If you're new to the EWGA, you might have heard members talking about our annual Chapter Championship.
It's something many of us look forward to every summer - and we'd love to have you playing with us this year!
The world's largest amateur women's golf tournament - and you can qualify right here in Rochester, NY
The EWGA Championship Tournament is actually two tournaments: a flighted stroke play tournament and a scramble team tournament.
The first qualifying round is the EWGA Chapter Championship. The Chapter Championship's winning scramble team, plus two women from each of the stroke play tournament's five flights (the low gross and low net players) are eligible to advance to one of 15 Semi-Final Tournaments held nationwide. Winners at that level advance to the 36-hole, two-day National Tournament.
In 2011, the Rochester Region, NY Chapter of the EWGA held its Chapter Championship at Ravenwood Golf Club on Saturday, July 23, 2011.
Our region's Semi-Finals were played at Turning Stone on August 20, 2011. Finals were October 20-22, 2011 at Palm Desert, California.
The EWGA tournament is open only to EWGA members. Click here for information about our organization and how to join!
Open to golfers of all skill levels
Since we had so many new members last year, on April 27, we held a Chapter Championship Information Meeting to answer your questions about this event. Our chapter's tournament coordinator, Karen Lejman, started by telling us a bit about her experience last year. Karen represented our chapter at the EWGA Finals, October 1 and 2, 2010, at Geneva National Resort & Golf Club in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where she won 2nd low gross in the 2nd flight. Click here to view the results from our 2010 Chapter Championship.
Karen learned some things about the Chapter Championship along the way. She used the meeting to dispel some myths:
Myth #1. Only "good" players can play in the EWGA Chapter Championship. False! This is a flighted tournament. No matter what your skill level or experience, you can participate. And you'll be playing with other women who are at your same skill level. So you in no way should feel intimidated about playing.
Myth #2. You can't participate if you don't "know all the rules." Yes, you need to abide by the Official Rules of Golf during the tournament. But there are rules officials available during the tournament. If you have a question, you can get help. Karen found everyone to be very friendly and helpful. And, she explained, if you aren't sure about a rule, just play a second ball. When you get to the scoring table at the end, rules officials there will help you figure out your correct score.
There is also a rules meeting before the tournament - a great refresher course on rules right before you tee off!
Myth #3. There's no point in playing in the Championship if you know you can't (or don't want to) advance to the Regionals or Finals. Guess what - if you win your flight and don't want to advance, you can decline. Then your "spot" will be offered to the person in your flight with the next-best score, and so on.
Myth #4. It will be weird if I advance, because I won't know anyone! Guess what - Karen discovered that that's a myth, too. She met some great women at the Finals last year - in fact, she's still in touch with one of them, and has an invitation to visit her to play a round sometime.
It's not too soon to start thinking about participating...
You do need an established USGA handicap to participate in this tournament - so if you haven't, yet, be sure to start posting your scores.
And if you have any questions about establishing a handicap,
contact our Handicap Chair.
See you on the tee box!