Headline: MGA Member Clubs Come to the Rescue to Make Sure that Bay State Golf Goes On... Come Rain or Shine
For Immediate Release: June 29, 2009
Norton, MA — It has been anything but a normal season of golf thus far in the Bay State. Rain and clouds have dominated a time which is normally filled with sunshine and hot conditions. The strange season came to a climax when the U.S. Open Championship was extended through Monday to accommodate the traditional four rounds of play.
The Massachusetts Golf Association has not been without its share of rainy incidents this season. First, the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship was cut to only 18 holes after severe rain storms shut down golf in Southeastern Massachusetts in mid May.
Then just last month, a Massachusetts Amateur Qualifier scheduled for The Blandford Club was switched – on the day of competition – to Tekoa Country Club after intense fog blanketed parts of Western Massachusetts.
Last week, the 150-player field of the Massachusetts Open Championship was able to complete three rounds of play at Belmont Country Club. Instead of sunshine and dry conditions, however, the players battled a cold, unrelenting drizzle from start to finish. It's hard to recall a Massachusetts Open Championship that was met with such unpleasant weather conditions… at least in recent memory.
Yet another unexpected change has befallen the MGA Championship schedule.
Following the rainstorms of late last week, club officials at Egremont Country Club, host of today's scheduled Massachusetts Junior Qualifier, contacted the MGA tournament staff to let them know that the 1.5 inches of rain that fell in the region made the course unplayable. Even if the area had enjoyed three straight days of sunshine from Friday through Monday (which was not the case), the course would not have been prepared to host tournament golf on Monday morning. This marks the second change of venue for the Massachusetts Junior Championship. Earlier this season, the Monoosnock Country Club qualifier was changed to Oak Hill Country Club due to an unforeseen scheduling error.
"This has not been a typical year," said Jesse Menachem, the MGA's director of rules and competition. "We – like many in the golfing community – have been forced to deal with an unprecedented set of conditions this season but we are committed to serving the needs of our golfers to the best of our ability."
As a result of the situation in Great Barrington, MGA officials reached out to a local course – Wyantenuck Country Club – and asked if they would be willing to host the event on short notice. Once again, the generosity of courses across the state shown through and the qualifier was switched to neighboring Wyantenuck.
"We were so appreciative that the staff and membership of Wyantenuck would open its doors to our field of junior players," said Menachem. "It is not standard procedure to schedule an event in three days time, but our clubs have gone above and beyond to help us out this season."
So once again, plans have changed and club officials, players and entire memberships are going with the flow in order to ensure that golf will be played despite the plans of Mother Nature.
This week marks a busy day of play. Scheduled for this week are the following:
The MGA extends its appreciation to all of its valued Member Clubs for allowing these events to go on as scheduled... come rain or shine!