Preparations underway for Prickly Pear event

Tim Phillips, QCMGA Prickly Pair Tournament coordinator, with Bonnie Wilcox, representing the QCLGA, holding the about to be contested Prickly Pair Trophy.

Tim Phillips, QCMGA Prickly Pair Tournament coordinator, with Bonnie Wilcox, representing the QCLGA, holding the about to be contested Prickly Pair Trophy.

Tim Phillips

Mark the date – Thursday, August 6, 2015, Shotgun at 7:30 a.m.

Only once a year do the men and women 18 hole golfers at Quail Creek tee it up against each other in a match play format. The Prickly Pair format this year is similar to last year when two person teams competed against each other on a best ball format to earn one point for their respective teams if they win and ½ point if they should tie. Tim Phillips represents the QMGA for organizing this tournament and Bonny Wilcox represents the QCLGA. The ladies have the honor of winning the last two years.

So, how does it work for those not familiar with this event? You must be a member of either the QCMGA 18 hole group or QCLGA 18 hole group. Sign up on Chelsea begins in late June with the final day for signing up being July 28, 2015, at 11:00 p.m. The draw master (Roy Barnes) then takes the list of players from both the men and women and proceeds to rank them by index from top to bottom. The two best male players are teamed together to play against the two best female players and so on going down the list, using full handicap with the higher handicap team receiving strokes from the lower handicapped team. The winner of the 18 hole match receives only one point regardless of the winning number of holes.

Joel Jaress will be keeping score of each match at the Madera Clubhouse where the results are shown on a running basis on score sheets.

Lunch will be served at Madera following the matches. A sandwich – make your own – buffet type of lunch, including brownies, is planned so that players can eat at their leisure and watch the ongoing results being tabulated. The bar will be open as well. After all groups are in, Joel will announce the winner and the president of the respective organization will either receive the trophy or present it to his/her counterpart with best wishes either to do better next year or have a year of bragging rights.

Annual members pay no golf fee while non-annuals will pay the current resident rate. Cost of the lunch for all is $15.50. Ladies will place their checks in an envelope in the Pro Shop and the men will deposit their checks in a similar type of envelope in the Pro Shop. There must be an even number of players on each side. If one side does not have enough players signed up, then the last people signing in on the other side will not play. First come – first served.

Should be a fun event for all!