ASGA Will Follow Shelter-in-place Guidelines

Travis County and the City of Austin have announced  Shelter-in-place through April 13. This means that the city golf courses will remain closed until at least that date. You and your family should read the announcement details and follow them to the best of your ability to help shorten this outbreak.

It is necessary for ASGA to cancel at least 2 more tournaments. These are the ones originally scheduled for April 7 and April 14, 2020. I know that some of you have probably discovered a way to practice and play a bit here and there. We sure encourage you to follow the "no more than 10  in a group and spacing  requirements" to keep yourselves and your friends and family as safe as possible. Exercise is sure important and so is safety. Both can be practiced at the same time. As of last night, March 24 at 7 PM, the number of cases in Travis County has grown from one about 10 days ago to 98 now.
                                                   
Please read the ASGA news article about Bob Gamble. He really was a great ASGA member and we can all strive to have the last sentence in the story written about us at the end of our lives: "Those of us who played with Bob will remember him as a true gentleman and an honest golfer." Well done friend.                                       

Travis McWhorter on behalf of ASGA Board

Bob Gamble Passes Away

Still another of our long-term ASGA members has died. Bob Gamble, age 88, passed away peacefully on March 18, 2020 at his home in Salado. Despite recent health problems, Bob had remained a staunch member of ASGA until this year. He maintained his membership even after he moved from Georgetown to a senior living residence in Salado. Those of us who played golf with Bob will remember him as a true gentleman and an honest golfer.
https://www.scanioharperfuneralhome.com/obituary/robert-gamble

ASGA Plans in The Short Term

TO: ASGA Members                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

The City currently plans to allow their courses to reopen Monday March 30th. ASGA plans to resume our tournament play with the scheduled Individual Tournament April 7 at Morris Williams. This means that beginning Wednesday April 1 at 7 AM you can resume your normal "fun time" of getting tee times for yourself or your group to play in the April 7 event by calling Morris Williams. Our website has been so updated and shows the canceled tournaments. Shawn Higgins, Tournament Chairman is currently reviewing the schedule to see if any changes are needed and to fill in those date(s) that did not show a course. When determined the schedule will be updated by Gene Payne, Website Chairman. REMEMBER THIS!! This is our plan and we know that COVID-19 has not been contained at this time in Austin. The plans to reopen could change. We will strive to update you every Wednesday as to what is the current situation.


Follow the authority guidelines and help make this a short lived issue.

Travis McWhorter on behalf of the ASGA Board of Directors

ASGA Tournaments Suspended

TO: ASGA Members

This announcement just came to us from Matthew Bostelman of Morris

Williams. 

 

"All City of Austin golf courses will be closed at 7:00pm Sunday March

15th and will remain closed indefinitely due to COVID-19(Corona Virus). 

We will provide information as it is released to us."

With this knowledge and our own growing concern we have previously outlined to you, ASGA will suspend our ASGA tournaments until further notice.

Travis McWhorter on behalf of the ASGA Board of Directors.
March 15, 2020.

ASGA President's Message

TO: All ASGA Members

Below is a message I wrote Thursday but we have held posting until now. The dynamics are such that since this time we have discovered that we have three Covid-19 cases in the area of Austin and are looking into whether we should cancel any upcoming tournaments. We will advise you no later than Monday of our plans. Currently the city courses plan to stay open and have put up signs about protections they are taking including asking you to bring your own water to the course and to wash your hands often. Whatever we decide, the material below can give you an update on your ASGA board meeting earlier and to ponder while between shopping trips to prepare for anything that may be coming.  Travis

PRESIDENT PONDERS OUT LOUD

Please join me in congratulating Gene Payne, Paul Redden and Bill Burke  on their excellent posting of scores the last few weeks. Great job!!  Your Board of Directors met February 27th at Lions and here are a couple of key items:

• Sam Mihalik, Secretary/Treasurer pointed out that the membership was at 185 with 4 new. There are some of you that have not played this year and did not renew before the end of the year. The warm weather is here and if you plan to play look at the current Handicap listing on our website and if you are not listed there please get your membership paid up as you will be disappointed when you call in and are not eligible. Several of you are on an active campaign to bring new members, men and women.  Keep it up. We have grown four more since the Board of Director's meeting.

• Your Board also authorized the test of an email sign-up for tournaments.  We are getting it ready for testing and will announce on our website when we will try it. Calling will still be an option, but you have asked forever to make it easier and we will give it a try later in the Spring.  Don't worry about it now, keep doing it as-is. We just wanted to put a smile on your face that hope is around the corner. You are always welcome to attend board meetings. Let me know your interest and I will advise you of the next one when scheduled.

Speaking of hope:

Our World is going through a difficult period with Covid-19 (Coronavirus); here are a few thoughts to consider. Our membership is in the age group that seems to have the most difficulty of getting over this especially if we have other issues. Austin seems to have been lucky, but there is little doubt that it will reach us in some way. We should all wash our hands often, avoid handshakes ( maybe an  elbow bump if you feel the need) and do not come to play if you are  sick.  Some have said they will do a shoe bump, but remember you then go to parking lot and change shoes.  Maybe you should re-think that.  However, you can just say good round or shot with a big ole smile. The good news is exercise and fresh air is great to keep up your resistance from many contagious illnesses and golf fits the bill. Let's play and be smart. Best luck to all of us, our friends and families. We will get through this. There is plenty of room for hope and happiness

Stay healthy and happy,

Your President, Travis McWhorter

 

Miller a HIO Winner, Twice!

Meet Aurora Rose (11/19/2019)
& Marshall Ethan (01/24/2020) 

     Lightning does strike twice in the same place or so it seems for Maury Miller. Miller hit the jackpot twice in the last three months, first making a Hole-In-One (HIO) on the day his granddaughter was born and later in January holing his second ace the day after his grandson was born. Miller ended up with about $700, two aces, and two grandkids (see photo). You can't do better than that.
     On Tuesday, November 19th playing with his regular group of Keith Scully, Carl Givens, and Eddie Nunez, Miller hit a choked down 7-iron to the 147 yard, #8 hole at Morris Williams. On a perfect line to the hole, it landed a few yards short of the pin and disappeared into the hole.  Miller has been playing golf for over 60 years and had not had a hole in one. A day later his daughter gave birth to Aurora Rose who was a month premature. 

Miller showing off his winning 9-iron.

     Last week, Monday, January 24,  the events repeated themselves but in reverse order. This time his oldest daughter gave birth to a son on Monday. The next day,.Miller and his group were scheduled to play Jimmy Clay.  On the #5 tee Miller faced a cold and windy 108 yards to a back middle pin. After his playing companion, Keith Scully, tugged a 9 iron a bit left of the pin Miller chose the same club. He hit it right at the hole and watched the ball take one hop and go in the hole.  Miller was overjoyed, "Having two grandkids along with the hole-in-ones and the ASGA  HIO pots made the wait well worth it. The HIO is a great addition to our golf events and allows everyone a shot at the pot!"

Padilla, Cahoon, and Horton Top Grand Prix Standings

     After four individual tournaments and two months into the 2020 ASGA golf season, the singles standings for the Grand Prix is headed by a familiar figure but a first time leader. Gabriel Padilla is leading the point standings with a 316.7 total and averaging 79.2 points for each tournament that he has entered. For those not aware of the Grand Prix point system this 79 represents something like a second or third place finish on the average with a first place thrown in.

     Padilla has several players nipping at his heels and will have his work cut out for him if he is to continue at the top. Lewis Lynds is only 7 points behind Padilla with 309.4 points and Bob Davis is only 5 points behind Lynds having 304.3 points. William Boyd has settled in at fourth place at 302.1 and is within easy distance of Padilla. trailing him by only 14 points.

     Gary Otting holds down fifth place with 293.2 followed by Jerry Newton and Larry Smith, both only two points back of Otting with 291.7. In the eighth spot is Ralph Villela with 285.9 points just three points better than John Hirsch at the ninth spot and 282.5 points. Frank Mang rounds out the top ten with 279.3 points. Check out the complete list of all players click here.

     A hundred and five teams are in the Grand Prix Team competition and after six team tournaments two veteran ASGA members, Michael Cahoon and Jerry Horton, are leading and for now running away from the rest of the pack. Cahoon and Horton have piled up 402.9 points and are comfortably ahead of their nearest competitors by more than 38 points. Chasing the two leaders is a pair well acquainted with being in the running for the Team Championship. Travis McWhorter and Don Visness are perennial contenders for the team trophy and are again in the hunt with 364.3 points. Keith Lewis and Andrew MacFarlane have racked up 358.8 points and are a solid third place team while two big hitters, Dale French and Bobby Johnson, are close behind with 345.0 points. Former winners, Bob Rankin and Cliff Rierson, are clinging to fifth place holding a three point lead over Lee Lambert and Lewis Howell, 327.3 to 324.1.

     David Brader and Richard Spigarelli will have a say as to who will eventfully be the winner as their strong games will keep them in the top ten throughout the season. Right now they hold a 321.6 to 294.4 lead over eighth place holders, Charles Kelley and Waymon McLamb. The teams of Alex Brown and Carlos Ortiz (286.8) and Lee Jefferson and Sam Matthews (282.4) round out the top ten. Click here to see the complete list of team and their points.