IOWA PGA PEE WEE TOUR Iowa s 1st golf tour designed exclusively for juniors 11 years of age & under. 9-hole tournaments are held all over the state of Iowa and Western Illinois. Parents are encouraged to participate! Iowa PGA Section 3184 Highway 22 Riverside, IA 52327 319-648-0026 www.iowapga.com 1
Iowa PGA Section 3184 Highway 22 Riverside, IA 52327 319.648.0026 www.iowapga.com Dear Parents and Juniors, On behalf of the Iowa PGA Section, I would like to welcome you to membership in the 2015 Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour. The Iowa PGA will celebrate its 11th season this year and continues to provide excellent playing opportunities at great courses throughout Iowa and Western Illinois. The Iowa PGA and its member professionals will be behind this tour at every step. The host PGA professionals that will be administering these tournaments have years of experience and training in conducting such events, which guarantees quality run tournaments. The staff at the Iowa PGA Section office, who will be administering all other aspects of the Pee Wee Tour, from registration to running the five Ace events on site, are highly dedicated to helping junior golfers reach their full potential and making this tour as successful as it can possibly be. BlueGolf will continue to be the software of choice for the Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour. It is a highly innovative system developed exclusively for golf. You will also be able to manage your profile, view in-depth statistics for tournaments you participated in, and much more. Please feel free to contact the office if you have any questions. Remember MOST EVENTS ADMINISTERED THROUGH OUR OFFICE WILL REQUIRE ONLINE REGISTRATION! Don t forget that as a Pee Wee Tour member, you will be able to register and play in any Junior Tour event that has Boys 11 & Under and Girls 13 & Under divisions! To ensure that you register for Junior Tour tournaments correctly, please refer to the Entry Procedure section located on page five. The Iowa PGA will continue to host the Golf Skills Challenge (formerly Drive, Chip, and Putt). This is a separate program from the National Drive, Chip, and Putt Event (visit www.iowapga.com for more info). We would like to thank the John Deere Classic and Clair Peterson for their continued support and sponsorship of the Golf Skills Challenge in 2015. The 35th Annual Iowa PGA Junior Golf Academy will be held Sunday, June 14 through Thursday, June 18 at Pheasant Ridge GC and the University of Northern Iowa. The Academy is open to boys and girls 12-17 and is hosted by PGA Professional John Bermel. Again, congratulations on your membership to the 2015 Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour! We are pleased to have you! I am sure that the friendships formed and memories gained from playing this series will be wonderful. Good luck and enjoy your golf this summer! Sincerely, Matt Sherlock, PGA Edmundson GC, Oskaloosa, Iowa Junior Golf Chairman Iowa PGA Section Board of Directors 2
IOWA PGA GOLF SKILLS CHALLENGE sponsored by The John Deere Classic The Iowa PGA Section is excited to continue to welcome The John Deere Classic as title sponsor of the Golf Skills Challenge through 2015! Junior golfers 15 years of age and younger have the opportunity to participate in this fun, alternative golf skills challenge in the Iowa PGA Section. To begin the challenge, juniors pick a local qualifying site to participate. Some qualifiers are closed to members or junior program participants only. A complete schedule will be included with your packet mailed mid-april and also available on our web site at www.iowapga.com. Please call the site to sign up and for more details on their qualifier. PGA Professionals will administer the local and regional qualifiers. The top winner at each local qualifier in each division will advance on one of the 5 regionals listed below. The top two winners in each division at the regional competition will advance to the finals at TPC Deere Run on August 8, 2015. The overall winner in each division will be crowned champion and invited to the next year s John Deere Classic Wednesday Pro Am 1st Tee Festivities. This challenge is three-tiered - testing the juniors driving, chipping and putting skills. A great FREE or low cost event for any junior golfer. The Iowa PGA Section staff will send a letter with regional and section information to those that advance. This letter will also be listed at www.iowapga.com. JUNIORS MUST COMPETE IN THE DIVISION THAT CORRESPONDS TO THEIR AGE AS OF THE FINALS - AUGUST 8, 2015. Golf Skills Challenge Regional Sites: Pleasant Valley GC in Iowa City, IA - July 29 Jester Park GC in Granger, IA - July 29 Sugar Creek GC in Waukee, IA - July 30 Glynns Creek GC in Long Grove, IA - July 30 Pheasant Ridge GC in Cedar Falls, IA - July 30 The Iowa PGA will also now host local and sub-regional qualifiers for the National PGA Drive, Chip & Putt program sponsored by the Masters Foundation, The USGA and The PGA of America. This is the reason for the name change of our long standing program which was the same. These two programs do not overlap and are completely separate. If juniors wish to participate in both, they will need to participate in both starting with the local qualifier. Please feel free to call the office or visit our web site www.iowapga.com for more details. More details on the National Drive, Chip & Putt are located on the next page. 3
National Drive, Chip & Putt sponsored by The Masters Foundation, The USGA and The PGA of America As stated above, the Iowa PGA will now participate in the National Drive, Chip & Putt program. The Iowa PGA will have 4 local qualifiers for the national program and 1 sub-regional site. Juniors will advance from sub-regional site to Hazeltine for regional qualifying. For more information and to register for a local, please visit our web site www.iowapga.com. Registration for a local will be available online from January until 5 days prior to each event. This event is open to boys and girls at least 7 years of age and no older than 15 as of April 3, 2016. There will be 4 age categories for each gender. More details are also available at DRIVECHIPANDPUTT.COM. National DCP Local & Sub-Regional Sites: TPC Deere Run in Silvis, IL - Saturday, June 6 Sugar Creek GC in Waukee, IA - Sunday, June 14 Pleasant Valley in Iowa City, IA - Wednesday, July 15 Pheasant Ridge in Cedar Falls, IA - Friday, July 24 Des Moines G & CC, W. Des Moines, IA - Monday, August 10 (Sub-Regional) Hazeltine, Chaska, MN - Saturday, September 12 (Regional) 35TH ANNUAL IOWA PGA SECTION JUNIOR GOLF ACADEMY Mark your calendars for the 35th Annual Iowa PGA Junior Golf Academy. This year s camp will again be held at Pheasant Ridge GC and the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls from June 14-18, 2015. Academy Participants will enjoy: 4 days of intensive instruction from Iowa PGA Section Professionals Daily playing lessons and tournament competition supervised by PGA Professionals Final day tournament with awards for each junior Four nights room and board on the UNI Campus PGA mementos and full color group photos The Academy is open to boys and girls 12 to 17 years of age. Enrollment is limited so register early! Tuition fee is $649. Applications can be found on our web site at www.iowapga.com or call the Section office at 319-648-0026. 4
Rules & Regulations Code of Conduct Violations of the Code of Conduct include, but are not limited to: abusive language, club throwing, abuse of the golf course, cheating, disrespect of volunteers, officials, and host staff, use of smoking or chewing tobacco products, drugs or alcohol, not adhering to the dress code, leaving the course during a competitive round without the permission of a tournament official, or any other conduct deemed unbecoming of a Pee Wee Tour member. Proper attire is required at all times at each Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour event. Failure to comply may result in disqualification. Each host facility may have additional rules and dress code requirements that must be adhered to by all Pee Wee Tour participants and spectators. Proper attire includes nice shirts, slacks, shorts, golf skirts no shorter than three inches above the knee (girls only), golf or tennis shoes, caps, and visors. It is also encouraged that participants wear sunscreen. The dress code prohibits short shorts, cut-offs, swimsuits, sandals (other than golf-spiked sandals, clothing containing offensive slogans, languages or pictures, clothing describing or advertising alcohol, tobacco, or other drug references. The Iowa PGA suggests participants present themselves in a positive manner while representing themselves and the Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour by wearing all hats with the brim forward and tucking in all shirts. Any breach of the guidelines listed above will result in the following consequence(s) based on the severity of the violation: Warning - violator will be asked to change clothing or make adjustments so the policy is satisfied (i.e. Tuck shirt in, turn hat around, etc.) Enforce a two-stroke penalty Disqualify the player from the tournament in which the violation occurred Suspend the player for the remainder of the season Suspend the player s membership indefinitely Entry Procedure for Pee Wee Tour Events 1. Visit the Pee Wee Tour Schedule page at www.iowapga.com, click on the appropriate link for the tournament you are looking for.* 2. Click on the info link for the event you wish to register for and click the register now link. 3. Select the division you will be participating based on your age and gender. 4. You MUST enter your credit card number in order to be registered for the event. 5. A confirmation screen will appear once you are completely registered. DO NOT quit the process until you reach this screen. If you do not finish, you will NOT be entered into the event. 6. If you are entering an event that the Iowa PGA does not take registrations for, simply print out the entry form and fill it out according to the instructions on the form. If you would like to register for more than one event at one time, you can do so by logging into your Player s Club account, which can be found at the top of most Pee Wee Tour and Junior Tour web pages. Once you have logged in, you can check which events you would like to register for. Please note that those events without online registration will not be viewable in your Player s Club account. *Pee Wee Tour members may also participate in Iowa Junior Tour events. The registration process is listed on the next page. The Pee Wee Tour divisions will still be selected when registering. Please read the Junior Tour spectator and caddie policies before playing in an Iowa Junior Tour events. 5
Entry Procedure for Junior Tour Events 1. Visit the Junior Tour Schedule page at www.iowapga.com, click on the appropriate link for the tournament you are looking for. 2. Click on the info link for the event you wish to register for and click the register now link. 3. Click on either Pee Wee Tour Boys or Pee Wee Tour Girls depending on your gender. Once registration has closed, you will automatically be switched over to either Boys 11 & Under or Girls 13 & Under. 4. You MUST enter your credit card number in order to be registered for the event. 5. A confirmation screen will appear once you are completely registered. DO NOT quit the process until you reach this screen. If you do not finish, you will NOT be entered into the event. 6. If you are entering a Par event, print off the entry form and send it to the contact listed on the form. Before playing in an Iowa Junior Tour event, please review spectator and caddie policies for the Junior Tour. Unlike the Pee Wee Tour, caddies are not permitted in the Junior Tour. See Iowa Junior Tour Spectator Regulations on page seven for more information. If you would like to register for more than one event at one time, you can do so by logging into your Player s Club account, which can be found on most Junior Tour and Pee Wee Tour web pages. Once you have logged in, you can check which events you would like to register for. Please note those events without online registration will not be viewable in your Player s Club Account. The Iowa PGA does NOT guarantee a spot for every member in every tournament. Each tournament has the potential to reach maximum capacity before it s entry deadline. Once a tournament has been filled, a waitlist will be created. Once the waitlist has been filled, entries will no longer be accepted. Withdraw Policy Online Registration: There will be a $5 processing fee for any cancellation on the Pee Wee Tour - FOR ANY REASON. No refunds will be given after 4 days prior to the event. Players may also cancel out of an event by logging into their Player s Club Account. Please contact the Section office by phone at 319-648-0026 as soon as possible if you need to withdraw from an event. Please note this policy is only for events where entries are accepted by the Iowa PGA Office through BlueGolf. Paper Registration: If an individual chooses to withdraw from any other tournament on the Pee Wee Tour schedule, please contact the tournament director for that event prior to the deadline for entry. The tournament director s contact information will be available on the tournament entry form. The decision to refund will be at each individual tournament director s discretion. It is essential to call and withdraw from an event so the next junior on the waiting list can be informed of the open spot. No Show Policy Any player who no shows, or fails to participate in an event that he/she has registered for, will be issued a status of NS on his/her account. Any player that has two or more no shows during the season may be suspended from any Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour event or Iowa Junior Tour event for the week following the second NS without a refund. If this is a continuous problem, the Iowa PGA Section reserves the right to suspend the player s membership without a refund. 6
No Card Policy Every competitor must return a signed scorecard, even if the card is marked no card. It is not sufficient to merely tell someone at the scoring table you are no carding. If a competitor tees off, he/ she must turn in a scorecard. If a competitor no cards two or more times throughout the summer, he/she may be suspended from the next Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour or Iowa Junior Tour event without a refund. Care for the Course All players are expected to maintain, as well as improve, the condition of the golf course and its surrounding areas by replacing divots, repairing ball marks, raking bunkers, picking up and disposing of trash, etc. Players are asked to fix at least one extra pitch mark in addition to their own on each green for the sake of the golf course. The clubhouse should also be left in the same or better condition than it was in before the tournament. Cheating Cheating will not be tolerated at all on the Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour. Any player caught cheating will be immediately disqualified from the tournament and will be given an indefinite suspension from the Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour and Iowa PGA Section sanctioned events. Walk Up Policy The Iowa PGA Section will NOT accept any Pee Wee Tour member who has not pre-registered by the deadlines for a tournament in any case. A member may be put on a waiting list for a tour event and the Iowa PGA office will contact him/her if a spot has opened. DO NOT go to the tournament site and expect to play; you will not be accepted into the tournament. Spectators Pee Wee Tour Regulations The ONLY time a spectator may be involved with the junior golfer in the way of helping is on the Pee Wee Tour. Parents or other spectators are encouraged to participate with these young junior golfers by caddying (carrying their bags, giving advice, etc.), keeping score for the group, and keeping the pace of play at an acceptable time. These caddies must walk, and may not ride in the cart, to participate. Only one person may be designated as caddie per player during Pee Wee Tour events. All other spectators must be at least 15 yards from all participants at all times and may not give advice of any kind. They may carry water, umbrellas, etc., and help search for lost balls. Please walk on the cart path, or rough if no cart path is present, and remain clear of the fairway in order to stay out of the way of groups behind and maintain pace. Spectator carts will be available at the discretion of the host facility. IF SPECTATOR CARTS ARE PERMISSIBLE: Participants may NOT ride or have their clubs carried in a cart on either the Junior Tour or the Pee Wee Tour Spectator carts must abide by facility s cart policies at all times. 7
Iowa Junior Tour Spectator Regulations If a Pee Wee member chooses to play up on the Iowa Junior Tour, he/she and the spectator must comply by the rules of the Junior Tour. A Pee Wee member may only use the option of a caddy at a Pee Wee Tour event. Caddies and advice from anyone are strictly prohibited on the Iowa Junior Tour. The Iowa PGA Section appreciates spectator support at all of our events. Please walk on the cart path, or rough if no cart path is present, and remain clear of the fairway in order to stay out of the way of groups behind and maintain pace. It is acceptable to help look for balls or carry umbrellas and water. Please keep at least 30 yards distance from the players at all times unless you are helping search for a ball. Under no conditions are spectators allowed to offer advice to a contestant during the round or carry their golf bag. USGA Rule 8-1 prohibits any sort of advice during the round from a competitor and/or spectator. Violations are grounds for the player s immediate disqualification for the tournament. Please be mindful of the high level of concentration needed by the participants to do their best. Please do not interfere or distract players with the use of cameras, cell phones, or beepers. For directions on how to register for an Iowa Junior Tour event, please see the Junior Tour Entry Procedures section on page five. Again, thank you for joining the Iowa PGA Pee Wee Tour. We are very excited about the 2015 season! Please feel free to call the Iowa PGA Office with any questions. Iowa PGA Section 3184 Highway 22 Riverside, IA 52327 319.648.0026 phone 319.648.0008 fax www.iowapga.com Tess Goudy, Junior Golf Director: tgoudy@pgahq.com Brett Shaeffer, Junior Golf Manager: bshaeffer@pgahq.com Zach Hester, Tournament Director: zhester@pgahq.com Lisa Omanson, Office Manager: lomanson@pgahq.com 8