GAP Team Matches Begin

From the GAP Website: The BMW GAP Team Matches, steeped in tradition since GAP’s inception in 1897, have been a golfing tradition since day one. Conceived by the Association’s founders to foster camaraderie and sportsmanship, the Matches began with four Member Clubs — Belmont Golf Association (now Aronimink Golf Club), Merion Cricket Club, Philadelphia Country Club, and Philadelphia Cricket Club — and now features 400-plus. Initially called the Interclub Team Matches, the event evolved into the Suburban League Matches in 1915 before adopting its current name in 1997. Since 2015, BMW has proudly sponsored this prestigious event, symbolizing excellence in golf and community spirit.

The 2026 GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia) team match series started on Sunday, April 19th. Cripple Creek has two (2) teams and your Hack is on the “B” squad. The teams are separated by handicap each week with the lowest twelve (12) handicap players playing for the “A” Team. A players lowest handicap from the prior year (2025) is used for this purpose, but the matches are played gross. Some clubs have just one (1) team and some have multiple teams which, as well see, can lead to some dramatic mis-matches. Teams are in sections with three (3) other teams, within divisions of the GAP. Our Cripple Creek “B” Team plays Back Creek, St. Anne Links, and Southern Delaware Golf this year.

Cripple Creek’s team 2 - the “B” Team - played Back Creek (Middletown, DE) on April 19th. Each team consists of 12 players, 6 play at home and 6 away. Your Hack was on the home team, partnered with Dave Fantozzi. Each foursome features two (2) singles matches and a single 4-ball match - again no strokes. A player can win a point for the front, back, and total match so there are nine (9) points available in each group.

Weather was colder that Sunday - temperatures in the low 50’s, but a steady 15-20 MPH wind from the north, with 30 MPH gusts kept the “feels-like” temperatures in the upper 30’s. Luckily, I was prepared with several warm layers and a knit beanie. Dave wasn’t unfortunately.

My opponent Fabian and I both were 8 handicaps, while David (11) faced off against Matt (15). On the front nine, I got off to a great start with three (3) pars, followed by a birdie on the par 5, 14th hole to go 3 up up on Fabian. #15 was halved with bogeys, but my par on the next hole closed out the front 4 and 3. Dave was a couple down at that point, but we also had also closed out the 4-ball on the front with a win. Dave ended up losing his match 2 down on the front.

Dave started coming back strong on the back nine, building a good lead over the first few holes and erasing the 2 down deficit on the 18 hole match. His better play continued and he was able to win the back and the 18 for 2 out of the possible 3 points.

Your Hack continued playing well, and taking advantage of Fabian’s troubles in the wind, built a large lead even with double bogeying the par 3-7th and par-3-13th with shots into the water. A string a 4 straights pars closed out my match taking all 3 points and, as a team, taking all 3 4-ball points from our opponents. We’d won 8 of the 9 points available. Unfortunately, overall our “B” Team lost to Back Creek 31 to 23 points, losing both away and at home.

My scorecard is shown below:

On March 26th, in cold and windy conditions again, Team “B” took on St. Anne’s (Middletown). The only difference from the prior Sunday was that it was colder and a mist was falling off and on for the first couple hours of the match. I was playing at home again and paired with my friend, the Senator. Ominously, I was facing Jon who carried a +2 course handicap and the Senator was facing Jim carrying a 1 course handicap. Remember these matches are played without strokes and your Hack is an 8 and the Senator a 12.

Jon started off with 3 straight pars and I was quickly down 3 holes after making 3 straight bogeys on fairly easy par 4’s (we started on the back 9). The Senator was only 1-down at this point after Jim birdied #12.

Things turned on the par 3, 13th hole which was only 110 yards into the wind to a front pin. The wind was howling into us from the north and after all 3 prior players missed the green (my opponent shoved his shot into the water), I punched an 8 iron to about 12-13 feet and made the putt for birdie - 2-down against Jon and only 1-down in the 4-ball. Pars halved #14 and my par won #15 after Jon pushed his drive into the pond and made bogey. Jim made birdie from the front bunker to put us 2-down as a team and closed out the Senator on the front. His shot was even more impressive as he was within 3 inches of the bunker face on the left and the pin was in the back middle of the green - two bounced, check and a short roll before dropping in for a 3!

The long (190 yard) par 3, 16th was a bear with the wind. Jon went OB with his drive, Jim was short left. I was able to get up and down from short right which evened the match versus Jon and moved us back to 1 down in the 4-ball when Jon missed his par putt.

#17 was a pivotal hole in the match. I has 165 yard to the pin for my 3rd on the par 5 and left my shot in the water. Thinking I’d lost the hole, I watched in amazement as Jon also dumped his approach into the drink! His next shot was wide right and I hit mine pin high. After Jon could not get up and down, somehow I went 1-up on our match. The Senator made a strong 6 to win the hole for the team and our 4-ball match was halved. Jon and I both made bogeys on #18, giving me the match 1-up and halving the team match. The Senator and I looked at each other in amazement that we’d been able to halve (1.5 points to 1.5 points) two (2) scratch players on the first 9 and we basically floated to the 1st tee for the 2nd nine.

The 2nd nine saw all 3 matches “all square” after the 3rd hole. The Senator and Jim matched each other with pars on each hole, while Jim and I traded bogeys and pars to remain even. I was able to land a sand wedge to kick-in distance on #4 for a conceded birdie to go 1-up, but Jim also made birdie to keep the 4-ball halved.

Jim continued his strong play against the Senator and closing out the match on #7, while your Hack remained 1-up on Jim until he chipped in for birdie on to even the match and close out the 4-ball on the back. The St. Anne’s team had taken the 4-ball points on both the 2nd nine and the overall 18, leaving my match with Jon as the only active match in our group. Jon, who had been having trouble with his driver all day, blew his tee shot dead left into the trees between #8 and #4 leaving only a lay-up. My drive was in the middle of the fairway, 107 yards from the flag. My wedge ended up about 8 feet from the pin and Jon was unable to get up and down and made bogey. My birdie putt rolled over the edge, but the par gave me back the 1-up lead going into the last. We each made bogey from impossible positions left and behind the 9th green with a pin on the lower right of the green and I’d held on to win the back as well as the overall match. It was a very satisfying 3 points against a much better player who just happened to have a bad day. Cripple Creek, with it’s tricky greens and sometimes wild winds, won the day again.

Golf! Anyone can beat anyone on any given day. On a day where we should have lost all 9 points to better players, the Senator and your Hack held on and brought home 3.5 points.

Unfortunately, Team “B” did not fare well overall and we lost the overall match to St. Anne’s.

My scorecard for the day is shown below (we started on #10):

Our final GAP team match is next Sunday against Southern Delaware (Dover) and I hope to play on the away team. Cripple Creek is undergoing it’s Spring aeration this week and the greens will still be healing - punched holes and lots of sand. Wish me luck.

In the meantime, thanks for following the adventures of the Retired Golf Hack and keep it in the short grass.