Week 1: Fun and Done!

My first official week as The PJ Boatwright Jr. Intern for Idaho Golf Association is in the books!

The old saying "time flies when you are having fun" was definitely true for me this week. I learned so much about the back end operations of different programs that the IGA uses such as the Tournament Pairings Program and GHIN. I also got to update and revise the rules quiz given to junior golfers at the beginning of the season. I'll post a sampling of some questions to see how all you golfers out there do. Another project I started working on was contacting the tournament director of the Albertson's Boise Open, a Nationwide Tour Event, to see if we could get an exemption for the State Amateur Champion into the event. Hopefully we can make that happen.

The highlight of my week, however, was The 16th Annual Idaho Junior Golf Foundation Dinner and Auction held at Eagle Hills Golf Course. Last year the foundation gave out $12,000 in scholarships to junior golfers. This year, rough estimates are that we raised nearly $20,000 for the foundation from a single night of food and fun! Two Idaho golf legends, Joe Malay and Bret Rupert, did a fabulous job of entertaining everyone. When a 55" Flat Screen TV was raffled off then donated back to be auctioned off, it was just a sampling of the generosity and support of the whole crowd for such a great cause. I really enjoyed meeting the board members and other influential people associated with golf here in the Treasure Valley.

Until next time, hit 'em straight!

District 3 Meetings

Last Thursday and Friday I attended my first events for the Idaho Golf Association. The District 3 spring meetings were held at Juniper Hills Country Club in Pocatello. I got to meet Gengher Fahleson, IGA Executive Director, Vanessa Sinclair, IGA Member Services Manager, and Russ Peterson, IGA Course Rating Director, for the first time in person. I already can tell that they all have a great passion for the game and that I will learn so much from them this summer. Gengher served as rules executive for the USGA in her "previous life" as she calls it. It was also really nice to get reacquainted with members of the Eastern Idaho golf community that I had known from my high school and junior playing days.

Thursday there was a refresher on the handicap system. I had a pretty good idea of how the handicap system worked but it was nice to know some of the more intertracies. Such as how automatic reductions occur.

After the refresher, the District 3 Spring Meeting was held. Tom Hirsch was re-elected to the board of directors. The IGA definitly seems to be heading in the right direction, membership has increased significantly over the past few years and the budget is becoming more fluid.

On Friday a rules meeting was held. A significant part of the meeting focused on new rules that were going into effect for the 2012 season. A few that I would like to highlight include:


Rule 18-2b. Ball Moving After Address
A player is no longer penalized if the ball moves by a gust of wind or another natural force after it has been addressed. The ball is to be played from the new position.


Rule 6-3. Time of Starting.
The official penalty for being late to tee time, but within five minutes of starting time, is reduced from disqualification to loss of first hole in match play or two strokes in stroke play. Previously this rule was usually put into play as a condition of competition.


Rule 14-3. Artificial Devices, Unusual Equipment and Unusual Use of Equipment.
Under decision 14-3/17 a player is not allowed to use any artificial device that might assist him in making a stroke or in his play. Therefore the use of artificial device to listen to music whether or not through headphones is no longer allowed as it may eliminate distractions or promote a good tempo.


The whole two days were very informative and I can't wait to get to Boise on April 15!