ELMSFORD, N.Y. (February 29, 2012) – MGA members, club leaders and golfers from around the Met Area are invited to attend the MGA Foundation's 2012 Spring Educational Forums. The schedule promises another season of innovative programs that cover a wide range of topics including the Rules of Golf, Handicapping procedures, golf course maintenance and new technologies. These seminars are presented by experts in the industry such as golf professionals, course superintendents and various special guest speakers.

Some of the most popular events on the MGA Foundation educational calendar deal with the Rules of Golf. The Regional Rules Seminars begin on Saturday, March 3 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., and continue at two other sites later in March. These seminars are open to the public but are of most interest to those deeply interested in the Rules of Golf. For more information, please contact Brian Mahoney at bmahoney@mgagolf.org or 914-347-4653, ext. 303.

The annual Handicap and Rules Seminars are for MGA member club Handicap chairs, and provide a refresher course for the Handicap system as well as the Rules of Golf. The first of these seminars takes place on Saturday, March 24 at the Cherry Valley Club in Garden City, N.Y. Cherry Valley is followed by two other sessions, on Saturday April 14 at Apawamis Club in Rye, N.Y., and on Saturday, April 21 at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, N.J. For more information, please contact Kevin Kline at kkline@mgagolf.org or 914-347-4653, ext. 319.

The 2012 Green Chairman Education Series & Arthur P. Weber Environmental Awards Luncheon, hosted by the MGA Foundation in conjunction with the USGA Green Section, occurs on Thursday, March 15, at Alpine Country Club in Demarest, N.J. The popular yearly event designed for Green Committee chairs is headlined by an impressive roster of expert turfgrass officials and offers valuable information for club officials and superintendents. For more information, please contact Kate Keller at kkeller@mgagolf.org or Kevin Kline at kkline@mgagolf.org.

With seven sessions already set and more to come, Caddie Academies offer job-specific training in the form of one-day, after-school programs open to men and women of all ages, completely free of charge. For more information, please contact Brian Farrelly at bfarrelly@mgagolf.org or 914-347-4653, ext. 301.

The MGA is also set to host the Lower Hudson Golf Show on Saturday & Sunday, March 10 & 11 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, N.Y. and features discounted merchandise, free 10-minute lessons by PGA pros and of course, the MGA sponsored Demo Stage with discussions on the golf swing, the Rules of Golf, the mental game, and putting.

* The Long Island Golf Expo, scheduled for Friday - Sunday, March 23-25, at Suffolk County Community College in Brentwood, N.Y. has been cancelled.

Visit our 2012 MGA Foundation Educational Forums Schedule for more details and check back on mgagolf.org for additional dates and information.