Virtual 19th Hole

The results of the second-ever BMC quiz are now in— and here are the takeaways:

• Not surprisingly, most guys prefer questions on course knowledge over those tackling the (admittedly somewhat stuffy) rules of golf.
• But at the same time BMC members (or at least those taking the quiz) know the rules and understand how to follow them.

It was probably apparent that several of the questions in the quiz illustrate how, at times, following the rules can seem like adding insult to injury (eg, having to hit out of a divot or a footprint in a bunker).  Yet, BMC members (or at least those taking the quiz) seem to overcome those disappointments and do the right thing.

A word on the topic of divots and footprints: for guys who don’t fix them and rake them, please bear in mind that rule-following golfers get stuck playing out of your divots and footprints! And as for golfers who struggle physically to rake a trap themselves, how about finding a volunteer in your group who’s willing to rake traps for you?

The quiz results overall were excellent, but there were a couple of questions that caused some guys to stub their toes. One of them addressed the embedded ball rules.  To clarify: due to a relatively recent rules change, you now get a free drop from either the fairway or the rough if your ball is embedded in its pitch mark (as opposed to becoming embedded on a bounce). Although the rules allow courses to adopt local rules restricting free drops to fairways, Braemar and most other courses have not done that.

Some guys also struggled over the rule on accidentally kicking your ball on the green.  Again, a relatively recent rule change clarifies that, if you accidentally move your ball on the green, no penalty is incurred. You simply replace the ball in its original position.

Lastly, no one was fooled by the question about hitting the wrong ball.  But few respondents appreciated that, in match play, the penalty is loss of hole, not two strokes. Nevertheless, the question was simply whether there’s a penalty for hitting the wrong ball– it didn’t ask you to specify what the penalty actually is. So, no one got demerits for miscuing on loss of hole.

With all that said, it’s time to announce the winners. First, special kudos go to the three BMC members who scored 100% on the quiz: Tom Klassen, Drew Cripps and Mike Longman. Great work, guys! And Mike Funck’s only misstep was on embedded balls because he cited the former rule, but, to his credit, Mike also recalled that the general rule can be overridden by a local rule, so he gets an honorable mention.

Tom Klassen (our champion from the first quiz) was the first one to ace the second quiz, so Tom is again our champion. Congrats, Tom!  And thanks to each of you who took part.

Earlier this year BMC members responded enthusiastically to an opportunity to flaunt their home course knowledge by taking the inaugural BMC member quiz sponsored by The Virtual 19^th Hole.  Which suggests that a follow-up quiz on course knowledge should probably be in the offing. But that’s for another day. Instead, today’s focus is on an altogether different topic: the Rules of Golf. And, yes, let’s face it—this is probably the least favorite subject of many golfers… But look at it this way: here’s a great opportunity to show up your golf buddies (and possibly call them on an infraction or two?)!

Below are several situations that come up routinely on the golf course.  To take the quiz, simply determine which, if any, of these violates the Rules of Golf.  This is an “open book test,” so feel free to research your answers.  But bear in mind that whoever gets the best score first will be the winner.

OK, here goes: which, if any, of the following actions constitutes a rules violation?

1.  You pound a tee shot right down the middle and are exasperated to discover that your ball is right in the middle of a divot.  You roll your ball out of the divot to the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole, and proceed to hit your next shot without penalty.
2. Your well-struck approach shot misses the green by mere inches and yet, somehow, the ball takes a bad bounce right into a greenside bunker.  What’s worse, it comes to rest in a footprint.  Feeling confident that you know how most guys would handle a situation like this, you move the ball slightly out of the footprint and place it at the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole, staying of course within the bunker. You wind up with virtually the identical bunker shot you would have had if your ball hadn’t been in the footprint. You proceed without penalty.
3. Same facts as in the second question, except that, instead of placing the ball in the bunker, you drop, again no nearer the hole, and staying within the bunker. You then proceed without penalty.
4. Your drive bounces into the rough and comes to rest against a small branch or stick. Because the stick is a movable obstruction, as defined by the rules, you carefully remove it. But because your ball moves slightly in the process of removing the stick, you replace it back in the original spot where it had come to rest.  You proceed without penalty.
5. You hit a beautiful approach shot and the ball lands on the green, coming to rest only four feet from the hole.  You appear to have a straight putt, but you decide to inch toward the hole to take a closer look– just to be sure.  In doing so, you accidentally kick the ball, and it rolls several feet away. You replace the ball back into its original position and proceed without penalty.
6. Your regularly scheduled round comes shortly after a hard rain and the course is soft.  You hit a particularly high tee shot into the rough and it embeds. Although the ball is clearly in the rough, you go ahead and take a drop within the relief area, no nearer the hole, and proceed without penalty.
7. Your drive is off line and the ball comes to rest on the cart path. You take a free drop in the relief area no nearer the hole. Unfortunately, the ball rolls into a divot, so you take another drop, again in the relief area and no nearer the hole, and this time the ball misses the divot.  You then proceed without penalty.
8. Same facts as in question 7, except that there’s a steep slope adjacent to where the ball originally came to rest on the cart path. A careless drop could result in the ball rolling all the way down the slope and out of bounds. You drop the ball as close to the slope as possible without risking it rolling down the hill. The ball winds up no more than a few inches closer to the hole.  You proceed to hit your next shot from there without penalty.
9. In match play, you and your opponent hit similar drives and both balls wind up close together on the fairway.  You accidentally hit your opponent’s ball. You realize the error almost immediately as your opponent observes that the other ball is yours.  Your opponent takes a drop where his drive originally came to rest and you go ahead and play the correct ball without penalty.
10. In general: following the frequently hyper technical rules of golf is fine for guys with low handicaps. But most golfers can’t be expected to master every last rule and exception, so they should be cut some slack. Golf is difficult enough as it is.

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

The Braemar Golf Association has announced that Jeff Mold, Braemar’s Golf Course Superintendent, has received Braemar’s Distinguished Service Award. Due in no small part because of Jeff’s extensive course management expertise and leadership skills, Braemar has become one of the premier public golf destinations in the metro area and beyond.

Jeff’s career path began with his employment at a golf course under construction near his hometown in Rush City, Minnesota. He enjoyed the work so much he enrolled at Anoka Technical College in their Golf and Grounds Management program. After graduation, Jeff worked at several courses, eventually serving as Assistant Golf Course Superintendent at Edina Country Club. Jeff accepted the job as Braemar’s Golf Course Superintendent during the course redesign/rebuild.

Since the reopening of the “new” Braemar, Jeff and his crew have maintained our golf facilities at the highest standards. As a result, the superb condition of the tee boxes, fairways and greens on the championship course excel those at all but the area’s top country clubs. And the work never stops, starting each day at dawn and continuing until dusk. Supervising a full-time staff of four assistants and approximately 24 seasonal employees, Jeff’s contributions to Braemar have been immeasurable.

Jeff’s hard work and dedication to the excellence of Braemar golf have made him the latest recipient of Braemar’s Distinguished Service Award. Congratulations, Jeff! Braemar is fortunate to have you here as our Golf Course Superintendent.

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

The results of the first-ever BMC quiz are now in, and we have a winner!

If you follow The Virtual 19^th Hole, you’ll recall that BMC members were asked if they could identify the place on the course that was depicted in a photo displaying some rather innocuous shallow water littered with golf balls– balls that had clearly missed their mark. A challenging test of Braemar course knowledge to be sure. And the volume of responses confirmed that members enjoyed taking up the challenge.

In total, nine members correctly identified number 2 as the hole shown in the photo. Of those, three specifically described the photo as having been taken, as described by photographer Greg Wright, from the riding/ walking bridge looking back toward the tee box, to the north/east.  Several respondents correctly identified the creek on number 2 but judged the photo to have been taken nearer to the narrower walking bridge.  Other contestants who took a shot but fell short took a swing at 16 and, in one case, number 18.

As described, the lesson to be learned was thrown in just for fun since two of the suggested answers were obviously in jest.  Nevertheless, extra credit goes to Vince Bradford, who overcame the inherent limitations of multiple choice and posited that the lesson was to avoid thinking too much!

Congrats to the members whose impressive course knowledge enabled them to zero in on hole 2: Rick Ites, Rick Windham, Vince Bradford, John Hasper, Chuck Wait, Drew Cripps, Tim Smith, Rolf Sonnesyn and Tom Klassen.  The three respondents who specifically identified the correct portion of the creek were Tim Smith, Rolf Sonnesyn and Tom Klassen.

Because Tom’s response came in at lightning speed after only 16 minutes, Tom took the top spot in the competition. Silver goes to Rolf, who needed a few extra hours to get it right, and bronze goes to Tim Smith who, after taking several days to respond, also nailed it–perhaps after completing an inaugural 2025 round and making some careful observations along the way?

Course Knowledge Champion Tom Klassen

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

For every BMC member who loves playing golf at Braemar, here’s an excellent opportunity to show off your course knowledge! Simply take a careful look at the photo above and answer the questions below.  Then submit your answers to The Virtual 19^th Hole. Winners will be included in a drawing at the end of the season for Honorable Mention as The 2025 BMC Champion Golfer of the Year.

Questions

1.  On what hole was the photo taken?
2. Where exactly on that hole?
3. Which of the following best summarizes the lesson to be learned from this photo:
   • For the bombers: big mistake trying to drive over the penalty area.
   • For the rest of us: big mistake topping your approach shot to the green.
   • Stop rinsing your balls here or the resulting rise in water level will quickly overflow the banks and turn this area into a massive lake.
   • With a decent pair of water shoes a guy could easily get himself a year’s supply of golf balls here.

Submit your answers simply by replying to the cover email, or to:

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590

With the 2024 season winding down, are you feeling a case of the off-season blues coming on?  If so, here are some 2024 BMC highlights that are sure to provide a lift.

Hole in One

Aces have been elusive among BMC members this year. Of course, occasional golf highlights escape the notice of The Virtual 19^th Hole, and perhaps that’s occurred this year.  In any case, the BMC has now officially recorded another hole-in-one.  This one came, as they so often have over the last couple of seasons (mine at number 5 being a rare exception), on the seventh hole: Lucky Number 7.

Go back to September 12, when, during regular Thursday League play, long-time BMC member and former President Rick Windham arrived at Braemar’s seventh tee looking to pick up some momentum on a round that had been stuck in neutral. Playing the N tees as usual, Rick calculated that Lucky Number 7 that day measured 104 yards, with the hole being cut in the front right portion of the green. He selected his 9 iron and struck a solid shot directly toward the flagstick. However, because the hole was cut in the hollow area at the front of the green, Rick couldn’t see where his shot ended up. Still, when he arrived at the putting surface Rick didn’t hesitate to stride directly to the spot where he was certain he’d find his trusty Kirkland. And there it was: in the bottom of the cup.

Intriguingly, based on a surprising confluence of events, this ace raises something of a philosophical quandary—do you believe in coincidences? Or would say there’s no such thing—things happen for a reason?  Ponder, if you will, these two seemingly unrelated factoids: first, this ace was Rick’s second and both came with a Kirkland; second, on both occasions Rick was playing with fellow BMC member Greg Baron.  Could it have been the ball?  Perhaps the playing partner?  A tantalizing puzzle, especially if you don’t believe in coincidences….

MGA Senior Amateur Championship

The MGA’s Senior Amateur Championship was contested this year from September 9 through 11 at Edina Country Club.  It goes without saying that choosing to play in this tournament is not for the faint of heart– simply qualifying requires besting some of the state’s best senior amateurs. But, for the six BMC members who qualified, overcoming that hurdle was just another day on the golf course. So, serious kudos for achieving that milestone go out to Jeff Roseland, Rick Passolt, Tim Smith, Mike Longman, Mark Paetznick and John Montague!

And not only did those six players qualify, two of them, Jeff (T-38) and Rick (T-41), successfully negotiated Edina’s super-slick putting surfaces and elevated greens to make the 36-hole cut.

Congrats to all six BMC members—most especially to Jeff and Rick!

Eagle Count

BMC members have apparently had so little difficulty making eagles this year, that these seemingly rare accomplishments have become nearly impossible to track.  So, if you’ve made an eagle since last reported in June by The Virtual 19^th Hole, congrats!  And, if you’d like to get your name published here, send me a note!

Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19^th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590