Category: Member Services

Business Women’s Golf League

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Business Women’s Golf League was formed in 1982 by a handful of businesswomen in Wichita, KS, unable to play golf in morning “ladies day” leagues due to working day time hours. Therefore, the league was formed for evening play to accommodate working women.

Today, the league remains strong with more than 50 members including one of the original founders, Terry Chesnut. In addition to 9 hole evening play, an 18 Business Women's Golf Leaguehole “tournament” is held once a month at various local courses, and a fun out of town weekend golfing trip is scheduled 2 times each year. Recently, morning play was added to the schedule as many of the members are now retired.

The league originally played at the Echo Hills Golf Course for many years. We now have become accustomed to change as we are ready to start another new home course, MacDonald Golf Course, which will be our 3rd course to call “home” since leaving Echo Hills when it closed.

The BWGL is always looking for new members to join the league!

Visit the BWGL website to learn more: https://www.bwglladysgolfwichita.com/

How to Post Your Scores

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Beginning March 1, golfers in Kansas and Kansas City can begin posting scores to their GHIN Handicaps. If you’re wondering why it’s important to post your score, read about Why Even You Should Post Your Scores. There are multiple ways for you to post a score, making it easy to track your progress and report your rounds honestly.

  1. Score Posting Kiosk – This kiosk is usually a computer set up in the Pro-Shop for members to post scores on. Just look up your name or GHIN Number and you’re set.
  2. GHIN.com – Go to GHIN.com and enter your last name and GHIN Number, from there you will be able to choose whether your round was played at home or an away course, then pick your tees and post your score.
  3. GHIN Mobile App – Whether you use an Andriod or iPhone, you can download this app. You’re going to pull out your phone right after your round anyway, you might as well get that score posted while you’re at it!

Which method is your favorite? Whether you prefer to post at the course or on your device, posting a score allows you to track your progress and learn your potential ability.

Note: If you forgot to post a score during the active season, it’s not too late to post. You can go back and post scores that were made at any time during the active season, even if it is currently an inactive season.

KGA & KCGA Agree to Merge

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The Boards of Directors of the Kansas Golf Association and the Kansas City Golf Association have reached an agreement in principle to merge.

The two storied golf associations will immediately begin operating with a single staff to serve the needs of all golfers in its territory of Kansas and the Kansas City metro area. The combined staff will be led by the KCGA’s current Executive Director, Doug Habel.  Casey Old will be the Competitions Director of Kansas and remain in the Lawrence office at Eagle Bend Golf Course while Todd Stice will remain in his role as the Director of Competitions in the Kansas City metro area. Jacque Madison will direct Women’s Championships throughout the state. Dick Kendrick will continue to administer the Kansas Senior Series events. Jacque Madison and Baile Stephenson will handle Club Services and Course Rating. The newest member of the team, Taylor Albritton, will assist with all competitions, with a focus on Junior Golf.

Leadership of both organizations will work together to form an organization with a new name and a combined board in order to complete the merger by December 31, 2020. The goal of the newly combined organization is to maintain the high standard of services and competitions available to the golf clubs and golfers of Metropolitan Kansas City and the State of Kansas.

The name of the new golf association will be announced on January 6, 2020.

Have questions about how this will affect our events? Click here.

Doug Habel, Executive Director KCGA
Sean Thayer, President KGA
Dick Swetala, President KCGA

What Scores Can I Post?

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What Scores Can I Post?Sometimes there are restrictions on what scores a player can and cannot post. We’re here to help break those down.

Scores You Can Post

Scores you can post:

  • Rounds played with at least one other person.
  • To post a 9-hole score, you must have played 7-12 holes under the USGA Rules of Golf.
  • To post an 18-hole score, you must have played at least 13 holes under the USGA Rules of Golf.
  • Rounds played on any course during an active season, both home and away courses, with a proper USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating.
  • Scores in all forms of competition. Tournaments hosted by the KCGA & KGA post your tournament scores for you. Be sure not to double-post a score!
  • Disqualification in a competition, but you have an acceptable score, you must record an adjusted gross score using Section 4-2 of the Handicap Manual.

Scores you can’t post:

  • Rounds played alone.
  • When fewer than 7 holes have been played.
  • When the round was played in an area observing an inactive season.
  • Competitions which limit the number of clubs you can play with to under 14. Example: an irons only competition.
  • When a player uses non-conforming equipment (balls, clubs, tees, etc.).
  • Anytime the player does not play under the USGA Rules of Golf.

Note: If a player fails to post a valid score, the Handicap Committee may post the score without the player’s authorization. (See Section 8-4b of the USGA Handicap Manual).

Whenever you’re not sure if you can post a score or not, be sure to reference the USGA Handicap Manual available online or talk to your local club pro.

Happy Posting!

4 Reasons Why You Need to Be Posting Your Scores

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Reasons for Posting ScoresI know what you’re thinking, “I don’t even play in tournaments that use my handicap for scoring, why do I have to post my scores??” Here’s the thing. Even if you don’t currently play in Net Scoring tournaments, there are a lot of reasons why your Handicap Index needs to be accurate.4 Reasons Why You Should Post Your Scores

  1. Pairings

Ever been paired with a golfer way above or below your ability? Maybe that’s because your handicap index did not properly reflect your potential ability. Often, Tournament Directors pair players based on handicap indexes.

  1. Invitation Only Events

When your handicap index is within a certain range, it can qualify you to participate in certain events. Think of the U.S. Open Qualifiers or U.S. Amateur Qualifiers.

  1. Flights

Sometimes we offer events with flights based on your handicap index. The Prairie Invitational is a good example to use here. In this event, if your handicap index is 5.0-23.4, you are required to compete in the Players division, instead of the Open division.

  1. Improvement

In addition to the reasons we listed above, posting your scores allows you to see your improvement over time. Your scoring record stays with you forever, making it easy to track your improvement.

If you are like most people, you thought all you needed out of your GHIN Number was the ability to enter tournaments, but posting your scores is crucial to maintaining the honesty of the game.

If you need a handicap and you are not a regular patron of a golf course that provides GHIN Memberships, join a Kansas Eclub. For more information about handicap policies and procedures, read the USGA Handicap Manual.

Note: If you forgot to post a score during the active season, it’s not too late to post. You can go back and post scores that were made at any time during the active season, even if it is currently an inactive season.

Kansas City Golf Show

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KC Golf Show 2019
The Kansas City Golf Show is back for another weekend of golfing fun at the Overland Park Convention Center on February 15-17.

Explore great deals and fun activities from the largest gathering of golf retailers and exhibitors under one roof. Each ticket will come with a front door bonus that includes golf rounds at Lake of the Ozark Golf Trail Golf Courses, Old Kinderhook, Brookridge Golf & Fitness, and Mules National Golf Club. Get fitted for the perfect set of golf clubs at huge savings. Be sure to check out the main stage for interactive swing seminars, new product demos, interviews with industry experts and more than 100 prize giveaways.

For more information, visit https://www.kansascitygolfshow.com/.

SMART Golf Goals for The New Year

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The weather in Kansas might have you thinking that the golf season is far away, but in reality, it is right around the corner. By setting goals for the new year, you’ll be prepared for the season before you even step onto to the course.

We put together a few golf-related goal ideas for 2019 using the SMART Goal Framework. If you have never heard of the SMART Goal Framework before, you can learn more about it here. Note: This framework can be used for any type of goal setting and might actually change your life.

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable/Attainable

R – Relevant

T – Time Specific

1.    Get Golf Fit

Did you just cringe? We’ve been hearing about the importance about golf fitness for years, resolve to make it a priority for your game in 2019. Join a yoga class at the rec center, commit to walking instead of taking a cart, or decide a personal trainer is a right fit for you.

The Titleist Performance Institute is the leading educational organization dedicated to the study of how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing. Find a professional in your area that can help improve your swing through the strengthening of your body.

Example: In 2019 I will do a yoga class once a week and meet with a TPI Certified Professional twice a month to work on my golf fitness goals.

2.    Play More Golf Tournaments

Do you wish you would have played in more golf tournaments last year? Resolve to play in one, two, or ten this year. Members of the KCGA can play in Kansas Golf Association events, too.

Example: In 2019,  I will play in 5 Stateline Amateur Tour events and play in my club’s Men’s Club Championship.

3.    Lower Your Handicap

If you currently have a handicap you may think that you want to keep it where it is for net scoring purposes. But honestly, what is the fun in never improving? Resolve to make new golf goals with the intention of lowering your handicap this year. One benefit to lowering your handicap is the potential opportunities to compete in the USGA Championship qualifiers in our area.

If you don’t currently have a handicap, maybe your goal for the year can be to get one and maintain entering your scores on a consistent basis. Learn about joining a Kansas Eclub here or call your local club to see if they offer GHIN Handicap Services.

Example: I would like to lower my handicap from a 10.2 to a 9.4 by July 1.

4.    Practice Putting

Whether it’s putting or chipping, we all could use some more short game practice. Pick out a handful of drills you think will help your game. Make a commitment to complete those drills a certain number of times per week. Note: practicing once a week is not enough, you need to put enough time into these drills so that you can reap the rewards.

Example: I will complete The Clock Putting Drill three times each week from March 1-October 31.

5.    Hit More Fairways & Greens

For this example, you’ll need to do some data collection. You first will need to start by collecting your current number of fairways and greens hit per round. A great way to keep track of this information is on an Excel document. Once you have an average made from roughly 5-10 rounds, make your goal measurable. What is the exact number you would like your average to be? 8/14 fairways and 10/18 greens? Remember to keep this number attainable. If you are currently averaging 1/18 greens, a goal of having 18/18 greens in two months is probably not attainable. Be sure to put a time-specific date on when you would like to have the goal achieved by.

Example: My current average is 5/14 fairways and 7/18 greens hit per round. I would like to change my average to 7/14 fairways and 9/18 greens hit by September 1.

Other ideas may include: learning the new rules (or playing by them), playing more rounds of golf, taking lessons, getting new clubs, asking a new friend to join you, or not taking gimme putts.

In addition to creating your goals, remember to create small “enabling goals”. Enabling goals are smaller goals that help you reach your bigger goal. These goals are easier to check off your list and help keep you on track. Remember, goals give you something to work for, they don’t always have to be achieved perfectly for you to see results in your game. Be gentle with yourself and always remember that golf is meant to be fun!

Best of luck in 2019, we can’t wait to see what you achieve this year.

Announcing the 2018 Club Growth Awards

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KCGA 2018 Club Growth Awards

The KCGA is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Club Growth awards.  The awards are presented annually for growing women’s and junior golf and are presented to the clubs which create the most new KCGA members. The awards are based on women and juniors who establish a GHIN number/handicap for the first time or re-activate a GHIN number that had lapsed for three seasons or more.  The awards are presented to both public and private clubs. We would like to thank the staff, members, and patrons at all our award-winning clubs for their support of the KCGA and for their efforts to grow women’s and junior golf in the Kansas City area.

Women’s Growth Award – Private Clubs: Country Club of Leawood and Falcon Ridge GC

Women’s Growth Award – Public Clubs: Overland Park GC

Junior Growth Award – Private Clubs: Shawnee Golf & CC

Junior Growth Award – Public Clubs: Fred Arbanas GC

 Each club receives a certificate and a gift card to Jack Stack BBQ.

Do You Want to Play College Golf?

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Junior Golf Blog Series - College Golf

Whether you’ve always wanted to play in college or you just started thinking about it, the process can feel overwhelming. Here are a few details to keep in mind.

The recruiting process is important.

Making a good impression with the coach and team are crucial during this process. One way to do this is to make sure you know what you can and can’t do by downloading a free copy of the NCAA 2018 -2019 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete (NAIA Eligibility Center) and get certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Remember to smile, be friendly and answer questions that the coach may ask you. It is important for parents to allow their child to be the driver of this process (don’t let your parents answer questions for you).

Go to an information night.

The KCGA offers a College Golf Information Night each year. Coaches from regional universities and colleges come and discuss the ins and outs of the recruiting process. The next information night being offered is on January 17 in Wichita.

Make sure the school is the right fit.

There is no denying that going to college will be a transition. Be sure to choose a school that has the classes and support you need to get the degree you are looking for. Ask questions like “what support do you have if I’m struggling in a class?” or “am I required to go to study hall every day?”

Remember you are a student first and athlete second.

You won’t regret playing.

If you are on the fence whether to play in college, try to play! Playing golf in college will give you the opportunity to travel, make friendships, and overcome challenges. You will grow in every aspect of your life by becoming a student-athlete. When your four (or five years) come to a close, you will be so glad you made the choice to play.

Wherever you are in the recruiting process, remember to take the time to get to know each school you visit. Making the right decision is the first step to a successful college golf experience.

If you are still looking for more information about the recruiting process, be sure to sign up for the Winter College Golf Information Night.