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30 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | OCTOBER 2018 | From the President – Tom Moore: Not a lot going on this month, so I thought I would revisit the "12 Tips for Faster Golf." 1. Carry an extra ball in your pocket to use in case a "provisional" shot is required. 2. If there is ANY doubt about where your ball is, hit a provisional — it's free unless you use it. 3. Limit your search for a lost ball to three minutes. When possible, everyone in the group should help. 4. Get back in the cart with your clubs in your hand, put them away after you get to the next ball. 5. Fill out score card after you leave the hole. 6. If within a foot or so of the hole, putt out. 7. Study your putt while others are putting. 8. When on opposite sides of fairway, park your golf cart in the middle. 9. Take appropriate clubs to your ball and hit without delay 10. Ready golf: whoever is ready, and can hit safely, go ahead and take your shot. 11. The first one to finish should have the flag ready to put back in the cup. 12. Leave the green immediately after the last golfer in your group holes out. These are tried and true ways to speed up play. NO ONE enjoys a five-plus hour round of golf, and with a little effort we can get to the 19th hole and enjoy a tall, frosty adult beverage a lot sooner. The election of your new board is to be held later this month, so start thinking about running for an office — YOU can help make our club better. Bonnie Moore has volunteered to chair the nomination committee, and we need two more volunteers. We raised $3,000 for our charity golf event. A check was presented to representatives from "Valley Restart" during our general meeting on Sept. 18. I have had several members ask about the status of the driving range. As I understand it, the first 50 feet or so were donated by K. Hovnanian to the city of Hemet to use for a fire station to serve the Hemet Four Seasons community. The city decided to put the land up for bids instead, and an individual purchased it in hopes of reselling it to The Hemet Golf Club at a considerably marked-up price. The golf club refused to be gouged, so they opted to move the practice tees up. The property owner then demanded that golfers no longer trespass on his property, so the golf club put a temporary fence around the original tee boxes. I'm sure that there is a lot more to the story, and I have no doubt that it isn't over. 'Till next month, hit 'em straight. From the Tournament Chair – Addis Scott: Congratulations to Dale Brockett, for his Aug. 7 hole-in-one on hole #4. You may sign up at our prior Tuesday golf event or contact the Tournament Committee by email at hemet4sgc@gmail.com. Our October 2018 Game Schedule is: Oct. 2 at 8 am: (T) – Club Championship Round-1 – Best two of three rounds Low Net and 1st Place Low Gross by Flight – Post as Tournament Oct. 4 at 8 am: Thursday (T) – Club Championship Round-2 – Best two of three rounds. Low Net and 1st Place Low Gross by Flight – Post as Tournament Oct. 9 at 8 am: (T) – Club Championship Round-3 – Best two of three rounds. Low Net & 1st Place Low Gross by Flight – Post as Tournament Oct. 16 at 8 am: Individual: 3-Clubs and a Putter Oct. 23 at 8 am: Partners-Same Flight: Best Net Score Per Hole Oct. 30 at 8 am: Team Scramble (Min of three Tee-Shots) – Hdc = Average Handicap (Halloween 10/31 – come in costume) From the Membership Chair – Elliot Yaeger: Welcome our latest member, Dave Munshower. Our membership now stands at 150. If you would like to join our club now the cost of membership would be $36 for SCGA membership plus $10 for club membership for the rest of this year 2018. Membership applications can be picked up at The Lodge. The weather should be getting a little cooler, so I encourage all to join and enjoy the camaraderie and great conditions here at Hemet. If you have any questions contact Elliot Yaeger, (951) 223-3735 or email ey1611@gmail.com. From the Rules Chair – Tom Johnson: The USGA lists the five most significant changes in the rules that will take effect on January 1, 2019 as: 1. "How to Drop a Ball" – You will drop your ball from knee height into the relief area. 2. "Time for Ball Search" – Three minutes will be the maximum allotted time to search for a ball rather that the current five minutes. 3. "Repairing Spike Marks" – You will be allowed to repair spike marks or any other damage on the putting green caused by a person, an animal or maintenance practices. 4. "Leaving the Flagstick in the Hole" – If you make a stroke from on the green and your ball hits the flagstick in the hole, there will be no penalty. 5. "Relaxed Rules in Penalty Areas" – You will be able to ground your club and move loose impediments in a penalty area (an expanded concept of water hazards that does not include bunkers). From the Handicap Chair – Melody Lewis: Origin of the Golf Handicap: The term originates from a trading game, popular in pubs in the 17th and 18th centuries, known as "hand in cap." The game required three sides: two players and a referee. Each player would have an item to trade with the other, and it was the responsibility of the referee to determine the amount that would make up a difference in value between the items. The players would place money into a pot, then put their hands into a cap. When they pulled their hands out, an open palm would signal an acceptance of the trade, while a fist indicated rejection. If both sides agreed – either acceptance or refusal – the referee would receive the pot. If the traders disagreed, the player accepting the deal received the pot. The key to the game was how equitably the referee would assign the difference in value between the traded items, as he would benefit only if both sides agreed. If the referee wasn't fair, he would lose out. "Hand in cap" became known as "handicap," and the word transferred to other endeavors associated with betting – first horse racing in the 1850s followed by golf a couple of decades later.

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