Craig Flowers, president of the Bahamas Golf Federation (BGF), recently announced that the criteria for selecting the national team for the Caribbean Golf Association's (CGA) Senior Championships in April 2016 in Jamaica, has changed.

Flowers stated that over the years the BGF has had difficulty in providing a venue and time to have national trials because of golf course availability, location, travel and other factors, including the inability to schedule events that could attract the maximum number of participants.

In reviewing the matter, he felt that to attract the most players and obtain the best team it would be better to have the players compete in a maximum of 10 rounds of golf between December and February, using the best six rounds to present to the selection committee for recommendations to the general executive committee. He presented his suggestion to the general executive committee and it was agreed unanimously. Providing this method resolves the past concerns, it may also be used for the qualifying rounds for the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships to be held in The Bahamas the first week in August 2016.

The CGA Senior Championships include the following: Mid-amateur men - over 35; senior men - 50-plus; super senior men - 60-plus; ladies - over 30; and ladies - over 50.

BGF members who wish to qualify must pay a $100 entry fee to the BGF, agree to travel if selected, arrange their own games with other qualifiers, submit their scores to the BGF event coordinator, Georgette Rolle, and follow the rules of golf and the conditions of play set by the BGF.

The CGA Senior Championships for men and women will be played in a four ball medal format (best ball) and the qualifiers must select their partners and nominate one as the team captain, who will be responsible to communicate with Rolle on all matters concerning the qualifying rounds including but not limited to scheduling rounds, turning in scores, settling questions and advising of any rules disputes.

President Flowers indicated that his hope is that this format will allow the golf course properties to allow the qualifiers and subsequent national team members favorable rates and tee times, so the players can get in their qualifying rounds and then when the team is selected, get in as many practice rounds as possible before departing for the championships which will be held in Jamaica at the Rose Hall Hotel and Spa April 20 - 24, 2016. He noted that the event coordinator will be approaching the golf course properties to discuss course availability and rates.

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