MSGA event, take a moment to recognize the clocks on the range, the coolers between holes and the people who make it all possible. Behind the well-placed tee markers and neatly printed scorecards are people who care deeply about this game and this community. And while you’re focused on fairways and greens, we’ll be doing our part to make sure your tournament experience is as smooth—and memorable—as possible.
Together, we are Montana Golf.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS - OFFICERS
PRESIDENT................................................... Peter Benson
VICE PRESIDENT.................................. Ron Ramsbacher
TREASURER....................................................... Bill Dunn
PAST PRESIDENT......................................... Mary Bryson
EXEC COMMITTEE......................................... Karen Rice
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brett Bennyhoff, Peter Benson, Carla Berg, Mary Bryson, Bill Dunn, Cheri Ellis, Lisa Forsberg, Marcia Hafner, Ron Ramsbacher, Karen Rice, Joe Rossman, Rod Stirling
MSGA STAFF
Executive Director......................................... Nick Dietzen
Tournament Director...................................... Tim Bakker
Membership Operations Director............... Emily Hulsey
Member Services Coordinator......................... Ian Hulsey
Communications & Tournament Manager.... Katie Fagg
Communcations Coordinator.......................... Ty Sparing
Partnerships & Business Development...... Nick Dietzen
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern................ Dean Hendrix
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern...................... Ella Prigge
USGA PJ Boatwright, Jr. Intern................ Stella Claridge
PARTNERSHIPS
Nick Dietzen.... ......................... 1 (800) 628-3752, ext. 6
406GOLF STAFF
Editor in Chief............................................... Nick Dietzen
Consulting Editor........................................ David Bataller
Senior Writer..................................................... Ty Sparing
Graphic Designer............................................... Katie Fagg
Contributing Writer..................................... Emily Hulsey
Contributing Writer.......................................... Jess Miller
Contributing Writer................................. Jarod Anderson
Contributing Writer............................... Chris McConnell
Contributing Writer.................................. Victoria Nenno
Contributing Writer.......................................... Pete Grass
Contributing Writer....................................... Jim Corbett
Contributing Writer.................................. Brian Whitlark
1 (800) 628-3752
www.msgagolf.org
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MARIAS VALLEY GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB
BY MGVCC STAFF
Originally found on MVGCC.com
Golf in Shelby, Montana has a long and clouded history. Depending on who you talk to, the beautiful Marias Valley Golf and Country Club is the evolutionary result of three, four, or five different golf courses in Shelby. The old timers disagree as to where the first and second courses were located, but all agree that there has been a course to play in Shelby since the early 1900’s.
The immediate predecessor to our course was located just southwest of Shelby. It had 9 holes, sand greens and prairie fairways. It also was hot, dry and windy and not very fun to play. In 1966, during a particularly windy men’s league night, a group of progressive golfers said that “Enough is enough, there has
to be something better than this”. The Marias Valley Golf & Country Club was born.
These early visionaries, calling themselves “Green Grass,” looked into bringing water to their existing layout, but found out it was far too expensive to purchase water from the city to irrigate a golf course. They then looked at the cost of laying Astro-turf to play on. This was also a pricey option. Led by Bob Turner, the group collected $20 from anyone who would listen to their story and started the process of building Marias Valley Golf and Country Club.
With only $400 in the bank and a lot of nerve, the group contacted one of North America’s foremost golf course architects. The group asked Norman H. Woods to design a 9 hole golf course along the beautiful Marias River.
Marias Valley Golf & Country Club
A private golf corporation was created and $100 shares were sold to anyone interested in being a member of the new course. To finance construction, this corporation borrowed $115,000 from the Farmers Home Administration on a 40-year term. With money in hand, they were off and running.
It soon became apparent that their architect was not used to building an entire golf course on a $115,000 budget. He provided them with a preliminary blueprint but left the project incomplete. To finish, the Club hired Lin Storti, a former professional baseball player, PGA Pro and the Superintendent of the Polson Country Club (at that time) to take over the project.
Lin Storti was a miracle worker. Through his hard work, the outstanding leadership provided by the first club president, Bob Turner, and thousands of hours of volunteer labor by club members, the golf course was constructed nearly on time and on budget.
The golf course opened for business in the summer of 1969 and was formerly dedicated
in September of 1970. The course was praised for its very large and very fine grass greens along with what was then the longest golf hole in Montana at over 600 yards long.
The course suffered a severe set back in the spring of 1975 when early spring mountain rains caused the Marias River to flood. Over 75% of the golf course was underwater and a heavy layer of mud was deposited on the holes closest to the river. The flood nearly bankrupted Marias Valley Golf and Country Club. With some pretty resourceful thinking, the private country club reinvented itself and was donated to the City of Shelby to become the public course it is today.
In 1995, the family of long-time city benefactor, Stan Watkins, donated the land and labor necessary to construct an additional 9 holes at Marias Valley Golf & Country Club. The project, led by Steve “Curly” Williamson and constructed under the guidance and hard work of course superintendent, Tom Russell, was open for play in 1997.
Jim Opitz started an MSGA Championship for last time as Executive Director at the 2022 Men's Mid-Am
Joey Esh, originally of Polson, Montana, was the Golf Professional from 1992-2002 and was a very important resource in the advancement of Marias Valley Golf and Country Club. After Joey left, one of his former assistants, Travis Clark, moved back to Shelby to take the General Manager/Head Golf Professional position.
In 2002, Marias Valley Golf and Country Club experienced another flood due to the heavy rains in June. With the hard work of Tom Russell and his crew, the damage was kept to a minimum. By the end of the month the course was back to the fantastic shape it is known for.
The beautiful Marias Valley Golf and Country Club is consistently rated as one of the top five golf courses in Montana. Located in the picturesque Marias River Valley, surrounded by huge river bluffs and ancient cotton wood trees.The Marias Valley Golf and Country Club is a lovely oasis in North Central Montana.
In 2017, Marias Valley Golf and County Club recruited Scott Lennemann as Golf
Course Superintendent. Scott and his crew revitalized the golf course by installing a new irrigation system that covered 10 greens and the surrounding fairways and rough. The initial phase saw over 800 new irrigation sprinkler heads. Subsequent phases have since been completed, leaving only 3 greens to complete. The total irrigation head count is 1500 and growing. Additionally, the Maintenance Staff have rehabilitated tees, fairways, and bunkers and built several new tees to provide more variety and challenging play.
In 2018, the demolition of the old Clubhouse started. The Clubhouse was located in a temporary building while a new Clubhouse was being built. The new Clubhouse opened in 2019 and offers a Pro Shop, full-service bar and restaurant, and Trackman Simulator. The new clubhouse's bar top was harvested from the old clubhouse's support beams, which maintains a touch of history. Marias Valley Golf and Country Club has hosted many inhouse golf tournaments, such as the Oilfield, as well as Montana High School championship and MSGA tournaments.
Marias Valley Golf & Country Club
INSIDERS VIEW: MARIAS VALLEY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
BY JAROD ANDERSON MVGCC HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL
There are many things about Marias Valley that make it special and unique. If I had to pick, the biggest thing is the location. We call it the “oasis on the prairie” around town because it is somewhat hidden. If you aren’t looking for it, you would never know there is a golf course in the middle of this valley. It is truly a hidden gem.
People tend to enjoy the quiet tranquility of Marias Valley the most. With our “hidden” location there is little traffic on most days, making it is a great place for golfers to escape and be away. Players are able to get on the course fairly easily and cruise around at a relaxed pace. Being somewhat remote, there is little to no service on the course, so it is a unique way to get disconnected from such a techy world.
Marias Valley is in the best condition it has seen in years, and recently the course has been fortunate to redo it’s irrigation system. Superintendent Scott Lennemann and his crew have completely revived the course over the years. Nestled along the Marias River there are many breathtaking views throughout, and it’s also lined with our ancient cottonwood trees that provide a unique challenge for golfers of all skills.
As far as the actual golfing goes, you never want to be long on your shots going into the greens. Our greens are very large and can be tricky if you find yourself over the green or even above the pin on some with a little speed! Like many courses Marias Valley has it quirks to it! Many of our holes can be rewarding as well as risky depending on how you play them off the tee box.
Hole 5: It looks like your average straight away par 4 but has a hidden valley right in front of the green. As well as one of our larger ponds to the left and trees to the right. Golfers can choose to hit something about 200 yards short or dare to take a driver up over and look for an easy birdie and maybe an eagle!
Hole 13: Similar to #5 the tee shot is key. Golfers can layup easily with anything 100200 yards and have a comfortable iron into the green. But going for it is always tempting to bomb a driver up the left side to put an easy wedge in your hand for another great scoring opportunity.
Hole 17: This is our last par 5 on the course that can be very scorable when played correctly. A well-placed tee shot should land golfers in front of our double ponds or be lucky to sit in the middle on the land bridge that divides them. Leaving you with around 200 yards into this shorter par 5.
Don’t be afraid of a little wind!! Here on the hi-line it is rare for the course not to be a little breezy. But on the course itself it can be covered by our many trees. Our weather can also vary a bit from the actual town of Shelby, so don’t be afraid to call and ask the staff what it looks like down here!
We are also proud to host many MSGA, MHSA and local charity tournaments. Our big tournament that we are most proud of would have to be our Oilfield Open. We just finished up the 97th consecutive Oilfield this June and are looking forward to the many more to come!
Along with redoing the irrigation system, over the past several years the course has been fortunate to build a new clubhouse. Our clubhouse has a great menu with many options and daily specials to choose from. We have
a beautiful outdoor patio to relax after your round and enjoy other golfers finishing up on the 18th hole.
Our course is very community focused with lots of help from all our members and guests. It's one of the many things that makes Marias Valley great. For the past several years we have had Leavitt Insurance donate range balls to all our Junior Golfers. Juniors 18 and under are free to come down and grab a bucket of balls to enjoy at our practice facility. This has been a great help to encourage our future golfers to pick up some clubs and get involved at Marias Valley.
Our Age Discount Day is another great and affordable way to get down to Marias Valley. Every Tuesday the course does a deal where your age is the percentage off your green fees. For example, if you are 50 years old, green fees are 50% off that day!
There are many things to note if you have never been to Marias Valley. Some I have mentioned already but some funny ones I tell new people on the phones is to trust your GPS! There is indeed a golf course hidden among all the fields you drive by on your way.
The Clubhouse at Marias Valley Golf & Country Club
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MONTANA STATE MEN’S SENIOR TOURNAMENT
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
In 1955 the very first Montana State Men’s Senior Tournament was conducted at the historic Butte Country Club. Having acted as a “splinter group” in years previous within the broader field of the annual State Amateur Championship, golfers who were aged 55 or older finally had a chance to formally compete with players their own age. Eventual MSGA Hall of Famers C.C. “Pop” Vaughn and George Sarsfield organized the event, while the original trophy was named after nine-time State Amateur Winner, E.J. “Ted” Barker.
Barker attended the original State Senior Tournament in Butte and given that it was
held at his home course where he was a charter member and club champion 21 times between 1903 and 1927, he was given the role of Honorary Chairman. Even in 1955, just two years before his death at 78, Barker was something of a golfing folk hero in the state of Montana, having dominated the scene for many years before and after the creation of the MSGA in 1917. In a way this original State Senior Tournament held in conjunction with the Men’s State Amateur served as a send off to the man that captured the imaginations of Montana golf fans for nearly half a century.
Roughly 40 players registered for that inaugural Montana State Senior Men’s Golf Tournament in 1955, and it was an immediate hit. It became so popular that by 1957 a
2024 Champion Jerry Pearsall
new Senior Golf Association was created with Dr. Don Barnett elected as president and in the summer of 1958 the State Senior Golf Tournament was held separate from the State Amateur for the first time. In 1959 the wives of the senior golfers were even formally invited to come along for a weekend full of golf and socializing. They organized their own separate ladies tournament at a different golf course in the same town, a tradition that was in place for the next fifty years.
The decades rolled on as the Montana State Senior Tournament eventually became one of the largest annual sporting events in the state. By the early 1990s it became apparent that more courses were needed to host the hundreds of men and women that attended the yearly occasion, culminating in 1993 when 540 golfers showed up to Kalispell for play at four different courses. 400 men were rotated between Buffalo Hill, Meadow Lake, and Eagle Bend, while 140 women were hosted by the Village Greens Golf Club.
Nowadays, the Montana State Senior Tour-
nament still attracts a small town’s worth of people, regularly hosting a field of over 300 golfers. And while there isn’t a formal women’s tournament organized alongside it anymore, wives and families are still ever present over the weekend, attending the banquet and other activities during the four-day jubilee.
This year the MSGA is thrilled to bring the 69th Annual State Senior Tournament (*Should be the 70th but it was cancelled during the COVID year) to Great Falls and Shelby. With 2025 being its thirteenth occasion, the Electric City has not only hosted more State Senior Tournament’s than any other town in Montana but is also the old stomping grounds of the event’s most decorated competitor, Gene Cook, who won a record seven times.
Special thanks to the 2025 host clubs Meadow Lark Country Club, Eagle Falls Golf Club and the Marias Valley Golf & Country Club for continuing to support one of our state’s most popular sporting traditions, the Montana State Men’s Senior Tournament.
2023 Champion Bill Dunn
1. Who introduced you to golf?
Nobody in my family plays golf so I don’t have an interesting story about that. I think I just started one day.
2. Who influenced you most in your golf life?
In 1991 I somehow qualified for the USGA Jr. Amateur at Bay Hill in Orlando, FL. I was 17 and there was a 15-year-old named Tiger I had only recently heard about. My tee times were opposite his during the 36-hole qualifying so I watched him play before and after my rounds, then watched three of his matchplay matches.
I shot 89-80 to miss the cut by a mile and he shot 70-70 to take medalist honors. He won that tournament and the next two, followed by three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles; and the rest is history. Nothing has had a bigger influence on me than those five days some 34 years ago.
3. Can you elaborate a little on the background of Banjo Ninja? What are you better at, banjo or golf?
I’ve been playing banjo since 1996 and songwriting for the past decade. After I started my 10-year hiatus from golf in 2013 or 2014 I spent all my free time on river trips and paddle around 1,000 miles and
camp 40-50 nights per year. Instead of fishing I play banjo for hours.
“Banjo Ninja” has nothing to do with being good; it’s more about being elusive and solitary. The name mostly came from Smith River trips where I’d hide in the trees and mess with people by playing parts of the banjo tune from the movie “Deliverance.” Sometimes I hide my canoe so they never see me, other times I dress up and stand in the river as they round a blind corner.
I don’t play in public much because planning and filming music videos are what I enjoy. There are 20 videos on YouTube and also two published albums: “Campfire Talent” and “River Formula.”
Golf and banjo is an apples-to-oranges comparison. I used to say “I’ve never shot 85 on the river,” and that’s still true. I’ve never once forgotten how to play banjo or paddle but sometimes on the course I find myself in existential crisis. Golf is hard.
4. What is your favorite course in Montana and why?
Pine Meadows in Lewistown, but mostly for nostalgic reasons. I still call it the “Elks Country Club” and it used to be in great shape. My short game has always been a strength and it all started playing on the elevated and severely-sloped greens and fairways in high school. There were constant
sidehill, uphill and downhill lies and I had to learn to elevate the ball and manufacture shots to get it close.
5. What is a dream golf course you’d like to play once?
Augusta National, of course.
6. What is your dream celebrity foursome (living or dead)? Why would you choose them?
Jeff Swonson, Scott Richardson, Jose Chirino. Back in the 2000s we had some wild rounds at the Snobird Tournament in Hamilton.
7. Can you take us through your recent Montana State Match Play title run? Do you like the format? How does it compare to the usual stroke play?
The time Evel Knievel tried to murder me with a golf cart.
In 2000 or 2001 I got brought in as a ringer for the Coke tournament at Butte CC. It was a two-day, three-person scramble with a monster calcutta. There was an article in Golf Digest that month where Johnny Miller called Evel “the worst gambler in golf.” He bought our team for a bundle and I could only speculate how big the side action was.
He set me up in a hotel and gave me a
stack of hundreds for “dinner” after the practice round. I had an active nightlife back then and was warned by several people about the dangers of showing up late or missing the tee-time outright.
I got to the course super early on day one, but we got off to a slow start. On the fifth hole (short par 4) I hit a decent drive about 20 yards short of the green into some thick rough. Our “C” player duffed his pitch and Evel ordered him back to their cart. I hit a mediocre shot to about 18 feet and we all missed the putt. I was walking backwards up the hill to the sixth tee and talking to the other threesome we were paired with when they all hollered “look out!” I turned and saw Evel bearing down on me in the cart. He had come around the back of the tee box and drove up and across it at top speed. At the last second I realized it wasn’t a bluff and I leapt sideways as the cart hit the bottom of my bag, which spun me around and knocked me down. As I got up, I asked the guys if he was trying to jump the tee box and they all shook their heads.
There were other incidents throughout the tournament where I was threatened with physical violence, but the majority of the time he told stories; the most amazing
stories. He knew everyone; from sports figures and actors, to entertainers and politicians.
They say “never meet your heroes,” but I did, and I don’t regret one second of that weekend.
8. If you could change one thing about the game of golf what would it be?
Golf ball. I’m coming off a decade-long hiatus and it’s crazy how far everyone hits it now. Bring back balata!
9. What advice would you give to beginner golfers?
Short game, short game, short game. Wacking a driver is more fun for most, but no worse than one chip and two putts every hole is the quickest way to break 100 (or 90)
Bonus: Lay up or go for it?
Pow!
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Great Falls, Montana is jam packed with art, adventure, and FUN all year ‘round. This trip may be all about basketball, but this summer make it about you! With 12 museums, 5 state parks, 3 rivers, great dining and tons of art you are going to want to stay awhile.
RYGGS JOHNSTON AT THE 153RD OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
Libby’s Ryggs Johnston is now in uncharted territory as the only Montanan to ever play in The Open Championship. Qualifying for the prestigious event is a remarkable achievement in itself, but he made the cut too, finishing in a tie for 63rd place at +4 (288). Playing on the biggest stage of his young career, the 25-yearold Johnston sat as high as 17th place at one point, propelled by a remarkable second round in which he notched seven birdies en route to a single round score of -5 (66). The former golfing phenom from a small town in Northwest Montana somehow went above expectations once again and for a moment played golf as well as anybody in the world.
And that’s kind of been the story on Johnston this past year. While people back home in the Treasure State celebrate his most recent accolades, Ryggs goes and takes it one step further. Take for instance the DP World Tour Qualifying School last year where he fought tooth and nail through three grueling stages to obtain one of twenty coveted tour cards for 2025. As fans in Montana were wrapping our minds around the thought of a kid who grew up around more snow than grass playing in the same professional tour as major winners like Rory McIIroy, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Justin Rose – Johnston went and shocked the golfing world with a win at the Australian Open.
In just his second career professional tournament Johnston became the third American in the last 31 years to win the Australian Open, which automatically qualified him for the 153rd Open Championship. Needless to say, it was an auspicious start to his pro touring career.
Energized by the early victory, the former Arizona State golfer set off on a globetrotting quest that took him through Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Europe where he competed at some of the best golf courses on earth. In his rookie season Johnston has shown some moxie by making ten cuts out of the 21 tournaments he’s played and earning just under $500,000 for his efforts. Through his solid play this year, Johnston is currently ranked 40th in the DP World Tour Race to Dubai Rankings, which culminates in November with the top 70 ranked players battling it out at the DP World Tour Championship.
While Johnston’s British Open debut at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland certainly garnered a lot of attention around the Treasure State – as well it should have given that he’s gone where no Montanan has ever been – those who have been tracking his progress can’t be too surprised that Johnston defied the odds once again (Vegas oddsmakers had him near the bottom, projected to finish in 131st place). Elevating his game during crucial moments seems to be something he’s adept at, a mark that many great competitors possess. Given everything Johnston was personally playing for at Royal Portrush and what it means to our state, his second round of -5 (66) might be one of the most consequential rounds a Montana native has ever played. (It's too early to tell what the “Ryggs Effect” will have on junior golf in Big Sky country, but I’d bet heavy that his yearly Future Phenoms Golf Camp will be packed next summer with wideeyed youth golfers).
There to see his performance at The 153rd Open Championship were a handful of close family and friends, including Ryggs’ biggest fan, his 84-year-old grandma Vickie who trav -
eled overseas for the first time in her life for the chance to watch her grandson compete in his first major tournament.
After finishing his four rounds and presumably finding a spot to watch the rest of Scottie Scheffler’s near flawless performance, John-
ston flew back home to Libby for a spell to do a little fishing before getting back to the grind of the DP World Tour. As he rounds into year two of his professional touring career, the question on everybody’s minds is what will Ryggs Johnston do next?
Libby's Riggs Johnston (+4) fnished T-63 at the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
CORTEZ, PORCARELLI AND MATSON CAPTURE MONTANA STATE WOMEN’S
AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
Ashley Cortez completed a two-round comeback, while Deb Porcarelli and Sue Matson finished with wire-to-wire leads at the Montana State Women’s Mid-Amateur, Senior, and Super-Senior Championships. It was a hot three days of action as fans at the Laurel Golf Club watched two hometown golfers, Cortez and Matson, each earn thrilling victories by just one stroke.
In the Mid-Amateur Championship, Laurel’s Cortez followed up her tournament low score of +5 (77) in the second round with a third round at +9 (81) which allowed her to
eke out the one stroke victory with a cumulative three round score of +27 (243). Coming into the final round down by two strokes to Billings’ Heather Biggerstaff, the two traded leads throughout the day, but it was ultimately Cortez who was playing on her home course that came out with the win.
Biggerstaff’s third round score of +12 (84) put her overall score at +28 (244) overall. In third place at +36 (252) was Sable Kerzmann (Colstrip), fourth place went to the 2022 Mid-Amateur Champion Kylie Perlinski (Bozeman) who finished at +39 (255), and who also provided some excitement on the first day with a hole in one on the par-3 hole six. Following Perlinski in fifth place was Billings’ Victoria Konitz at +49 (265).
Laurel Cortez held on for a one -shot win over Heather Biggerstaff to win the Montana State Women's Mid-Amateur Championship.
The Senior Amateur Championship provided the least amount of drama of the three championships, as Great Falls’ Deb Porcarelli cruised to a twenty-stroke title win at +35 (251). She saved all three of her birdies of the week for her final round of play. This is now Porcarelli’s third Senior Amateur Championship in the last four years.
Following Porcarelli was Bobbie Lacklen (Libby) in second place at +55 (271), in third place at +59 (275) was Shelly Hayler (Missoula), and rounding out the top five at +61 (277) was a tie between Nancy Berg (Bozeman) and Dell Kay Bertino (Laurel).
In the Super Senior Amateur Championship
Laurel’s Sue Matson was just able to fend off a third-round surge from Helena’s Susan Court to finish her wire-to-wire title run by just one stroke. For the MSGA Hall of Famer Matson, the Super Senior title trophy will add to her
collection of state championships over the years having previously won the State Senior Amateur title four times (2007-08, 2011, 2017).
Susan Court, who has won three State Senior Amateur Championships herself, provided the low single round score of the tournament at +7 (79) which closed the gap between her and Matson by five strokes. However, coming into the day six back, the fellow MSGA Hall of Famer had to settle for second place.
In third place in the Super Senior Championship was Jennie Waggoner (Laurel) at +50 (266), in fourth place was Anita Santasier +53 (269) and in fifth was Therese Dickey (Laurel) at +61 (277).
Note: The leaderboard can be found online at www.msgagolf.org as well as through the Golf Genius App via GGID: 25MSGAWMSA
Great Falls’ Deb Porcarelli cruised to a 20-stroke win at the Montana State Women's Senior Championship, hosted by Laurel Golf Club.
Laurel’s Sue Matson held off Helena’s Susan Court to win the Montana State Women's Super Senior Championship by one stroke.
RAMSBACHER, MCDONOUGH & CLANCY COMPETE AT THE 58TH PACIFIC COAST AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator
Three of Montana’s best golfers competed at the 58th annual Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, July 22-25, at the Eugene Country Club in Oregon. Missoula’s Sean Ramsbacher and Kade McDonough, along with Laurel’s Liam Clancy went up against some of the world’s top amateur golfers from fifteen different member associations, in one of the most prestigious golf championships in the country. Many of the competitors are likely off to future professional touring careers, as the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship has hosted the likes of Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau, and Fred Couples, among many others over the years.
Having been selected by virtue of their recent dominance in the Montana amateur golf scene, the three Treasure State golfers
that made the trip to Eugene had three rounds of stroke play before the field was cut down to fifty for the fourth and final round. Sean Ramsbacher led the way as the only one of the three to make it past the cut to the final round, finishing in 51st place at +11 (295) overall. The reigning Montana State Mid-Amateur Champion, Ramsbacher, had seven birdies over the entirety of the competition.
Just missing the cut by a few strokes was the two-time Montana State Match Play Champion (2023-24), McDonough, who finished his three rounds at +13 (226), followed by the 2024 Montana State Amateur Champion, Clancy, at +25 (295).
Winning the event was University of Southern California sophomore golfer, Jaden Dumdumaya, who finished his four rounds at -6 (278).
For full results of the Pacific Coast Amateur Championship, CLICK HERE
Team Montana at the 2025 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship
A HELPFUL DRAW
BY VICTORIA NENNO USGA Senior Historian
Since the First “Peanuts” cartoon debuted in 1950, the good-natured antics of Charlie Brown, Snoopy and their friends have brought laughter and comfort to generations of readers.
During its nearly half-century run, golf was a frequent theme of the comic strip. That owed much to the fact that its creator, Charles M. Schulz, had a lifelong passion for the game. He played on his high school golf team in St. Paul, Minn., and caddied the summer after graduation at his neighborhood course. Later in life, he enjoyed a weekly foursome with his friends, maintained a Handicap Index of 10, and competed in several Pebble Beach National Pro-Ams.
“Peanuts” was loved and trusted by diverse audiences – from college coeds to rock stars –and Schulz used its unique appeal as a unifying and educational tool during a time of considerable cultural change. He provided illustrations to support myriad causes, from environmental
sustainability and workplace safety to Title IX legislation and encouraging female participation in sports.
Schulz partnered with the USGA on several occasions to support causes he felt increased the health benefits and enjoyment of golf. In 1982, Schulz and Hank Ketcham, creator of “Dennis the Menace,” co-designed the cover art of the March/April issue of Golf Journal in an effort to attract more young people to the game. He later illustrated an easy-to-read booklet titled, “Uncle Snoopy Wants You to Know How to Use Your Handicap” and donated sketches for a USGA campaign encouraging golfers to walk or employ caddies.
Through Schulz’s commitment to making the world, and golf, a better place, his “Peanuts” characters continue to connect readers to new subjects and impactful initiatives.
As part of one of the world’s premier collections of golf cartoons, several original golfthemed Schulz illustrations depicting “Peanuts” characters are included in the USGA Golf Museum and Library
another point of consternation among the locals.
There’s a little bit of drama over in Big Timber recently after regulators had to step in and halt Crazy Mountain Ranch from irrigating the water out of Rock Creek to a different drainage in Hammond Creek. The invitation-only luxury Ranch that sits fifty miles west of Big Timber is owned by Lone Mountain Land Company, a subsidiary of the same CrossHarbor Capital Partners that own the uber-exclusive Yellowstone Club.
The halt comes after a lawsuit filed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) claimed a recent golf course being built on the 18,000-acre Crazy Mountain Ranch had violated the Montana Water Use Act. The lawsuit, which contains dozens of complaints from neighboring land holders in the area, contends that the Crazy Mountain Ranch has been irrigating its new course from Rock Creek without a valid water right. Among other similar complaints from Big Timber locals was the worry that the Ranch will fall into “overusing water and won’t shut down when their water right has expired.”
Since the lawsuit the Crazy Mountain Ranch, sitting on the former Marlboro Ranch owned by Philip Morris, has begun sourcing water directly from Big Timber, to the estimated tune of 100,000 gallons per day through at least the end of September, which has become
At a time when the USGA has invested tens of millions of dollars in creating a more sustainable game by reducing golf’s usage of water, and given Montana’s frequent drought conditions, let us all hope for an equitable solution that remains respectful of those that live and work in this state. If not, perhaps Crazy Mountain Ranch can look into investing in golf simulators or more pickleball courts, both of which require much less water.
GIRLS JUNIOR AMERICAS CUP
The top four finishers in this past June’s Montana State Girls Junior Championships (Katie Lewis, Cate Leydig, Hanna Boyd, Kira Connell) were down in Scottsdale, Arizona recently as Montana representatives for the highly competitive Girls Junior America’s Cup. Held July 22-25, girls across 18 states and regions played three rounds at Kierland Golf Club. The event includes the top three scores from each team’s round.
As a team, Montana finished in 17th place with a cumulative three round score of +53 (701). Leading the way for team Montana was Frenchtown’s Katie Lewis who tied for 48th place at +12 (228). The three time Montana State Junior champion Lewis stayed consistent with three straight rounds of +4 (76).
Following Lewis was Big Sky’s Cate Leydig
who tied for 53rd at +15 (231), Hanna Boyd in 65th place at +26 (242), and Kira Connell finished in 69th after posting three rounds at +30 (246).
For full results of the Girls Junior America’s Cup, CLICK HERE.
KADE MCDONOUGH AT THE 123RD PNGA MEN’S AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Missoula’s Kade McDonough was Montana’s only representative recently at the 123rd PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship. Playing at the Sunriver Resort in Oregon, McDonough competed against a field of 156 eligible golfers.
After two rounds of stroke play at +9 (152) McDonough didn’t quite make the final cut
down to 64 golfers who went on to battle it out in a match play style format. After registering a birdie on the first hole in the first round, it was a little bumpy until the back nine of the second round when the Utah Ute golfer found his rhythm and recorded four birdies in the final eight holes.
Bend, Oregon’s Sam Renner successfully defended his PNGA title from last year after defeating Lake Oswego’s Nilay Naik 4&3 in the final match. Renner is now one of only six golfers to ever win the PNGA Amateur, the last being Jim McLean in 1971-72.
The PNGA Men’s Amateur is one of the oldest amateur golf championships in the world, having started in 1899. Qualifying players compete for the Macan Cup, named after legendary golf course architect A.V. Macan, who is a member of the PNGA Hall of Fame and winner of the event in 1913.
Team Montana finished in 17th place (+53) at the Girls Junior Americas Cup in Scottsdale, Ariz.
LOOKING BACK AT THE MISSOULA STORM OF 2024
Last July 24th a massive storm hit Missoula and Mineral Country, with wind gusts that reached upwards of 109 miles per hour and left roughly 40,000 residents and businesses without power. Equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, the storm left the city in disarray, with trees and powerlines toppled over nearly everywhere you looked.
As one can imagine, the local golf courses took quite a hit as well. While levels of damage varied from course to course, nobody avoided it altogether. Hit the hardest was the Missoula Country Club, Larchmont Golf Course, and Linda Vista Golf Course who lost a combined 425 fully grown trees. Other courses had similar loss of trees and went days without power as well. Canyon River Golf Course announced that they lost their signature tree on hole 18, University of Montana Golf course had several large trees down, and the roof of a barn at the Ranch Club flew off.
Now one year later and after a huge effort from course maintenance crews and other cleanup volunteers, these courses are looking fantastic. Missoula Country Club commented on Facebook recently that “the progress over the last year is nothing short of incredible.” Incredible might be an understatement, considering how absolutely stunning the Missoula Country Club looked during the Men’s State Amateur recently despite having lost 180 trees that night of July 24.
Linda Vista likewise “woke up to a nightmare” with over 80 full sized trees toppled over, but through sheer grit were open six days later. “It was the most proud we have been in our 30+ years as a business to have overcome,” they commented.
Indeed, the clubs in Missoula have a lot to be proud of after barely missing a beat in getting the courses back open last July. Despite the state of emergency conditions, the aftermath of the storm was yet another proof of Montana resilience and the ability to come together as a community in times of disaster.
109mph winds rocked Missoula in last year's notable storm, knocking out power and knocking down trees.
BOYS JUNIOR AMERICAS CUP
The Boys Junior America’s Cup was held this year at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Oregon, July 27-31. Like with the girls team, Montana’s representatives were selected based on their performance in the Montana State Junior Championships back in June. Brady Powell, John Gilbert, Colin Jensen and Maxwell Milton competed over three rounds against top talent from seventeen other western states and countries.
The Montana squad ended up in a three-way tie for twelfth place with Northern California and Hawaii at +36 (675). Helena’s John Gilbert led the way in a tie for 31st with a score of
+10 (223). Gilbert’s best round was during the second day where only two other competitors had better scores than his -2 (69). Following Gilbert on Team Montana was Maxwell Milton (Polson) who tied for 44th at +14 (227), and Colin Jensen (Billings) and Brady Powell (Corvallis) tied each other for 59th place at +19 (232).
Winning the event by a whopping nine strokes was Arizona’s Landon Ashcraft who posted a score of -14 (199) over the three rounds, including a final day at -9 (62) that included seven birdies, one eagle, and zero bogeys.
For full results of the Boys Junior America’s Cup, CLICK HERE.
Team Montana tied for 12th place (+36) at the Boys Junior Americas Cup in Portland, Ore.
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH SOFT CAPS?
BY EMILY HULSEY
Membership Operations Director
Have you ever had a soft cap applied to your Handicap Index®? If so, you’re not alone. In 2024, 21% of golfers, or one in five, were affected by a soft cap. But, don’t think of it as a scarlet letter because it’s actually a good thing!
A player’s ability does not typically change significantly within a one-year period. But, everyone has an occasional bad round, so the soft and hard caps help keep you on track.
- If your Handicap Index increases by 3 strokes within a year, the soft cap suppresses upward movement by 50%.
- If your Handicap Index increases by 5 or more strokes within a year (after the soft cap is applied), the hard cap stops upward movement. Both caps are automatically applied as part of the Handicap Index calculation. They aren’t intended to punish you, but to ensure that a temporary dip in performance doesn't drastically or unfairly inflate your handicap.
The Low Handicap Index™ is used as a baseline, which looks back 12 months from your most recent score. It’s established once you have at least 20 scores in your record.
What does this mean for you? You can rest assured that, even if you have a few bad rounds, you shouldn't be afraid to post them to your record. The soft and hard cap will act on your behalf to keep your Handicap Index more consistent.
Key Notes:
- The Handicap Committee at your home club can override the caps if you’ve had an injury, illness, or another circumstance, that is hindering your ability.
- If the soft cap or hard cap is applied to your Handicap Index, it will be clearly identified in your scoring record.
Additional Resources:
- Quick Read Flipbook - Player Reference Guide on the Rules of Handicapping
- Have a handicap question? Contact us at support@msgagolf.org.
Read the Rules:
- See Rules 5.7 & 5.8 - Rules of Handicapping
BUT, I’M NOT A SANDBAGGER!
BY EMILY HULSEY
Membership Operations Director
Did you know a Handicap Index® reflects your ability when playing well? Most players only play to their handicap 20% of the time - usually scoring about 2-5 strokes higher.
However, on the flip side, occasionally you might score much better than expected, simply from having a great day or playing during ideal conditions. If so, the exceptional score reduction (ESR) might kick in to slightly adjust your handicap. As with all safeguards within the World Handicap System™, this is not intended to punish you or label you as a sandbagger, but since the lower score suggests you can sometimes play a little better than your handicap, it helps keep your Handicap Index as an accurate measure of your ability.
Any round, not just a tournament score, is subject to the ESR safeguard.
After the score is calculated using the Course Rating™ and Slope Rating™ of the tees you played, this becomes a Score Differential™ and is listed in your score record. If the Score Differential is 7 strokes or better than your Handicap Index® at the time the round was played, an ESR adjustment is made. It is automatically applied
as part of the Handicap Index calculation.
- If it is between 7 and 9.9 strokes better, a -1 adjustment is applied to the most recent 20 Score Differentials in your scoring record.
- If it is 10 strokes or better, a -2 adjustment is applied to the most recent 20 Score Differentials in your scoring record.
Future scores do not have the adjustment (unless they are also exceptional), so the reduction gradually goes away as new scores are posted.
What does this mean for you? The ESR is not a harsh adjustment, but gradually diminishes as you post more scores. It helps keep your Handicap Index as a fair measure of your ability, and is not intended to label you as a sandbagger.
Additional Resources:
- Quick Read Flipbook - Player Reference Guide on the Rules of Handicapping
- Have a handicap question? Contact us at support@msgagolf.org.
Read the Rules:
- See Rule 5.9 - Rules of Handicapping
A FAREWELL FROM JESS MILLER
Alittle under a year ago, I wrote a reflection at the close of my Boatwright Internship with the MSGA. I had wrapped up a summer filled with snow flurries in June, new adventures, and LOTS of golf played. At the time, I expressed how grateful I was to take a chance on myself to move to Montana and commit to a new career and life path. What I couldn't have imagined was how transformative this past year has been for me.
Returning to the MSGA in a full-time role was exciting and challenging. I needed to take ownership, build new relationships, and contribute to the long-term growth of golf in Montana. Whether working on sponsorship initiatives, managing events, creating volunteer resources, or helping our digital communications, I was given both trust and responsibility. That level of support from Nick and the rest of the MSGA team made a huge difference in helping me grow and succeed.
Beyond the new tasks and titles, what truly defined this past year are the people. From long-time MSGA members and volunteers to new partners and first time junior golfers, I have come to understand how deeply golf connects communities across this large state. My favourite moments did not happen behind a desk, but rather on the golf course. It was those small, authentic interactions that reminded me daily why this work matters.
This year stretched me professionally and personally. I learned how to lead with confidence, how to adapt on the fly when plans fell
through, and how to navigate our long days of championship season beyond just the administrative work. I also learned how much I love working in this space.
As I look ahead, I am incredibly excited to start a new page with the Carolinas PGA. However, I won’t forget where I started, with roots and a foundation built in Montana alongside the best team I know. The future is bright, and momentum is with us, and I am incredibly proud to have helped shape the MSGA into what it is, and what it is becoming.
Jess Miller (left) with MSGA Executive Director Nick Dietzen.
KEEP YOUR HEAD UP NEXT ROUND!
BY PETE GRASS
Cerified Golf Course Superintendent, Retired
This month I am going to jump around a bit and touch on several various thoughts. Starting out with the term “heads up.” Not in the most commonly used sense, of watch out or be careful (golfs version is FORE), but in the literal meaning of keeping your head up.
One of the most common ways I have heard others evaluate/critique/degrade/praise, the list goes on, a golf course relates to that term. There is a proven phenomenon, I know I have done it and will bet you have also, of head up or head down. It refers to where you are looking during a round of golf and if you are familiar with that facility or not.
At your “home course” or where you play multiple times, you tend to look DOWN and find flaws such as wet/dry spots, weeds, unlevel tees, non-perfect bunkers, a full garbage, a dry ball washer, the list goes on. In other words, you find many faults with what you are familiar with. When you go on vacation, a golf trip, play at a new or at least new to you course in an event, you tend to look UP and enjoy the new sights, the surrounding mountains, prairie, lakes, ocean or whatever scenery is and overlook many of the “details” (both positive and negative) you would observe where you play the most.
The next time you play somewhere you have played many times, act like it is your first time there and I bet you will have a different perspective of that facility.
In my career I have two examples that stand out in my memory of how golfers compare/ evaluate/critique “their” course vs others. The first is a comment from a member about our bunker sand and how the sand is so much better at XXX, another private club in Billings. My reply was how that is an interesting comment, since we literally share the exact same loads of sand, delivered by semi loads from Idaho, dumping 1/3 at Hilands and 2/3 at XXX and that has been the case for many years.
Again, golfers’ perception from a head up vs head down view. The second example was from 1998 when we had an outside contractor install an entirely new irrigation system, heads, piping, controls and wiring. At the exact same time, the same contractor did the same at another nearby facility. The following summer, I had one of my members stop and ask me if I was happy with the new irrigation system. My reply was yes, it is wonderful, so much better than the previous outdated and at times non-functional system we had been band-aiding and cussing for many years.
He then clarified the reason for his question, he said I recently played at the other facility that had also replaced their old irrigation system and did not see wet and dry spots like
he observed while playing at Hilands. I told him I had not visited that other course so I could not comment on their conditions. A few weeks later I was having a conversation with the Superintendent at that facility and shared that story with him.
His reply was “you are kidding me, all I hear from my members is how perfect your course is and why does our course have wet/dry spots still when we both have NEW irrigation systems”. Again, I contend it goes back to head up/head down and what we see everyday vs something new or different.
Try to use that “filter” to look thru as you play at somewhere you are very familiar with or a brand new to you course. I contend you will find both perfection and flaws in both situations and you should be concentrating on just having fun, enjoying the outdoors and the people you are with, not looking up or down but ahead to your next shot.
I can assure you that NO golf course superintendent or their staff start their day thinking what can we do to NOT provide the best course conditions we can today, based on the weather and budget constraints we are given.
Keeping your head up at your home facility will allow for a more positive experience during your next round.
THE FIVE STAGES OF COPING WITH MEDIOCRE GOLF (PART 1 OF 2)
BY JIM CORBETT Mr. Golf Etiquette
There are definite stages that people go through when coping with difficult and challenging experiences in their lives. This is a process through which the human brain enables us to adjust to situations that might otherwise be too traumatizing.
The use of this complex mechanism for coping was first observed by Elizabeth KublerRoss in her work with terminally ill patients. Given time to transition through all of the stages, the pattern was clear: the patients went through stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally to the stage of acceptance.
These progressive stages are not limited, however, to helping us cope with the realization of our impending deaths. We use them to deal with any information or situation that would, otherwise, be difficult to accept. Did you ever wonder why teenagers engage in high-risk activities and believe they are invincible and invulnerable? It's because they live in the denial stage. What about people who purchase products they think will make them look younger or more virile or that they believe will buy them friends? It's because they are living in the bargaining phase of their lives. You get the idea.
After terminally ill patients, the group most likely to exhibit the five stages of coping are mediocre golfers. (Of the world's roughly 50 million golfers about 49 million are mediocre golfers. The remaining million consist of approximately 15 terrific golfers and a whole bunch of really terrible golfers.)
The similarities between terminally ill patients and mediocre golfers go well beyond
their use of coping mechanisms. For instance, both groups share an impending sense of doom (especially true for mediocre golfers right before they hit the ball), and both groups know their plight will not improve unless a miracle occurs.
In order to understand, and perhaps assist the mediocre golfer, as he moves through the process, it is important to be able to recognize and distinguish the various stages. Let us explore the stages and some of the typical symptoms that accompany each.
Denial
Most mediocre golfers spend a long time in the denial stage. Some, in fact, never transition out of this phase and spend their whole lives believing that if they can just make a few small adjustments to their swing or their short game they may have a chance at playing on the tour.
There are many telltale signs that indicate a mediocre golfer is in denial, too long a list, in fact, to catalogue in its entirety, but a few of the signs are outlined below.
They may appear incredulous about a bad shot or a bad round. You may hear a lot of, "Now, how did that happen? I was aiming over there." Or, "I can't believe that I just hit my third shot in a row into the lake." Or even, "Well, anybody could mistake a 6 iron for a 9 iron. I'll bet that happens to the pros all the time."
Denial may, from time to time, lead the mediocre golfer to play the wrong ball in a match -- "No, no. I'm sure I was playing the six-dollar Titleist that's on the green. That xxx'd-out Maxi-Mondo-Pro-Distance-Tour-Trajectory ball that's in the trap must be yours."
Mediocre golfers in denial will be inclined to take all day to actually hit their shot. They'll squat down and line it up from both sides of the cup, pace off the distance to the exact inch, check the grain of the grass, and remove the slightest particles of debris out their paths -- and this is for shots in the fairway. They're even worse on the greens!
The reason for this elaborate ritual of preparation is clear. It's because the mediocre golfer
can do these things very well. He can walk around with a serious expression as well as any pro golfer, he can canvass the area for loose impediment and use his putter as a plumb bob -he just can't use it as a putter. But by taking a long time before each shot, the mediocre golfer is delaying the inevitable -- actually hitting the ball. Once he swings the club, the charade is over.
A trait that is common among mediocre
golfers in denial is the tendency to stretch the truth a bit regarding his score. "I generally hit in the high 80's, but on a good day I'll card an 85." What he "cards" may bear no relationship at all to the number of strokes actually taken, since he really hits about 120 if forced to take only one Mulligan per hole and to refrain from using the "shoe wedge."
Another indication of a mediocre golfer in denial is the tendency to believe he is actually improving. After a round of golf you may hear him say something to the effect of, "You know, I kind of struggled out there a little today, but around the 18th hole I think I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. Next time I'll probably shave, oh... about 40 strokes off my game."
Anger
When denial is no longer a viable option, the mediocre golfer evolves into the anger stage. Chances are, you may have personally observed someone who was demonstrating the classic signs of a mediocre golfer in the anger phase without even realizing it. The signs are very subtle.
If you've heard the vulgar language, seen the equipment being broken and been there when the fists started flying, don't jump to conclusions. That may have simply been a social gathering in the clubhouse. The real action takes place out on the course.
Once I was playing golf with a friend of mine who clearly demonstrated the characteristics of a mediocre golfer in the anger phase. He is a former U.S. Marine Drill Sergeant who did several tours of duty in Viet Nam and who now works as a long-haul truck driver and part-time construction worker. After yet another disappointing shot he exclaimed in a loud voice, "Oh, golly" (or words to the effect), "that's the fifth time today I've missed a 4-foot putt." I could really sense that his frustration was building as I watched him twist the flag-
stick into the shape of a pretzel. After all, we were only on the second hole.
Sometimes, identifying which stage is being displayed can be tricky and requires a seasoned professional to know for sure; once I witnessed an episode on the course that was both frightening and confusing. I was a guest at an exclusive club and saw a golfer in a screaming rage throw his clubs and bag into the lake. Then, in went his golf hat, golf glove and golf shoes -- his caddie barely escaped. As the Emergency Medical Technicians were wheeling that distraught golfer away it was difficult to tell from his mutterings whether he was in the anger stage or so deeply in denial that he wanted to remove all traces of the game from his life.
In any event, it was a shocking display -- all the more shocking for me since that was the guy who had sponsored me for the day at his private club. I was quite concerned for a while, but everything turned out okay -- no one seemed to mind that I finished out my round without him.
Part 2 will appear in the August 15th edition of 406Golf Magazine.
NEWS FLASH: GOLF CARTS DAMAGE TURF
BY BRIAN WHITLARK REGIONAL DIRECTOR, WEST REGION
This just in: When golf carts are driven on grass, it results in damage. Furthermore, this damage is much worse when the turf is dormant or slowly growing, and when turf is under stress from drought, frost, shade or other factors. More carts mean more damage.
Humor me for a second and put yourself in the grass’ shoes. You are laying there well fed and hydrated, and then 100 golf carts drive over you. That’s going to leave a mark! If you’re laying there dehydrated in the summer sun or out in the freezing cold, those 100 carts are going to feel even worse. This gives us an idea of the stress that golf course
turf routinely endures from cart traffic.
If you are skeptical about the impacts of golf cart damage on turf, have a look at the Green Section Record article “The Effects of Traffic on Turf During Frost and Freezing Conditions.” One notable passage from this article is: “As little as one pass of cart traffic during a frost event produced noticeable damage on a creeping bentgrass fairway.” This indicates the damage that can occur from just one cart driving over frost-covered turf. The study also found that repeated traffic without frost produced turf injury.
In a study that evaluated how putting green and fairway turf was affected by traffic, all turf varieties experienced thinning from a combination of wear and compaction with
Turf damage from carts is common near fairway bunkers and in areas where carts enter and exit the paths. Ropes, signs and various cart restrictions may not be popular, but they are often necessary to maintain quality playing conditions.
USGA
only four passes per week, not 100 passes per day. If 100 carts go out, not all drive on every piece of turf, but the majority will drive in the same place leaving and reentering the path on each hole. Furthermore, many carts drive in close proximity to fairway bunkers and where signs direct carts to leave the turf. These areas experience the greatest damage. Some of the ways golf cart traffic causes damage include:
Increased soil bulk density (compaction) on soil containing fine sand, silt and clay: All of these soils are vulnerable to compaction with repeated cart traffic. This is especially problematic when the soil is wet.
Reduced saturated hydraulic conductivity: The ability of water to move down through the soil profile is diminished with routine golf cart traffic.
Reduced turf density and population (turf thinning): Studies show that the abrasion from golf cart tires creates damage to turf that shows up in the form of discoloration and turf thinning.
If you need further convincing, one research study evaluated the impacts of golf cart traffic on turfgrass during and after drought. After different turf varieties endured drought and golf cart traffic, they were watered and allowed to recover. The warm-season grasses recovered in about 12 days to 75% green cover – not too bad. But under drought stress with no traffic, green cover in the warm-season varieties never even dipped below 75%! Damage was considerable to the cool-season grasses and traffic only increased the damage.
Suggestions for Golf Courses:
To help reduce turfgrass damage from cart traffic, there are some things golf course managers can do. Golf carts should be restricted to paths when the turf is under stress from heat, drought, saturated soils or
other poor growing conditions. Cart restrictions should be implemented season-long in strategic areas and frequently rotated to spread out traffic. More carts mean more damage, so setting a limit of two carts per foursome will decrease the damage. Other ideas include restricting carts to paths on par-3 holes and also restricting carts to paths on one par-4 or par-5 hole per nine every day.
While using stakes, ropes and signage is labor intensive, they are necessary to direct carts away from stressed turf to allow for recovery. Communicating with golfers to explain the importance of adhering to cart path rules is essential, and for the golfers reading this update, take it upon yourself to follow the rules and set a good example. Implore your fellow golfers to do the same, and make sure to park your cart with all four tires on the path. Finally, when golfers ask why is it cart path only or what's with all the cart rules, it’s important for them to know that the reason is to provide the best golfing experience possible!
Click Here for more from the USGA Green Section Record ‒including the latest articles and videos on sustainable management practices that produce better playing conditions for better golf.
