The 2007 Golf Association of Philadelphia Team Matches schedule is complete and posted on-line at www.gapgolf.org. This year’s matches are set for three successive Sundays in April (22, 29) and early May (6) with the Playoff and Challenges scheduled for Saturday, May 12.
The 2007 season will once again establish record numbers in both participating clubs and teams. A total of 127clubs will field 316 teams, up from the previous highs set in 2006 when 123 clubs and 312 teams participated.
Teams compete in a four-team sectional round-robin format (which equates to three matches in three weeks). A total of 12 players per team compete with six players staying home and six traveling to the opponent’s club. Clubs are divided and placed in Divisions AA through F based on the previous year’s results. Playoff and Challenges determined the top divisions’ clubs.
The Interclub Matches, as the GAP Team Matches was originally called, served as the basis for the founding of the Association in 1897, and today, just like then, serves as a source of club pride.
It is believed that the GAP Team Matches are the single-largest golfing team competition in the country.
"The GAP Team Matches is a perfect way to begin the season," said Mark Peterson, Executive Director of the Golf Association of Philadelphia. "It promotes a club unity and an enthusiasm unlike any other golfing experience.
"The Association is proud to call the Team Matches and the camaraderie, friendships and experiences it generates our own. The Matches, obviously, hold a special place in the history of the GAP and we are proud to continue that in 2007."
In 2006, Tavistock Country Club’s first team earned its third straight title. Tavistock became the first team since Huntingdon Valley Country Club’s top squad in 1983-85 to capture three straight titles. Huntingdon Valley was also the last club to win three or more consecutive championships when its first team won seven straight from 1970-76.
However, the challenge will be a little greater this year for the top team from Haddonfield, N.J.
Tavistock Country Club closed for renovation last July and will not reopen before the matches begin. There is a chance, though, that the course could be ready for the Challenge Matches, if the team advances to the Final.
In the interim, Tavistock Country Club home matches will be contested at Woodcrest Country Club.
"This will be a tough year, not only because of the course, but because we’ve also lost a couple or our real good young players, Phil [Anzaldo] and Dan [Rexon], who played a pretty big role for us, especially in the Playoff," said Slonis, 38, a member of all three of Tavistock’s winning teams and a 10-year veteran of the Team Matches. He added that Rexon may be back later in the year, though.
"The Team Matches is a fun way to start the season for the guys. Every one at the club really looks forward to it," said Slonis. "It’s a great way to back into competitive form for the year."
The GAP Team Matches schedule features three clubs with five teams – Huntingdon Valley CC and Lu Lu CC – as well as new GAP member clubs Five Ponds Golf Club and Mercer Oaks Golf Course.
Ashbourne Golf Club and Wyncote Golf Club return to the GAP Team Matches after a one-year hiatus. The Golf Course at Glen Mills is back in the Matches after a three-year absence. LedgeRock Golf Club, who joined the Association last year, will also field a team for the first time.
The composite schedule for the GAP Team Matches schedule takes about a month to complete.
As preciously stated, clubs are divided and placed in Divisions AA through F based on the previous year’s results, including the results from the Challenges. In addition to the year’s prior results, teams in Divisions AA, A and B are also placed in their four-team round robin section based on a rotating system.
Teams in C, D, E and F also earn their way up (or down). Once the respective sections are set and clubs rotated accordingly, two more determining factors are then used before the groupings are solidified: drive time and duplication. The Golf Association of Philadelphia does its best to keep all clubs within a reasonable drive of their competitors. Also, the Golf Association of Philadelphia does its best to avoid scheduling teams in the same division that have competed on a respective golf course in the last four years. In fact, over that time frame only three teams have had to make a return visit to a venue they’ve competed on in prior seasons. In that time frame, more than 3,700 matches have been contested.
Founded in 1897, the Golf Association of Philadelphia (GAP) is the oldest regional golf association in the United States and serves as the principal ruling body of amateur golf in its region. Its 135 Member Clubs and 56,000 individual members are spread across parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The purpose of the Association is simple: To promote, protect and preserve the game of golf in the region.
Contact:
Martin D. Emeno, Jr.
Golf Association of Philadelphia
Director of Operations
610-687-2340, ext. 27