West Palm Beach, FL – The Senior Amateur Golf Tour kicks off its first season in Florida. The tour will hosts a lineup of local tournaments beginning June 12th at the Eastpointe Golf and Racquet CC. Nationally the tour has grown to 12 states with over 1200 members expected to compete this season. New additions this season are Columbus OH, West Palm Beach Fl, Mississippi, Kentucky, Hilton Head. The tour is open to all golf levels of senior amateurs who are 50 years or older. Members are placed in one of four flights based on handicaps. Flights are: Championship (0-3.9 handicap), A Flight (4-8.9), B Flight (9-13.9) and C Flight (14-18.9). This flight structure is new for 2010 and will ensure even more competitive play within each flight. Tournament format is gross stroke play, with USGA rules in effect. A software program tracks each player’s handicap to ensure participants are placed in their proper flight. Once you begin playing on tour the integrity of each flight is kept and many players will be moved up in flights during the season. Local tour director Ted Newhook is currently assembling a schedule of 10 tournaments on some of the area’s premier private country clubs. In addition to the opening and closing venues, tour stops will include: North Palm Beach CC, Palm Beach National, West Palm Beach GC, The Links at Madison Green and Jupiter Country Club. Those who finish in the top 10 in points in their flight receive invitations to the 2010 National Senior Amateur Tour Championship in Pinehurst, NC. All of last year’s results are currently posted on the web page (www.senioramateurgolftour.net). Charlotte, NC will look to defend its 2009 Team Cup victory from last season. Tour membership fee is $85 and includes a tour gift pack, plus reduced rates on weekly practice rounds. Entry fees are $85-$95 per event, and include cart and green fees, range balls and prizes. Golfers who are 50 years or 0lder may join the tour at any time during the year. For information call Ted Newhook at, (561) 283-7729, or sign up at (www.senioramateurgolftour.net). Sounds great, where do I start? Golfers purchase an annual membership for $85 and receive a welcome to the Tour bag that includes a golf shirt and hat. Members also receive a membership card that entitles them to receive discounted greens fees (ie practice rounds) at the courses on the tournament schedule for the weekdays prior to the event as well as entitles the golfer to play in tournaments in other tour cities. The tour card is the big value, as the discount on the practice rounds will add up very quickly. How does the Tour work? After your membership is purchased, the Tour Director goes to work. He allocates you to a flight (based on your handicap) and then you begin to sign up for tournaments to play in. What if I don’t have a handicap? If you do not have a handicap, the Tour Director can determine one for you. Please contact the Tour Director and begin this process when you sign up to become a member. How do tournaments work? Each tournament is a flighted stroke play event that follows USGA rules and guidelines. Each tournament field is set one week before the scheduled date and this is done for a couple of reasons; the most important reason is to communicate to the golf courses the final number of players. This is crucial for the Tour to have a good relationship with the courses in order to maintain a preferred status in their minds. Another reason is this is important is to complete the prize fund so that the winners can receive their prizes on the spot after the tournament. After registration is complete, pairings are made and posted to the website 2 days before the tournament. Each tournament is a gross stoke play event with USGA rules against those in their flight. That means each golfer will play a round of golf against players of their skill level. Do I have to play in every tournament? No, play in as many or as few tournaments as you would like. The Tour has been created to give the senior amateur golfer the thrill of tournament golf. With 10 to 12 tournaments spreading over 6 months there are plenty of opportunities to get out and show everyone what your game is capable of. What is included in Tournament Fees? Each tournament fee includes greens fee, cart rental, practice range balls, and prize fund. Some tournament fees are higher than others due to the cost of the greens fees. How do I register for a tournament? After you are a registered member, click on the schedule link above; find the tournament you wish to play in and on the right hand side of the page click register. What are we playing for? All prizes will be in the form of Gift Cards. The final amount will depend on the number of players who have pre-registered and paid. Also of importance, the season long point’s race will be up for grabs. In order to qualify for a trip to the National Finals at Pinehurst, NC, golfers must be in the top 10 in the point race for their respective flight. Please refer to the players’ manual for complete point breakdowns and rules. Are there side games at the tournaments? Yes, each tournament will have a “Skins” side game. Each player has the option to participate in the side games, for the determined amount, paid the day of the tournament. Other games include closest to the pins by flight and long drive competition. Will winning prizes affect my Amateur status? No, your status will remain the same. The Tour offers only merchandise prizes in the form of gift cards. No cash prizes are awarded thus assuring that players’ amateur status is not jeopardized. In compliance with USGA rules for amateur status, no individual player may accumulate merchandise winnings in excess of $750 per event. Can I travel and play in other tour cities? Absolutely! The tour encourages you to test your skills at other great venues around the country. Most of are events are on high end fee courses, resorts or private country clubs. What if I want to qualify for the Tour Championship, do I have to play in every tournament? If playing in Hilton Head is your goal, it’s strongly suggested you play in as many tournaments as you can to try and accumulate as many points as possible. The major tournaments are worth double points so those should be on your play list for sure. What is the weather policy? Pretty simple, if the course lets us out to play, we play. As long as we are not in danger or will not be damaging the course it’s safe to assume we will play rain or shine. Players should understand that they may have to play in less than favorable conditions and they should plan accordingly. In the event that a tournament is canceled, all tournament fees will be applied to the next tournament stop. Can I use a rangefinder or GPS device in a tournament? Yes, per USGA rules, we will allow rangefinders and GPS devices. Important to note that such devices can only measure yardage (not wind speed or green slope gradient). Other Questions? Contact your tour director right away!