News

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WELCOME TO THE NIH 9-HOLE GOLF LEAGUE (NIHGL)!!!

 

If you are receiving this letter, then you're one of the chosen few who have met the strenuous requirements for the 9-Hole NIHGL!  (More likely you just mailed your money and registration form on time, but that's something.)  This letter serves two purposes: I want to welcome all new and returning members to the 2008 season, and I also want to share some league details and requirements.

 

THE COURSES

TUESDAY: NEEDWOOD

THURSDAY: NORTHWEST (Regular 9 & Inside 9)

Our tee times are from 4:00 to 5:00 so we should have 8 times at each course.  At Northwest there is an "inside 9" and a "regular 9", so we have a total of 16 times each Thursday.  The inside nine is NOT an executive course.  It is a regular 9-hole course without par 5's.  If you are a beginner, this course may be a good match since it is shorter and less crowded than the regular nine.  However, it has plenty of trouble to get into with the narrow fairways and numerous creeks.  If you would like to be scheduled Thursdays for a particular nine exclusively, please let your team captain know.

 

SCHEDULING

Everyone will be divided up into teams (2 teams per flight,) and your team captain will contact you via email before each month begins to ask about your availability for the upcoming month.  Your job is to look at your calendar and reply back to your captain with the Tuesdays and Thursdays you are available for scheduling.  Once the captains hear from everyone they will schedule matches for the entire month ahead.  The completed schedule will be emailed to all members and posted on the website (www.recgov.org/golf) 

 

If you cannot attend a match on a day that you indicated you were available, then you need to find your own replacement.  That means you should email only your team and flight (not the entire league) to see if someone else can substitute.  If you cannot find one, then you will still be charged for the tee time.  This is because we pay the courses in a lump sum in advance - so the league will not pay for your tee time.  If you get scheduled for a day that you did not indicate you were available, please contact your team captain to rectify the error (yes, it has happened before - but it's rare.)

 

Please reply to your team captain with your availability as soon as possible to make our process go as smoothly as possible.  Otherwise, you may not get the times and courses you desire.

 

PAYMENT FOR ROUNDS

THE TIME TO PAY FOR MAY ROUNDS IS NOW!!! (Did I emphasize that enough, or was it too subtle?)  Please send a check to John Brooks at 8041 Kidwell Town Ct. Vienna, VA 22182.  Make the check payable to "NIHGL", and send at least enough for your rounds in the upcoming month.  Each course costs $22 to play, so a good round number to send would be $220.  Please note---play on the INSIDE NINE ONLY at Northwest does NOT require pre-payment.  That way ten rounds are covered, and you can check with our treasurer, John Brooks, later in May to see where you stand.  If you are scheduled to play and do not have the funds in your league account to cover it, you may be replaced in the schedule.  Or worse yet, you could be ridiculed by the entire league behind your back.  So try to avoid this altogether.

 

LEAGUE RULES

This is a fun league where golf is the objective - not winning.  We definitely compete in the A and B flights, but we do not tolerate poor sportsmanship (or sportswomanship!)  I got beat twice last year on long putts on hole #9, and when I curled up in the fetal position to cry I did so quietly!  So please be respectful of other members and keep tantrums, outbursts, and other demonstrative episodes under control.  There are no big prizes to win at the end of the year.  Your reward for playing well will be the warm feeling you have while drinking a beverage after the round.  Cold beer can do wonders for your golf score, or at least the score that you tell other people!

 

Pace of play is also important to keep in mind.  While our league has made great strides in this area, it still comes up occasionally as a complaint.  Since the league plays "match play", each hole is worth 1 point.  Strokes do not matter other than for handicap purposes.  So if you are out of a hole and lying 6 on a par 4, consider picking up and taking an 8 (double par is the highest score you should take in the league, so we don't want to see any 16's on the score card!)  Also remember to line up your putt while others are putting.  Don't wait until your turn to lie down on your belly on the green and figure out the exact angle to sink your putt.  Also remember to hit your ball first, before helping someone look for theirs.  It sounds selfish, but it's not - it helps keep things moving.  Be mindful of where the next tee is located so you can position your pull cart on the correct side of the green.  All of these things go into making the round enjoyable for everyone - even the group behind you!

 

A SHAMELESS PLEA FOR THE B-FLIGHT

We are in need of a volunteer from the B-flight.  Last year's score keeper moved out of the area, so we need a scorekeeper for 2008.  We are looking for someone of sharp mental ability, unwavering determination, and impeccable character to come forward and join the NIHGL Officer Club.  Short of that, we'll take anyone with some extra time to spare and a pulse!  Without a scorekeeper the B-flight will not be able to keep track of which team is winning and what anyone's handicap will be.  The B-flight will spiral down to complete bedlam, and the NIHGL will have an ugly black mark on it's otherwise perfect historical record.  Steve Stahl, the A-flight scorekeeper, will teach you what you need to know.  So please contact me or one of the other officers in the league if you can do this for us.  We would really appreciate it.

 

Hopefully this letter has covered most of the procedures and expectations for 2008.  If I have missed something, or if anyone has further questions, you can contact me or any one of the league officers listed on the web site.  Now let's get out there and start making some divots!

 

Brian Spillman

NIHGL President