IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2007-08

Boys/girls golf Advisory Committee

November 28, 2007

The IHSA Boys/Girls Golf Advisory Committee met at the IHSA Office, Bloomington, Illinois, on Wednesday, November 28, 2007, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee members present were Bill Gamble, Bradley (B.-Bourbonnais), Sarah Haas, Carterville, John Halpin, Arlington Heights (St. Viator), Chris Hogge, Quincy (Notre Dame), Robert Lockart, Mattoon, and Scott McMullen, Byron. Assistant Executive Directors Sue Hinrichsen, Kurt Gibson and State Final Managers Tim Franz, Normal (Community West), Class 3A state finals manager and Chris Neville, representing the Illinois Coaches Association were also in attendance.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. (Girls & Boys ) Item VI. C. 2. Tournament Structure and Time Schedules
Traditonal Tee Times from the 1st and 10th Hole:

Recommendation:Whenever possible, foursomes should be assigned. Threesomes can be assigned when necessary. No group shall have two or more players from the same school. Golfers will be paired with golfers of comparable scores. Withdrawals and disqualifications will be considered the highest scores and those players should be paired in the group with the highest scores.
Any player disqualified from the first round of the State Final Competition for a non-Player Code of Conduct violation will be allowed to play in the final round and paired with the highest scores from day one.

Rationale: This clarifies that a player who is disqualified for a non-Code of Conduct violation will be allowed to compete on the 2nd day. It also clarifies that a player who is disqualified for a Code of Conduct violation is not allowed to compete in the 2nd day of competition.

approved

2. (Girls & Boys ) New Item V. C. Tournament Assignments & Seeding Meetings:

Recommendation: All sectionals will conduct a seeding meeting to be held on the Wednesday of week 11 of the IHSA school calendar between the hours of 5 pm & 8 pm. A coach is required to submit a season summary sheet to the sectional host no later than the Monday of week 11 of the IHSA calendar. This summary sheet can be found in the IHSA Golf Manual on the IHSA website. One (1) coach or official school representative attending the seeding meeting who submitted the summary sheet shall have one vote. No coach shall vote for his/her own team. The top nine teams from each seeding meeting would then be placed as followed into the three regional tournaments feeding into a sectional tournament:

Regional A – teams seeded #1, #6, #7
Regional B – teams seeded #2, #5, #8
Regional C – teams seeded #3, #4, #9

The rest of the regional fields will be determined geographically as per past IHSA practice. Locations of Regional A, B, and C can be determined by whether host schools are one of the top nine teams seeded, with modifications to the seeding placements possible as in other sports to accommodate host schools.

Rationale: By seeding an entire sectional field, this proposal will balance the field for each regional. Right now, due to geographic proximity, one regional tournament can have several strong teams, while another regional tournament in the same sectional complex would have a far weaker field. This proposal allows all teams a relatively equal chance to advance to the sectional level and models badminton and gymnastics complex sructure.

There was no motion to accept Recommendation 2.

ITEMS OF GENERAL DISCUSSION

1. The committee reviewed two proposals aimed at altering the set-up and structure of the boys’ and girls’ state tournaments. There was general agreement that the reduction in the size of the field to under 110 players per Class was a positive change that was seen in the improved pace of play in the 2007 State Finals. The discussions on changing the number of teams advancing to the State Finals from each Sectional from two (2) teams to three (3) teams would necessitate the reduction of the number of Sectionals from five (5) to four (4). While the committee was generally in favor of such a change, this change would result in serious travel issues for teams from the west, central and southern portions of the State in getting to courses for practice rounds and Sectional events. The committee took no action on two proposed changes due to this rationale.

2. The committee reviewed a proposal that would require the use of a ‘circle double par’ scoring concept for players during the state series. The proposal was aimed at helping improve the pace of play at all levels of the state series. The committee took no action on the proposal.

3. The committee reviewed a proposal that would allow assistant coaches to also coach players between greens and tees during state series competitions. The committee took no action on the proposal.

4. Practice Rounds/Course Closures/IHSA By-law 2.060 proposal: The committee members shared concerns regarding the challenges confronted by schools desiring to participate in practice rounds during the state series. IHSA staff reviewed the process for posting sites and assignments and reaffirmed their commitment to post those known course sites for up-coming state series events in the Spring.

5. Assignment of Sites: IHSA staff reaffirmed their commitment to post sites in the spring for the up-coming state series events. Discussion also reviewed the process for schools to make themselves available for hosting state series events.

6. Mandatory Coaches Meetings/non-competition days: The committee reviewed a concern to prohibit schools from competing on a day when a rules meeting is being held in a particular area of the state. The committee discussed ways to schedule rules meetings in order to facilitate greater attendance and avoid the conflict coaches currently face.

7. Observers: The committee discussed the role of observers and their necessity during the state series. Some concern was expressed about the manipulation of the observers system by tournament managers and the impact that has on the outcome of an event. Other committee members spoke to the value using observers brings to the state series.

8. Minerva: The committee discussed the concern of some coaches in regards to the type of state finals merchandise available to competitors/fans at the state finals. The overall concern centered on the lack of golf-specific merchandise and the desire to include more of those types of items.

9. Player Introductions at State Finals: The committee discussed making these introductions at all state finals’ tournaments. It appears that this has not been occurring at all state finals’ tournaments. IHSA staff will work with tournament management to see that all tournaments provide the same level of recognition for competitors.

10. Increasing the number of hotel rooms assigned to qualifying boys’ teams at state finals: The committee expressed concern to offer one additional room to qualifying teams at the boys’ state finals from five to six. IHSA staff will look at increasing this number for next year.

11. Sending State Final results to NJGS: While it would be nice, a number of logistical problems prevent the IHSA from submitting State Final results to this recruiting service.

12. Jewish Holiday Dates: The committee reviewed Jewish Holiday Dates for the 2008-09 school term. At this time, it does not appear that there will be any issue with state series events next year.

13. Case Situations: The committee reviewed the case situations link available to schools on the IHSA website inside the IHSA Schools Center.

14. Pace of Play: The committee reviewed three different pace of play policies, including the current one utilized in IHSA state series competitions. The committee also discussed the need and importance of tournament management staffs to designate someone to be responsible for monitoring pace of play for the event. The committee liked the approach used in many AJGA and USGA events where atomic clocks are used to check players’ pace of play. The committee decided to experiment with their use during the 2008 season. After that time, the committee will discuss its effectiveness and possible use during the IHSA state series.

15. Rules Meetings: The committee reviewed the first year of the required rules’ meetings from this past season. General consensus of the committee expressed favorable sentiment for the meetings. Some suggestions for meeting topics in 2008 were presented, including the anticipated pace of play experiment, establishment of possible seeding meetings, hosting policy, request for state final volunteers, and USGA rules on playing from a wrong spot.

16. Boys’ State Finals course selections/rotations: The committee heard a concern among some coaches to rotate the sites for the boys’ state finals’ courses in order to prevent any school from having an unfair advantage. IHSA staff reviewed the process for coming to the determination of the state finals’ sites and reminded the committee they could make a formal recommendation to do so in the future.

17. Shuttle from practice range to course in boys’ class 2A: Coaches from Class 2A expressed disappointment that ISU was unable to provide a full range for competitors. The shuttle service between the off-site facility and the course was not as reliable as they had expected.

18. The committee thanked committee members Sarah Haas, Bill Gamble, and Robert Lockart for their service to the association and the advisory committee over the past three years.