History Summary

If you have WGC stories/memories which you would like to share, please be sure to send them to Sher Barns.

You might be interested to know that this club is the oldest organized golf group in Bella Vista.  

Summary of Minutes by Year                                               

*Indicates a later change

The following is a Summary of the Minutes by year from inception in 1969 to the last entry of this kind in 1986.  Starting in 2015, summaries of important changes in play each year have been documented.

1969    

Began Women's Golf Association with 9-hole and 18-hole groups*

Joined the Northwest Arkansas Association

1970    

Began Ringer Awards (A Ringer Committee kept a record of each member's best score on play days for each hole on both the Country Club and Kingswood courses and prizes were awarded at the end of the season)

1971    

Official year April 1 to November 1.

Awards changed from golf balls to Pro Shop certificates.

Began issuing Yearbook of Events.

"Post your own scores" began.

1972    

Started Hole-in-One Club.

No limit on number of weekly awards a member may win.*  

Ties by blind draw*.

Began using Kingswood (need to check the date of Kingswood opening) for Hole-in-One but not association play or posting (not rated for USGA).*

Over water rule: No third tries - lying five.*

1973    

Dues were $7.50 and $5 for supporting member.*

Auditing began.

Hole-in-One on any course allowable with one other player to attest.*

1974    

Began ESC (Equitable Stroke Control).

Rule to keep others' scores and attest by other players.

Play 50 percent plus one of regular play days for Ringers stressed again.

Weekly sign-up began.

Need 45 or less handicap to join.* Invitational events require a 36 handicap.  

Pairings Chairman member of the Board.

Scoring Chairman member of the Board.

There were 61 players eligible for Ringers and 38 nine-hole players, for a total of 99 players and $316 was spent on prizes.

Items in Minutes changing Constitution re: (1) Competitive Member Requirement, (2) Social Member Requirement, (3) Number of General Meetings to be no less than four,*(4)Duties of Board Members, Secretary, Treasurer, Rules Chairman,     (5)Nominating Committee formed. 1-23-75. 

1976    

Began PGA plan of awarding prizes in case of ties, i.e., tie for first share 1st and 2nd; tie for 2nd share 2nd and 3rd, pay ties for 3rd. 

No member may receive more than one prize any one play day.

If gift certificates are lost, they cannot be replaced.

New Hole-in-One rule: not eligible if temporary tees are in use.*

Hole-in-One: if two cups are in use, only the one with the flag is eligible.

July 29, 1976 was the first discussion of having two organizations, a nine-hole  and an 18 hole.  In August, a nominating committee was named for each organization.  

Attached to the September 30, 1976 Minutes is a notice (approved by the Board of Directors) re: Requirements for eligibility, procedure for determining winners, prizes to be awarded for the new 18-hole group End of Year Awards.*

Players may transfer from one group to another (18 to 9 or 9 to 18) only TWO times a year Spring and July 1.

There will be five General Meetings (Jan., May, July, Sept., Oct.) for the new 18 hole group.

1977    

Separated into 9-hole and 18-hole organizations

The group became too large, thus they separated.   The 9 hole golfers kept the charter and the 18 hole golfers became a separate group writing their own constitution.

Handicap tournament on three Thursdays.*  Only those in tournament allowed to play.  On last day, those who paid and lost could play.

Hit across water until across (or X out hole, but take ESC score and post).  Not eligible for prizes that play day or for Ringers.

Move markers to front of tees on play days - first group off each tee.

Incomplete score cards not accepted for prizes.

Started buying lunches of Board members in lieu of corsages.

1978    

Began alternating courses, Country Club & Kingswood, and starting at 7:00.

Country Club started closing on Mondays.  Discontinued in 1983.

Putter marked 18 inches, lowered to 14, for allowable putts. Discontinued in 1981.

Either permanent or temporary tees are allowable for a hole-in-one.

1979    

Went to computer handicap

Ringer scores kept for Country Club and Kingswood courses.    

Additional members on the Board added.  Board now consists of: Officers, Out-going President, Rules, Handicap, Tournament, Social, Pairings, Scoring, Weekly Awards Chairmen.

For changes in policy on course, procedure is to present in writing to POA Golf Committee with 20 signatures.

If any competitive member does not play for a full year, their handicap must be reinstated.

Hole-in-One change:  If two or more get a hole-in-one, pot is divided equally.

1980    

Constitutional Change:  General Meetings called at discretion of President (no set number).  

Meetings may be requested by the Board.

Non-cart owners give three new balls to cart owner they ride with.*  Rentals should be split.

1981    

Handicap of 36 to join association.  All putts are to be putted out.

1982    

Hit balls over water until you are over, as previously ruled.

Improve lie in fairway one club length with no improvement in stance or line of flight.

Voided Berksdale posting book.*

1983    

Eligibility for membership handicap changed to minimum of five games on Country Club or Kingswood courses before playing.*

All 18 hole members must ride in a cart on play days.

1984    

Formulated By-Laws of the Association:  (1) Member may win Most Improved Golfer and Most Improved Handicap Golfer Award more than one time, and (2) Hole-in-One Club members pay $5 which will pay for five hole-in-one winners, each winner receiving approximately the same amount of money.  Members joining Hole-in-One Club after first winner, will pay $4, etc., and on down until there are five winners.

Berksdale course was reinstated to be included in posting for handicap.

Check-in procedure at Pro Shop on play days changed whereby the first name on the Pairings list is not only responsible for calling her foursome and arranging for carts, but will check in her foursome, pay the club fees and collect from others later, and pick up the score cards.

Amendment to the Constitution, Article 3 (A), regarding establishing handicap for membership requirement:  Present attested 18 hole handicap from home course or five attested 18 hole games on Country Club, Kingswood or Berksdale courses for temporary handicap and 20 scores for permanent handicap.  Retained the requirement of 36 or lower handicap.

Park cart by Starter Shack at Kingswood on play days when there is a late starting time.

Members who do not own carts, pay driver half the cart fee.

Members must attend both the General Association Meeting and the luncheon to be eligible for a door prize.

Pairings Chairman responsible for choosing the number of flights when mixed flight events are held on play days.

The Nominating Committee consisted of three members.

Scoring Committee is responsible for correct adding of score cards.  Player is not eligible for prizes if her score card is not signed.

Association has two plaques displayed.  One at the Country Club with the names of the Women Senior Champions in the annual Club Championship Tournament and a Hole-in-One plaque at Kingswood.

1985    

Added to the duties of the President:  "The President will sit in as an advisor on all Committee meetings."

Voted to purchase a portable microphone for the Association.

Gave Pairings Chairman authority to fluctuate flights each play day if necessary to accommodate the number of players signed up to play.

Association first approached the POA Golf Committee to request a full day be allowed the 18 hole Women's Golf Association for their play day.  Denied for 1986.

1986    

Extended time allowed between play of 9 hole and 18 hole groups to one (1) hour to alleviate cart congestion.

Tee off time on play days changed to be one (1) hour after Pro Shops open for whichever group plays early (9 hole or 18 hole).

Set the dues for a Social Member of the Association to be $5.

Raised Competitive Member Association Dues to $20.

Instated a ruling that a POA member who is not a member of the Association may get a USGA handicap by being included on our computer posting book list of names anbd posting scores and paying a fee of $5 to the Association to cover expense of the computer.

Reduced Ringer Program to Ringer Scores only for the year end awards.

Formulated a third By-Law which states:  (3) A member is required to have an established USGA handicap computed on twenty (20) ESC scores of games played during a regular association golf season on the Bella Vista Country Club, Kingswood or Berksdale courses and have been a member of this association for a period of one year to be eligible for the Most Improved Golfer or Most Improved Handicap Golfer year end awards.

  WHEN DID THE WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION CHANGE TO THE WOMEN'S GOLF CLUB????  Stay tuned...  

...

2011

An individual Match Play Tournament was instituted which crowned a single golfer who had won all her matches.

2015

The USGA embraced the creation of a new set of forward tees on most courses.  This new set of tees was referred to as "Tee It Forward".  Here in the Village, the Play It Forward (PIF) tees came into being courtesy of Mary Riorden's committee which oversaw the placement of tees and the ratings of the courses.

Allen's Food Market is the new sponsor of the WGC League Tournament.  There is no longer an entry fee to play in this special tournament.

The Griffith Award has changed to include points for attendance at each play day for which there is no additional entry fee.  Points for finishing in the money are now also given for any and all play days games not just our Low Gross / Low Net games. 

Money will be awarded to those with the 3 largest point totals.

2016

The Griffith Award was dropped and in it's place the WGC CHALLENGE was instituted.

WGC Challenge ($$)

• Every play day game and the 2016 League Tournament counts toward earning the greatest number of attendance and in flight skill points.

• 1 point for every play day played/scorecard turned in.

•  3 flight places in each flight 1st =3, 2nd=2, 3rd=1 points.

• Whole points are awarded for ties.

• There will be 4 or 5 flights each play day and for League Tournament.

• The number of total points will vary according to game each week.

• There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes awarded at season’s end.

New Logo was established for the club by artist Gayle Placial.

2017

Based on responses to the end of year questionnaire, the Board decided that the WGC Challenge would not be contested.

The Board also decided that Red tee players and Gold tee players would compete in their own flights on Low Gross/Low Net play days.  As a result of this change, club champions now include Low Gross from the Red Tees, Low Gross from the Gold Tees, Low Net, Senior Low Gross from the Red Tees, Senior Low Gross from the Gold Tees and Senior Low Net.

WGC logo items were available for sale.  Members were happy to purchase shirts, caps and ball markers.  As long as accessories are available for sale, the Board will determine what is done with the profits from those sales.

The Match Play tournament was contested once again ... with a change in format.  Special Tournaments changed the format to a 2 person match play event.  The change was well received which led to an exciting tournament with plenty of closely contested matches.

At the Fall Brunch, the Hall of Fame committee presented a plaque honoring our founding members.  And for the first time, two very deserving ladies were inducted into the Hall of Fame:  Arlene Alford and Pat Davis.

2018

The Board decided to take control of its Pairings.  To that end, the WGC subscribed to an online golf software system.  Scoring is easily determined by the software as well.

Based on questionnaire results, Red tee and Gold tee players will play twice a month in separate flights.

2019

Numerous rule changes occurred for 2019 implementation.  These included changes to Out of Bounds, Bunkers, Hazards and taking the Pin from the hole.

It was a very rainy year - over 90 inches at Highlands Golf Course.  We had to cancel a lot of golf!  We also had a wind storm that took down trees all over Bella Vista.  Highlands alone had 154 fall over.  Most of the courses were open again within a week. 

2020

The Coronavirus brought many changes throughout the season, causing the Rules as Tools Workshop and Spring Brunch to be cancelled, as well as tee times rather than shot gun starts. This year also brought changes in the World Handicap System.