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Welcome, Sandtrappers! 

New & Returning Members & Guests

Hello and WELCOME to the Sandtrappers Golf League website! 

Sandtrappers is one of the fastest growing Leagues in the Peoria Metropolitan area.

To learn more about our League, contact  

Jerry Morey, Membership Coordinator    309-369-4488  jerrymorey@frontier.com 

Everyone is welcome - from age18 to ???.

You do not have to be retired or live in Peoria to join.

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Spring-like temperatures greeted 88 Sandtrappers to a wonderfully-manicured Bunker Links course in Galesburg. You would've thought it was April instead of mid July. We did feel a very few sprinkles, but thankfully they didn't turn into April showers. Today, we played one of our special events consisting of four flights where all of the A players were grouped in foursomes, and then likewise the B, C, and D players. Each of the different flights had a different tee box based on handicaps.The winners of the A Flight were Bill Schoenau, Randy Blum, Roger Nelson, and Dave Miller. The B Flight winners were Scott Bowers, A.J. Phillips, Ron Ivory, and Wayne Baker. C Flight winners were Jim Blane, Jim Barnhart, Bob Beckenbaugh, and Dale Hansen. And the winners of the D Flight were Jerry Quintiliani, Jerry Hesselberth, Jerry Joyce, and Gavin Mitchell.  
 
Lowest scores of the day were:
Low gross scores:
71 - Bill Schoenau
72 - Randy Blum
73 - Kip Poorbaugh, Scott Bowers, Paul Mauschbaugh, Mike Murray
74 - Jeff Polomus, Mike Rocke, Tom Custis 
75 - Jerry Johnson, A.J. Phillips, Bob Beckenbaugh
 
 
Low net scores:
61 - Tom Custis, Jerry Joyce
62 - Bob Beckenbaugh, Gavin Mitchell
63 - Mike Murrary, Scott Bowers
64 - Steve Rudolph, Jim Blane, Jim Barnhart, Terry Tate
65 - Wayne Baker, Ron Sutter, A.J. Phillips
 
Closest to the pin on #15 was Bobby Eckert and the longest putt on #9 was made by Ron Sutter. Via random drawing, Ron Ivory and Barry Bowers won free rounds of golf from Bunker Links Golf Course. Congratulations to all the winners!
 
No items were turned in today; however, there was a ball-mark repair tool with a Nebraska Cornhuskers 'N' on it turned in at Metamora Fields which I forgot to mention on Monday. I also still have a black Majek head cover with an X on the top and an Adidas metal water bottle.  Still in my possession are a magnifying glass in a cover and two Bushnell Bite units. If any of those items belong to you, be sure to let me know, and I'll have it with me on Thursday. Or you may pick it up from me as soon as possible. 
 
Our next outing will be Thursday, 7/24 at Newman in Peoria with an 8:00 shotgun start. There will not be lunch on site, but Mike will give a head count to Crusen's on Farmington Road for those who want to go there after the round. The following event will be on Thursday, 7/31 at Senica's Oak Ridge near LaSalle with an 8:30 shotgun start. On-site lunch will be offered. Please be sure to get signed up for those events.
 
 
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General League Information

Peoria Sandtrappers Golf League is a group of mostly retired golfers who get together to play the game they love.  We do not discriminate on the basis of age, playing ability, race, nationality, or gender.  Emphasis is on fun, fellowship, variety, and friendly competition.  We have scheduled 26 golf outings on Thursday mornings and 5 on Monday mornings. We play a shotgun start on a variety of local and area courses with different foursome pairings each week, Each week players are flighted: A, B, C, or D and each foursome has one player from each flight.  We play what we call "Sandtrapper Golf" which is essentially a shamble with some relaxed rules to reduce stress and speed up play. A couple times a season, we play best-ball scrambles and also a few flighted events where we put A/B players in foursomes and the C/D players in other foursomes. We also provide an optional fellowship luncheon after some of the events.

Members are encouraged to use the website (www.peoriasandtrappers.net) for weekly information and sign-up.  Sign-up should be made no later than 4:00 pm on Monday of each week.  Foursomes are set and published on Wednesday morning.  (If you have an emergency and need to cancel after foursomes are set, please contact Jim Blane at 309-258-8773 or Roy Saatkamp at 309-335-6862

There were five Monday events in 2025. The deadline to sign-up for those is 4:00 pm on Thursday prior to the Monday event. Parings will be published by that Saturday.

We encourage members to play as much or as little as they desire or their schedule accomodates. Dues for the full season are $20. Each week, players kick in $5.00 to a prize pool which is awarded according to how well each foursome does, (considering handicaps), and players' total winnings are distributed at the end of the season.

The 2025 season's schedule is shown below.  This year we scheduled an additional fun event at Fyre Lake on Monday, June 30th. This is outside our normal distance and price parameters, but we think it will be challenging and lots of fun. The scores that day will not count against handicaps, and we won't be playing for prize money as usual.

 

2025 Sandtrappers Schedule 3/1/2025    
Date Day Start Event/Course Green Fee Lunch Game (if not S/Trp) L/A
Apr-17 Thursday Noon Kick-off Luncheon, Countryside   $20.00    
Apr-24 Thursday 9:00 Pine Lakes, Washington $40.00 None Best-ball Scramble L
May-1 Thursday 8:30 Newman, Peoria $41.00 None   L
May-8 Thursday 8:30 ISU/Weibring, Normal $47.00 None   A
May-15 Thursday 8:00 Kellogg, Peoria $45.00 None   L
May-19 Monday 9:00 El Paso Golf Club, El Paso $48.00 $13.00   A
May-22 Thursday 8:30 Prairie Vista, Bloomington $48.00 None AB/CD Flighted A
May-29 Thursday 8:30 Oaks at Rivers Edge, Pontiac $36.00 $14.00   A
Jun-5 Thursday 8:30 Midland GC, Kewanee $35.00 $15.00   A
Jun-12 Thursday 8:30 The Rail, Springfield $46.00 $14.00   A
Jun-16 Monday 8:30 Lake Bracken CC, Galesburg $47.00 $14.00   A
Jun-19 Thursday 8:00 Coyote Creek, (rained out) $46.00 Menu Best-ball Scramble L
Jun-26 Thursday 8:00 Parkview, Pekin $41.00 $11.00   L
Jun-30 Monday 10:00 Fyre Lake, Sherrard $75.00 Menu Special Event A
Jul-3 Thursday 8:30 Ironwood, Normal $34.00 None   A
Jul-10 Thursday 8:30 Edgewood Park, McNabb $42.00 $11.00   A
Jul-14 Monday 8:00 Metamora Fields, Metamora $55.00 None   L
Jul-17 Thursday 8:30 Bunker Links, Galesburg $32.00 $13.00 A/B/C/D Flighted A
Jul-24 Thursday 8:00 Newman, Peoria $41.00 None   L
Jul-31 Thursday 8:30 Senica Oak Ridge, LaSalle $38.00 $7.00   A
Aug-7 Thursday 8:30 Lincoln Elks, Lincoln $46.00 None   A
Aug-11 Monday 8:30 Soangetaha CC, Galesburg $47.00 $14.00   A
Aug-14 Thursday 8:00 Lick Creek, Pekin $44.00 $11.00 Best-ball Scramble L
Aug-21 Thursday 8:30 Spring Creek, Spring Valley $33.00 $10.00   A
Aug-28 Thursday 8:30 The Den at Fox Creek, Bloomington $46.00 None   A
Sep-4 Thursday 8:30 Oak Run, Dahinda $40.00 $15.00   A
Sep-11 Thursday 8:30 Baker Park, Kewanee $30.00 $10.00   A
Sep-18 Thursday 8:30 ISU/Weibring, Normal $47.00 None AB/CD Flighted A
Sep-25 Thursday 9:00 Pine Lakes, Washington $40.00 None   L
Sep-29 Monday 9:00 Arrowhead CC, Edelstein $52.00 $10.00   L
Oct-2 Thursday 9:00 Bunker Links, Galesburg $29.00 $13.00   A
Oct-9 Thursday 9:00 Kellogg, Peoria $45.00 None Special Event L
Oct-16 Thursday 9:00 Coyote Creek, Bartonville $46.00 Menu Best-ball Scramble  
Oct-23 Thursday   Fall Banquet, Barrack's Cater Inn        
Non-Thursday New in 2025 Special Events L = Local A= Area

 


SANDTRAPPERS GOLF LEAGUE RULES

Pace of Play— An individual’s score on any one hole is limited to eight (8), so if you are lying seven (7), and are not yet in the hole, pick up and take an eight (8).  Play “ready golf” and do your best to keep up with the group in front of you.

Prize Fund—A fee of $5 is collected each week when you check in to play.  TEAM PRIZES are announced after each event and are based on Net scores; prize money is awarded based on the amount of money collected at each event.  Individual winnings are recorded, accumulated and paid at the end of the season.

Handicaps—Handicaps are based on 90% of the difference between your average score and 70.  Handicaps do not include scores in the scramble events.

Modified Winter Rules – In all events we play modified winter rules where it is permissible to improve your lie by moving your ball with your club head a maximum of six inches, except when the ball lies in a sand trap or other hazard.  This does not allow “lift, clean, and place” nor does it allow moving the ball from rough to fairway (or vice-versa).

Sandtrapper Golf

Sandtrapper golf is a game where the standard rules of golf are modified in order to enhance enjoyment, reduce stress, and improve pace of play; yet retain the challenge of golf while maintaining fair and friendly competition.  Modifications are:

Sandtrapper’s Golf League usually plays a modified shamble format that we call “Sandtrapper Golf”. We occasionally play a best-ball scramble. The format to be played is listed on the schedule on this website.

USGA Rules apply unless specifically modified.

Sandtrapper Golf: Everyone hits a tee shot, then each player chooses one of those tee shots, drops his ball within one club length of that ball (same area i.e. fairway or rough) and plays his ball to the hole keeping his own score. Maximum number of strokes - 8.

Tee shots: All players in the group hit a tee shot. If the group is a threesome, the players alternate hitting a fourth tee shot on each hole. A tee shot hit out-of-bounds is out of play and one of the other tee shots must be used. Players do not all have to choose the same tee shot to use for their second shot.

Mulligans: Each player has two per round. They cannot be used for a tee shot or on the green but may be used in a sand trap. Mulligans cannot be used in best-ball scrambles. NEW in 2023 - a player may choose either to use the ball position of the original shot or the mulligan. A mulligan has been used regardless of choice of ball positions. Mulligans may be used back-to-back.

Provisional (mulligan) ball: This rule has been dropped. It was introduced in 2021, but it seemed to cause more confusion than benefit.

Improvement of lie: A player may improve the lie of his ball by moving it with the club head a maximum of 6”, except when it is in a sand trap or other hazard. Ball cannot be moved from rough to fairway or vice versa. This does not allow “lift, clean and place”.

Gimmes: NEW in 2023 - A player may pick up his own putt that is "inside the leather" (defined as the distance from putter head to bottom of grip) on a standard putter. Simple rule; simple purpose: speed up play. The temptation is to abuse the rule and that does speed up play, but at the expense of fairness to other players.

Lost Ball: If after a reasonable attempt (USGA says 3 minutes) a player cannot find his ball, he may drop a ball where he expected it to be. One stroke penalty.

Out-of-bounds: If a shot is hit out-of-bounds, a player may drop one club length from the point the ball crossed the OB line. One stroke penalty.

Ball hit into water: USGA rules apply. Options are to replay shot, drop on line from flag through point where shot crossed into hazard or drop in a Drop Zone, if such exists. If ball went into a lateral (red) hazard the player also has the option to drop a ball laterally two club lengths away. One stroke penalty. 

Bunker (sand trap): A player may drop within one club length outside the trap, no closer to the hole. One stroke penalty. Or a player may use a mulligan in the sand trap.

Ball close to a tree, bush or evergreen: If a player’s swing is impeded by a tree, bush or evergreen, he may drop the ball up to one club length away without penalty. This is to gain a safe swing path, not to gain an open shot path to the green or fairway

Forward tees: Players age 80 and older may use the next tee box forward of the rest of the field, if such is available. This acknowledges that age may reduce the distance on drives but not the love of the game of golf.

Ball on cart path, in standing water, or in an area marked Ground Under Repair: Player may move ball, not closer to the hole, to a position that removes the ball from the situation - no penalty.

Rules last updated: 3/21/2023

 

Sandtrapper League 2025 Leadership Team:
 
Roy Saatkamp, Team Leader and Weekly Event Coordinator    309-335-6862   roysaatkamp51@gmail.com
Terry Tate, Secretary, Treasurer and Registration Desk Coordinator    309-657-1840   knttate@mchsi.com
Al Kuhlmann, Weekly Event Results and Website Coordinator    309-657-1427   akuhlmann@aol.com
Jim Blane, Pairings Coordinator    309-258-8773   jimblane0@gmail.com
Jerry Morey, Membership Coordinator    309-369-4488   jerrymorey@frontier.com
Steve Bare, Yellow Vest Coordinator    309-453-2604   snbare@comcast.net  
Mike Allison, Special Events Coordinator    309-222-7628  mearumrun1@gmail.com
Charlie Stewart, Weekly Event Results and Administrative Support    309-264-9423   cmstew5@gmail.com
Roger Nelson, Administrative Support    309-424-6606   rdnelson56@gmail.com