The women’s golf college conference championships are completed and now the focus is on NCAA D1 Regional competitions that will set the field for the 2025 NCAA D1 Championship to be held May 16 -21 in Carlsbad, CA at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa.
Regionals are contended at six different sites with 12 teams at each regional; as well as 6 individual golfers from teams that did not qualify. The individuals are top players that qualified to compete for the Individual NCAA D1 title.
Regional qualifying is always very exciting because it seems like every year there is a team that no analyst is touting that catches fire and knocks out a top team. Only five of the 12 teams at each region will move on to Nationals. In other words, of the 72 teams competing for a spot only 30 teams will advance to the national championship. And the top individual golfer not on an advancing team will also go to the national championship.
If you want to see all the teams (and individual) seeding for the regions you can get all the details at the NCAA website. The top seed in each region are no surprise if you follow women’s college golf.
Charlottesville RegionalTop Seeds: #1 South Carolina, #2 Virginia, #3 Ole Miss, #4 Florida
Norman Regional Top Seeds: #1 Stanford University, #2 Northwestern, #3 North Carolina, #4 Michigan State
It will be interesting to see if where the teams play in regional competition impacts outcome. For example, Wake Forest plays in the Texas regional location so there will be lots of wind. Will the wind be an issue? Will teams like Texas and Texas A&M have an advantage because they are used to Texas wind?
Side Bar: Texas A&M fun fact – the coach, Gerrod Chadwell is married to LPGA star, Stacey Lewis.
Can’t wait to see who advances and what upsets may occur at the 2025 NCAA D1 Women’s Golf regional competitions.
Looking forward to the NCAA D1 Championship:
PastWinners: Stanford (2024), Wake Forest (2023), Stanford (2022), and Ole Miss (2021)
For me, one of the following teams will win the NCAA D1 Championship in 2025: Standford, Wake Forest, South Carolina or Florida State.
South Carolina won the 2025 SEC championship so are in great form for championship season. Wake Forest beat Stanford in the semi-finals of the ACC but lost to Florida State in the championship match play; but it was very close and came down to the last putt on the 18th hole of the last match. So just the fact that Wake Forest beat Stanford in match play gives them a lot of confidence going into the NCAA series. Florida state is a “no-brainer” as a pick to win it all with the #1 and #2 rank women golfers in the world on the Seminoles roster.
Unfortunately none of the regional competitions will be televised but you can keep track online and I will, of course, blog before the D1 Championships to give an overview of the teams that made it to the NCAA finals for women’s golf.
As I said in my preview of ANWA it could be a unknown (at least to the average golf fan) winning ANWA and that is exactly what happened. Carla Bernat Escuder of Spain wins with a score of 12 under par (204).
Who is Carla Bernat Escudar? Here are some facts:
(1) As mentioned above she is from Spain and her coach is Victor Garcia, the father of 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia. She has been coached by Garcia since she was 13 years old.
(2) She was not on my radar with a WAGR ranking of 29 and a DI College Rank of 24. She plays for Kansas State (transferred this year to K-State). I did know her name because her first two years of college golf was played at Tulane University.
(3) Really fun fact – Champions Gate Golf Course has their golf course dog “pick” (predict) the winner. The dog has not been accurate in previous years but this year (see Instagram post)
Congratulations to Cara Bernat Escudar!
Other Notable Players:
(1) Lottie Woad: Unfortunately for world #1, Lottie Woad, who was in first place at the start of the final round, she just did not have her game on the final day and finished solo third at 9 under par (207)
(2) Asterisk Talley – #1 Amateur in the world finished one back in second place with a final score of 11 under par (205). She played well but the highlight was when she holed her 2nd shot on #1 at August National for an opening eagle.
(3) Megha Ganne – The Stanford players from New Jersey who had a record setting first round at Champions Gate finished in seventh place with a score of 7 under par (209).
It’s that time of year when all golfers await The Masters but thanks to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur we get to now anticipate a new tradition. For those that don’t follow amateur women’s golf, the weekend prior to The Masters is the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). This is the fifth contended championship although it was launched six years ago (started in 2019 but not played in 2020 because of Covid).
ANWA is a 54 hole competition. The first two rounds are at Champions Gate Golf Club and the final round is at Augusta National.
Side Bar: it’s going to be above normal for temperatures so it could be close to 90 degrees on championship Saturday at Augusta National.
How to Watch: Each day you can watch the competition lived streamed on the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Website, ANWAgolf..com or you can watch on Golf Channel and NBC (the final).
The first two days (Wednesday, April 2 and Thursday, April 3) are streamed and on Golf Channel from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m (EST). The final (Saturday, April 5) is streamed and on NBC from Noon to 3 p.m. Note: No coverage on Friday, April 4 because all participants are at practice rounds at Augusta National.
Past Champions in the Field:
There are three past champions in the field.
2024 Champion, Lottie Woad of England is the defending champion and the #1 female golfer in the world amateur golf rankings (see WAGR website). Woad beat Baily Shoemaker by one stroke after she birdie the last three holes at Augusta National. Woad plays her college golf at Florida State University. Golf England has a video overview of Lottie Woad’s golf journey.
2022 Champion, Anna Davis (also known for wearing the bucket hat when she won) is in the field. Davis plays her college golf at Auburn University and is ranked #17 on WAGR. Davis missed the cut the last few years so she’s not on the radar as a contender for 2025. However, Davis just came off a big individual win at the Charles Schwab Women’s Collegiate.
2021 Champion, Tsubasa Kajitani from Japan. She won in a playoff against a very popular American amateur, Emilia Migliaccio. She is now Emilia Migliaccio Doran and works for the Golf Channel. What most people remember is that a week later Japanese golfer, Hideki Matsuyama won The Masters; so it was the “year of Japan at Augusta National.” Kajitani doesn’t have any recent amateur golf competitions in the WAGR and she withdrew from ANWA last year so I doubt she is a contender in 2025.
#2 and #3 in the World behind Lottie Woad: The world amateur golf rankings are a great place to start and after world #1, next in line are:
Jasmine Koo (American), University of Southern California, WAGR #2, D1 College rank #2
Mirabel Ting (American), Florida State University, WAGR #3 and it should be noted that Ting is the #1 ranked player in the DI NCAA College Women’s Golf Rankings.
Division 1 NCAA Rankings: Any of the Top 10 college golfers (list below) could win at Augusta. Certainly the #1 ranked player, Mirabel Ting should be a favorite.
Here is a screenshot of the Division 1 College Ranking
NCAA D1 Women’s Ranking as of 3/29/2025
Other Standout College Players that are Well-Known or Trending before Augusta:
Louise Rydqvist (Sweden), University of South Carolina, WAGR Rank #9 – A standout for the Gamecocks and co-winner of the Darius Ruckers Invitational is playing well coming into Augusta. Her DI college rank is #14.
Hannah Darling (Scotland), University of South Carolina, WAGR #15 – A standout for the Gamecocks. DI college rank is #11. Last year had the low first round at Championships Retreat (where the first rounds of ANWA are played); and was T7 for the overall championship.
Kendall Todd (American), University of Arkansas, WAGR 30 – She may be ranked 30 in WAGR but she has been playing some great golf in 2025. She is ranked #12 in the D1 rankings. She is coming of a co-win at the Darius Rucker Invitational and she was 3rd in the 2024 U.S. Women’s Amateur last summer. And the weekend before this year’s ANWA she won the Clemson Invitational and became only the sixth player in NCAA history to score a 61 for a round.
Bailey Shoemaker (American), University of Southern California, WAGR #41 – Shoemaker came in 2nd last year and set the ANWA course record for the girls with a blistering 66. She lost by one to Woad. Her showings in her college starts in 2025 are not great; and has a DI rank of #89. I probably would not even highlight her if not for her stellar performance last year. I’m sure she has something to prove after coming so close last year.
Teen Phenoms in the Field:
Asterisk Talley (American), #1 junior golfer in the world and ranked #14 in WAGR.
Gianna Clemente (American), #2 junior golfer in the word and ranked #21 in WAGR.
Rianne Malixi (Philippines), WAGR #4 – She was on a tear last year when she won the U.S. Girls Junior and U.S. Women’s Amateur (beating Asterisk Talley in both). The 17 year old is committed to play golf at Duke. She is not listed in the AJGA junior rankings but I think that is because she plays so many big tournaments all over the world. Her WAGR ranking of four (#4) speaks for itself.
My Sentimental Favorites:
Rachel Heck is no longer in college but she played on the NCAA National Championship Stanford women’s golf team; and became a “great story” because she was also ROTC (Air Force) while at Stanford. Players in the top 30 in WAGR automatically qualify for ANWA. Heck is currently ranked 25 in WAGR but during her college days was as high as #13 in the world. She missed the cut last year so I don’t see Heck being a favorite to win; especially since she is in the Air Force (and admits she has not played much golf). It would certainly would be a great story if an active duty military woman won the ANWA. Golf.com released a video of Heck in uniform talking about her golf and the Air Force.
For me, a player that I will definitely want to see do well is Megha Ganne. I first saw Ganne during the Drive, Chip and Putt (DCP) competition and she caught my eye because she was from New Jersey (and I was living there at the time). She competed in the DCP competition four times and I have followed her career since DCP. Ganne plays college golf at Stanford and her D1 ranking is #10 and #12 in WAGR so she’s got the game to win the ANWA.
Predictions
UPDATE: 7p.m. 4/1/2025 – Rianne Malixi WD from field. I was planning on saying Rianne Malixi could be the one to surprise everyone with a win because she seems to just play well in big events; but she is reported to have back issues and may not play; which would be a real shame.
For the college golfers, Kendal Todd is high on everyone’s list because she has been playing so well. Also, it’s hard not to go with Mirabel Ting who is the #1 D1 NCAA golfer and #3 Women Amateur Golfer (WAGR). But I would love to see Bailey Shoemaker win just because she had such a heartbreak loss to Lottie Woad in 2024.
One thing that would not surprise me is if some complete unknown (to the general golf viewing public) wins. No one expected Anna Davis to win back 2022. Davis was a complete unknown to most but after winning ANWA everyone that follows women’s golf knows Anna Davis; if not by name by the “girl that wore the bucket hat at Augusta National.”
Unless you follow junior golf you may have never heard of the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. It’s an elite (invitation only) golf tournament for the world’s best juniors. Sage Valley is an ultra exclusive club and only a few minutes from Augusta, Ga. This year a few “celebrity juniors” are in the field. I label them “celebrity” because I don’t consider Charlie Woods and Kia Trump (grand daughter of Donald Trump) as top junior golfers in the world. Don’t get me wrong they are skilled golfers but are not the “cream of the crop” of elite juniors.
The invitational started in 2011 and past boys champions of Sage Valley include Scott Scheffler and Joaquin Niemann. A girls division has only been part of the invitational since 2022. The most notable winner from 2023 is Anna Davis; the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur Champion. All past winners and participants are listed in the “record book.”
If you do follow junior golf you will recognize names of the top players. For the boys, Miles Russell #1 junior in the world and at 15 years old played in a PGA Tour event this year. For the girls, Asterisk Talley #1 girls junior who played in the LPGA Hilton Grand Tournament of Champions and won the Amateur Division. Talley is the 2024 (defending) champion in the girls division at Sage Valley. She didn’t play her best this year. Another well known junior girl is Gianna Clemente who won the 2023 USGA U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball and was named 2024 AJGA Girls Player of the Year. Both Talley and Clemente will be at the 2025 Augusta National Women’s Amateur April 2-5.
RANKING OF GOLFERS
I did a bit of research and looked at AJGA rankings and European Golf Rankings for the 36 boys and 24 girls in the field. What surprised me was not the fact that the top players were represented from all over the world; but what did surprise me was that both Charlie Woods’ ranking of 838 and Kia Trumps ranking of 815 were so far off from the other players. I get it but I feel bad for the elite players that missed out on this event because two spots were given to less skilled players.
Frankly I did not see any other player (in the field) lower than 156 in the AJGA (and if they had a AJGA ranking over 100 then their European rank was usually in the top 20 for European world rankings). This is obviously due to where they play the majority of their junior golf. In other words, what tournaments are used to calculate the rankings. For Example, Oscar Covilleau (from France has an AJGA ranking of 156 and a European Ranking of 10). But still Covilleau’s rank of 156 is certainly much better than Woods at 838.
One other caveat for rankings is that it could be that both Woods and Trump do not play many tournaments that contribute points to world golf rankings. So let’s compare; Russell Miles and has seven events listed on his AJGA recap (with a few wins, of course) and Charlie Woods has four events and his best placement was a T24. Looking at Astrisk Talley; she has eight events with four wins (of the eight); Kia Trump only has one event in her bio – the Dustin Johnson World Junior (two-day event) where she placed 29.
Based purely on junior world golf rankings, I would say that Charlie Woods and Kia Trump do not deserve to be playing in the event; but the reality is that it is an “invitational” and their names will provide additional publicity; even if Woods and Trump don’t play well.
HANDICAPS: One last fun comparison from GHIN are the handicaps. Miles Russell is a +6.6 and Charlie Woods a +4.1 Aphrodite Deng is a +7.1 and Kia Trump is a 0.3
RESULTS
I waited until the end of the invitational to publish this blog post to share results. And no surprise that both Woods and Trump did not finish in the top five or even top 10. In fact, Woods finished the four day tournament T25 (out of 36) with a score of +11 (299). See Screenshot below for Charlie woods.
Unfortunately for Trump, she finished in last place (24) with a 4 day score of +52 (340). Trump is big into social media and has a YouTube channel focused on golf content. Her channel has 1.7 million subscribers (most of the growth has been in 2025). She has made a verbal commitment to the University of Miami Golf team. She’s going to have to get much better if she wants to actually play in college competitions. See screenshot of Kia Trump’s scorecard below.
THE CHAMPIONS
The 2025 Champion for the Boys division is Miles Russell (AJGA Rank #1 from the USA) with a score of -9 (279). It must have been exciting to watch because Jackson Byrd lead most of the day and then had a double bogey on 17. Boys champion, Miles Russell’s, scores below:
The 2025 Champion for the girls division is Aphrodite Deng (AJGA Rank #9 from Canada) with a score of -7 (281). Deng may be Canadian but she lives in Short Hills, New Jersey. Girls champion Aphrodite Deng’s scores below:
All results of the Junior Invitational can be seen on their Golf Genius website.
Both of the champions were interviewed and commented on the difficultly of the course and the wind (side note: it’s was gusting up to 30-40 mph in SC on Tuesday and Wednesday). Miles Russell was 2 behind with 3 holes to play and he said he just stayed patient. Aphrodite Deng said she just kept telling herself “par would be good today” which is very smart given her lead going into the final round. Deng’s 66 on Friday really set her apart from the field.
CLOSING
I’m looking forward to watching Clemente and Talley during the television coverage of the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. I’ll be curious to see if Aphrodite Deng is added to the field because she is not currently on the ANWA website players list.
I’m not sure which if any of the USGA amateur championships will be televised in 2025 but hopefully Golf Channel will show The Amateur because it is a the Olympic Club this year. Part of the fun of watching the USGA events is seeing the beautiful private courses that host the events.
I’ve always been interested in the best way to track improvements in my golf game. Yes, handicaps and scoring are results but they do not help me figure out what part of my game needs work. In the past I looked at fairways hit, greens in regulation (GIR), total putts, etc. However, after reading the latest and greatest suggestions from golf stat gurus (like Lou Stagner) I’m tracking my 2025 golf season with a different approach.
Most of the game improvement gurus online will tell you to get a game tracking app or program to track “strokes gained.” For example using Arccos or Shot Scope might be worthwhile; but I am not at a stage where I want to spend money to start tracking strokes gained. So, after reading many articles and books, it seems that there are a few interesting new stats (at least for me) that I can track without much fuss.
(1) Three-putt Avoidance – A golfers ability to avoid three-putts. You might think what’s wrong with the old school “total putts” statistic? I like the stat but there really isn’t any context and I have realized after tracking three-putts that it is a much better indicator of my putting overall. Focusing on this stat has made me much more aware of how far I am from the hole (proximity) on my first putt which has changed the way I practice my putting. I have become much more focused on speed control. I started tracking this stat in the summer last year and I have greatly improved my putting.
Below is a chart (by handicap) with the statistics (from Lou Stagner) to measure your three-putt avoidance. To calculate the percentage just figure out how many three putts per number of holes. The PGA Tour has been tracking this stat since 1992. For example, the number one player in the world, Scottie Scheffler during the 2024 golf season played 1,278 holes with 24 three-putts or a 3-putt avoidance of 1.88%. It’s interesting that Scheffler is not the best in this category.
Fun Golf Trivia about Three-Putting: Jack Nicklaus in 1962 won his first Major (U.S. Open at Oakmount) in an 18 hole playoff against Arnold Palmer. Jack’s putting was the key to winning. Nicklaus had only one three-putt in 90 holes compared to Palmer who had 10 three-putts that week.
(2) Greens In Regulation Plus One (GIR+1) – The golf articles I have read on game tracking seem to all agree that if you are going to track a traditional stat then track greens in regulation (GIR) because it’s the only traditional stat that correlates to lower scores.
In addition to GIR, I came across a stat to track GIR+1 and I love it. This was a concept I learned from Lou Stagner’s Newsletter (#86).
GIR+1 is a statistic that tracks how often you get on a green and give yourself a chance at a par with a one-putt. For me, I still have a GIR goal but I really like tracking GIR+1 for two reasons. First, I’m not the longest hitter and so I get frustrated with how few GIR I have in a round because of my lack of distance versus me hitting a bad shot (e.g., out of bounds, penalty area, lost ball). It doesn’t mean I’ve given up on working on distance but I’m not as obsessed with distance in 2025. I have now been working on my short game to get my proximity to the hole dialed-in from shots just off the green.
Second, GIR+1 is just a positive way for me to look at my post round results and my mental game on course is more positive. Now I find I’m telling myself I still have a chance at par with a one putt versus thinking it’s automatically a bogey because I will two-putt (which I hate to admit was my old mind set). I’m surprised how this different perspective has made the game more enjoyable for me the few times I have played in 2025.
Here is a chart with GIR+1 by Handicap (data from Lou Stagner). Basically, a 20 handicap is giving themselves 11 or 12 chances to save par with a one putt compared to a scratch golfer with 16 or 17 opportunities.
(3) Tracking “Double Bogey or Worse” Data – This may seem odd but I have started tracking double bogey or worse versus focusing on Pars and Birdies. Don’t get me wrong I’m very excited when I have Pars and Birdies but again data shows that even scratch golfers do not make that many birdies in a round. In fact, the experts say the key to good golf is fewer “blowup” holes. So instead of looking at my post round review and being frustrated if I didn’t have a birdie; I now look at my scores and I’m excited if I achieve my 2025 goal of four or less double bogeys (or worse) in my round.
Chart with Bogey and Double Bogey by Handicap (source: Lou Stagner)
So I guess this year the best way to express my personal golf data tracking journey is the focus is really on avoiding blow up holes. I know it makes sense but it is really a different mind set for me. Now I’m really excited to get on a green with a chance at a par with a one-putt. I am very focused on avoiding a three-putt, and try to make sure I’m walking off the green feeling good about a bogey on a hole.
I’ll be very interested to see if at the end of the year, this new approach makes a difference in the numbers every golfer is measured by – handicap and/or average score.
I never really thought much about golf ball design expect for the fact I knew about the different layers, coating, and of course they have dimples. And that dimples reduce drag which increases ball speed or velocity (thanks to my day at the USGA); but I assumed all golf balls had the same number of dimples and that is not true. Guess I forgot that information from the guys at the USGA test center.
So the size and shape of the dimple has a huge impact. For example, A Titleist Pro V1 golf ball has a 388 dimple design, while a Pro V1x has a 348 dimple design. From what I have learned that means the Pro V1 has a lower ball flight because it has less dimples.
And there is no limit to the number of dimples or the shape of the dimples so that is why golf ball companies can spend millions on research.
Below is a Titleist video on the subject:
If you really want to geek out, I found this video from the USGA.
Of course, I had to look up the specs for my golf ball. I play a Callaway Super Soft which has 332 dimples that are hexagonal in shape. I use to play the Wilson Duo Soft but it was really hard to find last year (I assume because it was a good ball and under $30) so I switch to back to Callaway.
I just read that Wilson introduced a redesigned Duo Soft this year and the 2025 ball has 302 dimples; could not find style but they look hexagonal. So 302 dimples seems to be one of the lower numbers I have found and from what I have read it reduces spin (to help get more distance) but Wilson also states that “With DUO Soft, we have to make up for what we lose in velocity….and we do this with getting more roll.”
After learning more about golf balls, the one thing I did not think about previously was that the firmer the golf ball, the more ball speed (velocity) you’ll get because with a low compression (softer ball) there is more “deformation” when the ball is hit with the club.
So this was a geeky blog post but I did enjoy learning (or relearning) about golf ball technology. It does make me wonder why more club fitting facilities don’t offer ball fitting at the same time? At least it’s not offered any where near me. Seems like a logical service to offer golfers. The only ball fitting I can think of is the one that Bridgestone Golf offers an online for their golf balls.
Ask the average golfer about “stroke and distance” and they will mostly likely tell you that stroke and distance is what you must take for a lost ball or a ball out of bounds; and you incur a one stroke penalty. And some golfers may explain that it is a relief option when your ball is in a penalty area (Rule 17) and a relief option when a golfer declares a ball unplayable (Rule 19). But not many golfers will cite Rule 18.1 which is a governing rule that states that the player can proceed under stroke-and-distance at any time.
Most golfers don’t realize when you take stroke and distance relief under Rules 17.1, 19.2 and 19.3 they could also be correct to say that Rule 18.1 applies. And, most golfers don’t realize how to take advantage of the rules when on a putting green or in a bunker.
Putting Green – Here is the basic scenario. You are on the putting green and you hit your putt which roles off the green and comes to rest perhaps by a tree, or in mud, or even in a penalty area at the back of the green. What is the stroke and distance option? You can declare you ball unplayable (Rule 19.2) any where on the course expect in a penalty area. Declaring your ball unplayable allows you to take stroke and distance with one penalty stroke. Technically if you were asked by another player to state the Rule you could state Rule 18.1 or Rule 19.2.
This rule is useful when you really don’t have a shot or don’t feel confident in the shot you would need to make, etc. So let’s say my ball rolls off the green and is by a tree behind a root; I don’t want to risk hurting my wrist so I declare my ball unplayable and go back on the green and hit from the previous location of the putt that I just hit. And yes, I have a one stroke penalty; but a second putt (with a one stroke penalty) in many cases is better than taking a drop by the tree (again with a one stroke penalty for lateral relief), and trying to get up and down.
Now if your putt roles off the green into a penalty area, you again have the stroke and distance option as one of your relief options for a one penalty stroke under Rule 17.1. Or again, if asked you could state Rule 18.1. But in general, most golfers state they that they are taking relief under Rule 17 (penalty areas) although it is the same option as an unplayable (but remember, you can’t declare your ball unplayable in a penalty area).
I know, the rules can seem overly complicated when you are taking the same action and different rules can be stated but that is just one of the nuances of the Rules of golf; where Rules often repeat instructions.
For me, if I am not confident in making the next stroke from off the green, I’m taking stroke and distance every time and putting again (with the knowledge of what I learned when I hit the previous putt).
Some interesting golf trivia – Tiger Woods used stroke and distance at The Masters after a putt rolled off the green into Rae’s Creek. People thought he was wrong but he knew that stroke and distance was an option!
Bunkers – When the Golf of Rules were revised in 2019, the USGA and R&A added a relief option for golfers when they declare the ball unplayable (Rule 19.3). The additional option was to take “back-on-the-line” relief outside the bunker for two penalty strokes. But don’t jump to this option to get the ball out of the bunker; consider the stroke and distance option.
If you declare you ball unplayable in the bunker, for one stroke you can take stroke and distance. Or again you could also state Rule 18.1. Again, you are going back to where you last played the ball but it saves one penalty stroke (versus the back-on-the line option outside the bunker).
I think most golfers would be worried about irritating the other golfers in their group if they take stroke and distance (and have to walk back 100 or more yards). I get it and in general casual play maybe take the two stroke option; but if you are in a competition you should do what is best for you. Personally, if I take an unplayable in the bunker and I can get a decent lie with lateral relief that is what I do. However, if I had no shot at all, I would seriously consider stroke and distance.
I have been asked by a high-handicap player what to do (usually they really have trouble getting out of bunkers even with a good lie). Frankly I tell them in casual play, just take the two stroke option. In league play or a competition; if they are already struggling and 2 strokes won’t impact the outcome then just take the back-on-the-line two strokes; but if they are playing well and think a stroke will make a difference then they have the right to take stroke and distance. It’s a personal decision. I remind them, when they enter their hole-by-hole in GHIN, it will adjust to their max score. Also, if they are new to a league, I tell them to ask if there is a max score for pace of play because that may impact their choice too.
One scenario that always surprises me is when a golfer is a short distance from the green (maybe 5 or 10 yards) and they chunk a shot into the bunker guarding the green. Then they take the back-on-line outside the bunker with two penalty strokes; without even a thought about going back the 5 or 10 yards to where they last hit the ball.
If you’d like to watch a video, you can view this from the USGA. For those that like diagrams, below is the USGA diagram for the relief options for an unplayable ball in a bunker:
Bottom line: It’s never a great feeling to take a penalty stroke but sometimes stroke and distance can be your friend on the golf course.
Model Local Rule E-5
A Model Local Rule is a modification to a rule that “the committee adopts for general play or a particular competition.” The new stroke and distance model local rule is MLR E-5. This is an alternative to stroke and distance for a ball that goes out of bounds or a lost ball. You cannot use this rule if you played a provisional or your ball is lost in a penalty area.
Basically, when you are OB or have a lost ball, in stead of going back to where you last played your ball, you figure out where your ball came to rest (and imagine a line to the flag) and then you find the nearest fairway edge (imagine a line to the flag); from the edge of the fairway you get two-club lengths (along with the imaginary lines from the flag) to create your relief area. This model local rule comes with a 2-stroke penalty.
I believe courses implement MLR -E5 hoping it will help with pace of play. Of course whether or not golfers will use it is debatable because it does have a two stroke penalty. In a casual round I think many golfers would be open to using MLR E-5 but in competition I would guess no one would want to use it unless they were already feeling they were out of the money.
You can watch the USGA video or below is a diagram of the Rule:
Bonus Info:
Lost Ball in Abnormal Course Condition: Some golfers think you must take stroke and distance for ALL lost balls but remember that if it is known orvirtualcertain that you lost your ball in an abnormal course condition (the abnormal course condition must be in bounds and not in a penalty area); including animal hole, ground under repair, immovable obstruction or temporary water, you get free relief under Rule 16; you do not have to take stroke and distance.
For example, there is a pile of storm debris (in the general area, not OB or in a penalty area) that you know the maintenance crew will be removing from the course. The pile of debris is considered ground under repair even if not mark. So, if you are virtually certain (95% likely) you ball is in the pile of debris but you can’t find it, you can take free relief.
Ball in Water in a Bunker: Another example when it’s good to know the rules. It rained the night before and there is temporary water in a bunker. You hit your ball in the bunker and find it in the temporary water. Some golfers will think they need to take an unplayable but that is not correct. Under Rule 16 (Relief from Abnormal Course Conditions) you get free relief from the water but you must stay in the bunker taking free relief (one club length from nearest point of complete relief). So, again, if you want out of the bunker then you can use Rule 18.1 (stroke and distance) or Rule 19.3 (unplayable).
Water on the Green but Ball is Off the Green: Sorry, you don’t get free relief if you want to putt your ball from off the green and there is water on your line on the green. To get free relief from temporary water on the green your ball must also be on the green. Here is a great short video from Jay Roberts.
Do you know how to properly find the nearest point of complete relief? If you want a refresher there is a good video from the USGA.
Obviously in South Carolina “fall golf” or “sweater weather golf” comes a bit later than up north. I absolutely love fall golf and my unscientific poll of my fellow league players were unanimously excited for the fall season. Perhaps this is because we suffer through 90+ degree heat with ridiculous humidity in the south all summer and fall is such an amazing reprieve; but for me it’s not just about the temperatures, it’s about the vibe.
I think part of the reason is that by the fall many of the women I play golf with have found their groove so they just “play happy” (as Nancy Lopez would say). Looking back at my scoring history, I also see my scores trending lower in the fall. But that is not the only thing that makes me love fall golf.
These are the things that make the vibe of fall golf so awesome:
(1) The beauty of fall golf: I don’t care if I loose a ball in the leaves! The beauty of golf courses in the fall can be breathtaking. I have so many memories of just looking down a fairway and saying to myself, “How luck am I to be health, happy and able to play a game I love.”
(2) The crisp air and perfect temperatures: Yes, I have to mention it again. Even as a person that moved to the south for warmer weather, I just love sweater weather. You take a deep breath and breath in crisp air that just feels cleaner and healthier. The chill in the air wakes you up and if there is a breeze you might see colorful leaves falling from the trees.
(3) A great time for golf trips: Many of my golf trips have been in the fall. There is nothing better than the anticipation of a golf trip! Three terrific trips I have had in the fall with my best golf buddy, Donna, were Primland Golf Resort (in Virginia’s blue ridge mountains). And, of course, the bucket list trips to Pebble Beach where I got to celebrate my birthday (2021) and Pinehurst (2023)!
(4) The golf courses are in great shape: Most of the courses have completed green aeration (late July/early August seem to be the time for aerating here in the Upstate of SC). The fairways are lush (the summer heat that can burnout the grass is gone). The courses just seem to be saying “I’m in peak condition so come play me!”
(5) Less busy courses: I’m not sure if it is tied to school being back in session or people just get busy with other activities but the courses are not as crowded and pace of play always seems much better. For example, our league finished our round in just under 4 hours and we really did not wait on any hole…that was amazing!
So I’ve listed my reasons for why fall golf have such a great vibe. Did I miss any reasons that make fall golf your favorite time of year? Or is another season your favorite?
One of the interesting things about golf is that the same course can play so differently day to day due to weather, which tees you play, and pin placement. The Olympics are a great example of the how differently a course can play and how important course setup (by the tournament officials) is to the competition. Course setup this week is the responsibility of Kerry Haigh (who’s regular day job is PGA of America’s Chief Championships Officer, setting up courses for the PGA Championship and Ryder Cup).
Another unique aspect with back-to-back men’s and women’s competitions is the added issue of “comparison.” It’s only natural that viewers will compare how the men and women play and so course setup is critical. As a female golfer and fan of women’s golf, the last thing I want to see is viewers assuming the men “are better” than the women because they don’t understand course conditions or course setup.
The course was setup for the men as a Par 71 (at 7,174 yards) and for the women a Par 72 (at 6,374 yards). Obviously the difference is to take into consideration the differences between the men and women. The general difference (stated by many experts in the golf world) is that the men’s game has more power and distance and the women are more accurate . However, some would argue the 6,374 is still a bit long for women. Why? Because on some holes the yardage difference is not enough to allow the women to hit the same club for their approach shot as the men. After a practice round, one of the women French golfer’s said that the male golfer for her country hit an iron into a green and she hit a 3-wood. It is much harder to make a 3-wood land and stop on a green.
I’m sure Haigh wants to make the setup a fair test for both events; but there were a few decisions I found very odd. First, he lowered the rough in the third cut (or the rough well off the fairways) and he did not lower the rough in the first and second cuts. Given that the statistics show the women are more accurate off the tee and less likely to have wild misses, this change makes no sense especially when the argument for lowering the rough is that the women do not have the same wrist strength as the men which is why rough is often cut differently. That logic would say the length should have been changed in all three levels of rough.
The other odd decision (made for the atmosphere of the opening hole) was a last minute decision (the day before the start of the tournament) to have the women play off the same tees as the men did for the opening hole. The first hole (originally) for the women was stated as 386 yards (then men’s tee set up for 419 yards). As expected having the women play from the men’s tees (419 yards) did now help the women. As one reporter noted for the women golfers, the opening hole “played as the most difficult hole of the first round, averaging more than 0.4 strokes over par and yielding just seven birdies against 24 bogeys or worse.” I understand the desire of the Olympic planners to have a “stadium vibe” but the first tee decision to move the ladies back to the men’s tees clearly hurt the women on day one.
The week the men played, the course was “soft” because it rained every night and that meant the men could go pin seeking (the ball would hit the green and not roll out excessively). There was barely any wind (a major defense of the course) and the air temperature was also relatively mild and it was humid during the week the men played. That made the course “easier” because the men did not face the ball rolling out on the fairway into the rough. There were many holes where the men could just hit a fairway wood to get in a good position in the fairway. This was a big advantage given the men have much greater dispersion (missing the fairway into the deep third rough cut) with driver.
Comparatively the course is playing very differently for the women. Round one the women faced a much firmer course due to no rain, no humidity, and lots of sun shine; plus the wind was starting to become a factor. So when the men could hit 3-woods, the women golfers needed to hit drivers to put themselves in the same position in the fairway for a good approach shot. The result of using drivers meant the women were seeing good shots roll out of the fairway into the rough. They also had fewer opportunities to go pin seeking having to play for the roll out of a long iron (or wood) onto a green. The weather forecast for Saturday (the day of medal play) is 90 plus degrees which will make the course even firmer.
After day one, there are statistics that show the course was harder for the women. For example, the number of players under par on day one were significantly different: Men under par was 41 and women under par was 12. Also the scoring average on day one for the men was 69 and the scoring average for the women was 74. This is not about skill but about how the course was presented to the players (soft vs firm, no wind vs windy, humid vs no humidity in the air, speed of greens, etc.). One analyst, during the broadcast, noted her surprise of many pin placements given the changes in the weather conditions for the women’s event.
These differences made the course more challenging for the women and more challenging for the course setup director Kerry Haigh. It will be interesting to see if Haigh (and other’s involved in course setup) make changes after day one. Will they cut the rough? Will they go back to the original tee selection for the opening hole? Will they change pin locations if the wind picks up? I don’t want to see the setup be so easy it’s a birdie fest but I want the women to have the same approach shot opportunities as the men did last week.
First, for those of you not familiar with South Carolina, there are four regions in SC (map below) referred to as: the Upstate (green), the Midlands (yellow), the Peedee (tangerine), and Low Country (blue). I live in the Upstate which boarders North Carolina (near Hendersonville and Asheville).
Side note: I was curious where the Peedee region got it’s name and it comes from the river Pee Dee which was named after the native American Pee Dee Indians that lived in the region.
Map from South Carolina government website sc.gov.
A crazy storm is crossing the United States today (January 9, 2024) and for us that means a month of rain (four to five inches) in one day with winds gusting up to 50-55 miles an hour. Anyway, sitting here watching the local news has made me reflect on my winter golf the last few years.
Our golf courses are open all year and we can post scores to GHIN for handicap purposes all year. However, after living here for a few years I have realized that playing golf in the winter is limited, not because of the cold but because of the rain in the winter.
It does get cold which does create frost delays at golf courses so most days we teed off around 10 am. And last year we had a number of days were it was too cold (high in 30s) for me to play. On good days it warmed up into the high 40s or 50s (sometimes 60s but often times a day in the 60s came with rain). So it really wasn’t the temperature that limited my golf last winter.
Moving to the south I expected the typical southern summer rain (heat creating thunderstorms in the last afternoons) but I didn’t realized how much it rained in the winter or in general. Turns out the Upstate averages 50.24 inches of rain a year. Someone told me we get more rain than Seattle (that shocked me) but I think the difference is Seattle has dreary light rain for days on end and we can get a day with significant rain often making courses unplayable.
Actually I think my first two years the rain wasn’t as big as impact as the last few years. In 2023 (based on scores posted in GHIN) I posted a score once in January, twice in February and really it wasn’t until late April that regular weekly golf was in my schedule. I remember last year being so frustrated when a warm day would come and it would rain all day, then a cold front would come and it would be too cold to play for a few days, then it would warm up and yes, rain.
So I have realized that I’m not going to play as much golf in January and February as I thought (when I originally moved to SC) but it has turned out that it probably is a good thing because it gives my body a bit of a break; and I get excited when I do play. It’s also a good time to practice (putting inside) or going to the driving range (my choice to practice a half-hour versus playing a 4 hour round when the high is below 40 degrees); and thinking about what goals I need to set for the new year.
My final thought on this issue is that perhaps it’s time to think about a winter golf trip to Arizona. I have never played golf in Arizona so time to do some research.
Golf Expectations 