Texas Golf League to Resume in 2008

Due to the rainy weather throughout most of the spring in 2008, I decided to cancel the 2007 season and to resume again in 2008.

I need your help though.

Please contact your friends, business colleagues and clients to form teams for the 2008 season. Check this blog frequently for updates.

thanks,
Joe Gimenez
713.478.8034

Texas Golf League To Host Ryder Cup Challenge at Wood Forest GC on Oct. 14
Since the Pros can't get it done, America needs new blood

HOUSTON (September 25) --- Since U.S. Ryder Cup teams past and present can't seem to get the job done, the Texas Golf League is going to host its own Ryder Cup Challenge on Oct. 14 at Wood Forest Golf Course at Fish Creek in Montgomery, in hopes that America will approach its Ryder Cup team development in a different manner. The tournament is open to new players to the league.

"Granted, none of the usual members in our leagues are pros, and only one member plays to scratch, but maybe some players will emerge as the next Sergio Garcia," said Joey Gimenez, the director of the Texas Golf League. "We probably couldn't do any worse in terms of getting our butts beat, so why not lead the effort in finding some real competitive grit among America's amateur golfers?

"I'm telling our members, hey, if we occassionally play this format we'll be able to write a book of tips for our next American pro team. They obviously need to get some help from somewhere and I doubt that Sergio will be penning anything for our boys."

"We're going to do what we can to make winning the Ryder Cup a reality for America in 2008," Gimenez added.

Participants will play 6-holes alternate shot, 6-holes team match play, and 6-holes individual match play, but the league is considering playing 27-holes (9 holes of each format), depending on how many people indicate interest. The fee is $75, but the league will likely have some other trash competitions that players can compete in. The league is inviting the Houston golfing public to come out, play the format, and learn about the Texas Golf League.

On the same day, another competition will be occuring. Four-man teams from Bay Ltd, Lyondell Organge and Lyondell Blue, and Sysco will be squaring off in the league's usual modified stableford competition, to determine which two teams will go to the championship tournament in November.

The Texas Golf League is opening its membership to teams and individuals for the 2007 season. Annual dues are $50 and members receive a GHIN handicap and Texas Golf League Cap. More information is available from Joey Gimenez at 713.478.8034, texasgolfleague@yahoo.com.

THANKS TO BOGEY MCDUFF AND TEXAS GOLF

For all you avid golf friends out there, please check out the Texas Golf blog that's maintained by Bogey McDuff. It is a really comprehensive overview of the Texas golf scene. Thanks for all the hard work, Bogey.

WHY GOLFERS NEED OFFICIAL HANDICAPS

In my role as league director I have witnessed the need for official GHIN handicaps. Best guesses at handicaps don't hold up well under tournament pressure. Most people overestimate how well they play and end up suffering because of it.

And then there are the sandbaggers, who game the system with much higher handicaps than their execellent golf skills warrant.

The former far outnumber the latter. Golf is a hard game. Competitive golf can be harder.

This last weekend, Sept. 9, two teams in the Texas Golf League were eliminated. Neither team has any players with a GHIN handicap produced by the USGA's system. Teams from Sagemont Church and BHP Billiton were eliminated because neither teams' members were properly handicapped. The other teams who have been in the league are employing the GHIN handicap system to determine their handicaps and they competed better in the league because our league uses handicaps to determine Stableford quotas and to figure net scores for best-ball and other competitions. Having an official handicap that is truly pegged to your ability is a very good thing and increase people's enjoyment of the league.

For instance, I noted that
Morris Murphy, a 6-handicap, scored 4 strokes over his handicap
David Moore, a 17-handicap, scored 9 strokes over his handicap
Bob Wirt, a 15-handicap, scored 9 strokes over his handcap
Mike Hutchinson, a 24-handicap, scored 10 strokes over his hcp
BJ Dorsett, a 13-handicap, scored 18 strokes over his handicap
Sean Tedford, a 6-handicap, was even with his handicap.

Simon Duncombe was 17 over his estimate of his handicap

Roger Fritz was 10 strokes and 1 stroke over his handicap in the two tourneys he played in.

Anton Strydom was 10 strokes over

Nathan Buchanan was 13 strokes over

Ian was the closest, with 4 strokes over.

Now granted, handicaps are meant to be aspirational targets, and the USGA conceives that a person will shoot to his handicap only 1 time in 6-8 rounds of golf.

Nonetheless, Sagemont gave up 40 strokes above their stated handicaps. That served to help the other teams whose scores more closely reflected their handicap.

Essentially, I want all team members to start helping themselves be more competitive. It is good for them and for the level of competition in the league.

For that reason I ask all golfer to enroll in the GHIN handicap system, a service of the USGA and the Texas Golf Association.

QUARTERFINAL PLAYOFF RESULTS- SEPT. 9

On Saturday, September 9, six teams participated in the quarterfinal round of the Texas Golf League play-off.

The outcome: Bay Ltd, Lyondell Orange and Lyondell Blue won their matches. Of the losing teams, Sysco was closest to achieving its quota (17 points below) thereby securing the wildcard spot. Sagemont and BHP Billiton teams were eliminated from the playoffs.

Lyondell's Joe Lee and Sagemonts BJ Dorsett won closest to the pin.

The next tournament is October 14 at Wood Forest at Fish Creek.

HALLIBURTON, SAGEMONT TEAMS WIN TEXAS GOLF LEAGUE IN 2005

HOUSTON (December 13, 2005) – The Texas Golf League crowned its winners in November, with teams from Halliburton and Sagemont Church emerging victorious in their respective leagues in the modified Stableford tournament format that began in February.

Halliburton took the league championship by beating a Hewlett-Packard team in October at Woodforest Golf Club at Fish Creek. Sagemont Church beat St. Thomas Episcopal at Magnolia Creek for its championship. The four- man teams had competed in six tournaments before that, accumulating team points in direct head-to-head competitions against other corporate and church teams at some of Houston’s best courses, like Blackhorse, Cypresswood and Southwyck.

The winning Halliburton team consisted of John Gray, Neil Aitkenhead, Chris Hill, and Brian Nordquist. Other players who fielded the Halliburton team during the regular season included captain Gregg Mickelson, James Wright, Steve Russell, David Piszko and Larry Graham.

“[Halliburton] assembled a very strong team and played very well” in the final tournament, said John Kufrovich, the captain for the Hewlett-Packard team. During the regular season the HP team was represented by Paul Walker, Mark Trace, Richard Paxton, William Kwan, John Kuehn, Ken Frame and Steve Bushong.

The winning Sagemont team consisted of Paul Savoy, Randy Pittman, David Moore and Bob Wirt. Other players fielding the Sagemont team during the regular season included Bill Kucera, Morris Murphy, Gene Simms and Mike Hutchinson.

“Randy [Pittman] and Paul [Savoy] played excellent golf throughout the season and they were a great addition to our team in 2005,” said captain Bob Wirt. “The golf league was very enjoyable and we hope to defend our title next year.”

The Texas Golf League is open to new teams and new players for the 2006 season, beginning in March. The league plays for the fun of the game, corporate networking and church fellowship, as well as prizes and individual competitions.

The Texas Golf League has an interesting format, even if it is somewhat complicated at first glance.

Each team must field four players at each tournament. The four person team is split into two two-man teams who are paired against two-person teams from other companies or churches.

The two-man teams then play head-to-head matches using a modified stableford system that uses handicaps and points to determine a match winner. [WARNING: Skip the next paragraph if your head begins spinning!]

The matches are scored with Stableford quotas that are derived from subtracting a person’s GHIN handicap from 54. Players then strive to achieve their personal quota by accumulating points from the scoring system, where par counts for three points, bogey is two points, and double is one point. Players pick up their ball after double bogey. Scores below par rack up big points. Birdie is five and eagle is seven points. So a person with an 18-handicap would need to score 36 points to achieve their quota. They could do that by getting 9 pars (27 points), 4 bogeys (8 points), 1 double bogey (1 point) and 4 triple bogeys (no points). Essentially, the 18-handicapper could pick up on 4-holes and still achieve their quota. The two-person team that is closest to their quota wins Nassau-type points by being the closest to their quota than the other two-person team after the front and back nines and the full eighteen holes.

Sound complicated? It’s not when you actually play it.

“Truly, this is one of the most fun formats I’ve ever played,” says league organizer Joey Gimenez. “There’s differing theories about how to play the round depending on how well the two players are playing or how well your opponents are playing. But in the end, it still comes down to an individual playing against the course and trying to achieve their personal best.”
Golfers interested in competing in the Texas Golf League should contact Gimenez at TexasGolfLeague@yahoo.com or by calling 713.478.8034. Teams are forming now.

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