Important Dates for 2011:

Dec 31, 2011: Deadline to submit your club’s Pre-Qualifying Tournament registration.

Qualifying Tournaments (“Qualifiers”) should be held between May 1st and June 11.

Please set a date with your local golf course pro NOW before they close for the season.

The District Tournament registration deadline is Monday, June 11, 2012.

Our final count must be sent to The Meadows at Grand Valley State University (our host site in Allendale, just west of Grand Rapids). The District will be locked-in and liable for that number of golfers.

Updates from 2011 include the following:

• The new girl’s age divisions will be: Girls 10-12, Girls 13-14 and Girls 15-18.
  The boys stay the same: Boys 10-11, Boys 12-13, Boys 14-15 and Boys 16-18.

• Ages are established as of the last day of the tournament
  July 24 for lower divisions and July 29 for Boys 16-18 and Girls 15-18

• The use of distance measuring devices (i.e. rangefinders) is now permitted at all levels of
  Optimist Junior Golf Tournament play.

The use of non-motorized pull carts is expanded to include all lower division golfers.
OI has just produced a new Optimist Jr Golf promotional video:

Link to OI YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/user/OptimistIntl

Direct link to the Optimist Jr Golf promo video: http://youtu.be/AmdI04x40ZY

DOWNLOAD 1st Quarter Handout with Registration Form -

CLICK HERE

Or REGISTER ONLINE

CLICK HERE

DOWNLOAD 2012 June Calendar -

CLICK HERE

Here's the email and report just sent to the parents. Your kids did very well again this year!

Download Results

As usual, there are never enough volunteers for the day - many thanks to:

• Theresa Jarratt for help on both days!
• Mike Ripinsky from Royal Oak
• Dan Draper from Grand Blanc
• Rick Dake
• Joan Patterson
• Dan Regiani from Clarkston
• Joe Regiani (our Marshall) from Tucson and Clarkston

Clubs PLEASE talk to your golf course NOW to set your date for next year. 

Sure, it's early - but since you're going to do it anyway - this is as good a time as any :-)

We are having difficulties with clubs who hold their Qualifiers later in the season (after the District Tournament.) I've spoken at length with Andy Hudson, OI Director of Junior Golf Programs and our Governor Jan about the issues. Later this summer I will be working with Andy to establish a Michigan District policy according to OI terms. We may be autonomous clubs, but not when it comes to Junior Golf. It affects so many families who otherwise have no contact with Optimists except through Junior Golf. If you would like to be a part of this policy-making team, please contact me or Governor Jan.

Next year we will hold the Tournament on the other side of the state. Details will be firmed up by fall, but it will go back to the Monday-Tuesday after Father's Day, as all pubic schools in Michigan will be on a common calendar.

This has been my 6th year running the District Tournament (actually 5, took off last year for Angie's wedding) and twelfth as local Clarkston chair. While some of you have held your positions longer than I, the "big chair" is a "big job" and I'd like to pass it along. Anyone interested? Please talk about it in your clubs and see who's name pops up. I would be happy to provide mentoring, if needed.

Thank you to ALL our local chairs - we reach so many kids and give them a good, clean, wholesome activity. It has been an honor to work with you again this year!

Sherry