Minutes of the December 14, 2023 SMI Reps Meeting

  1. CALL TO ORDER– Chairman Robert (Bob) McBride called the Meeting to order at 9:30 am. The Meeting was held at Marsh Creek CC on 12/14/23.
  2. INTRODUCTIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS – The following Reps were present during the Meeting: Mark Rutland/Deercreek, Fred Track & Mike McBride/Eagle Harbor, David Anderson/Jacksonville Golf & Country Club, Bob Dewey & Dick Fruechtenich/Long Point, Tim Nichols & Vincent Celestino/Marsh Creek, Ray Cabano/Marsh Landing, Jon Peterson/Osprey Cove, Steve Pease/Palencia, John Asmuth/Queen’s Harbour, Alan Harmon/San Jose Country Club, and Bob McBride/World Golf Village.  Fred Track announced that Mike McBride would be the new Rep from Eagle Harbor.  A brief discussion regarding the Reps that would be having lunch and those that would be playing golf was held.
  3. APPROVAL OF THE JUNE 2023 MINUTES – The June 22,2023 SMI Meeting Minutes were reviewed. It was noted that these Minutes reflected the course length specifications to be stated as 5,400 – 6,000 yards.  It was noted that the Reps agreed to hold an “on-line” vote once all of the Clubs had submitted certified tees near the 5,400 yard distance.  After the submissions, the vote was to approve the new certified distances as 5,350 – 6,000 yards.  It was also mentioned that the vote in June 2023 was to have two golfers from each club riding together in every foursome starting in January 2024.
  4. OFFICER REPORTS –
  5. FINANCIALS – John Asmuth reviewed his typed financial report. The balance carried forward from 2022 was $582.14.  The income from each event (10 events) was presented ($333.00 if 111 golfers and $336.00 if 112 golfers) PLUS the income from the advertisement on our webpage ($152.00).  The expenses included $480/year for Leaderboard King (LBK) and the prizes given at the Poston Cup (12/11/23).  We have $571.33 to carry over into January of 2024.
  6. SCHEDULING – Allen Witham has posted the 2024 schedule on the website. Allen asked Bob McBride to announce the clubs that have not yet returned signed contracts.  Bob made the appropriate contacts.  Some of the contracts were logged into the “SPAM” section of a Reps phone instead of the standard email file.  The first SMI Match for 2024 will be 1/15/24 at Eagle Landing.
  7. TECHNICAL SUPPORT – Jack Garrity has agreed to continue to provide technical support for the SMI for 2024. So far, we have not been able to find a person to assume the many (or even the core) functions Jack provides our SMI.

 

Bob McBride called together a Task Force that convened at Hidden Hills this Fall to discuss this issue.  Jack has worked with Case (?) from LBK to smooth out several issues and Jack is willing to try and integrate additional functions from the SMI programs with LBK.  The SMI Handicap Index is the complex result of formulae involving each course’s tee length/slope/and rating and the individuals scores in SMI Matches that have been recorded over YEARS.  The Scoreboard displayed after our SMI Matches is unique and produced by the integration of several programs developed by Jack.  The Task Force strongly preferred to continue with our own “SMI Handicap Index” but recognized that unless we could have LBK provide these functions OR find a clone for Jack Garrity, we will likely be required to pursue a different index (see LBK update below).

  1. WEBMASTER – Barney Poston has agreed to continue in his role as webmaster.  Barney works together with Jack Garrity in many of the technical duties and website functions.  Barney has asked to have someone to help with his workload and wants to prepare for the day when he will turn over his tasks.  See below.

 

  1. REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE – Ray Cabano presented the following slate of Officers; Chairman/Bob McBride, Vice Chairman/Bob Dewey, Secretary/Alan Harmon, Treasurer/John Asmuth, Scheduling Chairman/Allen Witham, Technical Support/Jack Garrity, and Webmaster/Barney Poston. All were elected without opposition.
  2. OLD BUSINESS – Bob McBride presented the following:
  3. LEADERBOARD KING UPDATE – The contract for 2024 with LBK will be $500.00. Chairman McBride asked LBK if they can apply EQUITABLE STROKE CONTROL to the scores at the time of the SMI Matches.  They said they can but that there might be a charge involved.  Our practice of recording a “10” on a pick-up might present an issue.  PAIRINGS should be able to be done but LBK might need to work with Jack to understand what we want and how they can arrange that.  Our SMI HANDICAP INDEX is a challenge and would require LBK understanding how Jack has set it up AND would require LBK to maintain a database.  There would be a charge but how much and if just a one-time fee or an ongoing cost is unclear.  The SMI SCOREBOARD is a special feature that Jack provides and LBK would need to work with Jack to see how this feature could be integrated into the standard LBK package.
  4. CART PARTNERS FOR 2024 – We are set to have 2 Teammates in each cart of the foursomes starting in January 2024. The Reps will need to note their team members that will be riding together in each match in the “NOTES” section of the ROSTER entry form submitted by the Thursday evening before the following Monday’s SMI Match.  When placing the cart partners names in the “NOTES” section, we are requested to follow the following form (example):

Track, Fred EH/McBride, Mike EH

Dale, Wayne EH/Begley, Jim EH

Daly, Dave EH/Wensell, Ray EH

Miller, Donald EH/Ruoss, John EH.

  1. TEAM REPS RESPONSIBILITIES – Chairman Bob reviewed several of the Team Rep responsibilities and directed all the Reps to review these on the website. We were encouraged to “purge” our online rosters with notes to both Jack and Barney of golfers no longer playing for our clubs.  If the Reps review things with our respective Club Pros and decide to alter our tees for Matches, we must use only FSG-approved standard tees or hybrid tees and include the tee’s associated slope and ratings in emails to BOTH Barney and Jack.
  2. NEW BUSINESS –
  3. Jon Peterson volunteered to host the June 2024 SMI Reps Meeting, pending working out arrangements with his Club Management (Osprey Cove). Bob McBride urged Jon Peterson to secure a date at Deerwood CC for the 2024 Poston Cup and to negotiate the fee later.  Fred Track mentioned that he had talked with St. Johns CC and they were open to holding the Poston Cup in 2024 at an attractive fee.
  4. Jon Peterson requested that all SMI Reps ask their Club Pro about setting up possible “practice rounds” for SMI golfers at the site of a future Match. He asked that the Reps then send him an email with their Clubs response and action plan.
  5. Fred Track requested a vote on capping the handicaps for all SMI Matches at 18 (one stroke per hole). This motion did not pass.
  6. “Speed-of-play’ was then addressed by multiple Reps. We were reminded to address this with out own Teams, to remind everyone during the instructions before each Match, to encourage “pick-ups” when a golfer cannot make a point, and to spend time with the Club Pro when setting up the course to set it up for 70+ year old men with average handicaps.  IT WAS MOVED, SECONDED, AND AFFIRMATIVELY VOTED THAT EACH CLUB REP WOULD ARRANGE FOR TWO “RANGERS/MARSHALLS” FOR THE SMI MATCH AT THEIR CLUB.
  7. It was suggested that we consider a method to retain or generate dollars to establish a reserve fund to pay for special programing that would allow LBK or a similar entity to provide future needed services such as those currently provided by Jack Garrity. Some of the methods suggested adding one dollar to the current SMI administrative fees or reducing the end of year “payouts” at the Poston Cup by a total of $1,500 – $2,000 for one or two years to establish the reserve fund.  NO action was taken on this item as many of the contracts for 2024 have been signed and the dollars are fixed.  Another suggestion was to request $100-200 donation from each member club but it was decided that until we have a project with goals and costs the leadership should not make such a request.

It was mentioned that Barney Poston’s wife, Diane, just passed from a “stroke”.  Chairman Bob will be in contact with Barney and with the Team Reps to inform us of any arrangements in this regard.

These DRAFT MINUTES are submitted by Alan Harmon, SMI Secretary 12/14/23.