Senior Tour

FAQs - Questions and Answers

  1. Who is eligible to participate?
  2. Are all the competitions individual?
  3. How many players can belong to the Senior Tour?
  4. What happens if too many players sign up for one event?
  5. What type of prizes are awarded?
  6. Do I get anything to show my buddies that I am a MGA Senior Tour Member?
  7. What is the Tour Finals all about?
  8. How much is this going to cost?
  9. How do I enter events?

Q. Who is eligible to participate?
A.
Entry to the MGA Senior Tour is open to amateur golfers who are current Associate Members of the Minnesota Golf Association and whose club is a member club of the MGA. Contestants must reach their 55th birthday prior to their first scheduled participation. The USGA Handicap Index limit for the MGA Senior Tour is 24.4. If you are not an MGA Associate Member or not sure if you are give us a call and we would be glad to help you. Please call (952) 927-4643 ext. 973 or directly at (952) 345-3973.
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Q. Are all the competitions individual?
A.
No. The format varies between individual stableford and stroke play competitions, and two or more 2-man team better ball (Four-ball) events. Each event will include both Net and Gross competition in two age divisions, Senior Division (55 - 64) and Master Division (65 - over).
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Q. How many players can belong to the Senior Tour?
A.
The 2008 MGA Senior Tour is made up of three sections: North, South and East-West. Each section has a series of approximately 15, 18-hole events. A player may opt to play in ANY ONE of the sections regardless of where he lives, but he cannot play in more than one of the sections. Each section of the tour is limited to 215 members. Applications will be accepted at the Minnesota Golf Association office on a first-come basis. Each participant plays an average of eight to ten events.
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Q. What happens if too many players sign up for one event?
A.
A random draw will be made after the close of entries. The field for each event is limited to 120 players. After the event, those still on the waiting list will receive a designation that prevents them from being wait listed again. That means that, at most, each Tour member will only have to sit out one oversubscribed event.
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Q. What type of prizes are awarded?
A
. Winners in both Net and Gross will be recognized in both the Senior and Master Divisions. Merchandise certificates will be awarded as determined by the Tournament Committee.
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Q. Do I get anything to show my buddies that I am a MGA Senior Tour Member?
A
. Of course, the MGA Senior Tour cap, available to tour members only.
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Q. What is the Tour Finals all about?
A.
In each event, the top eight players in the net and the top four players in the Gross competition in each section for every event will receive Senior Tour Performance Points. A player's top four finishes in the Net and Gross competitions will be used to compute his total Net and total Gross performance points for the year. After all events have been played, each section's top four players in the Net competition and top two players in the Gross competition (in each division) will be invited to the Senior Tour Finals. A total of 36 players will be invited to play in the Finals. The 2008 Senior Tour Finals will be held at Wayzata Country Club in Wayzata, Minnesota, on Wednesday, September 24, 2008.
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Q. How much is this going to cost?
A.
The tour membership annual fee is $50, which covers all the administrative costs, Tour Handbook, prizes and Tour member's cap. Event fees range from $30 - $65, and this includes green fees and prizes. Cart fees are extra in most events.
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Q. How do I enter events?
1. Tour Handbook and Entries

After registering for the Senior Tour, you will receive a packet containing your Tour Handbook and individual entries to all of your section's events. Once you receive your packet, you can begin entering events. You can register for one event at a time, or you can turn in multiple entries at once. If you put more than one entry in an envelope please, do not staple, scotch tape or paper clip checks and entries together.

Please read your Senior Tour Handbook carefully because it contains information which will answer most of your questions. If you're a first time member of the Tour, you should arrive early to the first couple of events you play in so you can get use to the registration procedure as well as the scoring details. Be sure to read and know the local rules for the event you've entered. When you pick up your scorecard at the registration table, the Local Rules for the event will be clipped to it.

2. Make Checks Out to Host Club
Be careful to make out checks to the host club, not to the MGA.

3. Don't Miss Your Entry Deadline (That means in the office on that date)
When registering for an event, the most important thing is that you return your entry form by the Entry Deadline. Entry forms are NOT prioritized by arrival date. ALL players whose entry forms arrive in the MGA office by the entry deadline will have the opportunity to play unless the event is oversubscribed. In the case of an oversubscribed event, there will be a blind draw to bring the field down to 120 players. Those players not making it into the field will be put on a waiting list. Players will be contacted via email (or by mail if they don't have an email address) if they have been wait listed. If openings become available, we will call you. After the event, those still on the waiting list who did not play will receive a designation that should prevent them from being wait listed again during the season.

4. Event Pairings and Notice to Competitors
Within a week after an event's entry deadline, you will receive an email (or a letter via mail if you don't have an email address) including Pairings, the Notice to Competitors and a Map to the host course.
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