About the Grumpy Old Men

Who We Are

The Grumpy Old Men Golf Club was formed with the noble goal of getting grumpy senior golfers (age 55 or older) together twice a week to play golf without having to join a club ($$$) or break in with a group of golfers of similar age and skill (sandbaggers).

A small group of volunteers does the grunt work of reserving tee times at area courses, collecting entry fees, organizing flights, groups, tee times and starting hole assignments, analyzing and posting the results, and paying out the winners. All the rest of us do is sign up and show up on time every Monday and Wednesday morning and TEE IT UP!

When We Play

We play golf every Monday and Wednesday throughout the year except when it conflicts with a holiday or bad weather. Shotgun tee times are early in the morning depending on the time of year - from 7:30 in the summer up to 9:00 or later as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder.

Where We Play

Wednesdays we usually play Waterchase Golf Club on the east side of Ft Worth. We think of Waterchase as our home course. Monday games are spread across multiple courses in Northeast Tarrant County, Eastern Dallas County, and Southern Denton County. Some of the more popular ones are:

Bridlewood, Flower Mound
Diamond Oaks, Fort Worth
Fossil Creek, Fort Worth
Hawks Creek, Westworth Village
Iron Horse, North Richland Hills
Irving Golf Club, Irving
Luna Vista, Dallas
Mansfield National, Mansfield
Pecan Valley,Fort Worth
Riverside, Grand Prairie
Rockwood, Fort Worth
Sky Creek Ranch, Keller
Southern Oaks, Burleson
Split Rail, Aledo
Squaw Creek, Willow Park
Tangle Ridge, Cedar Hill
Walnut Creek, Mansfield
Waterchase, Fort Worth>

What We Play

We like to think of our golf events as tournaments with a minimum $5 entry fee. That $5 goes to an Individual Low Net competition within your flight (everything is within your flight). Then there are several optional competitions you can get into if you're feeling good about your game. We all do, don't we? We all think that the next time we'll light it up. But you can get away with only a $5 investment. Here are the competitons you can enter. If you get into every one, it would be $15. They are all within your flight, except for the two Hole-in-One competitions - one for a $5 entry fee and the other is free.i>.

$5 - Low Net (the only one that is not optional)
$2 - Closest to the Pin on the Par 3 holes.
$3 - Gross Skins
$5 - Low Total Gross

Hole-in-One

$5 - Hole-in-One
The $5 fee would be only to get in the 1st H-in-1. This would be only after someone makes a Hole-in-One and wins the whole (in one) pot - then it's another $5 if you want to stay in. These sometimes amount to over $1000 - something to think about even if you've never had one.
Free - Hole-in-one
There is another Hole-in-One competition. You don't pay to get into this one - everybody is in. It is funded by taking the "odd dollars" from the other competitions and adding it to this one. For example, if the last $5 in Low Net is shared between two golfers, they each get $2 and the extra $1 goes into this Hole in One fund. Such a deal.

Based on your handicap, you will be slotted into a flight with players that have similar handicaps. Flights are typically 12-16 players although this may vary depending on the number of players signed up. You will play in a threesome or foursome, usually with players in the same flight although this is not always the case. You may ask to play with friends who may be in the same or a different flight.

Why We Play

We're really a great bunch of guys to play golf with, but besides that, you get to play some of the best courses in the area without having to make your own tee times, organize your own low $$$ event, or find friends to play with - you will make lots of friends with the Grumpy Old Men (we're not really all that grumpy).

Who Runs the Outfit?

We have an excellent staff of permanent officers plus some very welcome volunteers.

President: Tom Moore
Treasurer: Tom Moore
Chairman - Competition Committee: Tom Moore
Chairman - Membership Committee: Tom Moore
Chairman - Rules Committee: Tom Moore
Chairman - I/T Committee: Tom Moore
Chairman - Complaint Committee: Tom says find someone else.

You get the point. We do have a fine group of volunteers who meet before each event for one month to help with the Sign-In process (e.g. they take your money) and then again after each event to enter scores into the system and whatever else needs doing (e.g. they figure out who gets your money).

Why Not Join Us?

Think of it this way. For $0 initiation fee, you can join a club with 10-15 golf courses where you don't have to make your own tee times or find your own low-$ game with people of your own skill level (and age). Our green fees return $40 - $50 and competition entry fees from $5 to $15. If you would like to be one of us, just send an email to TOM by clicking: I want to join!

If you're still not convinced, click on New Members at the top of this screen for more detailed information about the Grumpies,

RuleX

Rule Exceptions and Local Rules

The Grumpy Old Men play by the USGA Rules of Golf with a few exceptions to accomodate weather, course conditions, pace of play, and just plain fun. Learn these exceptions and, if you can, bookmark this section on your mobile phone in case you have to refresh your memory.

Playing the Ball as It Lies

The Championship flight will play the ball down in the fairway and the rough except for the months of November through April. For those months they may play the ball up in the fairway. All other flights may play the ball up in the fairway throughout the year. The area around the green that is mowed to the length the fairway is considered fairway. All other areas are considered rough. All flights must play the ball down in the rough year-round.

Sand Traps

If a sand trap has not been conditioned by the golf course from the day before and your ball ends up in an animal track or foot print, you may RAKE THE TRAP and PLACE the ball back in its original position. The same is true if it ends up in a previous player's footprint that has not been raked. If it ends up in an area which has eroded, replace it in a good area no closer to the hole. Check with your playing partners for their confirmation of the condition.

Cart Path Only

The main reason for the golf course to call for CART PATH ONLY on all holes is because of very wet conditions. When this happens, you may LIFT, CLEAN, AND PLACE from ALL AREAS (except penalty areas) and may DROP OUT OF SAND TRAPS NO CLOSER TO THE HOLE unless publicly stated otherwise.

Note:This does not include those holes (especially at Waterchase) which are always designated as cart path only. On those holes, play the ball as you would on any other hole.

Waterchase

Drop zones for all Par 3s are the red tee boxes.
The drop zone for Hole #17 is to the left of the water hazard near the bridge that crosses over to #17 fairway and the large stone near that bridge.
A new drop zone for Hole #3 for forward tee flight(s) only will be across the bridge to the area between the cart path and the bunker and creek. HOWEVER, this drop zone can only be used after 3 or more shots have been taken. If a player is in the creek on his 2nd shot, he must play his 3rd shot from a normal penalty area..

Lost Ball - Read Carefully

In order to speed up play, the lost ball rule has been changed as follows:

If a ball is lost after 3 minutes searching, it is deemed to have been lost in a penalty area (hazard) and can be dropped with a 1 stroke penalty in accordance with USGA rules.
That means it must be dropped within two club lengths laterally or as far back on a line directly away from the hole from the point at which it entered the "hazard." For example, if lost in a grove of trees, it can be dropped outside the tree line but only two club lengths from the point where it entered the trees or, as stated above, as far back as you want on the "line of relief.".
The ball played after a lost ball is considered a provisional ball. This means that if the original ball is found forward of where the 2nd (provisional) ball was played, he must play the found ball. The provisional ball is out of play.

Out of Bounds

Out of Bounds is treated like the Lost Ball rule. The out-of-bounds boundary is treated like a lateral penalty area (hazard) and a ball may be dropped with a 1-stroke penalty. It may either be dropped laterally within two clubs lengths of where it crossed the out of bounds line or on a line directly away from the hole (not usually an option with out-of-bounds boundaries. A third option would be to hit the next shot from the spot where the previous shot was hit.

Double Par

Again, in the interest of pace-of-play, the maximum score a player can take on any hole is double par - that's 6 on a par 3, 8 on a par 4, and 10 on a par 5. You are still eligible for Low Net and Low Gross prizes.

Rain

Once play has started, it will not be cancelled unless an appointed official notifies every group that play is cancelled. The exception is if the rain is accompanied by lightning of other life threatening conditions.

Lightning

It is recommended that everyone cancel their round if they feel threatened by lightning and their prize money will be refunded to them. However, if anyone wishes to continue, they do so at their own risk. The prize money will be divided among those who stay and complete their rounds.

Same Ball

You are NOT required to play the same ball through the green of the same type of ball through the round. However you are not allowed to pick the ball up and change it unless it is damaged or you are on the green.