NORTON, Massachusetts – With the launch of online registration set for Thursday, Mass Golf has created a road map for female golfers who are looking to get move involved with golf this season. After all, the merger between the Massachusetts Golf Association and Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts – which became effective on 1.1.18 – has resulted in even more opportunities for everyone.
“I could not be more excited about the season ahead because it marks an important time for female golfers in our state,” said Cathleen Beach, Mass Golf’s director of women’s events & player development who had previously served as the WGAM executive director. “Not only will we offer the same tournaments as before, but we have even more to offer female golfers. From the most competitive to the beginner, there is a place for you and we want to help you find it.”
To Beach’s point, Mass Golf will be hosting more than 20 championship-level events, 15 individual, team and partner tournaments and more than 20 Member Day events. The association will also be running more than 40 qualifying events for select Championships and overseeing all of the USGA local and sectional qualifiers here in the Bay State.
In order to help golfers – new and avid – find the events that are best for them, Mass Golf has created a road map for female golfers (see below). It is also important to note the following key dates:
Thursday, February 1 @ 10:00 a.m. – online registration for all Championships and Women’s Championships – those found under the COMPETITION tab – go live.
Thursday, March 1 @ 10:00 a.m. – online registration for all Women’s Tournaments, Team Tournaments and Member Days – those found under the PLAY tab – go live.
In order to provide the most focused resources for those competitors who are looking for a high-level of competition, we have created the COMPETITION tab. Events included in this section are primarily for those individuals who have a handicap index of 18.0 or less and are looking to compete in the state-wide, regional or national championships.
Championships: Many have asked why this section is not called “men’s championships”. The answer is simple. All (formally known as MGA) Championships are open to men or women. There has never been a gender eligibility requirement for these pure gross-style events. Any individual who meets the stated handicap and age eligibility requirements is welcome to register and compete.
Women’s Championships: These events are open to women only who meet the handicap index eligibility. Included under this section are the following:
Edith Noblit Baker Trophy *
NEWGA Championship *
B, C, D, & E
Ouimet Memorial Tournament
Women’s Amateur Championship *
Girls’ Junior Amateur Championship
Women’s Senior Amateur Championship
Endicott Cup & Tri-States *
Grace Keyes Cup *
Payment Process: It is important to note that payment will be required at the time of registration for all events where entry is based on a first-come, first-serve basis. Payment will not be required at the time of registration for events noted with an asterisk above. For those championships, competitors will not be charged until they are “accepted” into the event.
Other tabs of interest in this section include:
Player of the Year: New for this season, the Women’s Player of the Year system has a dedicated section with the Point System available for view. Updated point standings will be posted following the conclusion of each event.
USGA: Although registration for any USGA Championship must be done at USGA.org, we provide a complete listing of local and sectional qualifying sites.
Tri-States: This tab includes links for the Tri-States (which is similar to the Championships in that it has no gender eligibility criteria) and the Griscom Cup as well as the Junior Tri-State Team Matches and the Junior Inter-City Team Matches.
The Play section is where you can find resources and links to events that are open to those looking for slightly less competitive events, want to play with a partner or are interested in trying a unique format or style of play .
Women’s Tournaments: This is where you will find links to some of the most popular WGAM tournaments such as:
Curtis Bowl
Mildred Prunaret Cup
Cris Eaton Foursomes
Hannah D. Townshend Cup
Eleanor W. Allen Bowl
Dolly Sullivan
Eleanor I. Labonte
Team Tournaments: All of the two-person team events, including the Father & Son and Father & Daughter which had previously been considered “MGA Championships”, can be found in this section.
Stone Cup
Father & Son
Father & Daughter
Mother & Daughter / Member & Junior
Mother & Son
Sheeran Trophy
Payment Process: It is important to note that payment will be required at the time of registration for all tournaments noted above where entry is based on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Other tabs of interest in this section include:
Member Days: These one-day events are open to anyone who holds a current Mass Golf/USGA GHIN Handicap index with a Member Club. There are no handicap, age or gender eligibility requirements for Member Days. These events offer golfers a unique opportunity to play private courses and – new for 2018 – select one of three divisions (Women’s, Men’s & Member). The entry fee for all Member Days is not required or collected until a participant is accepted into the event.
Spring Team & Fall Cup: These two popular events will soon have their own tab called “Women’s Cups” in the coming days, but you will always be able to find links to these programs under this PLAY section. New for 2018, we will send out via email post-match results to all competitors.
For all events – whether it be a championship, tournament or Member Day – you will find complete information on the right side of each respective landing page.
1 – Event Details: At the top of each page you will find the event name, site and competition dates. The entry fee (which is due via online payment at the time of registration) and entry close date is directly below. If you want more information about the event, you can click on the “Registration” note in red. That is an active link that will take you to the Conditions & Regulations page.
2 – Eligibility: This is where you can find the official eligibility criteria including specific registration details such as whether entries are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. For any events under the PLAY tab, you will also find an “About” section which will provide a brief overview of the event to make it easier for those who might be new to these types of events.
3 – Mass Golf Noteworthy: This is an area for breaking news or alerts. And if you ever forget our social media handle (@PlayMassGolf), you can find it here.
4 – Championship Links: Participants can find links to critical event information here. Prior the event date, participants can access general event documents (Pace of Play, Conditions & Regulations, Hotel Blocks, etc). As the event date approaches, the Player Information Sheet (the document that tells you everything about your site including practice round information, format, schedule, etc) and Starting Times will be linked here.
5 – Archives & Host Site: Quick links to the host site web site and past champions will be found under this section. There is also a contact name listed here for every Mass Golf event in case you have any questions.
