Ten players participated in our "learn to play match format" event at Graysburg Hills on Saturday, September 26. The first nine holes (The Knobs course) was played as a fourball event, with teams of two playing against each other. The second nine (Fodder Stack) was played as singles, with one-on-one competition. 

The purpose of the event was to introduce golfers to a couple of the formats used in match play events such as the LPGA Amateurs Cup Matches and the regional Magnolia Challenge. Each group had an experienced match play golfer to guide the others in strategies and rules of match play.

And what about those two odd golfers (since fourball requires four people)? They played two balls each, with an A ball and a B ball!

One of the ways to track your progress as a golfer is to establish a GHIN handicap. If you're a member at a local club, you can set up your handicap there. But if you don't, Pete DeBraal at Cattails can help you set one up through their course. The cost is $30 for the year. Just stop in to Cattails and get started!

Remember, a lot of tournaments require a GHIN handicap to participate. And all the LPGA Amateur national events do as well. If that seems intimidating, remember that a handicap also makes it possible for you to compete on a level playing field. LPGA Amateur events are all flighted, meaning you compete against players of similar ability levels. There are gross (your actual score) and net (your score minus your handicap) winners for most events, so there's no reason not to give it a go!