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Ladies Golf Gab

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Join us for women’s golf conversations, virtually.

We are feeling the itch to get out and play some golf, however, we know that might not be possible for most women throughout KC and KS. 

We will be hosting a weekly webchat with Central Links Golf staff and area female golf professionals covering all things golf – Rules, Handicapping, swing tips, fitness, stretching, drills, and more. Get your golf on with our golf nerds.

Schedule: 

Sally Krystyn – Tuesday, March 31
Courtney Mahon – Tuesday, April 7
Penny Hickman – Tuesday, April 13
Kristen Samp – Tuesday, April 21
Wendi Brandt – Tuesday, April 28
Registration is free. All webinars will be held from 9:30-10:15 AM

Register for Conversations

Session One Recap

Click Here to watch the recorded session
Click Here to view the Handout; Click Here for Penalty Area Slides
Penalty Area Videos:
Lateral Relief
Red & Yellow Penalty Areas
Back on the Line Relief Procedure
If you are interested in doing online Yoga with Sally Krystyn you can join the Golf+Yoga+Life Facebook Group or email her for the information at golfwithsally@gmail.com

Session Two Recap

Click Here to watch the recorded session
Click Here to view the handout

Session Three Recap

Click Here to watch the recorded session
Click Here to view the handout from Penny Hickman
Click Here to view the Playing Conditions Calculation handout

Session Four Recap

Click Here to watch the recorded session
Click Here to view the WHS Handout
Click Here to view Kristen’s slides
Take the Rules of Golf Q&A Survey for next week!

Watch Kristen’s Course Management Videos
Intro Video
Managing Creeks
Putting from the Fringe
Mental Tip
Make a Strategic Plan
Plan for a Bogey
Plan for Adversity

Session Five Recap

Click Here to watch the recorded session
Click Here to view Wendi’s Slides

USGA | Announcement

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The USGA announced this afternoon that scores with any modified hole are permissible and should be posted for handicap purposes. This announcement comes in response to the many different safety measures golf facilities are taking at this time. These recommendations will be in effect throughout the United States until further notice by the USGA.

Click here to view the USGA Announcement.

Click here for Covid-19 Rules and Handicapping FAQs. (Includes information regarding bunkers/bunker rakes, scorecards, local rules regarding the flagstick, etc.)

Coronavirus Press Release

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March 20, 2020 

Central Links Golf Community –  

At this time, the Board of Directors and staff for Central Links Golf have decided to suspend competitive golf activity though May 17th. 

This includes the following events: 

  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Crestview (North) – April 13 
  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Crestview (South) – April 14 
  • Stateline Amateur Tour at Milburn – April 20 
  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Ironhorse – April 29 
  • Kansas Senior Series/Mid-Am Series at Mission Hills – April 30 
  • Kansas Women’s Spring Triple Threat at Rolling Hills – May 4
  • Kansas Mid-Am Team & Senior Team Championships at Falcon Lakes – May 4-5 
  • Watson Challenge Qualifying at Stone Canyon – May 5 
  • Kanza Players Cup at Flint Hills National – May 11-13 
  • The Kansas Cup 
  • The Kansas City Cup 

The Kansas City Match Play Championship has been rescheduled for September 25-27 at Swope Memorial. We will make every effort to reschedule the remainder of the affected events. 

If you are currently registered for any of these events, please do not log in and withdraw. We will reach out with options to transfer your entry to another event or get a refund. 

It is with the health and safety of our players, volunteers and staff that we reluctantly make this decision. We will reevaluate in late-April to determine whether additional suspensions are necessary. 

In the meantime, we hope that you are getting out and supporting your golf facilities during these tough times. Here are some ways to keep yourself safe, while still enjoying the game: 

  • Stay at least 6-feet away from your playing partners
  • Walk and carry your own clubs, rather than ride 
  • If you must ride, sanitize the cart often 
  • Avoid touching the flagstick, bunker rakes, etc… 
  • Eliminate handshakes, high-fives and hugs 

Central Links Golf staff is still working (mostly from home), so please let us know if you have any questions or if we could help. 

Thank you for your support and patience, 

Doug Habel 

Executive Director 

Central Links Golf 

The Prairie Invitational 2020

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The Prairie Invitational Committee has been hard at work planning for the 2020 championship and beyond.  They are announcing some changes to the tournament beginning with the 2020 championship which are designed to better align with the mission of the championship which is to “determine the best Female Golfer in the Midwest”.  The 2020 championship is scheduled at Shadow Glen Golf Club on July 27-29, 2020.  The changes in the championship are outlined as follows: 

  • The field is reduced to a total of 78 players
  • All play will be in starting times off the #1 and #10 tee beginning at 7:30am on July 27 and July 28; starting times on July 29 will all be off the #1 tee beginning at 7:30am 
  • All play will be in threesomes 
  • A Player’s Reception will take place on Sunday, July 26th in the evening 

These changes are designed to create a championship with the highest caliber players in the region while improving the player experience.  Golfers in the Players Division will all begin on the #1 tee on Tuesday and finish on #18 in true championship fashion. Awards for the Players Division will take place immediately following the completion of play on Tuesday, and the cut to the low 18 players and ties in the Open Division will be announced at that time as well. 

The Prairie Invitational Committee sent invitations to compete in the 2020 championship on February 1, 2020.  Registration will open on March 2, 2020.  The committee anticipates that the championship will fill within a few days of open registration.  Golfers who do not receive an invitation to compete may apply to play in the championship, and those applications will be reviewed beginning on June 1, 2020.  Places in the championship field will be allowed to applicants not on the invitation list if there is still space available in the tournament. 

The Prairie Invitational Committee will issue invitations to the 2020 championship based on the following criteria with the six-state area defined as Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Arkansas, and Oklahoma: 

  • Champions and Runners-Up in state or regional golf association major championships (such as Women’s Amateur, Girls Junior, Women’s Match Play, etc) 
  • Champions and Runners-Up in high school state championships 
  • All female PGA and LPGA professionals 
  • USGA National Championship Qualifiers 
  • Members of the Girls 4-State Teams 
  • Members of the Women’s Fore State Teams 
  • Any player who has completed 54-holes in the two prior Prairie Invitationals 
  • Players who reside in or play collegiately in the 6-state area who have a World Amateur Golf Ranking 
  • Top 10 in previous years: Women’s Player of the Year Points List, Senior Women’s Player of the Year Points List, and Girls Player of the Year Points List 
  • In addition, invitations will be extended to the champion or highest finisher not currently registered for the following events in 2020: 
  • Kansas City Women’s Match Play
  • Kansas City Girls Junior 
  • Kansas Junior Amateur 
  • Kansas Women’s Mid-Amateur 
  • Kansas Women’s Amateur 
  • Kansas Girls Match Play 
  • Kansas City Girls Match Play 

Please contact Jacque Madison (jacque@kcgolf.org or 913-649-5242, ext2) with any questions regarding The Prairie Invitational. 

5 Things You Should Know About The World Handicap System

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Beginning in 2020 a brand-new set of Rules for Handicapping will be introduced globally

1. Your Handicap Index may change.

But that’s ok! Finally, players around the world will have an apples-to-apples handicap. Your new Handicap Index will be more responsive to good scores by averaging your eight best scores out of your most recent 20 (currently, it’s 10 out of 20 with a .96 multiplier). In short, your Handicap Index will be determined by your demonstrated ability and consistency of scores. In most cases for golfers in the U.S., it will change less than one stroke.

2. You need to know your Course Handicap.

In the new system, your Course Handicap will be the number of strokes needed to play to par. This will result in greater variance in that number and presents a change, as historically it has represented the number of strokes needed to play to the Course Rating. This is a good thing, as par is an easy number to remember. Target score for the day? Par plus Course Handicap. The Course Rating will now be inherent within the calculation to be more intuitive and account for competing from different tees. You will also have a Playing Handicap, which is Course Handicap adjusted for any Terms of the Competition such as Handicap Allowances or a difference in Par. The majority of the time, your Course Handicap and Playing Handicap will be the same number.

3. Net Double Bogey.

The maximum hole score for each player will be limited to a Net Double Bogey. This adjustment is more consistent from hole to hole than the Equitable Stroke Control procedure. Net Double Bogey is already used in many other parts of the world and the calculation is simple: Par + 2 + any handicap strokes you receive.

4. Your Handicap Index will be revised daily.

One way that handicapping is being modernized is a player’s Handicap Index will update daily (which will provide a fairer indication of a player’s ability in the moment), if the player submitted a score the day before. On days where the player does not submit a score, no update will take place.

5. Safeguards in the new system.

The new system will limit extreme upward movement of a Handicap Index, automatically and immediately reduce a Handicap Index when an exceptional score of at least 7 strokes better is posted, and account for abnormal course or weather conditions to ensure that scores reflect when a course plays significantly different than its established Course Rating and Slope Rating.

These safeguards help maintain the accuracy of a Handicap Index, greater integrity within the system and promote fun and fair play for golfers of all abilities.

(Document provided to the KCGA by the USGA)

KCGA Announces 2019 Club Award Winners

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Lenexa, KS – The KCGA is pleased to announce its annual club award winners for 2019.  The awards are presented to both public access and private clubs for growth in women’s golf and junior golf and based on new handicap subscribers at each club.

Women’s Growth Award (Private Club) – Falcon Ridge Golf Club leads all KCGA member clubs in the growth of women’s core golfers for the second year in a row.

Women’s Growth Award (Public Club) – Overland Park Golf Club led all public clubs for the second year in a row, and took over in 2018 from sister course St. Andrews Golf Club.

Junior Growth Award (Private Club) – Hallbrook Country Club leads all KCGA member private clubs for the most new junior core golfers.  This is the first time Hallbrook has been recognized by the KCGA for junior golf growth.

Junior Growth Award (Public Club) – Fred Arbanas Golf Club claimed the public club junior growth award for the second year in a row.

The KCGA thanks all our clubs for their efforts to grow the game throughout the season.  We congratulate our annual award winners for the outstanding efforts in 2019.

Announcing the 2019 Player of the Year Recipients

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KCGA/KGA Women Player of the Year Recipients

As the 2019 season comes to an end, the Kansas City Golf Association and Kansas Golf Association would like to recognize the top talent in our women’s sector of competition. These three players exceled in tournaments all year long and proved themselves to be consistently atop the leader board. Congratulations to the following women for their excellent seasons!

Julia Misemer

Julia Misemer, a sophomore at Blue Valley West, is our 2019 KCGA/KGA Girls Player of the Year, besting her competition by over 1100 points with three outright wins and a couple runner-up finishes. Coming off a recent KSHSAA 6A Girls State Championship win, Misemer ran away with this year’s award. Highlights of Misemer’s 2019 campaign consist of a first-place finish at the KC Junior Championship at Brookridge Golf & Fitness, qualifying for the National PGA Championship, and a runner-up finish at the KC Women’s Match Play Championship at Swope Memorial.

Misemer also qualified for the US Girls Junior Championship and qualified for match play. At the Kansas Women’s Amateur at Prairie Dunes, Misemer finished tied for eight, and was also a member of the 2019 Mid-America Junior Cup that defeated St. Louis 13-3. Misemer at only 15, has long been a force in the junior golf community of Kansas and we look forward to her next few years of competition.

Rachel Stous

Rachel Stous, a freshman at Metropolitan Community College, claimed her first KCGA/KGA Women’s Player of the Year award. In a close battle with Kansas University golfer Sera Tadokoro, Stous outperformed her competition by 337 points. Stous’s season was highlighted by her win in the KC Women’s Match Play Championship at Swope Memorial over Girls Player of the Year recipient, Julia Misemer. Stous headed to the 13th hole in the Championship match with a 5 up cushion and clinched the KC Women’s Match Play Championship in style with a walk-off Hole-In-One.

Add to that, Stous’s runner-up finish at the Kansas Women’s Amateur at Prairie Dunes with a three-day tournament score of 217 (+1). Stous was also a member of the Kansas Women’s Fore State team and finished tied for sixth at the Prairie Invitational at The National Golf Course of Kansas City.

Susan DeVoe

Susan DeVoe of Overland Park, Kansas, took the KCGA/KGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year after finishing in the top five in at least five events in 2019. Devoe’s competitive season shined with two wins in Women’s Four-Ball events, a top-five finish at the Tee-Fore-Two Championship at Rolling Hills Country Club, and a runner-up finish in the Kansas Women’s Senior Championship.

To cement her win over second-place finisher, Pam Simpson, DeVoe finished fourth at the Kansas Women’s Mid-Amateur championship and made it to the Round of 16 in the KC Women’s Match Play Championship.

Congratulations to all three ladies who represented the KCGA/KGA extremely well throughout 2019. All three worked extremely hard to capture their Player of the Year awards and we look forward to seeing them try to defend in 2020!

To see the points list for each division, click here.

KCGA Men’s Player of the Year Recipients

The Kansas City Golf Association is thrilled to announce the Men’s Player of the Year award recipients for 2019! Congratulations to Kansas University golfer, Andy Spencer, and long-time KCGA and USGA competitor, Bryan Norton.

Andy Spencer

Andy Spencer, now in his senior year at Kansas University, has claimed the Amateur Player of the Year award for the second consecutive season. Spencer is no stranger to winning golf tournaments and competed successfully in tournaments throughout the state of Kansas since he was a junior golfer. Spencer’s 2019 season is highlighted by his Kansas Amateur win at Milburn Country Club. Spencer finished as the second lowest qualifier in stroke-play, shooting a four-under, two-day total of 140 to advance to match play as the 2 seed. After battling through five rounds of match play, Spencer faced off against junior golfer Nicklaus Mason in the final 36-hole Championship match. A native of Kansas City and Milburn member, Spencer won the Kansas Amateur Championship 8 and 6 over Mason.

Other impressive accomplishments include qualifying for the US Amateur Championship at Pinehurst and finishing tied for second in the rain-shortened Watson Challenge. Currently, Spencer is preparing for the final stage of the Korn Ferry Q School. We wish him luck and look forward to seeing him compete in years to come.

Bryan Norton

Bryan Norton of Mission Hills, Kansas has been a long-time player for the KCGA and KGA as well as competing in USGA Championships. His competitive play clinched him the KCGA Senior Amateur Player of the Year award over close second-place finisher Steve Groom. Norton’s 2019 season consisted of qualifying for the US Senior Amateur at Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, NC. Not only did Norton make it to match play in the US Senior Amateur Championship, but he had a great run to the Round of 16 where he lost a close match to Paul Jett, one up.

Norton also competed in the Kansas Amateur Championship at Milburn where he advanced to match play as the 22 seed after a stroke-play qualifying round of 146 (73, 73). Norton made it to the Round of 32, losing to 2018 Champion Sion Audrain in 19 holes of a great match. Norton competed in US Senior Open qualifying at the Golf Club of Creekmoor where he missed a playoff to qualify by one stroke.

To see the points list for both Player of the Year lists, click here.

Congratulations again to all of our Player of the Year recipients. We appreciate all of our participants throughout the season and we look forward to what the 2020 season has in store! Registration opens March 1, 2020!

Team KC Retains Mid America Junior Cup in 13-3 Victory

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Kansas City CC, Mission Hills, KS – The 2019 Mid-America Junior Cup was a great team victory for Kansas City. In a Ryder Cup style event against St. Louis (MAGA), Kansas City started off strong Saturday morning at Kansas City Country Club during the foursomes session. Easton Johnson/Libby Green got the first point on the board for KC with a 6 & 5 win over Ryan Walsh/Rylie Andrews. Justin Wingerter/Lia Johnson clinched the second point of the event with a 7 and 5 win over Jack Guyot/Brooke Biermann. The last two foursome matches went the distance with Patrick Neal/Julia Misemer halving Hole 17 & 18 to win the match 1 up. Will Harding/Victoria Klausner headed into Hole 18 1 up over Braden Hoisington/Momo Kikuchi and with a birdie on the 18th hole won their match 2 up to give KCGA a 4-0 lead.

In the afternoon four-ball session, Julia Misemer/Libby Green cruised to victory with a 7 & 6 win to add to team KC’s lead. St. Louis’s Biermann/Kikuchi followed with their own victory over KC’s Victoria Klausner/Lia Johnson with a 4 & 3 win to get St. Louis on the board. The final two four-ball matches came down to the wire. Team KC’s Easton Johnson/Patrick Neal found themselves with a 2 up lead through 16 holes, but a birdie putt on the 17th by St. Louis would decrease the lead to 1 up with one hole left to play. Team KC would win the match 1 up after halving the 18th hole to give KC a 6-1 lead with the last four-ball match to be decided.

Will Harding/Justin Wingerter faced tough competition in St. Louis’s Hoisington/Guyot team and got down early. KC made the turn 2 down in the match, but followed quickly with a birdie on the 10th hole and a par on the 11th to win the next two holes and tie the match. Hoisington would birdie the 13th to give St. Louis another lead, but Harding’s clutch par on the 14th would tie the match again. Heading into the 17th hole still tied, a big birdie putt by Harding to win the 17th hole would ultimately be the difference maker. Team KC would win the match 1 up after halving the 18th hole to give KC a 7-1 heading into the final day of competition.

Singles began early Sunday morning at Kansas City Country Club. Team KC again got off to a strong start, claiming the first two singles matches with victories by Victoria Klausner (9 & 8) and Easton Johnson (6 & 4). St. Louis battled back with a victory by Mia Rallo over Libby Green (3 & 2). Justin Wingerter added another point for KC with a 7 & 6 victory over Braden Hoisington. Lia Johnson of KC would fall in a close battle with Momo Kikuchi who would win 1 up after halving the 18th hole. Patrick Neal of KC would follow next with a tight victory over Kal Kolar with a great second shot to lead to a tap in birdie on the 18th hole to win the match 1 up. KC’s Will Harding’s match would end on the 16th hole after a birdie putt fell to clinch his match 3 & 2. In the most competitive singles match of the day, Julia Misemer and Brooke Biermann would go all the way to the end. Biermman would hold a 1 up lead over KC’s Misemer through the first 11 holes, but a bogey on the 12th hole would tie the match. Biermann was quick to bounce back with a birdie on the 13th hole to go back to 1 up. Misemer’s amazing chip-in on the Par-3, 14th would tie the match once again and her momentum would carry with a win on the 15th as well to go 1 up over Biermann. Biermann and Misemer would swap birdie wins on the next two holes and Misemer would head to the 18th hole with a 1 up lead. With two great drives on the 18th tee, it would come down to approach shots. Misemer stuck her approach shot to tap-in birdie range and the pressure was on Biermann to follow suit. She would follow with a great shot of her own but would come to rest about 20 feet from the hole and wasn’t quite enough. Misemer went on to win the match 2 up.

To retain the Mid-America Cup, Kansas City needed 8 points out of the 16 available. Fortunately, Kansas City was able to grab 13 points! It was a great team victory for Team Kansas City and a great display of the junior golf talent between us and St. Louis. Thank you to the staff and players of St. Louis for traveling to KC and for the staff/members of Kansas City Country Club for hosting this great event.

We look forward to battling it out again next year in St. Louis. For full results, please see here.

 

Esterline/Rugeles capture Gross Title, Dusenberry/Yacenda Claim Net Championship at Fall Triple Threat

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Terradyne CC, Andover, KS –  The Women’s Fall Triple Threat enjoyed a great fall afternoon for golf at Terradyne CC in Andover, Kansas.  Women from all over the state came together for the final championship of the season which features six holes of Four Ball, six holes of Chapman Alternate Shot, and six holes of Scramble.

Former Wichita State golfer Dani Rugeles (Bogota, Colombia) and partner Sabrina Esterline (Wichita) started the round with a rocky performance in the Four Ball format, but were flawless in the difficult Chapman Alternate Shot and the closing Scramble holes to win the Overall Gross championship with a 67 (-4).  The eagle on the par-5 17th hole helped seal the tournament over Alex Beury (Wichita) and Meghan Houtsma (Syracuse.)  Beury and Houtsma had a 3-stroke lead after the opening Four Ball, but couldn’t match Esterline/Rugeles’s firepower in the Chapman and Scramble.

In the Net Division, Brandi Dusenberry and Heather Yacenda, both of Wichita, dominated the Four Ball format and rode the early lead to claim the Overall Net title. Marcia Alterman/Patricia Sherwood (Wichita) and Lori Payne/Susan Cummings (Wichita) had strong performances, but were not able to overcome the five net eagles Dusenberry and Yacenda posted.

The tournament also featured play within four flights.  Esterline/Rugeles and Beury/Houtsma claimed first and second gross in First Flight, and Lori Payne/Susan Cummings and Nicolle Jausel/Ann Woods (Wichita) claimed first and second net.

In Second Flight, Marcia Alterman/Patricia Sherwood and Renee Montoya/Diana Jayne (Salina) won first and second gross, while Kathy Thomas/Sandy Siegfried (Hutchinson) and Darlene Allen/Phyllis Fast (Topeka) earned first and second net.

Deb Christiansen/Marci Williams (Wichita) and Janet Ast/Stephanie Welk (Wichita) won first and second gross in Third Flight, and Shirley West (Winfield)/Paula Gill (Wellington) and Carla Calvert (Wichita)/Jo Toner (Valley Center) took home the net honors.

In Fourth Flight, Tammy Blunt (Sedgwick)/Jeanne Tjaden (Wichita) and Barbara Dresselhaus/Judy Carlson (Wichita) claimed first and second gross, while Dusenberry/Yacenda and Vicki Bell/Susan Atha (Topeka) won first and second net.

The final event in the KGA/KCGA Women’s Player of the Year Series is the US Women’s Four Ball Qualifier next Tuesday.

Click Here for Complete Fall Triple Threat Results

Click Here for Women’s and Senior Women’s Player of the Year Standings