2025 FBGC Schedule

Schedule for both 2025 seasons and potential Rapture dates. 

2024 - Rapture Recap

Despite multiple hurricanes attempting to derail the 2024 Rapture, we finally made it to Verandah. The entire event was pretty smooth — aside from the usual AirBnB nonsense that plagues vacation rentals these days. But for the most part, everyone was in great spirits, and this year's contest was an instant classic.

The Destination

Our list of basic requirements has slowly grown over the years: heated pools, enough beds for everyone, houses relatively close together, and the ability to flush toilet paper. With few rental options in the North Fort Myers area, we resorted to renting two spots in Cape Coral.

 

The Cape is an older town with a somewhat worn past, and has been rebuilding steadily since Hurricane Ian's devastation in 2022. To my surprise, the area now boasts an abundance of bars and restaurants, all just a quick five-minute drive from our rentals. The bar scene also felt younger than we expected — though that might have more to do with us now being "the olds."

 

The one drawback of our location was the 45-minute commute to and from Verandah.

 

Still, Cape Coral offered plenty of entertainment for anyone looking to soak their cork, making it a fun and lively home base overall. The Gray Team took advantage of this, while The Blue Team was "lame" and went home early Friday and Saturday.

 

Early to the bar, and early to bed. Like adults!

 

 

The Courses

Verandah was top-notch, and caters to semi-rich retired Northerners, with a clear emphasis on active lifestyles. It has two excellent golf courses and an expansive practice facility.

The course conditions were superb — but definitely a step below what we experienced at Talis Park (2021 Rapture in Naples). Still, given the heavy rains they endured over the past month, the grounds were in remarkable shape.

 

Whispering Oak (Jack Nicklaus 2007) was hands down the standout course. Its fairways were generous off the tee, and the greens were intriguing without crossing into "unfair" territory. It was pretty obvious which way balls would break, but gauging the amount of movement and speed was a true test. The greens were also notably faster than what we typically play, yet still surprisingly receptive.

 

I'll go ahead and say it... this is the best Jack Nicklaus course I've played to date. It offered more "fun" elements than Avila, Reunion, or Concession, making it a more enjoyable experience.

 

Old Orange (Bob Kupp 2003) was also good, but flawed. There were some standout holes, especially the par-3 17th. However, the par-5 9th and 13th were terrible, both asking the same question: can you hit a dead-straight ball 200+ yards multiple times?

 

And by "dead-straight," I mean you had about 20 yards of landing area — miss that, and your ball was gone. It felt a lot like the notorious 9th at Moccasin Wallow.

 

The greens at Old Orange were easier to read, with some interesting features that kept things engaging. The short par-4s were fun, especially the 18th, though none of our matches made it that far.

Bottom line: for those who didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't attend this year's Rapture, you missed out on some fantastic golf courses. Unfortunately, we’ll likely never return, as Verandah is fully private — and judging by the death stares I received from members who ended their rounds early on Sunday (passing us due to Group 1’s slow pace), I’m pretty sure some complaints were filed.

The Rapture

Pre-competition published picks:

• Gary picked Gray (7 - 5)
• Geoff picked Blue (8.5 - 3.5) 
• Chandlerdamus picked a tie (6 - 6) with Geoff choking away the first playoff hole.

All three days were marked by intense winds, with sustained gusts of 15-17 mph during the first two rounds, and slightly calmer conditions on Sunday. Despite the wind, it may have been the most comfortable weather we've ever had in Rapture history.

 

Day 1

Match 1 - Chapman

 

Chandler/Faz faced one of the most impressive Chapman performances in history, as Brendan/Reid finished even-par (net) through 15 holes of competition. While other teams may have posted better scores, Breid (Reidan?) perfectly complemented each other.

They were so in sync, that they inexplicably attempted to play a scramble after just two shots on the first hole — something Gary/Buchert and Darren/Reid did back in 2016. 

 

How could that possibly happen... again? It's one of the longest running jokes in Club history, and is mentioned all the time, as a quick search shows:

 

August 2016 - Recap of the Initial Incident

March 2017 - World Golf Rankings Update

June 2017 - Rapture Update

July 2017 - Rapture Mock Draft

July 2017 - Rapture Draft Results

August 2017 - Actual Diagrams of How to Play Chapman (re-posted many times since)

July 2018 - Rapture Draft Results

August 2018 - Rapture Details

July 2019 - Rapture Draft Results

August 2019 - Rapture Details

August 2019 - Rapture Predictions

July 2020 - Rapture Details

I'm starting to think, after all these years, Gary was unfairly blamed!

 

Anyway, the match was never close, as Brendan's clutch chips, pitches, and putts turned their opponents a darker shade of blue. Reid had just as many amazing shots, though we’ve come to expect that from him in the Rapture. Reid now sits tied for first* in total point percentage all-time (*more than one Rapture attended).

Interestingly, Brendan has now solidified his status as the greatest current Chapman player of all time, with a record of 7-3-1. You'd think he'd know how the format was played! Or did he obtain all those wins playing the wrong format? We may never know.

Chandler/Faz played like complete booty cheeks.  

 

Gray wins 4 & 3.

Match 2 - Chapman

 

Team Blue was always very high on Casey/Troy, pairing them together for the first two rounds and even having the old men share a room in the Chicken House. This strategy appeared to be a stroke of genius on Friday, as the Navy Vets smoked their foreign challengers with ease, like a pack of Virginia Slims.

 

Dave/Moostie managed to win only two holes during the round, finishing an unofficial +6 through 15. Historically, they have struggled in the Chapman format, with Dave holding a record of 3-7-1 and Moostie at 2-8-1. This is something future Captains should definitely keep in mind.

Blue wins 4 & 3.

Match 3 - Chapman

 

The day’s biggest “upset” came when Melberg/Gary defeated Ho/Geoff. The pregame analysis broke down like this:

• Melberg = good
• Gary = Mr. Magoo
  
• Ho = road to scratch
• Geoff = defending champ

Instead we got:

• Melberg = good
• Gary = from 2002
  
• Ho = cold dead snatch
• Geoff = pretending chump

Other reports indicated that Gary had significantly improved since the handicap lock, while Geoff’s putting wasn’t up to his usual standards. And, as always, nothing is ever Ho's fault.

Gray wins 3 & 1.

Day 2

Match 4 - Four-Ball

 

This felt like the dagger to the Blue Team, as the sacrificial lamb duo of Moostie/Gary sent Troy/Casey out to sea.

 

The Grays never trailed, expertly slow-playing their opponents with atrocious cart management, steadfastly refusing to drop each other off at their respective balls, while hopelessly falling behind the group ahead.

According to the app, the Grays birdied (net eagle) the par-5 9th hole... so someone will need to explain how that was even possible. Knowing this group, the score is likely incorrect, and this match actually ended in a tie.

Gray wins 2 & 1.

Match 5 - Four-Ball

 

Dave/Reid delivered the biggest beatdown of the weekend, disposing of Ho/Faz with indifference.

 

Reid struggled through the first few holes but quickly found his rhythm, racking up two birdies (both net-eagles) along with two additional net-birdies.

Faz, on the other hand, had difficulty maintaining consistency throughout his bag, leading to some epic club tosses. I’m starting to think Dave has a knack for bringing out the on-course tantrums of our Members, as it always tends to happen in his group.

Ho pompously guaranteed victory that morning, citing his flamboyant outfit and ability to drive the ball farther than Dave. We were all shocked when the Irishman seemingly didn't give a shit about Ho's asinine antics, and proceeded to shoot a 74 (gross), with 14 greens-in-regulation.

In fact, if Dave had played solo against Ho/Faz, he would have been 3UP with 4 holes to play.

Gray wins 6 & 4.

Match 6 - Four-Ball

 

Brendan came crashing back to Earth after his stellar play the previous day, struggling to find consistency off the tee. Unfortunately, Melberg was unable to be the "egg" to Brendan's "ham," as he too faced difficulties on many of the same holes.

 

The Grays managed only one net-birdie all day — an actual birdie by Melberg that extended the match for one more hole.

Chandler/Geoff were slightly more consistent, opting to place all the pressure on Geoff's 10 strokes, and letting Chandler fill in where needed.

Honestly, looking back at the scorecard, everyone in this match played like crap. Let's move on.

Blue wins 4 & 2.

At this point Gray was leading 4 - 2 headed into Singles, needing 2.5 points to win the Moses.

 

A team confidently in control!

 

 

Day 3

Singles

Troy edged out Brendan 1UP in a thrilling back-and-forth match, taking the lead with a clutch par on the 17th hole.

 

Geoff maintained control throughout his match against Moostie, winning 3&1 and avoiding a back-nine collapse by stealing holes 15 and 17 with bogeys! Woof!

Chandler outlasted Dave 2&1 in a dogfight that featured 13 pars each and, notably, zero birdies. This was Blue's biggest upset of the day.

Faz woke up grumpy and took it out on Gary, winning 3&2 and posting an unofficial gross score of 78.

 

Reid carded an unofficial 81, waxing Ho 3&2 while never trailing in the round.

And finally...

 

Melberg failed to win a hole against Casey until the 10th, but birdies on 11 and 13 helped him square the match as they approached the final hole. With everyone watching on the short par-5, Melberg knew he had to win the full point to halt the Blue Wave and force a playoff:

• Both players hit solid tee shots down the middle, with Melberg positioned about 20 yards closer to the green.
• Casey made a wise decision to lay up, assuming that a par would secure the Rapture.
• Melberg, needing a birdie, opted to go for the green but came up just short, leaving his ball a few yards off of the putting surface on an up-slope.
• Casey took a wedge for his approach — but completely laid sod over the ball, sending it a mere 30 yards.
• In the end, it didn't matter as Melberg got up-and-down for birdie to clinch the match 1UP.
  

The Playoff

In the sudden death singles match between Geoff and Brendan, they began on hole 1, a par-5. Geoff received a stroke on the 2nd hole, which meant Brendan faced added pressure to secure a win right from the start.

Long hitters are forced to lay-back on the first, so Brendan chose an iron to find the fairway. Geoff took driver, yet their balls came to rest almost side by side, with Brendan just slightly away.

Both players laid up to nearly identical spots, but once again, Brendan was marginally farther back.

Brendan was first to approach, striking what looked like a perfect shot toward the front pin. But it drifted right at the last moment, catching the edge of a bunker and leaving him short-sided. Seeing this, Geoff curiously adjusted, choosing a shorter club and deliberately punching his ball 10 yards short of the green, safely avoiding trouble.

Geoff’s ensuing chip stopped on the fringe, leaving him a challenging 25-foot putt for his fourth shot.

At this point we were getting a lot of 2017 Rapture vibes, where Katie beat Gary on the first playoff with a double bogey.

 

Brendan, laying three in the bunker, opened the clubface, took a confident swing, and... *click*... the ball sails 30 yards over the green, drawing gasps (and groans) from the crowd.

His next chip, a heavy mishit, barely traveled 10 yards. But Brendan quickly regained composure, executing a delicate follow-up chip to within 4 feet, now laying six.

Geoff finally putts from the fringe, leaving his ball about two feet short (laying 5).

 

Brendan, faced with a daunting left-to-right slider, makes his putt for a soul-crushing double bogey 7.

 

Though Geoff's 2-foot putt was straight uphill, his reputation as a nervy player left a ton of doubt amongst the spectators.

Nevertheless, Geoff drains the putt, turns to the crowd, and shouts: "Reid, shut the fuck up!"

A celebration as bold as it was iconic, immortalized in the memory of all who witnessed it.

Blue wins the Rapture in a playoff.

Geoff - The Winning Captain

I’ll likely have additional Rapture content later this week, as I still have more to say about you people. And I know how much you enjoy skimming through posts to find your name while ignoring everything else!

2024 Summer - Champions Dinner

Hurricane Milton washed a bunch of us out. But the ones who could make it had a pretty epic night.

Also - and maybe it's because I hadn't eaten a real meal in days - this was one of the best steaks I've had in a long time.

Geoff, Melberg, Dave, Chandler. Ten Championships at one table!

2024 Rapture - Hurricane Update

From what I can tell... both courses had some flooding. They're closed today but are hoping to get one of them (Day 2 course) open tomorrow. I'm assuming they'll be fine when we play in 3 weeks.

The bigger issue is our AirBnBs in Cape Coral, which are both on the water (canals). Far too early for me to bug the owners... but I'll post as soon as I hear. I give us a 50% chance of having to find new lodging...

Update 9/30/24:

It appears both houses made it through the storm without major flooding. I'll text each team their house address the week of. Things to note:

- Each team has a house. Each house has a pool that is supposed to be heated free of charge.

- All rentals these days are cracking down on what they consider "parties." So we're not going to have a group hangout house. If we all want to meet up (and we should), the bars are a 4 minute drive away.

- One house has a king, queen, two full, two twins (bunks) - six beds total

- The other house has a king, two queens, and three singles - also six beds total

- Neither house allows peeing in the closets

- "Quiet time" outside is 9pm.

An Honest Review of Cabot Citrus Farms (Karoo)

First of all, I want to thank Gorecki for setting up a trip to Cabot Citrus Farms. I give him a lot of crap for taking more things off the table than he brings... so it was great to see him come through on a published plan.

 

On to my thoughts!

 ---------------------------

 

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are credited with the return to "Golden Age" architecture. Their designs emphasize strategic golf — using width and angles — while maintaining the playability of Scottish links. 

 

Basically:

- Wide fairway corridors

- Green orientations that create a "line of charm," where approaching from one side is clearly preferable

- Never using trees as a main defense

- "Natural" looking blown-out bunkers that aren't overly penal except in rare, deliberate circumstances

- A final product that doesn't look like a bunch of dirt was moved by man

If this sounds like the nonsense I ramble on about after a few crisp, cold Coors Lights... you're correct!

In my opinion, Coore & Crenshaw philosophies create the most enjoyable golf courses... a contrast to the Jack Nicklaus "Signature Era" of the 90s and early 2000s.

Here's a sample of C&C courses we've played — mostly on our annual golf trips:

- Streamsong (Red)

- Talking Stick

- We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)

- Pinehurst #2 *restoration*

- Ozarks National

- Bandon Trails

- Sheep Ranch

 

Every single one of those is top notch — and more importantly — a shit ton of fun (except Pinehurst #2, which isn't their design).

 

Naturally, the success of C&C led to many imitations, as a lot of guys who worked on C&C's team went off to start their own firms. The "width & angles / firm & fast" ethos of Golden Era revivalism is all the rage!

 

So while I was sad to see World Woods turned into a destination golf resort... I was optimistic when they tapped Kyle Franz to fully renovate Pine Barrens.

 

Franz worked on C&C's restoration of Pinehurst. He also restored all three courses at Southern Pines (SP, Mid-Pines, and Pine Needles), which some of us will visit in 2025. The acclaim of those restorations was universal.

But at Cabot Citrus Farms — a chance for Franz to showcase his own design concepts — he completely missed the mark.

---------------------------

Let me be on record for the millionth time... I hate the idea of trees on golf courses. The hatred isn’t for the trees themselves, but rather the inability of managers/supers to maintain the trees and their intended functionality. Almost every bad course in America could be improved if they removed trees that hinder the original design, and destroy turf conditions with shade and water absorption.

But World Woods only had a handful of oak trees that I would have removed. Trees that had clearly overgrown since the course opened in 1993. The rest of the property was dominated by pine trees, which are excellent for framing holes and providing a natural looking aesthetic. Pines good, oaks bad!

JW on #1 at Pine Barrens in the 2015 Rapture. Wide corridors despite trees.

I fully expected the Cabot renovation to remove a bunch of trees, especially if they were going to blow-up the layout. But to my surprise, Franz only changed a few holes at the start and finish to "flow" better (which he accomplished). The 2nd & 17th, and 3rd & 16th, were all swapped and play in opposite directions. Everything else is the same routing!

Holes even you people should still recognize:

#4 - difficult split fairway, uphill par 5 with an elevated green and multiple forced carries

#10 - long par 3 with a big false front

#12 - long par 4 with two different greens (they only kept the elevated green to the right)

#15 - driveable downhill par 4 (Pine Barren's signature hole)

#18 - very difficult dogleg left par 4, uphill and over bunkers

Karoo still has the bones of Pine Barrens... but they Streamsong'd it:

The old 5th and 18th holes were the only holes that felt claustrophobic on the tee. So nuking everything else provides zero strategic value. It's like they're just trying to force a vibe. 

 

New first hole. Longer but plays similar to previous version.

 

None of it looks natural on the ground, and the new fairway and greens contours are laughably man-made. For instance:

 

Mounding in front of #13 green.

 

A lot of the greens don't even feel like they were designed by the same architect. Some have subtle movement that blend into the surrounds. Others look like they'd be better suited for a putting course (like the Himalayas at St. Andrews, or Thistle Dhu at Pinehurst), with large mounds and depressions throughout.

 

---------------------------

So does Karoo suck?

Not at all! If this course was built from scratch I'd give it a 7 out of 10. It's a wild design that attempts to blend minimalist and maximalist styles together. The result is honestly jarring. But you're able to slap the ball around and have shots you can't find anywhere else in Florida... assuming we all suddenly forget Streamsong exists.

However, I give it a 4 out of 10 knowing what it replaced. Cabot spent millions of dollars for a course that is less appealing than Pine Barrens... all while keeping the same damn routing!

 

And while Karoo is fun... it isn't 7x the World Woods' greens fees fun!

I'm sure I'll play it again when the economy tanks and they're begging for Hillsborough County residents to come visit. And I'll check out the Rolling Oaks renovation (now called "Roost") next summer.

But I just played six world class courses in Ireland — in peak season — which had cheaper greens fees. For the value, Cabot Citrus Farms is not a must-play.

Champions by Starting Handicap

I've tracked a lot of dumb shit over the years. Sometimes I stumble upon something that I'm curious enough to update.

Here's a list of all the individual Champions, by season, with their Index and finishing position the first tournament of the season. Some interesting things in the data. Probably a good idea to finish in the top 5 Week 1.

2 open spots at Lake Jovita Saturday the 21st

 Have 2 open spots Saturday with me and Dave at Lake Jovita North, 8:50.

Let me know if you want to join

2 man 2 club tournament Results and Recap

 In a result that surprised everyone, the winning score was -8 Net, and we had a playoff.

What started out as a damp, hot, humid day ended up as a... damp, hot, humid day. Where we saw absolutely zero roll, and a couple of golf balls plugged 6" into the ground you would think that Dave and Geoff, as well as Chandler and Adam would have the advantage having one member both using Driver off the tee but Alas, Dave couldn't putt with a driver, and I don't know what happened to Chandler/Adam in the group behind us.

(I don't know a lot about what happened in the groups behind us but I heard Casey and Troy made a double.... and still mad it to a playoff but we'll get to the playoff later).

Dave and Geoff Came out strong early, with Geoff hitting a 5wood to the front right of the green and rolling in a 50' birdie putt for a solo birdie on #2 (165 yard par 3 into the wind), and then making an incredible up and down on 3 for gross par (net birdie). I somehow was able to patch together a decent tee game, with Faz being the perfect ham to my egg, we used 14/14 of my tee shots on Par 4's and 5's (I had 3 iron/9i Faz had 6i/pw) and I believe we used 3/4 of Faz shots on par 3's, and 13/14 of Faz's shots on the second shot of a par 4/5. At one point the App showed a lopsided score for the first 2 groups at -1 gross (-5 net) and the groups behind us at Even net.

Reality would come quickly crashing to earth for Dave/Geoff when Geoff forgot how to putt from inside 4' going +3 in the first 4 holes of the back 9 after shooting a -1 front 9. Me and Faz held it together to go 36/36 for an even par round (-8 net), an untimely Bogey on 18 paved the way for Casey/Troy to make a birdie for the win, or a par for the tie. We watched helplessly from next to 18 green as Casey hit it short left of the green in 2, then was able to get up and down for a Par to tie at -8 net.

Unlike Dear Leader, I do not like Ties.... So I suggested we go back to 1 north and play a sudden death playoff hole... Unfortunately for me I did not realize that Casey and Troy stroked on 1 north (it wouldn't have been needed) and looked at Faz and said "we are in trouble"... Fear not though, Casey Top hooked the ball to the cart path, and they had to use Troy's 8iron leaving them 370 yards away from the hole, I hit an ok 3i (Faz chose not to hit) and we thought we had a chance.... Until Casey ripped his hybrid leaving them 120ish from the hole, me and Faz hit to about 80 yards out, knowing we would probably need to make a birdie to Push and go to hole 2 (that was playing 165 into the wind). From there Casey hit a great shot to about 20' long and Faz hit it pin high right leaving us 15' (I tried to kill Chandler with a punch 9i aimed right at the crowd long of the hole). Apparently Casey hadn't made a putt all day relying on Troy (who chose 8i/putter), little did we know he was saving it for the end, rolling in a 20' downhill breaking putt for Birdie net eagle and sealing the victory winning $60 each.

That's it for my first (and hopefully last because it was awful) recap.

All in all everybody finished under par net, with Chandler thinking -5 Net would win.... only to shoot -5 Net and finish DFL. Everybody had fun and I'm thinking we will do this again in the next offseason.

See ya'll at the rapture!

Edit: There's a joke somewhere about Dave going 0-6 with DOD being worse than my Ho and 3 at my last rapture but I forgot to put it in. But anyway, Dave and DOD probably shouldn't go together again, apparently Chandler was 2 of 6 with his DOD

2024 Rapture Draft Results and Pairings

Fun night at Riveters... which was a decent set up for the draft with surprisingly good food. Who knew.

 

There were also a few surprises in the selections. 

• Chandler (¡soy yo!) going first when everyone thought it would be (should be) Dave. 
• Brendan taking the strokes with Reid and Gary over Casey and Ho
• Geoff actually pausing to think about selecting Moostie over Ho, before coming to his senses
  

Geoff (Blue Team) and Brendan (Gray Team) official selections:

 

1 - Chandler
2 - Dave
3 - Melberg
4 - Faz
5 - Troy
6 - Reid
7 - Gary
8 - Casey
9 - Ho
10 - Moostie

Here are the pairings and handicaps for each day:

 

Round 1 - Whispering Oak - Chapman (Alt-Shot)
1 - Chandler / Faz vs. Brendan / Reid (4)
2 - Casey / Troy (3) vs. Dave / Moostie
3 - Ho / Geoff vs. Melberg / Gary

Round 2 - Old Orange - Four-Ball
1 - Troy (2) / Casey vs. Moostie (3) / Gary (5)

2 - Faz (4) / Ho vs. Dave (1) / Reid (9)
3 - Chandler (4) / Geoff (10) vs. Melberg / Brendan (5)

Round 3 - Whispering Oak - Singles
1 - Troy (3) vs. Brendan
2 - Geoff (1) vs. Moostie
3 - Chandler (2) vs. Dave
4 - Faz vs. Gary (6)
5 - Casey (7) vs. Melberg
6 - Ho vs. Reid (8)

 

 

We are playing the #3/4 combo tees at Whispering Oak on days 1 and 3 (Chapman and Singles).

We will play the #3 tees on Old Orange day 2 (Four-Ball).

 

Course Scorecard

2 man 2 club scramble tournament- 9/15 at 8:00AM

 As mentioned in a previous post, setting up a two club two man scramble tournament at Lake Jovita North course

Rules are simple... 

2 players Partners will be chosen by random name generator (because I like Chaos) you each get 2 clubs but can not hit your partners clubs, so if you choose Driver and putter and you are 150 yards out, you can not use your partners 7 iron, you have to hit your drive or putter.

Handicaps will be 60/40 (60% of low 40% of high). As far as dates:

Tee time is 8:00AM and 8:10 AM on the North course. September 15th

Let me know who would be in and which date would be best for you guys:

Teams:

Teams are below with starting handicaps (Chandler can edit my math if needed):

Faz & Ho: -8

Geoff & Dave: -9

Adam & Chandler: -11

Casey & Troy: -13

Everybody bring $20 Cash, winning team takes all

Lost Ball Review

Apparently Lake Jovita is gobbling up balls again due to tall muddy grass. If you you can't find a ball and there is no OB around... is it a free drop?

 

Nope. 

 

We technically do not have a free drop rule. If a free drop is given, it better be some extremely rare circumstance where the entire group feels it's warranted.

 

This is from our Winter Board meeting in 2023:

 

Rule 8.2

 

Per Buchert's request, we discussed (for a long time) what happened at Lake Jovita (South) between holes 2 and 3... specifically in regards to Rule 8.2.

 

Quick recap:

• Ball was "lost" in a collection of trees with overgrown grass between holes 2 and 3.
• No OB or Hazard lines anywhere near this location.
• No bushes in the area, so the ball was legitimately lost in the tall grass.

Board determination:

 
A one-stroke penalty definitely applies here, but where the drop happened was a subject of debate. We settled on letting the group deem the overgrown grass to be a "hazard," and allowing the player to drop outside of that area. The same way you would if a ball was presumably lost in a large palmetto bush. Be sure to keep your search to 3 minutes or less.

As with most rulings, it's up to the group to use common sense.

We also want to remind everyone there isn't a "free drop" rule for a lost ball. But we brought up two situations that have happened during our 12+ years as a Club:

• Ball landing in flooded fairway and getting swallowed up by the Earth.
• Ball running into a flooded bunker. The ball can't be seen but everyone knows it's in there somewhere.

In these two situations, a "free drop" would be given under the USGA's "casual water" rule. We just aren't going to make you wade into the water to identify the ball if the group is in agreement of the ball location.

I'm sure something will come up down the road that'll test our determination, but Rule 8.2 has been updated and Rule 8.3 has been added for clarity.

 

2024 Rapture Qualification - Final Results

Rapture dates: Oct 17th (check-in) to Oct 20th

 

Watching the Rapture qualification in "real time" today was a blast. At various points the first man out bounced between Ho, Faz, and Melberg.

 

Here is the final Rapture qualification standings, and locked Handicap Indexes. Those who qualified owe $234 for housing and entry fees. Sending me that payment will secure your spot. You have until September 1st to pay (one week) before we reach out to the alternate list.

 

Once we have all 12 players in, we'll schedule the live draft.

 

Qualification tie-breakers:

 

1) World Ranking

2) Number of events played in qualification period

3) Total points earned in qualification period

4) Number of Raptures previously attended

5) Perceived pace of play

6) DEI - (Dave's Etiquette Index)

7) Looks

8) Coin-toss

Locked Rapture Index in parenthesis

Captain #1 - Geoff (15.7) *paid*

Captain #2 - Brendan (10.8) *paid*

Casey (11.9) *paid*

Dave (6.2) *paid*

Troy (14.3) *paid*

Chandler (8.7) *paid*

Gary (17.5) *paid*

Tall Mike (15.2) *paid*

Reid (15.7) *paid*

Faz (9.9) *paid*

Melberg (4.7) *paid*

Ho (6.1) *paid*

 

Alternates *tie-breaker(s) used*

Billy (18.8) *ranked #15*

Danny (25.1) *9 events played*

Adam (11.9) *8 events played*

Buchert (12.4) *7 events played*

 

Out

Gorecki

JW

Topor 

Crum

John

Dan

 

 

Get your $234 payment in now (assuming you qualified).

Jamaican Open - Summer 2024 Recap

Reid won his own trophy (if we can ever find out who has it) for the 2nd time today, with an outstanding even par (net) from the big boy blue tees. A bold strategy that definitely paid off, despite him hitting a lot of long irons into greens.

The next best scores (Dave and Faz) were +5 (net) on the day! Clearly Azario is rated too easy.

But it is the BEST deal we have going right now. Conditions were stellar, and we paid under $60 (half off rack rate). Who knows how long they'll give us a deal... as they're still building a ton of houses in the community. It's only a matter of time until it goes fully private like the original Esplanade.

Azario also has — in my opinion — the best green complexes on tour. There is not a single flat putt out there, as they are true "potato chip" greens. You really need to be creative, and it gets very humbling.

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Geoff officially won his 3rd Cup, as he also becomes the 3rd Member to win back-to-back titles. Much deserved despite finishing the year with double goose eggs. 

Excellent season everyone! It was probably the best set of courses we've ever scheduled... and it included Northdale the first week!

Now we'll switch focus to the Rapture. Info on that will be posted very shortly.

Congrats, Geoff!

Azario Scorecard

Got everyone on the WHITE tees. Let me know if you want to move back.

I've only played it a few times. My notes say the greens are large and undulating. And that it's much more difficult than the ratings say.

See you Sunday.

FBGC Masters - Summer 2024 Recap & Jamaican Make-up Preview

Geoff was one shot away from buying a double pitcher, and still basically locked up his 3rd season title (unless we get rained out this upcoming Sunday).

 

Troy is technically still in the mix, but he's unfortunately missing his second tournament of the season. It could have been very interesting if he made par on the final three holes yesterday. After a nice drive on 16, he chunked his approach and epically ejected with a quadruple bogey.

 

Chandler ('tis me) needed a solo 3rd to stay alive, but blasted his tee shot 40 yards OB on #5... and then proceeded to miss countless 4 footers the rest of the round.

 

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Brendan ended up taking the title, his 4th FBGC Masters victory in a row! Truly an amazing stat as he continues to play some excellent golf.

 

Danny overcame all odds, actually waking up and making it out to Orlando... and was rewarded with a solo 2nd. It's his highest finish since March.

Reid was looking like a winner after a miraculous birdie on 14... only to get that bounce-back-triple on the next hole.

Casey also could have tied for the victory, if not for his own bounce-back-triple after a birdie on 17. It's amazing how often this happens.

 

Adam and Crum — who had to play for funsies due to a lack of attendance this season — would have finished T4. So they can sleep better knowing they saved $20 in Club Credit by not officially entering.

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Reunion was good yesterday. Greens were great... very difficult with zero flat putts. Adjusting to the slow uphill and fast downhill speeds was a problem. I take back what I said about Watson being the "easy" course. Palmer is way easier.

 

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As I mentioned previously, Waterlefe still has holes closed due to 15" of rain received during the tropical storm.

Ho was nice enough to make some inquiries, and booked us at Esplanade Azario. Great to see a Mike contribute to the Club!

We start at 10:36am, and the cost is $55+. An excellent deal for an excellent course! The quote raised a few concerns that it's almost too cheap, and their greens are punched. While this might be the case, tee times are still listed at $99+ on their website. So I think it's going to be fine.

The only time we've played Azario was back in Spring 2021... the round where Geoff made Katie quit the Club! We have to wonder if Geoff's recent dominance is the reason Danny, Crum, JW, Adam, John, and Moostie are all quitting!

Anyway... Melberg won last time at Azario with an outstanding 74 (gross). 

And while it may seem like this is a pointless tournament... Club Credit is still on the line! Chandler Bucks can greatly bolster your legacy! And there's Rapture qualification and a captaincy up for grabs! I'm setting the pairings for maximum manufactured drama:

 

Group A

• Geoff is guaranteed the #1 Captain Spot. His World Golf Ranking average points of 305.2 is the second highest in Club history (Katie achieved 311.8 in 2018).
• It's not possible for Billy to qualify based on points, even if he wins the Jamaican.
  
• Adam doesn't have enough rounds to qualify for the Rapture. He'll be on the alternate list.
  
• Brendan can score zero points and still be Captain #2, even though he's dropping off 600 points from last season's FBGC Masters. But a handful of people can pass him...
  

Group B

If Brendan scores zero points, the following guys can be Captain #2 by earning...

• Casey - 153 points
• Chandler - 275 points
• Gary - 294 points
• Dave - 388 points

Obviously the points needed increase depending on what Brendan does. And it's also all relative to everyone else in this group.

Group C

These guys are all in danger of missing the Rapture due to points:

• Ho - currently the first man out, despite Reid dropping off 133.3 points. If Ho lays another goose egg, he's the first alternate.
• Reid - should consider Sunday to be a head-to-head match against Ho if he wants to officially qualify. Beat Ho, and he has nothing to worry about.
  
• Faz - could miss out if both Reid and Ho score 184+ points more than him.
• Melberg - probably going to qualify unless he scores zero and Reid/Ho/Faz all drastically outplay him.
  

It looks like Danny would have qualified for the Rapture if he attended one more event in 2024. Unfortunately, Reunion might be the last we see of him as a FBGC Member!

Update your RSVP now if you're bailing Sunday!