NH Golf: Weekend golfers invited to 'Live Free'
Apr. 22—NEW HAMPSHIRE'S Live Free Golf Tour has released its 2023 schedule, which features 11 events leading up to the playoffs.
The LFGT was established in 2016 and is run by Manchester resident Chad Lawrence, who is the director of golf at the Seth Dichard Golf Center in Hudson. LFGT events are open to male and female amateur golfers of all ages.
Lawrence said he organized the LFGT for weekend hackers who still have competitive juices flowing.
"I wanted to try and play a little bit more competitive golf as opposed to my regular Sunday foursome," he explained. "I threw out the idea of running an individual net stroke-play tournament. Our first event was up at Loudon and I had 32 people sign up and play that event. That's when I was like, 'You know what? Maybe there's something here.'
"Again, it's a little bit more competitive than the Sunday round. A lot of people we know are athletes and want to compete. Just trying to give them something where they can do that."
Those who participate on the LFGT earn points that help determine the tour champion. Nashua's Josh Kleine won the 2022 title.
All of this year's tour events are currently scheduled to be played in New Hampshire, although Lawrence said an event at The Links at Outlook in Berwick, Maine, might be added. There's currently room for about 15 players in the 48-player field for the first LFGT event this season, which is scheduled for Sunday, April 30, at The Oaks in Somersworth.
Lawrence stressed that he has a good relationship with the New Hampshire Golf Association, and that many who play on his tour also play in NHGA events.
"They run a lot more weekday events, where I run weekend events," he said. "Some see it as a way to prepare for NHGA events. We play a lot of similar courses, so a lot of times it's almost like the minor leagues as compared to the NHGA events where people come in and use it as a practice round.
"I want it to grow, but I don't want to be having 80, 90 players per event either, so I think we're at a pretty comfortable number. We average about 40 to 50 per event. I have about 25 to 30 who tend to play almost every event, and then there's about 10 to 15 guys who tend to rotate in and out."
The LFGT is also offering a season-long match-play tournament this year for a $25 entry fee.
To register for an event or to learn more about the tour visit: livefreegolf.com.
Live Free Golf Tour
2023 Schedule
Regular season
April 30: The Oaks (Somersworth)
May 21: The Shattuck (Jaffrey)
May 29: Stonebridge (Goffstown)
June 11: Breakfast Hill (Greenland)
June 26: Bretwood (Keene)
July 9: Loudon
July 16: Candia Woods (Candia)
July 30: Nippo Lake (Barrington)
Aug. 12: Souhegan Woods (Amherst)
Aug. 13: TBA
Aug. 27: TBA
Playoffs
Sept 10: TBA
Sept 17: Rochester
Championship
Oct. 1: (Top 24 players/eight alternates)
COLONY CUP
Oct. 14-15: TBA
SNHU golf outing
Southern New Hampshire University is offering a golf outing on Monday, July 31, at Derryfield Country Club that will benefit the athletic department. Proceeds raised will help offset cost increases related to travel, equipment and daily operations.
Registration will open at 7 a.m., there will be a shotgun start at 8 a.m. and lunch will be at noon. Those interested can register at snhupenmen.com (click on golf). The cost is $150 per player, and multiple sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Rules question
Question: In stroke play, a player starts a round with a non-conforming club and makes a stroke with it during play of the first hole. The player discovers the mistake before playing from the second tee and declares the club out of play. When the player finishes the round, he or she consults with the rules committee before submitting a scorecard. What is the ruling?
1) The player gets the general penalty
2) There is a total penalty of four strokes
3) The player is disqualified
Answer: The player is disqualified.
Source: USGA Rule 4.1a (1)
NH golf calendar
April 27: Stroke Play Series (Scottish Highlands)
April 29: Tournament Series (Wentworth by the Sea)
May 9-Sept. 9: Match Play Championships (Pease, Beaver Meadow, Sky Meadow, Montcalm, GC of New England)
May 16: Stroke Play Series (Candia Woods)
May 17: Women's Weekly "B" (Exeter)
May 18: Women's Weekly "A" (Hoodkroft)
May 21: Spring Four Ball (Keene)
May 23: Women's Weekly Combined (Rochester)
May 25: President's Cup (Maplewood)
May 27: Club/Mixed Club Team (Derryfield)
May 28: Mixed (TBD)
May 31: Women's Weekly Combined (Indian Mound)
June 3-4: Players Invitational (Baker Hill)
June 5: Stroke Play Series (The Oaks)
June 6: Spring Fling (Windham)
June 8: Tournament Series (Lake Sunapee)
June 12-14: NEGA Women's Amateur (Manchester, Conn.)
June 12: Four Ball Championship (Owl's Nest)
June 12-14: Women's Tri-States (Martindale CC/Auburn, Maine)
June 13: Women's Weekly Combined (Hooper)
June 22-24: New Hampshire Open (Bretwood)
June 27: Women's Weekly Combined (Breakfast Hill)
June 28: Women's Weekly Combined (Blackmount/Haverhill, Mass.)
June 20: State Am Qualifier (Passaconaway)
June 24: State Am Qualifier (Bretwood South)
June 25: State Am Qualifier (Beaver Meadow)
June 26: State Am Qualifier (Maplewood)
June 28: State Am Qualifier (Breakfast Hill)
June 30: State Am Qualifier (Concord)
July 6-7: Women's Team Championship (Canterbury Woods)
July 10-15: 120th NH Amateur Championship (Manchester)
July 16: Mixed (Loudon)
July 17: Parent-Child Championship (Stonebridge)
July 18-20: NEGA Amateur (The Woodlands, Falmouth, Maine)
July 19-21: Junior Championship (Beaver Meadow)
July 19: Senior Legend Classic (Lochmere)
July 21: Women's Weekly Combined (Newport)
July 23-24: Senior Team (Mount Washington)
July 31-Aug. 2: Women's Amateur Championship (Montcalm)
Aug. 7-9: NEGA Junior Amateur (Mt. Washington Resort)
Aug. 8-10: Stroke Play Championship (Ridgewood/Atkinson Resort)
Aug. 8: Women's Weekly Combined (Pease)
Aug. 15-16: Women's Mid-Amateur (Ridgewood)
Aug. 20-21: Mid-Amateur Team (Mount Washington)
Aug. 20: Mixed (Mount Washington)
Aug. 22: Women's Weekly "B' (Bretwood)
Aug. 24: Stoke Play Series (Hoodkroft)
Aug. 29: Women's Weekly "A" (Derryfield)
Sept. 5: Women's Weekly Combined (Den Brae)
Sept. 6-7: Senior Championship (Canterbury Woods)
Sept. 11-12: NEGA Senior Amateur (Fox Hopyard/East Haddam, Conn.)
Sept. 21: Stoke Play Series (Kingswood Gold)
Sept. 26: Fall Classic (Keene)
Oct. 2-4: Mid-Amateur Championship (Rochester)
Oct. 8: Mixed (Kingswood Golf)
Oct. 16: Tournament Series (Cochecho)
Oct. 18: Stroke Play Series (Newport)
Oct. 23: Corporate Challenge (Concord)
Oct. 30: Tournament Series (Laconia)
