Handicap Seminar Provides Refresher For Upcoming Season

Rich Kennedy, NJSGA Director of Handicapping and Member Benefit Services, conducted the first of two GHIN handicapping seminars on Wednesday, March 12, at the Eagle Ridge Country Club in Lakewood.

The well-attended meeting was attended by golf professionals and administrators from the Shore area.

“The seminars provide an opportunity to brush up on GHIN handicapping procedures and the tournament pairing program (TPP),” said Kennedy. “It’s an opportunity to get everybody on the same page going into the season.

“The seminars are a nice introduction to those who are new to the NJSGA, to GHIN handicapping, and other services that we provide,” Kennedy added.

He also provided a preview of the new TPP that takes place in 2015, a program that delivers more scoring and web-based functionality of events that take place on golf courses.

“It is a modernized event-management tool that will have an instant impact on the things a club can do with their tournament set-ups, live scoring and results,” Kennedy stated.

All participants were pleased with the information provided by the NJSGA.

“I picked up a lot of good information, especially for the beginning of the season,” said Greg Scalley, assistant pro at Forest Hill Field Club. “It’s good to be updated and able to sharpen my skills on GHIN and TPP. I use those systems every day.”

“I love the new system,” said Charlie Schmitt, president of the Jersey Shore Golf Club. “This makes my life so much easier. I run 13 tournaments during the season. It tracks everything and updates my GHIN system automatically. “

“I attend yearly. This seminar allows me to brush up on what I’ve forgotten over the winter,” said Chuck Edwards, head professional at Beacon Hill. “A lot of questions are answered, and that’s important because those are the ones I’m asked by members during the course of the year.”

Jeremy Schaefer, the general manager for the Monmouth County Golf Courses, noted that he will be overseeing a new Senior Touring League that will be conducted each Tuesday over 10 weeks. It is open for county and non-county residents at a cost of $275 and includes play at all the Monmouth County public courses like Hominy Hill, Howell, and Charleston Springs.

A Ladies Players Club will introduce five new tournaments for 2015, Schaefer said.

“I attend this seminar every year. It’s a refresher and all of the members want to know what’s going on,” said Cheryl Williams, the handicap chairperson at Greenbriar Woodlands who also reports to ladies golfers at Bey Lea and Lakewood.

The second NJSGA hosted GHIN handicap seminar is slated for Wednesday, March 25, at the Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth. Galloping Hill will also be the host site for an NJSGA Rules of Golf Seminar on April 22. Cost is $35.

Keep in mind, these are not USGA Handicap System seminars and attendance does not fulfill any USGA Club licensing requirements. However, the USGA Handicap System procedures and rules will be discussed throughout the seminars in relation to the functionality of the handicap software and Web services.