March 30, 2011 – The Metropolitan Golf Association and the Metropolitan PGA held their annual Rules of Golf Workshop on March 30th at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. The event was attended by more than 100 golf professionals, club officials and MGA committeemen and featured presentations by John Vander Borght, Manager of Rules Communications for the USGA, and Shannon Rouillard, Manager of Rules Inquiries at the USGA.

Vander Borght, a veteran manager and Rules official of the Northern California Golf Association’s Junior Tour, began the morning’s presentation with an analysis of the “The Principles Behind the Rules of Golf,” a book explaining the “why” of the Rules as written by internationally recognized former USGA President Richard Tufts. Understanding these basic philosophies, Vander Borght says, makes the study of the in-depth Rules of Golf easier to grasp.

Rouillard followed Vander Borght’s presentation by identifying the procedures for handing “Doubts and Disputes” amongst the Rules during a round. Rouillard, whose experience includes serving as the Head Women’s Golf Coach at the University of Oregon, now oversees the responses to all Rules of Golf inquiries, including supervising the Rules Associates. She discussed the specific processes that players must take in both stroke and match play formats.

Before introducing Vander Borght back for his second talk of the day, Gene Westmoreland, of the MGA and MGA Foundation, briefly went over the recent groove rule changes and how they affect all qualifiers for the U.S. Open. “This year, your club must conform to the new groove rules, even on the local qualifier level.”

Vander Borght’s second presentation of the day, entitled “The Status of the Ball,” reviewed aspects such as:

• What constitutes a ball being in play?
• How does a ball become lost?
• Under what scenarios do these rules apply?

Rouillard concluded the session with the “Top 10 Rules Myths,” which covered many common misconceptions such as:

• The Rules permit a rangefinder
• If you declare a ball lost, it remains lost even if someone else finds it
• If you run out of golf balls you may not borrow or purchase more during that same round

Rouillard’s discussion, like Vander Borght’s was followed by an extensive Q & A session which was highly valued by the audience who sought their expert analysis of various experiences at their own clubs.

The 2011 MGA/Met PGA Rules of Golf Workshop continues the month-long program of educational forums that are designed to educate club leaders and the golfing public about a wide range of topics of interest to Met Area golfers. Topics include the Rules of Golf, handicapping procedures, new technology and MGA and MGA Foundation services and programs. For more information, please contact Greg Midland (gmidland@mgagolf.org) or Brian Mahoney (bmahoney@mgagolf.org) at 914-347-4653.

About the MGA: The Metropolitan Golf Association was founded in 1897 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest amateur golf associations representing more than 500 clubs in the tri-state Metropolitan Area. Through a network of more than 300 volunteers, and a full-time staff operating out of its “Golf Central” headquarters in Elmsford, N.Y., the Association fulfills its role as a true non-profit service organization. Through a variety of unique, relevant, and innovative services for member clubs and area golfers, the MGA has established itself as a leader among local and national golf organizations.