Carter Page

Tournament season is definitely here. The past month or so has seemed to fly by and with a fully booked July on the horizon I'm sure it will seem even faster. I've definitely been busy since the Open in late May. We had our second TGA Championship Series event, which was held at Rarity Pointe in Lenoir City, TN. Things went extremely well and I was glad that the players got to experience the wonderful course. If you haven't had a chance to play any of the Rarity courses...i highly recommend them. Since then I have been in the office quite a bit..getting things ready for the Four Ball Championship, Match Play Championship, and Boy's Junior Amateur.

Got a chance to serve as a Rules Official in the Music City Invitational this past weekend at Harpeth Hills GC. I'll be the first to admit it was a little strange not being the one in charge of the tournament administration, but Kevin and his staff at Harpeth Hills along with the tournament directors did a great job in running a smooth tournament. The weather was wonderful and I'm glad I got to be a part of it.

I'm headed up to Morristown tomorrow to get ready for the Four Ball. Looking forward to seeing the course. I've heard nothing but good things about it. After the Four Ball Ill be in the office the week of July 4th, then we head to Tennessee National for the Match Play Championship and from there I go to Colonial Country Club for the Boy's Junior.

So its been a while since Ive updated everyone on things going on over here.... Yes... I'm still alive! The past couple of weeks seem like a total blur...and every month seems to go by faster and faster. We're gearing up for the Open which begins next Monday with the Pro-Am. The qualifiers seem to have gone extremely well, and thankfully our lives were made easier with the Directors running them this year. There were 9 qualifiers this year and we had a total of 342 players competing for 105 spots. Qualifiers ended on the sixth so we've been busy getting everyone into the Championship and getting all the prep work done to send them information. Even with the Open in full swing the entry deadline for the Four Ball Championship was last week. Entries were down just a little from last year but we still have pulled an incredibly competitive field. I used the last couple of days last week to get all the Four Ball Qualifying stuff done...and we are ready to go....qualifiers start May 27th.
This week will be spent getting everything done for the Open. I'm still looking for a couple of Pro's to play in the Pro-Am, but hope that I can fill the spots by the middle of the week. I also will be calling all the Directors and volunteers making sure that we are set with help for the Open. This weekend will be spent putting up signage and prepping the course, as well as getting everything set up for registration on Monday. As busy as I am, I've really enjoyed having some added responsibility this year... and I am extremely excited about this year's first Championship.

For more information on the Suntrust State Open Championship click here

TGA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES -   I'm still looking for entries into these new Level I Point Events. The first event at Lookout Mtn. was a big success despite the cold and harsh conditions, but it is still my hope to have a full field of 72 participants (36 Mid Am, 36 Senior Am)  in the upcoming events. The entry deadline for the TGACS event at Rarity Pointe is quickly approaching (May 21). I hope all of you can participate.

Upcoming TGA Championship Series Events

Rarity Pointe GC - June 5-6
GreyStone GC - July 24-25

FOR ACCESS TO THIS EVENTS ENTRY FORM AND ALL OTHER TGA CHAMPIONSHIPS CLICK HERE

    Well the 08' Tournament Season has officially begun. Our season was started by our first Tennessee Golf Association Championship Series Event at Lookout Mountain Golf Club. While the field was small, the competition was fierce, as the Level I point event attracted some of the best players around the state.
     Conditions were tough...really tough. The players fought temperatures in the mid to high 30's and a howling wind that never really seemed to calm itself. On top of these blustery conditions we had a 30 minute delay during the first round due to a hail/sleet storm that came out of absolute nowhere! Never in my life have I seen sheets of ice come down with such force. Within a matter of minutes the course was a complete white-out. Lucky for us the ice melted quickly and we were able to get the first round completed without many more hiccups. Round two was a much better forecast and even though the cold stuck around...it was nice to get some much needed sunshine. At the completion of the tournament two players were deemed champions. in the Mid-Amateur division Ray Morton defeated Steve Johnson on the second hole of a sudden death playoff  after making a phenomenal up and down to take home the title. In the Senior Amateur division Dr. Neil Spitalny showed that a little course knowledge can go a long way as he posted a two day total of 148, three strokes better than last year's 3-peat champion Jim Brown. Overall I think the first Championship Series event was a success. While we didn't have a full field tournament to start the season, our hope is that word will spread about these events, and by the time the next one rolls around (June 5-6 @ Rarity Pointe GC) we will have a complete tournament field. (36 Mid-Ams & 36 Senior Ams)
    The entry deadline for the Tennessee State Open ended yesterday and in a flurry. We received  a total of 390 entries this year...and are looking forward to April 28th, when the qualifiers begin statewide. Now my concentration is on getting everything prepared for these qualifiers such as scoreboards, scorecards, cart signs, rules sheets, tee times, etc. It will definitely be keeping me busy, but I'm excited that the new tournament season is officially here.


On a bit if a side note.... Yesterday was my first round of the year...and it showed. A couple of guys from the office went out after work for quick 9 holes... and I was quickly reminded of just how little I get to play anymore. Luckily I've still got the muscle memory to get it around the course...but it is a big shock to the pride when you just cant score like you used to. Hopefully I can get out on the course more this year and bring back glimpses of the old Carter, and most of all warrant myself in purchasing some clubs made this decade! It has become apparent that staying up with the technology is a definite plus.

Til next time


Keep it in the short grass,

Carter
   
   

Seriously, 4 inches of snow in March. Are you kidding me? A week earlier I was hunkered in my bathtub praying that a remake of the Wizard of Oz, starring yours truly as Dorothy, was not about to occur. (Naders' everywhere!!) Now im caught in a frozen tundra and my shorts are getting upset with me for not busting them free yet. It baffles me...the weather that is.... im just praying for a cooler summer this year! (Which we won't have seeing as how I just jinxed us all...welcome back 100's!)

So a couple of weeks ago we (Matt, Steve, and myself) headed down to Ridgeway for our State Am site visit. Everything went well...and it was good to see how a site visit should be conducted. It was my first time in Memphis since I was twelve (obviously I've been living under a rock)...and I was kinda excited to see what it was like. Jimmy Darr played host to us, and he definitely made our time in Memphis more exciting. That night we headed downtown to eat at the famous Blues City Cafe. (bluescitycafe.com) Quite possibly the best ribs I have ever put in my mouth! Atmosphere was very eclectic and the service was outa this world....a def recommend. Afterwards we made our way down to the FedEx Forum where Jimmy had so graciously gotten us tickets to that nights Grizzlies/Suns game.





FedEx Forum - The place is amazing. While I haven't been in a ton of arenas...this place sure seems to be at the top of the list.


Once there we found that we had incredible seats. Section: Shaq's, Row: Lap, Seat: Right Leg. Okay so maybe we weren't sitting exactly in his lap but close enough!! You know your seats are good when you have to look straight up to see the jumbotron in the middle of the court!!




"And if you look above you will see that you are directly UNDER the jumbotron" lol

Some of my reflections during the game:

Shaq's a big man....knowing that my size 14 shoe could fit into his is scary. People, there is no such thing as BigFoot. Shaq's just been roaming around the woods of America trying to find some rotation to his knuckle-ball of a shot!







Dick Bavetta is the coolest NBA ref of all time...PERIOD. I would pay a ridiculous ticket price to a game, just to see this guy's warm-up routine again... needless to say it had us laughing for days.

Wolfgang the German Wheel quickly saved himself from being heckled by giving an amazing performance. Anyone ever heard of this guy?? Check him out!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm5l3VkJXqA)
I was def amazed at the stuff this guy could do!!












Sorry about the quality...vids taken with phone!


After the game we got to head into the Lexus Lounge to watch my Vols completely blow their #1 seed. While there we got to meet Mike Miller of the Grizzlies, where he begged to have his picture taken with us!! Anything for the fans of the TGA!! lol





So the trip to Memphis was great. The site visit went well, and it was nice to hang out with the guys and have a little fun!

By now I'm sure you've heard the rumors spreading across the country like a blazing wildfire. I'm here for a little clarification. You've heard the name...and thought how hardcore; you've heard the sound...and its made you get up and dance...but more importantly you've felt the energy...the energy that only one thing in the world can produce. My friends...this is no rumor...it's quite possibly the greatest thing to hit the people of the world since scented trash bags and water balloon launchers....it is.... ELEGANT ELK! 

With an unheard of range by lead vocalist Nate "The Real Deal" Hantle, intestine rockin solos by drummer Matty V, and a bevy of face melters produced by guitarists D Dub, MacDog, and Bigpapa Page the Elk are the real deal.They've even been known to have special guest star appearances from Chad "My baby is the size of a dill pickle" Anderson, who brings his untouchable 360 spin to the stage. Never has one band had the potential to change the world...that is...until now! Be on the lookout people. Don't pass up the chance for a life altering , brain tickling, ear cleansing, feet shufflin performance that these guys present. They've already rocked one world tour... who knows how many more are in store...but I can tell you this...its sure to only get more electrifying...................


As you can see...the staff retreat was an absolute blast! We ventured up to Gatlinburg to stay in a magical place called Sherwood Forest Resort, in this unbelievable cabin so greatly named the "Elegant Elk". (sounds familiar!) Had a great time with everyone. It was nice to relax and to get a chance to bond with everyone outside of the office. While we had plenty of time for fun, we did get some work done. We had great discussions on topics for the upcoming year...and I feel as though a lot of good ideas were brought to the table that will help the TGA in the future. Things are starting to speed up around here...and it was nice to have time with one another to take that last deep breath before we hit the ground running. (And who would have known that we would find ourselves a TGA RockBand!)

Several of us are headed to Atlanta this weekend for Rules School. Im sure we will all learn quite a bit with it being a rule change year..and Im looking forward besting my test score from last year. Other than that Im just finalizing some course rating dates..and preparing course rating materials to present at the Executive Committee Meeting on Feb. 23.n

Wow what a weekend of sports we just had. Everything from the Super Bowl, to the college basketball, to the golf, it was a sports lovers dream. Once UT football season is over...i usually get pretty depressed.... my "sports excitement" dwindles and I find myself counting down the days until "Football Time in Tennessee". Now, this is not to say I don't love the PGA Tour Season... i look forward to each and every weekend, but its just not the same.  I came into this past weekend...thinking it was a predictable one. Pats were going to crush the Giants... Tiger would win by 20 in the desert...yada yada yada. Boy was I wrong! I couldn't believe my eyes when i witnessed Tiger have an over par round in the third round of the Dubai Classic...and to hear the announcers state, " He has officially blown himself out of contention!" ( My question is have these British announcers ever seen Tiger play...out of contention?.... the only time he is out of contention is when he's not there!!!) Sure 4 down did look a little grim for Tiger...and even I thought...well he can't win em' all. I didn't get to see any of the final round but dang-git if Tiger didn't pull one out of the air. I heard he birdied 5 of his last 7 holes..and drained a putt on 18 to win it....he still amazes me! Across the pond...back on home soil...it was nice to see our Nashville native Brandt finish in the top 10. It's crazy seeing a guy who you used to play with all the time now on tour... you find yourself getting the "what ifs".

Then we have the Super Bowl. I'll admit... didn't think it was going to be a memorable one...but I did have a glimmer of hope that the Giants would just..keep it close.  With my world famous chili in hand I witnessed the best Super Bowl these eyes have ever seen. Not just b/c the Giants won, or the fact that somehow Eli had the strength and whereabouts (and divine intervention) to escape from certain death...or the fact that his receiver caught a pass that he wouldn't catch the next 99 times it was thrown to him, but the fact that the number one offense in NFL history was embarrassed. Each Pat possession I thought to myself...well the defense has gotta end sometime... but it never did. I'm not a Giants fan...and I really am not a Pats fan (thanks to the classlessness of Coach Hoody), but I was just as excited to see them win as if it had been the Titans playing. The stage was set for an underdog to pull of the miracle...and boy am i glad they did.

I have set all but one Championship Series event. I just added GreyStone to the lineup....and am still working on getting a course in Memphis....I'm hoping I can talk with Jimmy and he can have some insight as to what host might be available. Other than that I'm finishing up the applications for the 2008 season, and trying to get everything ready to get some courses rated at the end of the month. We have our TGA staff retreat starting Sunday...and it should be a good getaway for all of us. I think we will have some great conversations on ways to improve our Association.(Plus..of course have some fun rockin out with Guitar Hero and RockBand) I might just have to video tape that...YOUTUBE CLASSIC ANYONE! I've also started studying for Rules School which we starts on the 17th in Atlanta... fingers are crossed.

I guess thats about it... think I just gave MacDog a run for his money on having the longest journal post!
Hope everyone has a great week!

Carter

I've just solidified our second TGA Championship Series  event. It will be held May 29-30, 2008 at Rarity Pointe. This just leaves finding a site for the Middle and West Tennessee areas. As of right now I'm working on updating the entry forms for our 2008 championships...and also preparing for our TGA Board Meeting where i will be presenting some information on course rating.

Rules School is quickly approaching, and im starting to feel the pressure to study build up. I really want to succeed this year... and to me that means making an 85+. Im sure this weekend the studying will start... it just amazes me how quickly you can lose grasps of the rules if you dont constantly stay on top of them.

Looks like the weather is starting to warm up a little....hopefully that means i can get out on the course and dust off the old clubs!

Just got back in a couple of nights ago from the Course Rating Calibration. Definitely glad I was able to go... I think the main thing that I got from the calibration was a new way of doing things. Like the Rules of Golf, Course Rating forces you to be meticulous, and make sure that you take into consideration all things that could possibly effect the outcome. I'm excited about starting our ratings for 2008 and think this year will be a big step for me.

I'm still in the process of solidifying host courses for our TGA Championship Series events. I was excited to get our Chattanooga area tournament at Lookout Mountain. My work this week will be trying to get our Middle TN course set and to get all tournament info sent to the host clubs. Once everything is set I plan on creating a flyer to send to all TGA member clubs to promote our new Championship Series. Any help would be much appreciated in getting the word out on these tournaments.

It's the first full week of work coming back from Christmas break. I'm definitely feeling a lot of emotions right now... anxious, excited, determined. This starts the beginning of my new job responsibilities and I look forward to hopefully gaining a grasp on them quickly. The past couple of days have been spent contacting courses in order to get them scheduled for re-rating. Its a chance to meet a lot of new people and so far it has been really positive. I've got 34 courses on the schedule this year and I'm hoping to at least get half of them done before tournament season starts.  I'm headed to PGA National this weekend to attend a course rating calibration course...I'm sure it will be very beneficial to me.

In the works of trying to solidify locations for our Championship Series Tournament events. Rarity Pointe has offered their course in Knoxville, so that leaves me to find a course in Chattanooga, Memphis, and Nashville areas. I'm hoping to have some leads by the end of this week and to hopefully fill the locations by the end of next week.  Im excited about these new tournaments.... I think they have the potential to be a big success, and I'm hoping they become something we can expand from.

Other than that not much is going on. College football is over, and im pretty bummed about that. Just cant seem to get into college hoops until March rolls around, but I'll still be cheerin for my VOLS!