(Dateline: Sun, Jan 15, 2012, San Diego, CA)The 2012 PGA TOUR season has started in Hawai'i and preparations for the MGA season are well underway, too.
This week, I am in San Diego, CA, attending my 10th or 11th USGA/PGA Rules of Golf Workshop. With me are MGA volunteers Bill Casey, Ward Johnson and David Senner.
This is an important year to attend a workshop with the changes that were made to the Rules effective January 1st. By attending, I will be able to conduct my rules education programs for the MGA and make sure my presentations are up-to-date with all of the rules. In addition, Bill, Ward and David are showing their commitment to maintain excellence with the rules for the benefit of all MGA and USGA competitors.
Our instructors for the week are Jeff Hall (USGA) and David Price (PGA), and we are off to a good start after Day 1. The presentation has been re-worked by the USGA so that the rules are being presented in a more logical manner for learning. No longer is it the Definitions, Rule 1, 2, 3, and so on presentation. While this is a change for many of us in attendance (there are about 100 total students and probably half have attended 8-10 workshops or more), it will help to keep us paying attention.
After the first day, there is always a reception so that we can get to know each other better, to catch up with fellow "rules geeks" we haven't seen since our last workshop, or to ask those questions that we dare not ask during class. Tonight, David Senner and I were fortunate enough to visit with David Price and ask some questions. Of course, the conversation turned to the 2010 PGA Championship and Dustin Johnson. Needless to say, speaking with the person walking with Johnson as the referee that fateful day at Whistling Straits was fascinating from our perspective.
One of the nice opportunities for me in my bi-annual attendance at the workshop is the chance to play golf on green grass and in warm weather, and this year was no different. Thanks to my counterpart Mike Sweeney at the Southern California Golf Association, Bill and I were able to play La Jolla CC on Friday with two members, both of whom are past presidents of the SCGA. Yesterday, we were graciously hosted by Dave Podas, head professional at Belair CC and formerly of Minneapolis GC. The picture is of the three of us in front of the 18th green with the suspension bridge in the background. The bridge is how you get from the 10th tee over to the 10th green.
Two more days of workshop lie in store for us followed by "the Test" on Wednesday and then a return to the frozen north. Once I return to the MGA, I will be extremely busy getting everything ready for the 2012 season. This time between New Year's Day and the unofficial start of the season - Monday, April 2nd (the opening day for tournament applications) - always goes by very quickly.
Wish me luck as I continue preparing for the "reverse flow of information" (a favorite quote of Jeff Hall's) and as I get ready for the 2012 MGA Tournament Season.
Until next time-
Doug
