March 2021 Newsletter

It feels as though spring is in the air and we are looking forward to golfing, hopefully sooner rather than later. Our team is continuing to prepare for the upcoming golf season and can’t wait to see you all in the coming weeks! 

A quick overview of things to come at Railside:

Events Calendar 
Our 2021 Events Calendar is now online. This calendar details all golf events currently planned for the year. Make sure you mark these events on your calendar. All events require an online RSVP.

Junior Golf
Railside will offer our Junior Golf program again this year. As you begin to make your summer plans, be sure to keep this in mind. The Golf Shop will distribute information in the near future. Keep an eye out for it!

Railside Bar & Grill
Don’t forget the Railside Bar & Grill is open for dine-in service or carry out. You can view our new menu here.  

As always, thank you all for your continued support of Railside Golf Club.

Jim Bultema
General Manager

Men’s and Ladies’ League Sign up Night Open House
Please join us for our annual Men’s and Ladies’ League Sign Up Night Open House on Thursday, March 25. The open house will begin at 6:00pm and last until 8:00pm with your opportunity to learn more about our Men’s and Ladies’ Leagues. This event will also serve as a “welcome back” after a long winter season. It’s a great opportunity to reconnect with your fellow members. It’s also an ideal way for new members to connect and get involved with our growing membership family too. Complimentary Hors D’Ouerves will be served and the Golf Shop will be offering special promotions on Titleist golf balls and FootJoy golf gloves as well. There is no need to RSVP and we hope to see you there!

Please visit the following registration links to sign up for league play. You may register as a team, single player looking for a partner, or as a sub.
Men’s League
Ladies’ League

Ladies’ Opening Dinner
Mark your calendars and plan to join us for the Ladies’ Opening Dinner on Tuesday, April 13! Cocktails begin at 6:00pm followed by dinner at 6:30pm. Enjoy friendship and fellowship while learning about the wonderful golf opportunities and events your club has to offer.
Please sign up for the Ladies’ Opening Dinner here.

GHIN Mobile App Update
In January, each golf member with an established USGA/GHIN handicap received a notification from the USGA to complete an update to your digital profile. All golfers must have unique email address on file to access and post scores through the GHIN mobile app and GHIN website. Please take a few minutes to update this important information before the score posting season begins on April 1. Please contact Matt or Brad should you need further assistance.

New to the Club and need a handicap? Please contact Matt or Brad. We will guide you through the steps to establish a handicap.

New Stroke Index Progression
The term Stroke Index Progression now takes the place of Handicap Holes in the World Handicap System. One of our off-season projects was for our handicap committee to work alongside the GAM to update our stroke index progression for each set of tees. There are several factors involved in how this progression is created. While I will not go into too much detail, it is important for you to understand how the process works. Scores posted to the GHIN system are continually analyzed and updates are recommended periodically based on changes in the data. We felt it necessary to allow two seasons of scores to be analyzed after the course renovations before acting. The Difficulty Value of each hole was calculated based on a formula within the Rules of Handicapping. This value represents the combined strokes over par for Scratch and Bogey Players. Another important factor is the Ranking of each hole. This is the raw ranking of each hole based upon all holes Difficulty Value. The highest Difficult Value will have the ranking of 1 and the lowest Difficulty Value will have the ranking of 18. Next is the Odds/Evens Distribution. Based on the value of each holes Ranking, the front nine holes will receive odd number values and the back nine holes are given even number values. The lowest value on the front nine based on the Rankings value will be assigned the number 1. The highest value on the front nine based on the Ranking value will be assigned the number 17. The lowest value on the back nine based on the Ranking value will be assigned the number 2. The highest value on the back nine based on the Ranking value will be assigned the number 18. The full description of the Odds/Evens Distribution is in Appendix E of the Rules of Handicapping.

After careful consideration and dialogue among the handicap committee, it was decided that the club should adopt the proposed changes recommended by the GAM to our Stroke Index Progression. The handicap committee also approved the simplification the Stroke Index Progression to one standard set for male tees and one standard set for female tees. Below are the new Stroke Index Progressions.

Golf Event Registration
The 2021 Golf Events Schedule is available to download by clicking here. Registration for all golf events will be done online so please continue to check your email inboxes for information. You can also log on to the club’s website and view the schedule and register for the events. Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation email to verify that registration is complete. Informational flyers will still be posted on the locker room bulletin boards along with a QR Code that will take you directly to the event’s registration page. Simply use your mobile phone’s camera to scan the QR Code and follow the prompt.

Matt Koets, PGA
Head Golf Professional