About the Middle School Golf League
(Note: Although the Middle School Golf League has had in the past both a full Spring and Fall season, league team play now is open to all middle schoolers only in the Fall. A shorter limited MSGL individual stroke play season is scheduled in the spring.)
The Middle School Golf League (MSGL) is organized with parents registering their Middle School players through the South Gwinnett Athletic Association. Players are assigned teams generally based on middle school attendance and receive golf shirts with their middle school or feeder high school colors. If there are not enough players from a middle school to form a team, registered players are assigned as needed to round out team rosters.
In the Fall beginning players new to golf are afforded optional basic golf instruction before everyone attends the All-Players MSGL Clinic. After the instructional golf clinic, players are encouraged to take that knowledge onto the golf course. In addition, all players and especially beginning golfers are encouraged to practice ball striking skills between team play. During the 10-week season the format for play is team competition best ball play including during one week “High School Day” where high school team golfers are invited to play along with their cluster middle school teams, a week of individual stroke play, where the most advanced players are invited to play in an invitational individual stroke 9-hole tournament. The season culminates for everyone with a Drive, Chip and Putt competition and the MSGL Awards Presentations. Players play from forward or junior tees based on ability.
League play and/or clinics will be held mostly on Sundays, normally starting at or after 4 p.m. The season officially begins with a clinic for everyone conducted by our golf course professionals, and for new golfers or players new to MSGL and orientation on team play, golf rules and golf etiquette by MSGL Director and High School Golf Coach Les Witmer.
Each team has a volunteer team “Marshal” who is responsible for team lineups and supervises the play on the course. Parents are welcome to walk or purchase carts as available. All spectator carts must remain on the cart paths.
In the fall we’re going to continue to concentrate on youth golf and continue to have it open to all--beginners and those that played before. Because of the issues we’ve had with the Middle School Golf Legue in past Springs with rain outs, the holidays and course availability, trying to get middle school golf in has been a hassle.
So, in the Spring MSGL will be a five-week season for only players that played previously in the MSGL. It will consist of an expanded on-course golf instructional clinic, 3 weeks of individual stroke tournament type play and conclude with an expanded skills Drive, Chip and Putt course. Players will go off in foursomes at each golf course. Players may walk or ride in your carts as before. We will have local tournament individual stroke rules. Scoring is done similar to what is done in high school where only the top three individual scores of players from each middle school team will count as that team’s score. Therefore, there must be at least three players from a middle school to qualify for team competition. The top individual scores (medals) at each course as well as top individuals scores for the season (trophies) are awarded. If less than three players from a middle school register, those players will be playing as individual competitors in competition for individual tournament medals and end of season individual awards.
In the Fall our four main host golf courses for regular play are The Chimney’s Golf Club, Country Club of Gwinnett, Collins Hill Golf Course and Cedar Lake Golf Course. Monroe, Providence and Trophy Club of Apalachee golf courses may host us as needed. Teams rotate and play on a different course each week. In the Spring individual stoke play is held at Chimneys, Cedar Lake and Monroe only.
