SAWGA History

During the war years, the Athletic Round Table, ART, presented war bonds as flight awards and many local merchants donated prizes. Around the mid-forties, the number of ladies playing increased and the city organization was on the move. Until 1945, the city tournament had been held at Riverside and that club’s officers had been responsible for not only the tournament but also for obtaining the prizes. During two of the war years no tournament was held. When it was resumed, the tournament was rotated on one of several local golf courses. Also suspended in 1942 due to the war, there was a revival of the Spokesman-Review Cup in 1949 with play being a medal-on-handicap basis. Clarkston Country Club was included in the original lineup along with the three aforementioned clubs.

The Spokane Women’s Golf Association, SWGA, was first organized in 1953 when it became necessary to sponsor the annual city tournament. They also were to schedule and carry out a regular program of Spokesman-Review Cup matches and Sweepstakes events. Riverside changed it’s name to Downriver in June 1955.
In 1962 the SWGA became the Spokane Area Women’s Golf Association, SAWGA, in the earnest hope that wider competition would bring better competition to an increasingly large number of women golfers. Charter members were Downriver, Esmeralda, Indian Canyon, Liberty Lake, Manito Golf & Country Club, Spokane Country Club and Wandermere. Guest clubs were Clarkston Country Club, Coeur d’Alene Country Club (of Hayden Lake), Coeur d’Alene Public Golf Course, Colfax Elks Golf Club, Lakeview Golf Club (Ephrata), Kellog Country Club, Moscow Golf Club, Moses Lake Golf & Country Club, Sandpoint Elk Golf Club and Shoshone Country Club (Wallace).

SAWGA was originally formed to promote the best interest in golf among its members and to provide for friendly interclub competition and good fellowship. Because there became more players than courses, SAWGA returned to membership confined to nine local clubs naming all seven charter clubs, Hangman Valley and Sundance. Later The Fairways and The Creek at Qualchan were added to the lineup followed by Deer Park and Chewelah Golf & Country Club.

With the increased interest in women’s golf and larger memberships, some major changes were made. The Spokesman-Review Cup was changed from medal play to match play on the point system with the six lowest handicap players from each club competing in the four events to determine the winner of the coveted cup. There are 13 clubs since 2011 divided into two divisions and competing in eight events including the playoffs between the two divisions.

Originally Sweepstakes was divided into three divisions by handicap. Currently, the Sweepstakes field of players has six handicapped flights and is divided in half. Coined…Sweeps 1-3 and Sweeps 4-6 and are played on separate golf courses. Sweepstakes does provide for individual as well as team competition with the winning club’s total of the six lowest net scores from eight events receiving the trophy at the end of the season.

The culmination of the season was the City Tournament held at one course for five days of competitive match play including a qualifying round the first week of August. Later it was named the Championship Tournament which is played in September at three different courses to provide a greater challenge of a golfer’s ability. Competition is medal play and hosted by one of the 13 clubs each year to determine the individual SAWGA Champion as well as the low gross and low net places for all flights.
The Spokane Women’s Trophy was first presented to the city in 1951 as a perpetual trophy by the Larson-Swalwell Company, and then retired in 1978 and given to Connie Guthrie, 16 times City Champion winner. The Connie Guthrie Perpetual Trophy was donated by Connie herself in 1979 and it is displayed each year at the club house of the current champion.

SAWGA Tournament Formats Then/1962 and Now/2024

REVIEW CUP 1962: Team consists of the six lowest handicap players eligible to play. Point of honor to be observed. Competition played in threesomes. Method of play is “Three Ball”. Full difference of handicap allowed. Contestants are members of SAWGA and have at least ten cards acceptable for handicapping from the declared home courses from the current or preceding year.

NUMERICA CUP 2024: Teams consists of the six lowest handicap players eligible to play. Contestants are members of SAWGA and have at least ten cards acceptable for handicapping from the declared home courses from the current or preceding year.

• The format for Numerica Cup will be a four ball match play. USGA Rules of Golf for such format will be followed.
• Four Ball Match – six players (three Teams), with handicap consisting of A/B/C teams.
  • There will be both gross and net scoring.
  • For net scoring, reduce the handicaps of all four players by the handicap of the lowest handicapped player, who shall then play from scratch. Allow each of the three other players 100% of the resulting differences; strokes to be taken in the order assigned on their respective score cards. There shall be a maximum WHS course handicap of 40 and a player must assume a 40 handicap if her course handicap is higher.
  • Each hole is worth one (1) point Gross and one (1) point Net:
    • One (1) for win of hole
    • One-half (1/2) for tie of hole
    • Zero (0) for loss of hole
  • Each match is worth eighteen (18) Gross and eighteen (18) Net points. Total points in a match between two (2) clubs of three (3) side per club will total 54 Gross and 54 Net.
  • Points won in each category are accumulated throughout the year.
  • Clubs not fielding a Numerica Cup team are not eligible to host Numerica Cup events.

SWEEPSTAKES 1962: Consists of team and individual competition in three divisions
(A 1-18, B 19-27, C 28-36). Final event awards the trophy to the six lowest net scorers regardless of division with a handicap limit of 36 based on as few as five scores from any rated course and eligible for drawing for a new set of woods.

SWEEPSTAKES 2024: A player’s “Home Club” must be a member of SAWGA.

• A player’s “Home Club” shall be deemed to be the SAWGA member club through which she pays both SAWGA and WSGA membership dues. If a SAWGA member wishes to change their “Home Club” after the Championship Tournament, she must declare her intent in writing, dated appropriately, to the President of the new “Home Club.” At the time the declaration is made, rounds at the new home course shall count as “Home Club” play days.
• Must be a member of SAWGA and play for her “Home Club.”
• World Handicap System (WHS) will be accepted. (Five (5) cards from home course in present or preceding year are needed to establish a handicap.)
• Must have played at least three play days at her home course as a “Home Club” member on Ladies’ Day in the present or preceding year in order to qualify for play.
• Associate members are not eligible to participate in SAWGA events.
• All players in SAWGA events should be familiar with the USGA Rules of Golf, carry a rule book and the SAWGA Hard Copy rules sheet, available at www.sawgagolf.com .
• Sweepstakes will consist of team competition and individual competition against the field and flight.
• Play will consist of 18 holes of medal play with handicap under the USGA Rules of Golf.
• A member shall be responsible for maintaining a true and current handicap.
• There shall be a maximum WHS course handicap of 40. A player must assume 40 course handicap if her course handicap is higher.
• All scorecards must be signed and attested in order to be eligible for awards. All cards will be checked; however, cards that are signed and attested will be scored as they stand. USGA states:
  • The competitor is solely responsible for the correctness of the score recorded for each hole. The committee is responsible for the addition of the scores and application of the handicap recorded on the card. If the competitor returns a score lower than any hole actually played, he/she shall be disqualified. A score higher than actually played must stand as returned.
• In all SAWGA events, the Sweeps Chair will post adjusted (net double bogey) scores and the
  adjusted scores for the Championship Tournament.
• Sweepstakes will be held four times during the season.
• The field will be divided into two groups with three flights in each group.
• Flights 1 2 3 will play at one course and Flights 4 5 6 at another.

All flights will play from the ladies play day tees at the four monthly Sweeps competitions.

CITY CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT 1962:

• Five days of match play competition including qualifying round, handicaps limited to 36 based upon at least 10 scores, give of which must be played on a member course from the current or preceding year. In all competitions any player who fails to appear at the tee within 15 minutes of the time scheduled for play shall be disqualified unless reason satisfactory to the officials of the tournament be provided.

SAWGA CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT 2024:

• The SAWGA Championship Tournament shall consist of individual competition against the field and flight. Play will consist of 54 holes of medal play, said 54 holes to be played as follows:
• 18 holes on each of three consecutive days on three regulation 18-hole courses.
• All flights in the tournament shall be set by the Lead Sweeps Chair. These flights will be determined by the number of entries received.
• Both gross and net scores shall be recorded in each flight as outlined under the USGA Rules of Golf.
• In the event of a tie for low gross of the field, players will replay the 17th and 18th holes. If the players are still tied, they will replay the 17th and 18th holes in a sudden death format.
• In the event of a tie for low net of the field, there will be a card off following the USGA guidelines. The losing player(s) will move down to their flight.
• The home club of every player must be a member of SAWGA.
• All players must be a member of SAWGA.
• A member shall be responsible for maintaining a true and current handicap.
• World Handicap System will be accepted. (Five cards from home course in present or preceding year will establish handicap).
• There shall be a maximum WHS handicap of 40. A player must assume a 40 course handicap if her course handicap is higher.
• All tournament contestants will play from the same tees.
• All scorecards must be signed and attested to in order to be eligible for awards and will be scored as they stand. However, all cards will be checked. If the competitor returns a score for any hole lower than actually played, she shall be disqualified. A score higher than actually played must stand as recorded. Scorecards not turned in to the Sweeps Chair within fifteen minutes after the last player is in will not be used, and said participant will be disqualified.
• The Tournament Committee will post scores as a Tournament.

To download a PDF of the info above, click on this link: Sawga History

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