THROUGH THE YEARS WITH THE SENIOR SCRATCH SERIES
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORGANIZATION
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1992
Perdido Bay - the inaugural event:
The origin of the Emerald Coast Senior Scratch Series came when the fledgling Gulf Coast Scratch Tour, midway through its second (8 event) season in 1992, officially created a Senior Division for its final three tournaments.
Actually, 10 area seniors - nine of whom became charter members of the Senior Scratch Series - competed in a special Senior Division of the 1991 News Journal Amateur Championship at Hidden Creek. Lou Raganella shot 74-74--148 to win by a stroke over Gary Gross.
News Journal Amateur Championship:
The 1992 edition, played at Perdido Bay in August, included the first official Senior Division - for which senior points were awarded, counting towards the Senior Player of the Year award.
Of the 21 seniors who participated in that first official Senior Series event, 7 remain 1999 active members of the ECSSS.
The original 21 players included:
Ted Raymond, Lou Raganella, Don Hagler, Gary Gross, Bill Dalton, Bill Kirby, M.L. Fletcher, Bill Birks, Sylvester Jones, Steve Orlich, Ed Law, David Kee, Charlie Ward, Rhett Cadenhead, Pete Thompson, Jack Pickett, Bob Brennand, Skip Hibbard, Monte Barrow, Vic Sylvester, Roger Martinez.
Pizza Hut Invitational - our first 54-hole event
The second ECSSS event was the inaugural Pizza Hut Invitational at Stonebrook Village. The 54-hole event, which included a Senior Championship Division, was played August 28-30, 1992. We had 18 seniors tee it up in that tournament.
Marcus Pointe - we decided to form the ECSSS:
The third Gulf Coast Tour event with a Senior Division was played at Marcus Pointe, September 26-27, 1992. There were 22 senior entrants in that event.
The first separate ECSSS event was held in November, 1992, when the Senior Masters Invitational was inaugurated. All Gulf Coast Scratch Tour senior members were invited to participate in the Senior Masters. The field for the 54-hole event at Shalimar Pointe included 42 players.
Edwin Watts Golf Shops joined us a sponsor, creating the Edwin Watts Player of the Year award, going to the top-finisher on the year’s points list. Edwin Watts Golf Shops also provides the individual replica cup presented to the Senior Masters Champion.
Based on the rapid growth of the Senior Division, it was decided that the seniors would spin off onto their own tour in 1993. The Emerald Coast Senior Scratch Series was officially named, with a full 12-event season scheduled for 1993.
1993
Opening with 52 players at the first event of the year at Emerald Bay, by the close of 1993 there were 123 members on the rolls, with fields averaging 45-65 participants at each of the 11 regular-season events. Coca Cola came aboard as a partial sponsor of the Senior Masters, the sponsorship money defraying a portion of the entry fees for invitees. The Senior Masters limited-field policy was initiated (past Senior Masters champs, past Players-of-the-Year, tournament winners of the current and last season and the top-40 finishers on the regular-season points list) with the 1993 Coca Cola Senior Masters, again held at Shalimar Pointe.
1994
The 1994 season, again comprised of 12 events, saw membership almost double during the year. There were 101 members in the field at the opening event at Emerald Bay. We ended 1994 with 211 members. With the exception of the first three events of the year, which drew many "Snowbird" member participants (fields of 101, 77 and 86), fields drew 50-65 players.
The 1994 Senior Masters moved to Hidden Creek, with plans to make that the permanent venue for the event.
In 1994, the Challenge Cup Matches were inaugurated. That post-season event saw an ECSSS team, comprised of the top-12 finishers on the points list, compete against a squad comprised of PGA Dixie Section senior professionals. The one-day event (27 holes) was held at Hidden Creek with the PGA winning by a 13-11 margin.
Challenge Cup Team:
Lou Raganella, Neil McGillicuddy, Gerald Stacey, Rommie Hodge, Ken Allen, Earl Daniell,
Billy Graham, Bill Kirby, Max Mathews, John Sims, Don Hagler, Tom McCall
1995
The schedule was expanded to include 14 tournaments for 1995. Membership numbers remained relatively stable, although the composition of the membership changed somewhat. Over 60 new members came onto the rolls, with an approximate number not renewing their memberships. Some of the losses came when the Lite Scratch Tour of Mobile, Ala., in its second year of operation, expanded to include senior divisions in its events. Some former ECSSS members from Alabama and Mississippi opted to play "closer to home." We finished the season with 214 members.
Fields for ECSSS events, however, continued to burgeon. The opener at Emerald Bay in 1995 drew 112 players. There were 106 players at Seascape. And the 68-player, limited-field events at Sandestin, Monsanto and A.C. Read (booked based on fields drawn in 1994) were filled up to a month before the events, with waiting lists. Fields for other events ranged from 55-85 participants. Sleep Inn joined Coca Cola as a one-time sponsor of the Senior Masters.
The Challenge Cup Matches expanded to a two-day format, played at Stonebrook Village - 27 holes of team events on the first day with 18-hole singles matches the final day. The PGA won the matches by an 18-12 score.
Challenge Cup Team:
Ralph Frangioni, Gerald Stacey, Rommie Hodge, Charlie Smith, Dick Johnston, Billy Graham,
Bill Kirby, John Sims, Buddy Supple, Earl Daniell, Tom McCall, Max Mathews
1996
The 1996 schedule expanded again, to 15 events - only one of which was a limited-field tournament (other than the Senior Masters), as The Moors limited the field to 100 players.
Through the14 regular-season events, we had only four that did not reach or exceed the 100-player mark. Those all came towards the end of the season. But the field for the final regular-season event at Biloxi filled the120-player mark over a month prior to the event - with some 10 players on an alternate waiting list.
The post-season Ryder Cup-style match schedule also expanded. Besides the ECS-PGA Senior Challenge Cup, we competed against a senior team from Mobile in the Lite Challenge Cup matches at TimberCreek.
The PGA again won the ECS-PGA Senior Challenge Cup matches by a final score of 15.5 to 14.5. The ECSS Challenge Cup team defeated the Mobile Lite Scratch Tour Senior squad by an 8.5-7.5 score.
At the end of the 1996 season, the membership roster stood at 263. Although a preponderance of members were residents of northwest Florida and Alabama, the roster included members from 14 states.
Challenge Cup Team:
Buddy Supple, Tom McCall, Don Lambert, Gerald Stacey, Jim Chapman, Max Mathews, Bob Joyce,
Rommie Hodge, Ralph Frangioni, Jerry Etheridge, Bob Ross, Billy Graham, Mike Morgan
1997
The schedule reverted to 14 events, based on avoiding conflict with the U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Amateur (in 1996, we had 6 members qualify for the Senior Open and 9 for the Senior Amateur - with another 7 earning alternate status).
At the conclusion of the regular season, the membership rolls included 268 members representing 15 states.
We played 12 regular-season events, one being cancelled due to rescheduling of another that had been rained out and rescheduled.
A Super Senior Division was created (age 66-up) for 1997, allowing those members to “double-dip.” The Senior Masters field was increased to 60 players, the top-50 on the regular points list and the top-10 on the Super Senior points list. Due to a small number of competitors in the Super Senior Division, the slots allotted for the Senior Masters was reduced to seven.
Through June, each event filled its field (120 players) over a week prior to the event. With the onset of summer vacation time, fields slacked off slightly, although only three of the 12 events played dropped below the 100-player mark.
At the close of the 1997 season, the annual membership roster stood at 266.
Billy Graham became the first player to successfully defend the Senior Masters title. He also tied Lou Raganella’s record, racking up his third straight Edwin Watts Player-of-the-Year award. And collected his 23rd career victory with the Senior Masters win.
The ECSSS Challenge Cup Team won the inaugural Coors Senior Challenge Cup Matches against the senior squad from the Lite Scratch Tour by a 15.5 - 8.5 score. The ECSS-PGA Challenge Cup Matches, scheduled in December, had to be cancelled due to PGA member conflicts/committments.
Challenge Cup Team:
Billy Graham, Jerry Kelly, Fred Peel, Wilmer Mitchell, Jim Kinder, Don Henby,
Scotty Byrne, Gerald Stacey, John Sims, Fred Gross, Bob Ross, Don Hagler
1998
As we entered 1998, we welcomed aboard Vanguard Bank as the title sponsor of the Vanguard Bank Senior Masters Invitational.
We also moved to another level with the incorporation of the Emerald Coast Senior Scratch Series as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation in the state of Florida.
We published our first Annual Yearbook. We finished the 1998 season with 244 Active Annual Members.
As was the case in 1997, fields filled long before the entry deadlines. Our schedule included 12 Regular Season events plus the Senior Masters. Hurricane Georges cut that slate back to 11 events as the storm washed out the Shalimar Pointe event.
We added another post-season event - on Thanksgiving weekend, we played our inaugural Member-Member/Member-Guest Team event at Brewton.
Billy Graham made it a “three-peat” as he successfully defended his Senior Masters championship. Graham also wrapped up his fourth straight Player of the Year title.
The ECSS Challenge Cup squad topped the Mobile Lite Scratch Tour seniors for the third straight year. The 1998 victory was by a 16-8 margin in the three-day matches, held at Magnolia Grove.
The renewal of the PGA-ECSS Cup matches, held at Regatta Bay, saw the ECSS team score its first win in the history of the matches. Although the ECSS fielded its strongest team ever, the lopsided 47-16 score was also fashioned in part because, due to last-minute player withdrawals, the PGA ended up with a “pick-up” team.
Challenge Cup Team:
Charlie Smith, Jack Cantwell, Don Lambert, Jay Martin, Jerry Kelly, Charles Amos, Fred Peel, Tom McCall, Wilmer Mitchell, Gerald Stacey, Richard Beall, Max Mathews, Billy Graham, Jim Wallis
1999
We went “Spikeless” this year as the Board voted to institute a policy of allowing only non-metal spikes for our 1999 Series events. Any player exceptions to this rule had to be substantiated by a doctor’s certificate.
Although the schedule remained at 12 regular-season tournaments providing points, we added the post-season Member-Member/Member-Guest team tournament, a three-day event slated at Brewton. Members were allowed to invite a PGA Dixie Section senior pro to play as their partner.
Both Santa Rosa and Eglin returned to the tournament schedule this year, with new venues Hombre, Glenlakes and The Oaks appearing on the schedule. The final regular-season event at The Oaks was a three-day tournament.
Regatta Bay was designated “Home Course of the Emerald Coast Senior Scratch Series” and becomes the permanent host site for the Senior Masters.
Also instituted was the Group Marshall program, in which a player in each group was designated as the Group Marshall. Marshalls were provided with a Guidelines sheet - and the program significantly reduced rules violations while speeding up the pace of play.
The inaugural Triangular Challenge Cup Matches were played at Regatta Bay, with our Challenge Cup Team competing with the Alabama Senior Challenge Team and the Louisiana Scratch Tour Senior Team.
The ECSS squad was a convincing winner, downing Alabama 16 1/2 - 7 1/2 and beating Louisiana 19 1/2 - 4 1/2. Alabama defeated Louisiana 14 1/2 - 9 1/2.
Challenge Cup Team:
(Non-playing Co-Captains: Ralph Frangioni, Don Lambert)
Fred Peel, Jerry Kelly, Dick Ousley, Earl Daniell, Joe Cristillo, Fred Gross,
Max Mathews, Charlie Smith, Frank Bell, Bill Giese, Mike Brown, Bobby Louhier
2000
We entered the new millenium - and our 9th year of existence - with some minimal changes only to our operation.
We also “broke new ground” by electing the first Honorary Life Member. That honor went to noted golf writer and book author, Al Barkow. Al joined us to participate in the Vanguard Senior Masters Invitational.
The edition of the Yearbook reflected the advance of technology - the membership roster included e-mail addresses. Some 170 of our 235 members (as of April 1, 2000) had e-mail addresses, thus the Board decided to include those along with mailing addresses in the Yearbook roster section.
The restriction to allow alternative spikes only was continued in 2000.
Both the final regular-season event at The Oaks and the Team Tourney reverted to 36-hole events as, based on member feedback, the Board decided that only the Vanguard Senior Masters Invitation - our extra-special event of the year - should be a 54-hole event.
While the regular-season, Regular Division points system remained as it was in 1999, the regular-season Super Senior Division points system was changed to reflect the growing numbers of super seniors and bring the system into accordance with the Regular Division points system.
Both the Regular Division and Super Senior Division points systems for the Vanguard Senior Masters were altered - both awarding more points to top finishers to reflect the importance of the event.
The Mobile Lite Scratch squad broke through with their first victory, downing the ECSS dozen, 12 ½ - 11 ½.
The Triangular Challenge Cup Matches were rained out after the first round. The Alabama squad topped the ECSS team, 3 ½ - 2 ½ and beat Louisiana, 5 – 1. ECSS downed Louisiana, 4 ½ - 1 ½.
Challenge Cup Team:
(Non-playing co-captains: Don Lambert & Neil McGillicuddy)
Doc Holliday, Earl Daniell, Ron Palmerton, Paul Cline, Fred Gross, Dick Schwinn,
Bill Kirby, Frank Bell, Bill Giese, Fred Peel, Jerry Kelly, Max Mathews
2001
We celebrated our 10th year by going back to a 14-event schedule – 13 regular-season events and the Vanguard Senior Masters Invitational.
Dues were set by the Board at $70.
Returning to the list of tournament venues were Shalimar Pointe and Eglin. A new addition to the rotation was TimberCreek.
The only major change to our tournament slate was the elimination of the Member-Member/Member-Guest Team event. Fields for that event were too small in both 1999 and 2000 to warrant continuation of the tournament.
There were two very significant items to point to in the 2001 season. We extended our second Honorary Life Membership to Bob Oliver, former president of the International Network of Golf. Lou Raganella and Bob Wallace were not only extended status as Charter Life Members but the Board named our two most prestigious awards in their honor.
The Lou Raganella Player of the Year Award and the Bob Wallace Senior Masters Champion Award were presented by those two octagenarians at the Vanguard Senior Masters Championship.
The inaugural Southeast Senior Challenge Cup Matches were held at TimberCreek. The Mobile Seniors scored a convincing victory, amassing 35 ½ points, well in front of the runner-up ECSS squad, in with 29 points. The Louisiana Seniors were third with 24 ½ points while the Birmingham Seniors trailed with 19 points.
Challenge Cup Team:
(Non-playing Captains Jack Cantwell & Ted Raymond)
Max Mathews, Don Lambert, Paul Cline, Mike Brown, Earl Daniell, Mike Gravette,
Dick Schwinn, Dave Stuart, Fred Peel, Jerry Kelly, Bill Giese, Frank Bell
2002
Setting out on our 11th year, we set an ambitious schedule, going from 14 events to a total of 16, including 15 regular-season tournaments plus the post-season Vanguard Senior Masters.
Dues were set at $75. Entry fees ranged from $85 to $95.
New sites included DeFuniak Springs, Stonebrook, Peninsula, Soldiers Creek, Perdido Sportsman (site of our first ECSS event) and Shell Landing. Also, the venue for the Vanguard Senior Masters returned to the site of the first Senior Masters, Shalimar Pointe. Unfortunately, this was the last year of Vanguard Bank’s five-year sponsorship of the Senior Masters. We extended Honorary Life Membership to Gary Roberts in recognition of Vanguard’s support of the ECSS.
There was a major adjustment to the Vanguard Senior Masters. The Board made a major change in the points system, removing the post-season Vanguard Senior Masters from the system. A major reason for the change was that the Challenge Cup team has been determined from the points standings at the conclusion of the regular season.
The second annual Southeast Senior Challenge Cup Matches were rain-shortened. Only two of the scheduled four-day matches in the second annual Quadrangular Challenge Matches could be completed as heavy rains curtailed play.
Both Thursday’s and Friday’s 4-ball matches were completed. But Saturday’s final 4-ball matches had to be halted because of heavy rain. They were slated to be completed Sunday morning. But the rains came pouring down again, forcing cancellation of the third 4-ball matches and Sunday’s scheduled singles matches.
The first-day results saw ECSS scoring a 4 ½ - 1 ½ win over Louisiana and Mobile taking a 3 ½ - 2 ½ decision over Birmingham.
In second-day matches, Mobile blanked Louisiana by a 6-0 score while ECSS notched a 4-2 win over Birmingham.
That left Mobile the winner of the abbreviated matches, scoring 9 ½ points, with ECSS next at 8 ½, Birmingham at 4 ½ and Louisiana at 1 ½.
Challenge Cup Team:
Capain – Don Lambert
Max Mathews, Larry Fincher, Dick Schwinn, Frank Bell, Charlie Smith,
Fred Peel, Jerry Kelly, Billy Graham, Mike Gravette, Doc Holliday, Tom Hayes, Paul Cline
2003
There were a couple of changes as we set out on our 12th year.
We reverted to a 14-event schedule, 13 regular-season events and the Senior Masters. Entry fees ranged from $85 to $100.
The first change to our By Laws was effected as the Board voted to increase the number of Directors from 7 to 9 elected voting members.
Dues remained at $75. We added Fort Walton Beach and Camp Creek to the tournament schedule, dropping Sportsman, DeFuniak Springs, Hidden Creek and The Oaks for 2003.
After a four-year hiatus, we renewed our Challenge Cup matches against the PGA Dixie Section Senior Challenge Cup team, scoring our second win in the five-year history of the matches. The final tally was ECSS – 15 ½, PGA – 8 ½ in the 27-hole event. ECSS won the 9-hole alternate-shot format 4 ½ to 1 ½, the 9-hole better-ball format 4 to 2 and the 9-hole singles matches 7 to 5.
Challenge Cup Team:
Captain – Ted Raymond
Frank Bell, Mike Gravette, Tom Hayes, Max Mathews, Jerry Kelly, Fred Peel,
Dave Stuart, Schuyler Woods, Larry Fincher, Joe Knight, Charlie Saab, Dick Schwinn
2004
Starting out our 14th year, the Board voted to increase the schedule to 15 regular-season events plus the Senior Masters. Dues were set at $90, with tournament entry fees ranging from $85 to $100.
Returning to the schedule are Marcus Pointe and Santa Rosa. And we welcome
two new Alabama venues, Timberline and Woodlands, to the rotation.
The Board voted to inaugurate a new division, the Old Masters division, giving players 65-up the option, by tournament, of entering as either Regular/Super Senior players or Old Masters. The Old Masters compete strictly among themselves, playing a shorter course setup.
At the Annual Membership meeting, the ECSS all-time tournament winner, Billy Graham, was announced as the fourth recipient of an Honorary Life Membership. Graham was cited not only for his prowess as the winner of 32 ECSS regular-season events, three Senior Masters titles and five-time Player of the Year, as well as twice winning the Canadian Senior Match Play Championship, but also for his contributions as an FSGA rules official.
There were no Challenge Cup
matches, called off due to Hurricane Ivan.
The Board voted that for the 2005
season, we would have two separate divisions, the Open
Division and the Super Senior Division, open to members
age 60-up.
2005
The schedule was reduced to 13 regular season tournaments with the Senior Masters scheduled at Eglin Eagle and Falcon courses. Dues remained at $90, with entry fees ranging from $90 - $100. Ted Raymond was awarded Charter Life Member at the initial board meeting. A substantial change in format was established for the Open and Super Senior divisions with Super Seniors playing a slightly shorter course set up. Players 50 – 59 must play in the Open Division. Players 60 and older have the option at each event to play either the Open OR Super Senior division. Separate tee marker were purchased for the Super Senior. Challenge Cup matches were played at Blue Water Bay Resort between the ECSS and the Gulf Coast Scratch Tour. Gulf Coast won the matches 13 – 11.
Challenge Cup Team:
Team Captain – Schuyler Woods
Mike Gravette, Rusty Napier, Jim Wallis, Joe Knight
Marv McKinley, Ron Palmerton, Charlie Saab, Jim
McKenzie,
Tom Bruner, Fred Gross, Larry Fincher, Mike Reavey
2006
The regular season schedule was reduced to 11 tournaments with the Senior Masters being played at Blue Water Bay. Dues again remained at $90 and entry fees ranged from $95 - $105. The ECSS Membership unanimously voted to rename the Super Senior Masters Champion to the Ted Raymond Super Senior Champion. Ted Raymond announced his retirement from being the Executive Director of the ECSS, and Marv McKinley replaced him in that position. The membership awarded Ted Raymond a laptop computer for his 15 years of dedicated service to the ECSS. The Challenge Cup was played at Windswept Dunes in Freeport, FL between the ECSS and the Gulf Coast Scratch Tour. The Gulf Coast Scratch Tour won 15 ½ - 8 ½.
Challenge Cup Team:
Team Captain – Tom Hayes
George Covellis, Schuyler Woods, Charlie Saab, Bob Hinkle
Bobby Norman, Doc Holliday, Mike Gravette, Joe Knight
Rusty Napier, Mike Reavey, Larry Fincher
2007
The tour played 11 regular
tournaments with four exciting new venues: RTJ
Highland Oaks, Dothan AL; Soliders Creek, Elberta AL;
Regatta Bay, Destin FL; and Indian Bayou also in Destin
FL. The end of season Senior Masters Match Play
Championship was played at Windswept Dunes. Joe
Knight, open division and Larry Fincher, super senior
division won the first year event. The 2007 season
saw a change in the Board of Directors, with Mike Reavey
as President, Joe Knight, Vice President, and Lu Fowler
as the Executive Director. Dues were held to $90
while entry fees were kept at $95-105. The
challenge cup was played at Windswept Dunes between the
ECSSS and the Gulf Coast Scratch Tour. The younger
tour defeated the senior guys 17 1/2 - 6 1/2.
Challenge Cup Team:
Team Captain – Fred Gross
Joe Knight, Schuyler Woods, Charlie Saab, Rusty Napier
John Carr, Carl California, Fred Peel, Rich Grote
Max Mathews, Wayne Putman, Mike Reavey
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