406golf Newsletter - May 15, 2024

ON THE FIRST TEE...

With Nick Dietzen

Tournament Edition – Are You Ready? We Are.

Our vivacious and optimistic board member and course ratings captain, Lisa Forsberg of Billings likes to say – it’s “Sprinter in Montana.” Spring or Winter? Depends on the day this time of year. (By the way, learn more about Lisa in our Get To Know on Page 10!)

As a rule, Missoula is more hospitable to early season golf and Missoula Country Club regardless of weather – have been tremendous

supporters and hosts for MSGA has always been as well as USGA events.

On the competition side, The MSGA left off last year in Missoula for the State Four Ball Championships basking in the glow of fall sunlight and we emerged this year back at MCC as we unofficially kicked off and celebrated competition season for 2024 with the U.S. Open Local Qualifier.

40 players from the United States and Canada competed for two coveted spots in U.S. Open Final Qualifying for the 124th U.S. Open to be held in June 13-16 at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.

In anticipation for the upcoming competitive season in which the MSGA will conduct five junior district qualifiers, seven multi-day championships and send three teams of amateurs to compete in team matches.

As regular newsletter readers will attest, the MSGA does its level best in covering golf news and golf results from juniors to seniors across the state. At times, we have so many events cramming the pages of our newsletter that it can take away from other newsworthy items.

This summer, we are pleased to include the

Dillon Dean of Scottsdale, Ariz., earned medalist honors after shooting -7 (64).

406golf Tournament Edition, a once-a-month digest of tournament recaps, leaderboards, photos, and stories related to events across the Treasure State. We will continue to include noteworthy tournament results, but for in-depth stories, vivid photos, and leaderboards you need to sign up for our Tournament Edition. Competition isn’t for everyone, if you don’t care about tournaments – no problem, we’ll continue to inform you on golf news, updates from all corners of our state and beyond – if you want more – you’ll have an avenue to receive it in your inbox.

Montana golfers are both underrated, undeterred and gaining traction regionally and nationally with their performances. As we approach the summer and look forward to showcasing their efforts – we’ll start off where every high-level player aspires to set their sites on the championship that is open to enter as long as you meet the handicap requirement. What is the requirement? I’m glad you asked – 0.4. Time to start practicing…

Dillon Dean, Nate Plaster Advance to U.S. Open Final Qualifying

Collegiate Golfers One Step Closer to 124th U.S. Open Field at Pinehurst

Missoula Country Club hosted a local qualifier for the 2024 U.S. Open. Two players from the 40-player field advanced to U.S. Open Final Qualifying. Dillon Dean of Scottsdale earned medalist honors after shooting 64. Also advancing was Nate Plaster with a score of 65. Plaster earned the second place in the final qualifying field after a one-hole playoff with Brady McKinlay.

MSGA ABOUT US

BOARD OF DIRECTORS - OFFICERS

PRESIDENT................................. Mary Bryson

VICE PRESIDENT....................... Peter Benson

TREASURER..................................... Bill Dunn

PAST PRESIDENT........................... Carla Berg

WOMEN’S CHAIR...................... Teresa Brown

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Russ Cravens, Bill Dunn, Ron Ramsbacher, Brett Bennyhoff, Teresa Brown, Rod Stirling, Mary Bryson, Sparkey McLean, Tracy Paine, Karen Rice, Joe Rossman, Peter Benson, Lisa Forsberg, Marcia Hafner, Carla Berg, Cheri Ellis

MSGA STAFF

Executive Director......................................... Nick Dietzen

Tournament Director...................................... Tim Bakker

Communcations Coordinator.......................... Ty Sparing

Operations Manager............................. Michael Williams

Membership Operations Director............... Emily Hulsey

Online Support................................................. Ian Hulsey

Graphic Design & Content Coordinator......... Katie Fagg

USGA Boatwright Intern............................... Josh Austin

USGA Boatwright Intern................................. Jess Miller

USGA Boatwright Intern.......................... Cora Rosanova

PARTNERSHIPS

Nick Dietzen ............................. 1 (800) 628-3752, ext. 2

406GOLF STAFF

Editor in Chief............................................... Nick Dietzen Consulting Editor........................................ David Bataller Staff Writer........................................................ Ty Sparing Graphic Designer............................................... Katie Fagg

Montana State Golf Association P.O. Box 4306 Helena, MT 59604

1 (800) 628-3752 www.msgagolf.org

Dean, was making his first attempt to qualify for the U.S. Open will be attending UNLV after a successful freshman season at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix.

“I kept it simple, hit it down the middle, hit it to the center of the green and make putts,” Dean said. Dean opened with 32 with birdies on three of his first four holes and four birdies on the front side. As several red numbers had been posted, Dean was able to close out a magnificent round as he drained a lengthy eagle putt on the 18th hole to close out his final four holes in four-under-par and close with a second nine of 32 en route to 64 (-7).

Dean will be headed to Joplin, Missouri to compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championships next

week. Dean recently won his conference’s individual title in addition to the team’s division two regional title. He was named the 2024 NJCAA Division II SwingU College Player of the Month in March.

It took an extra playoff hole to determine second place and advance to final qualifying. Nate Plaster of Spokane, Washington and Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alberta each posted rounds of 65 (-6). Following their stellar rounds, they headed to a sudden death playoff hole on number one at Missoula Country Club. McKinlay, a lefty, pushed his drive left nearly even with the green, but had to navigate trees on a punch shot that remarkably made the green and left him 15 feet for birdie.

Plaster drove his first shot just shy of the green and executed a chip shot close. McKinlay’s putt missed, Plaster made his and advanced to Final Qualifying for the second consecutive year. Final qualifying will include 36 holes, with players determining their locations later this month.

Plaster, a senior on the Washington State team is a Spokane native. He has competed in several Pac-12 tournaments and was a fouryear letter winner in high school. Plaster had seven birdies on the day and did not record a score worse than four on his card, which includ-

Nate Plaster of Spokane, Wash., was the second qualifier in a playoff after firing a -6 (65).

ed sides of 32-33 and one bogey.

“I hit the ball really well today. I left a lot of putts short in the middle, but I kept my confidence and was able to get up and down on 18 and give myself a chance. It’s nice to be creative off the tee here and the greens are always good here,” Plaster said.

McKinlay, who won the Alberta State Amateur Championship in 2022 and was on the Korn Ferry tour in 2023, had four birdies and an eagle over the course of his round, while recording nothing worse than par in his round. McKinlay got off to a quick start at 33 after the first nine holes and kept the pressure on with a 32 on the back nine.

“First time I’ve been here, I loved being able to hit high drivers. I couldn’t buy a putt on the front nine, but made birdies on 10, 11 and 12 and that was huge to get me a good round – I’ll take a bogey-free 65 every day,” McKinlay said.

McKinlay, despite losing in the playoff earned first alternate status and will hope to find his way to the field. 2023 Montana State Amateur Champion, Joey Moore (Billings), put together a bogey-free round of 66 and just missed the playoff by one shot – he is the second alternate and low Montanan for the qualifier.

18 players from Montana teed it up at Missoula Country Club. Overall, 40 players

competed with 12 players breaking par. For the qualifier, Missoula Country Club played at 6722 yards.

Complete scores can be found online here.

These are the types of stories we aim to provide the 406golf community with in our upcoming inaugural Tournament Edition. I do hope you'll sign up for it - if for no other reason than to cheer on Montana's finest players as they look to make a name for themselves on local, regional and national stages.

Brady McKinlay of Lacombe, Alberta, finished as the first alternate after falling short in a one-hole playoff.

1. Who introduced you to golf?

My Father introduced me to the game of golf and taught me to adore it. He watched the game on TV and was an Arnold Palmer fan. A scratch player, himself, he hit the ball farther than I could see and still track it. It came off of the tee at a low, launch angle and rose higher as it traveled, in a straight path, above the fairway. I always wanted to hit the golf ball at least as straight as he did. I learned how to do it.

2. Who influenced you the most in your golf life?

Again, I’ll have to answer Dr. John W. Forsberg, the Veterinarian in Forsyth and, for a time, he taught golf lessons at the Forsyth Country Club. A testy little nine holes.

Dad took Mother, a fledgeling player, and three little girls, all dressed alike, to play on Sunday afternoons. My sisters and I had an old club, each, and we shared a putter. We played five holes. My club was a seven iron. It’s still my favorite club, today.

Lisa Forsberg

3. What MSGA program are you most passionate about and why?

Each tee box on every course is assessed for the Course’s Slope and Rating and is the basis for all handicaps. As a

Board member, MSGA has entrusted the USGA’s Rating Team, in Montana, to me. It is a Herculean task. Not only is the territory to cover huge, with one hundred plus courses, with the addition of the Pars 3, added this year, but the Team’s education, logistics, planning, and Rating season must be coordinated. The job is made easier by virtue of our very faithful and knowledgeable volunteers. They are committed to the excellence of this complicated procedure.

4. What is your favorite course in Montana and why?

Seeing SO many well-maintained golf courses per year, it’s difficult to choose a favorite. If one is playing golf and enjoying oneself, any course is wonderful. But, with that said, my home course, The Briarwood, is one-of-a-kind! Unique holes, wild PA, excellent maintenance, enough challenge, and fun-loving members make the Club attractive to play.

5. What is a dream golf course you’d like to play once?

Pinehurst #2 (Dad played that one) or Pebble Beach are at the top of my dream list to play.

6. What is your dream celebrity foursome (living or deceased)? Why would you choose them?

I’d like to play golf with my Father, at the peak of his game and mine, Tiger Woods, and Bob Hope. In my opinion, it would be a great day, with some instruction, camaraderie, and humor!

7. What’s your most memorable moment on a golf course?

Learning, with my Father, to putt on Forsyth’s domed #2 green, has to be a vivid, memorable event. He took the shag-bag, unzipped it and shook out the golf balls and spread them all over the green.

We putted from the inside, nearest the hole to those on the outer portions of the green. What a lesson in reading greens!

8. If you could change one thing about the game of golf what would it be?

I am in agreement with Tiger on this one. Hitting from someone else’s divot is punitive.

9. What brought you to the MSGA? What do you hope to accomplish as a Board Member?

A good friend of golf, Helen Ryan, asked me if I would serve the players of golf and the MSGA, ages ago. It took a few years before I volunteered for the Rating Team but It is my passion!

EVOLUTION OF THE TEEING GROUNDS

BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator

It’s easy to take some things for granted in the game of golf. For instance, most people show up to the tee box worried about hitting the ball straight, not wondering about its historical origins and what it would be like if it didn’t exist. Well, just like many things in the sport the separated tee box is relatively new to the scene having become established by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in 1875, and then spread internationally in the ensuing decades.

USGA

1875 might seem like a long time ago, but

remember golf is really old. Historians differ on the precise origins as there is evidence of “ball and stick” games going all the way back to the 13th century Netherlands. Some researchers in China even claim that the game was invented there during the Tang Dynasty in the 900s AD! Nevertheless, it was in Scotland during the 15th century that the modern form of golf was developed and several hundred years more would pass before what we know as the tee box came about.

In 1875 a teeing area wasn’t necessarily anything new per se, as that had been in place since at least 1744 when a group of Edinburgh golfers drafted a set of 13 rules

A tee exhibit at the USGA Golf Museum and Library in Liberty Corner, New Jersey. (Photo Courtesy: USGA)

in preparation for a tournament at Leith Links that included: 1) “You must tee your ball within a club’s length of the hole,” and 2) “Your tee must be upon the ground.”

By our current standards greenskeepers would be horrified to hear about somebody teeing off just a clubs length away from the hole, but in 1744 there weren’t any putting greens to worry about. In fact the putting green and the tee box seemed to evolve in conjunction, each influencing the other and in turn both being influenced by industrialization and other modernizing demands taking place within the game in the late 1800s/ early 1900s.

Between 1744 and 1875 the teeing area started getting pushed outward, by a couple club lengths at first and by the time the

R&A established it’s 1875 “Rules For the Game of Golf,” it stretched out to 12 club lengths away from the hole. In the case of St. Andrews, the famous Old Tom Morris had already established completely separate teeing areas, not to mention leading the way in creating modern putting greens. Along with being something of a golf genius, Old Tom Morris had an advantage of better equipment in which to help curate the course to his liking. He also had the unique challenge of dealing with the sport becoming hugely popular, as industrialization had created more leisure time for people, along with more access to golf clubs through mass production.

As St. Andrews got more and more crowded, the need for a separate teeing ground

A teeing platform is still visible from the old Pine Hills Country Club in Helena, Montana. (Photo Courtesy: Tana Dearborn)

became obvious. Imagine how slow the pace would be if groups teed off one club’s length away from the hole! Not only that, but the putting green was becoming more of a priority for groundskeepers and the idea of teeing off on an area that requires such meticulous care became untenable.

As separated teeing areas became more and more standardized across the international golf community, new innovations followed suit. Teeing platforms was one trend that became popular, especially in the United States. These platforms, sometimes called a “tee box,” were generally made of wood, rocks, or cement. In Montana some of these old tee boxes are still around, for instance there’s one made of stone from the old Pine Hills Country Club still visible on the far west end of Helena, a lonely relic of the past where golf was once played. They faded away from use in part due to being incompatible with another momentous invention from this era: the wood tee.

For hundreds of years golfers would mold

wet sand to tee up their ball and many courses would even provide a sandbox next to the teeing area for player use. The sand tee was popular well into the 20th century and was particularly suited for when the teeing platforms became popular. It was a way to lift the ball off the hard surface. As one can imagine, teeing off with wet sand was quite a messy process and it was due for an update as evidenced by the many innovators in the 1890s and early 1900s who sought to create a true reusable alternative to the traditional sand tee.

Any research into the origins of tees is going to offer up the same list of names of people who invented various versions of the same thing. Two Scots, William Bloxsom and Arthur Douglas had the first tee patent. Their product was a flat piece of rubber on the ground with protruding prongs to hold the ball up. The first tee to poke into the ground was called the “Perfectum” tee and it was created by a British man named Percy Ellis in 1892. The “Perfectum” was a metal spike with a rubber circle on top. Then in 1899 a renowned Boston dentist and avid golfer named George Grant patented the first wood tee, although it was created more for personal use and thus Grant never fully capitalized on his invention. Finally in the 1920s another dentist named William Lowell invented the “Reddy Tee” and this time the product took off. It helped that Lowell had a keen eye for marketing, enlisting Walter Hagen to use the Reddy Tee during an exhibition tour in 1922, and then signing a contract with the Spalding Company to manufacture it.

As wood tees became commercially successful, the teeing platform was slowly fazed out and golf had completed its transition into a new era. The fluidity of the old courses gave way to designated spaces. Nowadays we have USGA Rule 2.2 that states the five defined areas of a golf course, which are: The general area, the teeing area, the penalty areas, all bunkers, and the putting green.

Illustration of Butte GCs Dr. F.W. McCrimmon Using Sand Tee, drawn by J.Campbell Cory in1904.

A lady at Tacoma Country Club uses a tee platform to hit a golf shot. (Photo Courtesy: Archived Photos of Tacoma CC)

SPOTLIGHT on the GHIN APP: Frequently Asked Questions

BY EMILY HULSEY MSGA Director of Membership Operations

As we’ve seen in the last few articles, the GHIN app has a lot of fun and useful features, including GPS, Games/Score Keeping, and linking to an Apple Watch. We’ll finish up this series by reviewing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the GHIN app.

Why post scores on the GHIN app? How do I create a GHIN login?

Using the GHIN app to post scores is an added convenience and ensures you can post your score the same day of play – a requirement of the World Handicap System. You also have features not available on ghin.com or the club kiosk.

To create a login, you must have a unique email address in your Profile. If you need to add or edit it, contact us at support@msgag-

olf.org and we’d be happy to help. Then, go to ghin.com or download the GHIN Mobile App. Click “Create Profile”, then verify your Last Name, GHIN#, and Email Address. You will receive an email with a link to create a password. If you have forgotten your GHIN#, you can look it up at handicapidlookup.usga.org.

If you have created a login in the past, but have forgotten your password, you can reset it at ghin.com or in the GHIN app. A reset password email will be sent to your email address on file.

If you’re having trouble creating a GHIN login, this might be happening for a few reasons: 1) Do not include a “dash” in your GHIN# or 2) You may be inactive – you can renew at msgagolf.org/join-the-msga, or contact your home club. You may also contact us at support@msgagolf.org for assistance.

USGA

What are Push Notifications and how do I opt in?

If you enable Push Notifications, you have the option to receive alerts for three categories: 1) Tournaments & Events, 2) Member Benefits & Promotions, and 3) General Updates. General Updates include updates to your Handicap Index®, when a score is edited or deleted, Profile updates, and notifications from the MSGA.

If you didn’t “Opt In” when this feature was first introduced, or when you initially loaded the app, you can do so anytime. Just tap on the “More” menu > My Profile > Notification Settings. In addition, you might need to enable the app to allow push notifications. For iOS, go to Settings > GHIN Mobile > Notifications to turn it on. For Android, it is turned on by default, but you can manage it in Settings > Notifications > App Notifications. You can also set whether you want a silent notification or an alert.

Notifications will only be delivered between 8 am – 5pm in the user’s time zone. Any overnight activity will be delivered at 8 am, to not disturb your quiet time. Push Notifications are a useful way to stay informed.

How do I use the Handicap Calculator?

From the Home screen, tap “Handicap Cal-

culator”. You can search Recently Played, My Courses, or Nearby for a GPS search (your location must be on). Once selecting the course, choose 18 or 9 holes, the Handicap Allowance (if using it for a competition), and Select Tees.

You can add other golfers in your group to this list by tapping “Add Golfers”, and search by last name or GHIN#. Once finding the golfer, tap the “+” sign. You can also manually add golfers if you know their Handicap Index. To remove golfers from the list, simply “swipe” to the left.

This is a quick and easy way to find everyone’s Course Handicap or Playing Handicap (for a competition). You can also go straight into Games/Score Keeping from this screen.

How do I update “My Courses”?

To add or remove courses on your favorites list, and to select default tees, tap on the “More” menu > My Profile > My Courses. You can also edit this list when posting a score (in the Course Lookup screen) or when using the Handicap Calculator. Tap on the My Courses tab, then Update My Courses (at the bottom of the screen).

The GHIN app is a great tool for your game and can be used by everyone – young and old alike! Help us spread the word about the benefits of an MSGA membership!

MSGA TOURNAMENT UPDATE

BY TIM BAKKER MSGA Tournament Director

The Montana State Match Play Championships are fast approaching, June 7-9. Reminder there are three divisions, Men’s Amateur, Men’s Senior, and Women’s Amateur. Play will begin Friday morning with an 18-hole stroke play qualifying round. Match Play Brackets will be formed in each division, the lowest 32 amateurs, 16 seniors and 16 women, will advance to match play. Entry Fee is $125 REGISTRATION is open through May 28th.

UPDATED DIVISIONS! Just like our Match Play event, the MSGA has three divisions at the State Four Ball Championships. There will be a Women’s and a Mixed Division again this year. To boost participation in these divisions, both divisions will be Net Competitions this year. REGISTRATION is now open, divisions sizes will be held until August 1. Waitlisted golfers will join the field.

The Montana State Junior Championships will be held June 17-19th, and hosted by Polson Bay Golf Course. Registration for qualifiers is underway. FIND YOUR QUALIFIER and get registered today!

HOW GOLF IS DOUBLE-AMPUTEE RYAN CUTTER'S FAIRWAY FOR LIFE

BY VINNIE MANGINELLI, PGA For The PGA of America

PGA of America Golf Professional and Green Meadow Country Club Director of Instruction Ryan Cutter was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, a rare condition that causes amniotic bands to wrap around part of the developing fetus, halting the growth and maturation process.

The deformation this caused in Cutter’s legs led to him needing prosthetics when he was two years old.

He and his family would have to go to Shriners Children’s Portland (Oregon) every 6-12 months for reevaluation and sizing. As his body grew, so too did the apparatus that aided

in his ability to get around.

Cutter says his family was always very competitive, so as he got accustomed to walking and running with his prosthetics, he played baseball, basketball and soccer as a child.

“I gravitated towards golf because I could be more competitive and beat people, whereas in the other sports, it was more difficult for me to play at the higher level,” Cutter remembers. “My dad was a big-time golfer and got me involved at a super young age. I started playing when I was three, and my first real memory in the game was using his old Callaway irons that were cut down to size.

"I took to the game immediately."

Cutter was playing competitively by 10-11 before moving from Oregon to Los Angeles,

Green Meadow Country Club Director of Instruction Ryan Cutter was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, a rare condition that causes amniotic bands to wrap around part of the developing fetus, halting the growth and maturation process.

Cutter stays busy coaching and delivering a stellar private club experience to every member he encounters at Green Meadow.

where he then moved into high school golf. After high school, he attended Loyola Marymount for a couple of years where he was in a pre-med program, with aspirations of going into medicine.

It was, however, during this period when, for the first time in his life, Cutter felt like an outcast. He says he didn't know any better when he was a kid. It wasn’t like he had use of his legs at one time, lost them, and then had to adapt to life with prosthetics. The life he lived was the only one he knew and as most kids do, went with the flow.

In Los Angeles, everyone was more about what you looked like than who you were and what you may have endured through life. He felt out of place in Southern California. He left Loyola Marymount and did his own thing for a couple of years, trying to figure out who he was.

Cutter then moved to Denver, Colorado, where things would become clearer to him.

“I just always came back to golf,” he says.

He took a job in outside services at a course in Denver, passed his PGA of America Playing Ability Test (PAT) on the first try, and enrolled in the PGA Golf Management Program at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. He came out with an accounting degree, his Class A PGA of America membership, and a clear direction to move forward. Little did he know at the time just how successful he’d be in the game of golf.

Now Cutter is the PGA of America Director of Instruction at Green Meadow Country Club in Helena, Montana, a role he assumed last year after serving four seasons as an assistant. With 425 members at Helena’s only private golf facility and almost 100 on the waitlist, Cutter is busy coaching and delivering a stellar private club experience to every member he encounters.

Cutter plans and implements various player development programs for his members, covering all ages and skill levels. He also coaches individual lessons for golfers who want a more personal approach.

Ryan

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For his tremendous efforts, Cutter earned the 2020 and '21 Youth Player Development Award in the Western Montana Chapter of the Pacific Northwest PGA Section and earned Assistant Golf Professional of the Year honors in the Chapter in 2021. He was also the recipient of the Pacific Northwest PGA's Deacon Palmer Award, which acknowledges PGA of America Members who have succeeded in their roles despite hardships.

That's all on top of the fact that Cutter represented the PGA of America alongside other PGA Members in the inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open in 2022 at Pinehurst Resort. It was a moment Cutter will never forget, calling it "one of the coolest experiences" of his life.

Today, in addition to his daily duties at Green Meadow, Cutter runs a non-profit he created in early 2023 called All Abilities Golf Academy. He offers free instructional programs

to people with disabilities and military Veterans who are PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) participants.

Cutter says that despite playing several other sports growing up, he realized that there’s nothing like golf. In addition to using the term humbling, he describes the game in many other ways, some we can’t use here.

"Golf has done so much for me in my life, that I want to pass those opportunities along to someone else," Cutter said recently. "I want to spread the game of golf and help people find themselves in ways they might not have thought possible."

And in that regard, he is no different than any of us who love golf. Whether you’ve made it your career or simply try to play as much as possible, the game changes lives every day, and PGA of America Golf Professional Ryan Cutter is one shining and inspiring example.

The prosthetics that Ryan Cutter wears have enabled to play the game he loves at a high level.

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

COMING SOON: OUTTA BOUNDS GOLF

BY TY SPARING MSGA Communications Coordinator

Folks in the Manhattan area will soon have another fun and entertaining golfing experience this July 4th when Outta Bounds Golf opens for business.

Sitting on a 15-acre facility and self-described as a “hybrid of a traditional driving range and Topgolf,” Outta Bounds Golf will allow patrons to participate in a variety of in-

teractive golf games, while also offering plenty of space (and a Brick Oven Pizza Bus - see the photo below for reference!) for hanging out with friends.

Just a short drive from Bozeman, Outta Bounds Golf will be the first of its kind in the state of Montana and will become a popular spot for parties and small get-togethers alike.

Also, for those interested they’re still hiring! For more information, CLICK HERE .

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW: GOLF COURSES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

BY BRANDI MERRICK USGA GREEN SECTION EDUCATION MANAGER

Playing golf means being outdoors, usually for hours at a time. It is impossible to avoid interacting with or observing nature while you’re on the course, whether you’re watching hawks soar overhead or judging the best way to avoid a mid-fairway stream. Most golfers see and experience the environmental benefits of golf courses on a regular basis, but the relationship between golf and the environment isn’t always well understood or accurately portrayed. Read on to learn how golf courses can be eco-boosting green spaces.

Chill Out

While it may not always feel like it on a hot summer day, golf courses are actually cooling the air above and around them. In highly de-

veloped areas, the vegetation and turfgrass on golf courses can cool the air by several degrees and help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands. That cooling effect can extend more than a quarter of a mile beyond the course. In metropolitan areas, golf courses may be among the only large green spaces offering a break from steamy summer temperatures.

Where the Wild Things Are

As a golfer, you have probably seen any number of animals on the course while playing. Birds, reptiles, deer and many other critters are a common sight on courses everywhere. Golf courses are great homes for a wide range of plants and animals, including some threatened species. Superintendents often devote considerable time and resources to expanding wildlife habitats and participating in environmental programs.

USGA

Golf courses provide habitats to a wide range of plant and animal species, along with many other environmental benefits.

Water Works

Most people know that golf courses use water to maintain healthy grass, but many do not know that golf courses also capture, retain and filter stormwater, and recharge groundwater supplies. Some courses are even specifically designed to reduce the risk of flooding in surrounding communities. The turfgrass and natural areas on golf courses slow and filter runoff from adjacent properties. When best practices are followed, the water exiting a golf course can be cleaner than when it entered.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Golf courses contain acres of plants that are constantly improving the surrounding air quality. Plants take carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen for us to breathe. They also absorb gaseous pollutants and trap dust and particulates that are carried in the air. This is especially important in urban areas where

there are high incidences of asthma and other breathing disorders.

Golf Can Still Do More

While golf courses provide many environmental benefits today, there is always room for improvement. Enlarging areas of native vegetation, making more space for wildlife, increasing use of electric-powered equipment, and continuing to improve golf course water use are just a few ways that golf courses can upgrade their environmental stewardship.

Some people don’t think of golf courses as environmentally friendly spaces, but they offer plenty of scientifically demonstrated environmental benefits for plants, animals and humans, especially in developed areas. As golfers, we want to see our courses thriving for years to come. Part of that includes caring for the plants and animals that call the golf course home and the environment around us.

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. USGA

The golf industry has invested millions of dollars over the past two decades investigating environmental impacts of golf course management.

USGA

USGA OFFICIALLY OPENS GOLF HOUSE PINEHURST

VILLAGE OF PINEHURST, N.C. (USGA) – The United States Golf Association recently officially opened Golf House Pinehurst, its seven-acre campus located footsteps from the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club main clubhouse. The new location includes the organization’s equipment-testing and research facility, the visitor-friendly USGA Experience, an outdoor educational landscape feature and the recently relocated World Golf Hall of Fame, as well as administrative offices.

“When I joined the USGA, I shared with our internal teammates that while the USGA will always celebrate history, we’re not going to be afraid to make some. Today is proof positive that we’re just getting started,” said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, during the Grand Opening Celebration that took place today. “In

four years, we’ve gone from vision to reality, and achieving this important milestone is the action of more than a visitor, but a neighbor. Together, we’re going to do great things for the good of the game that will live on for another 20, 50 years and beyond.”

Following Friday’s ceremony with representatives from the State of North Carolina, Moore County and the Village of Pinehurst and other dignitaries, attendees were given a firsthand look at the campus and attractions, including:

• The USGA Experience, an immersive view of golf and the USGA’s work to unify, showcase, govern and advance the game. Designed by Luci Creative, the Science of Golf and Championship galleries feature interactive multimedia displays that incorporate augmented reality, interactive touch screens, sculptures and trophies;

• The World Golf Hall of Fame, where sports fans can discover and relive the legacies of those who made the game great;

• USGA Golf Museum Special Exhibitions that highlight the USGA’s deep collection of golf artifacts – the most comprehensive collection in the world;

• The USGA’s Research and Test Center, the only one of its kind in North America solely dedicated to testing golf balls and clubs for conformance to the Rules of Golf;

• The Glade, the USGA’s outdoor learning landscape that will help to elevate awareness of the USGA’s ongoing work to help make golf more sustainable, with native plants and pollinator habitats;

Golf House Pinehurst features both a USGA and World Golf Hall of Fame gift shop on the first floor of its two-story building.

USGA

• The Grove, a restoration of the ancient longleaf pine forest native to the region, through a unique partnership with North Carolina State University;

• The USGA Shop, where golfers can purchase various products with the USGA championship logo of their choice as well as exhibit-related specialty items.

Golf House Pinehurst was made possible by a comprehensive economic development effort involving representatives from the North Carolina General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Moore County, the Village of Pinehurst and economic development experts. The land on which it is situated was generously provided by Pinehurst Resort & Country Club for a 150-year term.

Independent studies estimate that the total economic impact of the USGA’s long-term presence in Pinehurst, combined with the USGA championships it will bring as a designated anchor site, will exceed $2 billion to the

state of North Carolina. The USGA has announced 12 future championships at Pinehurst Resort, including the 2024 U.S. Open (June 13-16) and the return of the back-to-back U.S. Women’s Open and U.S. Open in 2029, previously conducted at Pinehurst in 2014.

USGA staffers based in Pinehurst total 70 full-time employees representing Championship Operations, Equipment Standards, Player Development and Green Section teams, among others. They include some of the game’s foremost scientific and golf management experts. The campus is designed to complement, but not replicate, the association’s headquarters in Liberty Corner, N.J.

The USGA Experience and World Golf Hall of Fame will open to the public at 1 p.m. today, and operate from 10 a.m. ET to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursdays. In honor of the Grand Opening, admission is free through the month of June. For visitor information, click here.

Golf House Pinehurst is directly situated between the Resort’s Carolina Hotel and its Main Clubhouse

HIGH SCHOOL GOLF ROUNDUP

BY TY SPARING

MSGA Communications Coordinator

Boys and Girls Class B State Golf Tournament

The boys and girls Class B state golf tournament took place up in Shelby May 14-15 at the beautiful Marias Valley Golf and Country Club. Both boys and girls divisions had two rounds of competition to determine this year’s champions.

Girls

On the girls' side the Lone Peak team from Big Sky established a first-round lead of sixteen strokes and never looked back, finishing in first by 27 strokes at +192. It was quite a precedent to set for the Big Horns in their first year competing in Class B, having bumped up from Class C last year. Second-place Florence-Carlton finished at +219. Three Forks finished in third at +245, Shelby

fourth at +260, and Loyola Sacred Heart rounded out the top five at +273.

The individual title went to Three Fork’s senior Ari Judd who had a final two round score of +15. Last year’s Class C state champ Cate Leydig finished in second place at ++21. Delaney Clark playing in her hometown of Shelby finished in third at +32. Elise Munding of Loyola Sacred Heart and Hallie Hofer of Roundup finished in fourth and fifth place respectively at +38 and +39.

Boys

Columbus and Jefferson teams finished in a tie after two rounds at +59. After a brief playoff, Jefferson came out on top to take home the state championship team trophy, beating Columbis 19-20 in the playoff. Huntley Project finished in third place at +64.

Leevi Bohrer won the individual title for

Briar Napier / 406 MT Sports

Briar Napier / 406 MT Sports

Lone Peak won the Girls' Class B team title by a whopping 27 strokes.

Jefferson beat Columbus in a playoff for the Boys' Class B team title.

Powell County with a final two round score of +1. Bohrer caught fire in the second-round with four birdies finishing at 68. It was the lowest single round of the tournament. Landon Olson of Columbus was runner-up for the second year in a row with a final tally of +5. Jefferson’s Tyson Lee finished in third at +6, Choteau’s Kellen Meyer fourth at +8, and Ben Werner from Jefferson High and William Conat from Columbus finished tied for fifth at +10.

For full Class B State Golf results CLICK HERE.

Boys and Girls Class C State Golf Tournament

The Class C State Golf Championships were held May 14-15 at the scenic Hamilton Golf Club. Both Girls and Boys Divisions, respectively, played two rounds of golf.

Girls

Broadus won the team event with a cumulative two round score of +137, eight strokes ahead of second place Fort Benton. Manhattan Christian also joined the top three at +153.

Fort Benton’s Casha Corder won the individual title at +12 over the two rounds. For Corder it was a fitting end to a stellar high school career, as she will be taking her talents to Butte this fall where she will join the Mon-

tana Tech Orediggers. Following Corder was Plentywood’s Paityn Curtiss at +21 who finished runner up for the second year in a row. Seeley-Swan’s Mia Nicholas finished in third at +25, Broadus’ Emma Isaac in fourth place at +26, and Manhattan Christian’s Lindsay Cook ended up in fifth place at +36.

Boys

It was a close one on the boys side, with Scobey beating out Manhattan Christian by just one stroke to take home the team title at +77. Broadus also secured a top three spot with a final two round team score of +96.

Carter VanDyken a junior out of Manhattan Christian took home the individual title at +15 over two rounds. Aidan Posthumus from Seeley-Swan and Manhattan Christian’s Cavan Visser tied for second place just two strokes back from VanDyken at +17. Cooper Axtman led the way for the state team champs Broadus, finishing in fourth place at +19. Grady Dow rounded out the top five with a fifth-place finish at +20.

For full results of the Class C State Golf Championships, CLICK HERE

Briar Napier / 406 MT Sports

Briar Napier / 406 MT Sports

Broadus finished atop the Girls' Class C standings by eight shots.

Scobey outlasted Manhattan Christian by a stroke in Boys' Class C.

JOHNSTON, ASU ELIMINATED FROM REGIONALS

BY TY SPARING

MSGA Communications Coordinator

Ryggs Johnston and the third ranked Arizona State golf team were down in Rancho Santa Fe recently for the NCAA Men’s Golf Regional. Held May 13-15, the Pac-12 champion Sun Devils competed over 54 holes at the Farms Golf Club against thirteen other teams for the chance to move on to the 2024 NCAA National Championship.

Along with this event in Rancho Santa Fe, there were five other regional tournaments throughout the country, with the top five teams from each region advancing to the national tournament later this May. The lowest individual player not on those five teams also goes on to advance.

ASU started off a little slow in the first round with a score of 286, which put them in seventh place, two spots away from qualifying. The second round saw a little bit of improve-

ment for the Sun Devils, particularly with Johnston. A first round of 73 put him in a tie for 31st, but a second-round score of 69 shot the All-American up the leaderboard to 14th place going into the third round. However, as a team they were still stuck in seventh place.

Johnston posted another 69 in the third round which put him in a tie for ninth place when it was all said and done. Unfortunately for the Sun Devils despite getting within just a couple strokes of overtaking fifth place during the third round, a few late bogeys prevented them from securing a top five place finish. For Johnston even with a top ten finish, one other golfer from a non-advancing team – Andi Xu from San Diego University – secured second place and thus got the individual invitation over Johnston.

It was another fantastic performance from the Libby native, but it was not meant to be as a team. Congrats to Ryggs on another season filled with accolades, and thanks for representing Montana!

Sun Devil Athletics