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Golf

First Tee of Delaware clinic on Cape Region schedule

August 30, 2013

The First Tee of Delaware will hold a Free Kids Golf Clinic in the Cape Region Monday, Sept 30.

The Rehoboth Beach Boys & Girls Club will send a contingent to the clinic, held from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. at Rehoboth Beach Country Club. Scott Allen, who is spearheading the event with other First Tee-participating golf pros, says there will be plenty of other spaces for local junior golfers.

The First Tee is a great program that enjoys wide support from all golf sectors, from club and ball makers to golf pros to local golf associations, as well as the USGA, PGA and LPGA. The clinic curriculum emphasizes not only golf but also important life skills, which of course golf in its better moments certainly can provide.

For more information, contact the First Tee of Delaware at 302-384-8759 or email scott.allen@thefirstteedelaware.org.

Another opportunity to thank those who served our country

The seventh annual Patriot Golf Day is on tap for this weekend, Aug. 30-Sept. 2. It is a great opportunity for Cape Region golfers to show appreciation for the sacrifices made by our nation’s men and women in uniform.

The Folds of Honor Foundation was created and continues to be spearheaded by PGA professional Dan Rooney, who did three tours of military duty in Iraq. At participating golf courses throughout the country, golfers can donate funds to be used for college scholarships for U.S. military dependents who have had a spouse or parent killed or disabled in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thousands of golf courses participate, and more than 3,500 scholarships have been awarded using the more than $17 million raised from the event.

As in prior years, several Cape Region and Sussex County golf courses are setting up donation sites for golfers through the entire Labor Day weekend. These include Heritage Shores Golf Club in Bridgeville, Baywood Greens Golf Club in Long Neck, The Peninsula Golf and Country Club in Millsboro, The Rookery Golf Club South in Milton, Bear Trap Dunes in Ocean View, Kings Creek Country Club in Rehoboth, Rehoboth Beach Country Club, Hoopers Landing Golf Course in Seaford, and Bayside Resort Golf Club in Selbyville.

For more information, go to foldsofhonor.org. Patrons can also make a direct donation to Folds of Honor Foundation, 5800 N. Patriot Drive, Owasso, OK 74055.

The one time that ignorance can be an excuse

It is often said that ignorance of the law is no excuse. This is usually true, and it is also why some people can find themselves in deep trouble, for example with their tax returns and their friends at the Internal Revenue Service.

On the other hand, the United States Golf Association occasionally surprises its critics by not slavishly following this principle, as in this recent example from its Rulings of the Day.

In a match, a golfer lifts his ball to identify it, and his competitor sees him doing so. However, the golfer doing the lifting didn’t formally announce his reason for lifting his ball to his opponent.

Failing to make this announcement normally calls for an assessment of a penalty stroke. However, neither he nor his competitor even knew that this formal notification is a part of the ball-lifting rule.

At the end of the match, the situation comes to the attention of the club’s competition committee. The question then arises whether both players should have been disqualified. After all, under Rule 1-3, players should be disqualified for agreeing to waive a penalty.

Not so fast, according to the USGA. The association noted that these two players were never aware that a penalty had been incurred. Under those circumstances, there was no agreement to waive the penalty.

If either of these two golfers ever needed to lift a ball for identification on a later occasion, however, I think we’d be hearing the announcement loud and clear.

Local club results

Rehoboth Beach Country Club held its Ladies’ Golf Club Championship Aug. 19 and 21.

Bailey Scheurer is this year’s club champion, posting a two-day gross score of 163 from the championship tees. Christina Harvey took second gross with a 172 total, while Judy Bennett was first net with her 145.

In the first flight, Tina Brinsfield was first gross with her 181 combined score. Gayle Truitt followed in second place with a 198, and Kathy Curry was first net with her 140.

The ladies also awarded a low net prize for each day. Bee Ekdahl’s 74 was low net in the first flight Aug. 19, and Beth Carpenter’s net 73 from the championship flight was the low score Aug. 21.

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