Annual Business Meeting/Luncheon

Eastridge Country Club is this year's venue for our Annual Business Meeting and Luncheon on January 10, 2014, at 11:30am.  MARK YOUR CALENDAR.

You will register that morning and pay your $12 luncheon fee by cash or check made out to SWGA.  Please remember also to update any information that may be incorrect in our member directory at the time you register.  If you plan to have adult beverages, you can do so by using your credit card, but they will not accept cash/checks.

We have a fabulous buffet menu planned for the luncheon and will be welcoming new Officers to the SWGA Board.  Come out and enjoy lunch and some fun fellowship!  Contact your Club Rep. by January 7th, if you plan to attend.

" I wish I could play football....."

We don’t often get a chance to see GOOD news stories, so I want to share one with you.

On Sunday evening, November 24^th, my friend and our fellow golfer, Nancy Young, emailed me that she needed me to help with a “project”.  The timeline was short.  We would have to hurry.  This is the letter we put together and Nancy emailed to several LSU Sports managers Monday, November 25:

“I am on a mission: a “pay it forward” mission.  And I need your help.
 

“I am a teacher at Airline High School in Bossier City, LA, as well as owner of my own business to help place “special needs” people into productive vocations.  One of my students at Airline is a HUGE LSU football fan.  Her name is Abbie Browning.
 

“Abbie and her family have been season ticket holders for 15 years, in spite of the fact that Abbie has Cerebal Palsy, must use a power wheelchair, and has limited use of her arms.
 

“A few weeks ago, Coach Miles was in Bossier City visiting with a player from Parkway High School.  Abbie knew he had been here and started a conversation with me about how she wished SHE could play football so SHE could meet Coach Miles!  It is truly an item at the very top of her “bucket list”.
 

“Abbie will turn eighteen on November 29^th and will be at the LSU/Arkansas game.
 

“And this is where I need your help.  Is there ANY WAY that you know of where it could be arranged for Coach Miles to meet Abbie?  It would be the highlight of her life and something she would remember as long as she lives.”
 

Now we had to wait.  And then at about 5:00pm on Wednesday, November 27, just two days after the first email was sent, I got this simple and exciting text:  “WE DID IT!”  Nancy had gotten a response from the LSU Info Director that Coach Miles would be thrilled to meet with Abbie prior to the LSU/Arkansas game on Friday, November 29^th.  In just FOUR days, a dream became a reality.  This picture says it all:

Thank you Nancy for taking the time to TRY to do something that seemed un-do-able.  The world needs more Nancys!

 

Jingle Bell Scramble

 Jingle Bell....Jingle Bell....Jingle all the way!  And that's what we did today for the best Jingle Bell Scramble weather we can ever recall.  Thirty-four ladies golfed in perfect weather with fabulous fellowship and good food.

The joint effort of the SWGA and SSWGA was held December 3rd at Palmetto Country Club.  It was a bit scary for awhile, since the venue had to be changed from Northwood to Palmetto with just five days notice.  Palmetto came to our aid and fitted us into their schedule at the last moment and was able to provide a nice luncheon with very little notice.  THANK YOU PALMETTO!!!

Scores were pretty close, ranging from 66 to 73.  That 66 was shot by team Barbara Offer (BWGA), Cheryl Smith (WGAS), Hui Bordelon (FRLGA), and Vicki Cella (NHGC).  Congratulations ladies!

Please see the slideshow presentation for all the winners as well as all the players....in action.

Closest to the Pin winners were:
#3: Cathy Buckley (BWGA)
#7: Pat Rice (BWGA)
#11: Joanne McDonald (BWGA)
#14: Gayle Gansfuss (ERCC)
#17: Barbara Offer (BWGA)
Most Accurate Drive:  Pat Miller (BWGA)

The Jingle Bell Scramble was the final event of the 2013 season for both the SWGA and SSWGA.  The next event will be the annual SWGA Luncheon which will be held at Eastridge CC, on January 10, 2014, at 11:30am, with a cost of $12 for a great-sounding menu.  Please let your club rep know if you plan to attend.

SWGA/SSWGA Jingle Bell Tournament

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The annual Jingle Bell Scramble that is usually held at Northwood Golf Club has been changed to Palmetto Country Club.  This change was caused because it was just announced about November 28th that Northwood will be closed effective December 1st.  Thank you, Palmetto, for accommodating us at the last minute!!!

Still have 10:00am shotgun start.  Lunch is potato bar, green salad, pasta salad, bread pudding, and tea/water for $11, including tax and gratuity. 

Please bring an unwrapped toy for TOYS FOR TOTS.

2013 SSWGA Turkey Shoot

 Indeed, it was a beautiful day at Stonebridge for the SSWGA annual Turkey Shoot 4-lady scramble held on Tuesday, November 19th.  Thirty-nine ladies bundled up and played a fun day of golf with friends from all seven member associations.  The course was in fabulous condition.  The greens looked like there had never been a frost yet!  And the newly completed sand traps are glistening white.  It will be really beautiful when they are all completed.

The First place winning team of Shirley Pettitt (BWGA), Betty Netherton (BWGA) and Joyce Middleton (ERCC) shot a really great 67.  This was the only team with only three players, so they rotated the fourth shot.  Congratulations ladies! 

The second place team shot 70 and the next three places shot 71, with final results determined by scorecard playoffs.  See the slideshow presentation for all the winners.

The next....and final....event of the season is the Jingle Bell Scramble that will be held at Northwood Golf Club on December 3rd, at 10:00am.  The Jingle Bell Scramble is a joint effort sponsored by the SWGA and SSWGA combined.  Please contact your club rep is you plan to attend and bring an unwrapped toy for the Toys for Tots program.  See you there!

2013 SWGA Turkey Shoot

Forty bundled-up ladies converged on Palmetto Country Club on Thursday, November 7, to participate in the so-much-fun four-lady scramble.  Mid-forty temperatures didn't damper the spirits and the weather got better and better all day.  It was a great day of golf and friends and fun!

When the scores were tallied, Team Mary Jo Gray/Jerry Hobson/Jeanie Ward/Tommye Engelcke were the first place winners beating the closest contenders by three strokes.

Since we didn't have a leaderboard, I'll list the teams in the order they finished, starting with first place.  If you see teams with the same score, their positions were determined by scorecard playoff using the #1 handicap hole and proceeding to #2, etc.  We had to go through 5 holes to get a winner between the 4th and 5th place teams.

Gray/Hobson/Ward/Engelcke: 67
Cobb/Henson/Kruse/Ireland: 70
Cella/Graybiel/Farr/Wyche: 70
Leach/Gansfuss/Calhoun/Reasor: 71
Middleton/Litton/McDonald/Berry: 71
Buckley/Fisher/Gallagher/S. Rice: 72
Zey/H. Bordelon/Moore/C. Smith: 72
Leslie/McCoy/Snyder/Butterfield: 74
Utley/P. Ryan/Ihle/Morgan: 74
Magee/J. Smith/Heins/Brown: 76

2013 Road Runner Invitational

After a rocky…..or rather, rainy……start, the Road Runner Invitational finally became a reality on Tuesday, November 5, after being rained out the previous week.  It caused quite a bit a chaos with players, especially from out of town, but the field was full again when play started on Tuesday at Eastridge Country Club.

In spite of all the rain, the course was in good shape and the greens were as fast as usual.  The day was beautiful and everyone had a grand time.  This 2-lady scramble had mystery holes, a toss/throw/or roll option, and as always, Kevin was there to hit our ball over the #10 ditch on our second shots. 

However, we had a real exciting event this year that will be the talk of the tournament for years to come.  Player Sharon Sullivan hit her tee shot over the trees and OVER THE DITCH and landed either on the green or close to it.  It was awesome!

When all the scores were tallied, the Overall Low Gross Champs were Mary Lynn Stuart and Sherry Shields, both of Eastridge.  They shot a enviable 62 gross.  Congratulations ladies!  In addition, Mary Lynn captured the  Longest Drive in the First Flight. 

The overall Low Net Champs came out of the Second Flight.  Donna Cobb (BWGA) and Christina Parsons (ERCC) shot a gross score of 67, with a low net of 57!!!  Great playing ladies!

For full leaderboard results, see the slideshow presentation.

Women's Southern Senior Golf Championship

This year's 28th Annual WSGA Senior Championship was hosted at Ol' Colony Golf Course in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  The WSGA consists of 15 southern states and the District of Columbia, ranging from Texas to DC.  The 100+ players came from 13 of those states to play this prestigious stroke-play tournament on October 29-31.  This is as close as it gets to a professional tournament!

Two of that full field of participants were our own SWGA ladies: Debbie Magee and Mary Jo Gray, both of Stonebridge.

And even better than that, one of those two was a big winner.  Debbie won 1st place in the Fifth Flight with a three-day total gross score of 284.  Mary Joy was sixth in that flight with a score of 297.  Great playing girls!

Next year's Senior tournament will be at River Hills Country Club in Kerrville, TX, just about 7 1/2 hours from Shreveport.