[j_mardis]

First off, thank you to Dion, Colin, and Brice for making the trip to Boise. It is always nice to have Oregon players come to Idaho. I wish there were more players attending your events from our area as the golf is great over there. I am planning on making it to WOXI if all things work out, and I can't wait!

As for scheduling, it is always a challenge to not have major conflicts. I am most likely going to be on the GSDG board this fall and I will make an effort to coordinate with all of the surrounding states: WA, OR, UT, & MT. I love to travel to play golf, but having our state championship on the same weekend as the Eugene Celebration is not good for golf in the Northwest. There are times it cannot be avoided, but oh well.

The biggest concern with the 'bunkers' at the Gem State Championship is that it was not done in a professional manner. There was no warning and they were not explained very well. It is frustrating to no end that Boise is represented by what most would consider a "Mickey Mouse" setup for the state championship. The bunkers were in NORMAL landing areas, punishing a good shot and rewarding an errant throw. Such is life - everyone had to play the same course.

We here in Boise have worked our a**es off for years to bring players from out of town to our tourneys - mostly with lots of added cash - only to have them go home with a similar point of view to Dion's. Steve Loyd won $534 with ONLY 9 OPEN PLAYERS at Gem State!!! That is $54 MORE than what Nate Sexton won at the Calapooia Classic with 39 pros!!!

I hope more Oregon players will make it to Boise, and Idaho players to Oregon as well. With golf getting more popular by the day, we really need to work together to grow the sport for everyone.

Jordan