Spring 2026 - Week 1 Preview

We're back from winter hibernation for our 30th season of league play and our 16th year as a Club.

Our roster is tighter this year with the loss of JW and Casey — and Danny still only a pseudo-member. This means we'll have a lot of 16-player fields, giving a larger advantage to those who play all 9 events.

No changes to competition rules in 2026. Bailing on Saturday now costs your entry fee, and a WD is an automatic minimum 3-pitcher penalty. Otherwise, business as usual.

It's impossible to tell who doesn't play in the off-season — and who just doesn't report scores — but here's the biggest Index movement since Summer 2025:

• Geoff (-2.6) - shot a personal best 81 at Cypress Run, plus three other rounds in the 80s in September. He's been a tad shaky lately.
• Billy (-2.1) - didn't play much, but his 83 to win last season at Cabot and an 85 last week at Hammock Creek are the 2nd and 3rd best rounds in his current Index subset.
• Adam (-1.8) - always grinding on his game. He's upgraded his irons, moved away from blades for more consistency, and is starting to trust the driver. He'll be dangerous on wider courses — as seen with a personal best 78 yesterday on Jovita (North).
• Dave (-1.5) - joined a private club and plays exclusively there, a solid way to lower your Index. He'll be rusty Week 1 after an Ireland trip, and I don't expect him to play well at Hernando Oaks with its scruffy, slightly soggy conditions.
• Ho (-0.8) - lowered his index a lot percentage-wise on the Road to Scratch. I believe his 3.8 is the lowest in our records.

Only four members increased their Index this off-season, and none materially.

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Week 1 is 9:00am at Hernando Oaks. We're missing the cold front by four days, and it'll probably rain the day/night before. The course doesn't drain well and they overseed fairways in winter, so expect challenging conditions. Greens are in great shape (at least they were a couple weeks ago) and very receptive. This will be our 7th time starting the Spring season at Hernando Oaks — tradition more than anything.

This scorecard should be accurate, so let me know if you want to move off the WHITE tees. No "55/25" option this week:

 

If you have outstanding dues, you'll receive zero points — so get those paid. Random pairings will be made shortly.

See you Sunday!

Spring 2026 Registration

Registration is now open. Use the RSVP link on the right side of the blog.

First two tournaments are booked. Both are early starts, so note the tee time I've added to the schedule. 

Week two is limited to the first 20 that RSVP who have paid their outstanding dues. 

2025 USGA U.S. Amateur Four-Ball

Apparently back May of this year, an amateur player became the first to ever win a match at the "U.S. Amateur Four-Ball" competition by playing solo. His partner had to leave for a couple of days to watch a family member's graduation.

I post this because five months later, Troy almost competed as a solo player in Round 1 of the 2025 Rapture. And Casey won his four-ball match as a metaphorical solo player (paired with Gorecki who probably didn't contribute). 

Winter 2025 - Board Meeting Recap

The new Board met last week to vote on any rule changes for the 2026 calendar year. Here's what we got:

• Danny's membership was retained in a vote of 4-1. Only Chandler voted against, in an attempt to protect the field and the sanctity of the sport. The clock starts over for Danny, so he'll be automatically booted again if he doesn't play in at least 6 events (as an official competitor) in 2026. 

• Chandler wanted to change the "55/25" Club to a Commissioner's subjective list of golfers allowed to "tee it forward." This failed 2-3, with only Melberg in agreement. For next year, when available, players 55+ years of age or 25+ Handicap Index can play the pre-approved forward tee boxes. 

• We unanimously approved (5-0) to start collecting a league rake again in 2026. We were not doing so in 2025. 

• In a related note, we unanimously approved to increase the Champ's Dinner Payout to $150 (up from $100). 

• Melberg wanted to implement a full-tournament "Closest to Pin" on one par-3 at each Major ($1 per person). Geoff is going to get some sort of marker, and winner will take all. This was approved 5-0, which also means your dues are going up $3 per season. 

• Speaking of dues, Chandler got the Board to approve 5-0 the collection of a full year's worth of dues at the beginning of every calendar year. This is in-line with our cash-out policy of any monies over two-season's worth. Because of this change, EVERYONE currently owes something for next year. Check the dues page and send in your money now. 

• The Board approved 5-0 to change the deadline to bail on a tournament to midnight on Saturday (ie: 11:59pm Friday). This is 24 hours earlier than previously allowed. The penalty is still loss of entry fee.  

• The Board approved 5-0 to change the WD penalty to a minimum of 3-pitchers. Any WD for injury or emergency will be forgiven based on testimony by your playing partners.  

• The Board approved 4-1 (Melberg against) allowing an order of appetizers to count as a Pitcher... but only on the same day a Pitcher was earned. Any previous pitchers owed can not be converted to food. 

• The Board approved 4-1 (Melberg against) changing the Rapture Playoff to Sudden Death (if allowed). In 2025 it was a 3-hole aggregate playoff (and then Sudden Death). This is just reverting back to our original rule. 

• The Board rejected 1-4 (Geoff for) making ALL bunkers waste bunkers. This would have allowed everyone to ground clubs and take practice swings in all bunkers. 

• The Board rejected 2-3 (Melberg & Geoff for) changing the max from +5 gross to +5 net. 

• The Board rejected 1-4 (Faz for) making every season winner engrave their own name on the DPT Cup.  

• The Board rejected 3-2 (Chandler and Billy against) removing every Member named some iteration of "Michael."

Post your questions, comments, concerns. More importantly... send me your 2026 dues. We'll be booking week 1 soon.