The SNGA would like to wish you and yours a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. The SNGA is hard at work through the Holiday Season preparing for 2012. We are excited about the upcoming season and the enhancements we are making to our services. We are sure that these enhanced and revamped services will help our members and member clubs in our overall efforts to protect and promote the game of golf in Southern Nevada.

As 2012 is fast approaching, SNGA Executive Director Nicole Dutt-Roberts would like to take a look at some of the worthwhile contributions that SNGA made to the Community. Continued on page 4

In This Issue >>>

The Official Newsletter of the Southern Nevada Golf Association

1. Happy Holidays! 2. Giant Golf Sale! 3. Happy Holidays (Cont.) 4. Looking Back at 2011 5. Misunderstood Rules 6. Mickelson in Vegas 7. Metlife Auto & Home® 8. Bring Golf to a Child 9. What’s on Tap!

The Grind

Page 1

SNGA Home Course Specials for Palm Valley Golf Club and Highland Falls Golf Club

SNGA members receive special rates on tee times with reservations up to

7 days in advance with no restrictions

Special Rates $50 Anytime / $36 after 1:00PM

$39 EVERY FRIDAY until May 18, 2012 Visit www.golfsummerlin.com

for more information Call 702-254-7010 for your tee time

2011 Issue Dec.

SNGA Assistant Executive Director, Drew Smith and SNGA Executive Director,

Nicole Dutt-Roberts

Page 2

Page 3

Wishing you a very Happy Holiday Season! And a New Year

filled with health and happiness!

At this joyous time of year, we are grate-ful for our work with you and the youth of

Southern Nevada. Thank you for being part of The First Tee of Southern Nevada family. We wish you abundance, happi-ness, and peace in a new year filled with

hope. Happy Holidays!

Thank you for supporting amateur golf in Southern Nevada. Have a

wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

Page 4

A Look Back at 2011! (Continued from Page 1) 1. The Southern Nevada Golf Association raised over $10,000 for the following local Charities: • Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 730 (MOPH) - a lo-

cal Veteran's group who brings hope to other veterans by pro-viding the necessities of life.

• The First Tee of Southern Nevada (TFTSN) - a local junior golf program teaching the game of golf and the life skills needed to be successful on and off the golf course.

• Gimme Shelter Foundation- a local organization helping home-less/displaced families and animals.

2. SNGA's home courses, Highland Falls & Palm Valley plus Cascata Golf Club, Rio Secco Golf Club, Las Vegas National Golf Club, Royal Links, Deset Pines Golf Club, Bali Hai, and TPC Las Vegas offered incredible discounted rates to all SNGA members. 3. The SNGA teamed up with the WSNGA and TFTSN to help local High School girls golf teams by providing golf equipment, clothing, and free golf instruction to promote the game we all love. 4. The SNGA sent Nicole Dutt-Roberts, SNGA Executive Director and Vice President of the NVGIA, to Carson City to meet with Legislators and Staff to speak about the importance of golf courses to Nevada, individual's in the golf business, amateur golf, the environment, hotel & tourism Industry, and the youth in our communities. 5. Through SNGA's data base and "The Grind" e-newsletter, 25 Charity events were advertised, at no charge, to help these charities get their event information out to the golf community. 6. The SNGA and SNGA Board members, supported the Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame by purchasing seats at its Award's Dinner and a 4-some into its annual golf tournament. 7. The SNGA staff ran numerous golf tournaments for SNGA players, USGA qualifiers, State events, and Socials (for those who are not interested in playing competitive golf). The SNGA is very proud of its contributions to the golf community in Southern Nevada. We hope to continue building our resources and providing even more support and efforts towards the continued growth of golf in our great state. Nicole Dutt-Roberts SNGA Executive Director, PGA.

First Tee Executive Director, Danielle Gladd, SNGA Executive Director, Nicole Dutt-Roberts, 2011 WSNGA President, Janet Weber, and Lady

Rebels Head Coach, Amy Bush

2011 Lady Rebel Fundraiser

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Misunderstood Rules Provided by SNGA

Can a player get relief from an obstruction when deciding to play the stroke from the opposite side of the ball (right handed vs. left handed) and then play the shot from their traditional swing side once away from the obstruction?

Yes. According to Decision 24-2b/3, a player may take relief from an obstruction by choosing to play the shot opposite handed as opposed to their traditional swing only if the shot would be made that way if there were no obstruction. If the player is saying they will play a shot from the opposite side simply to get a better lie or further from the obstacle to then hit the shot traditionally, this is not allowed. The player must deem that the original stroke’s best playable option is from the opposite side and not from their traditional swing side for this relief to take effect.

24-2b/3 Player Determines Nearest Point of Relief

But Physically Unable to Play Intended Stroke

Q. In proceeding under Rule 24-2b(i) or Rule 25-1b(i), the Definition of "Nearest Point of Relief" pro-vides that to determine the nearest point of relief accurately, the player should use the club, address posi-tion, direction of play and swing (right or left-handed) that he would have used to make his next stroke had the obstruction or condition not been there. What is the procedure if, having determined the stroke he would have used, he is unable physically to make such a stroke from, what would appear to be, the nearest point of relief because either (a) the direction of play is blocked by a tree, or (b) he is unable to take the backswing for the intended stroke due to a bush?

A. The point identified is the nearest point of relief. The fact that at this point the player cannot make the intended stroke due to something other than the obstruction or condition from which relief is being taken does not alter this result. The player must drop the ball within one club-length of the nearest point of re-lief, not nearer the hole. Once the ball is in play, the player must then decide what type of stroke he will make. This stroke may be different from the one he would have made from the ball's original posi-tion had the obstruction or condition not been there.

Rule 24-2b: Relief from an Immovable Obstruction

Have a rules question? Contact the SNGA!

Page 6

Phil Mickelson Hits Through Fire on Las Vegas Strip Prior to Callaway Golf Center Appearance

Yes, that was Phil Mickelson parking his Chevy SUV in the Callaway Golf Center parking lot, then walk-ing to his appearance at one of Vegas' most popular golf spots. No press agents, handlers, drivers, or anything. Just friendly Phil, parking next to regular Joe Vegas Golfer. Mickelson was in Las Vegas for a few days, along with some other big time Callaway Tour pros, filming commercials for the new RAZR driver and taking part in the Real Results pro-ject. Callaway provided the products; Vegas provided the "Wow Factor". --By Brian Hurlburt. This arti-cle previously appeared at GolfLasVegasNow.com After walking in the first time, Mickelson went back and re-parked his truck, this time right in front of the Callaway golf shop. He then opened the back of the vehicle, slapped on his golf shoes and hat, and grabbed the magical and adjustable RAZR Fit driver from his bag before walking to one of the Callaway Golf Center practice tees. There waiting for him were Callaway golf gurus, cameras, and fans. They were there to see one of the best to ever play the game. But the popular Callaway Golf Center was just one of several sites being used by Callaway for the filming of their 2012 advertising campaign. Among the items on the list to do was Mickelson hitting through the fire (click for video) of the Mirage volcano, have Alviro Quiros knock one 350+ yards over the Bellagio Fountains, and some other surprises that will be released next year. “It's a commercial production for 2012 and whenever you look at sites you want a wow factor and if you can’t get a wow factor in Las Vegas then you’re doing something wrong," said Callaway Vice President of Sports Marketing Nick Raffaele. "With that being said, it's about trying to bring our products to life and trying to resonate the benefit to the consumer. With Callaway, we always feel like we have the best products. We’re at the top of the hot lists; we have the gold medals to prove it. We know we have better products but now how do we bring those to life and accentuate it? We have done that here by knocking a ball over the fountains and through the fire of the volcano. The whole motive is to prove we have the best products and we are going to show that in a big way." Mickelson, who works with Las Vegas Golf Region resident Butch Harmon, settled in nicely on the Callaway tee, ripping a few drives before getting down to the business of promoting the new RAZR Fit. "The versatility of this driver is what I am really enjoying," said an unscripted Mickelson into the camera. " ... the key to golf for me is getting the drivers and fairway woods, and irons to line up to-gether; to have the same miss. So if I'm hitting good drives and then switch to my 5-iron I should hit a good 5-iron. If not, something is off." Mickelson ended his day at Callaway--Las Vegas' most complete practice center that is located on the Las Vegas Strip and includes a two-tiered driving range and a lighted par 3 course--by signing auto-graphs for everyone gathered. He then took off his golf shoes, threw his club and hat in the back of the truck, and drove himself down the Las Vegas Strip.

www.snga.org/metlifetestimonials

Page 8

thoughts... final

Las Vegas National Golf Club Site of the 2009 SNGA Season Opener

What’s on Tap >>>

Page 9

2625 N. Green Valley Pkwy. Suite 100 Henderson, NV 89014

702-458-4653 www.snga.org

“Golf is a game for those who don’t hate themselves enough in their daily lives.” - Lewis Black

With the new year upon us, and many changes and enhancements around the corner, the SNGA would like to keep our members up to date of the new year projects. We will be sending out an email to all members of the Association in the beginning of the new year explaining these new programs and enhancements. Also look for it on our NEW Website, coming soon! For more information about the SNGA and its affiliates, please visit www.snga.org.

What’s New for 2012!