What is the SFBPGT?

Author: Larry Cohen
Date of publish: 01/01/2011
Level: General Interest

I get plenty of material from the South Florida Bridge Players weekly game. It is a high-stakes IMP game hosted by Mike Becker.

 
However, I get my joy from a different South Florida game. It is the SFBPGT.  What's that? 


The South Florida Bridge Players Golf Tour.  Golf is my passion (I was down to about an 8 HCP in 2010 -- but as I write this, that number is getting higher).

Our "Tour" sponsored an event at the 2010 National Championships in Orlando. This is what it said in the Daily Bulletin for the event we sponsored:

South Florida Bridge Players Golf Tour Bracketed KO 2 (that was the event name at the bridge tournament)

The tour works as follows: Via e-mail, each week, Mike Becker, (“The Commissioner”), finds out the number of times each player wants to play, and on what days (and hours of the day) they are available. “Senior” players take into account their doctor appointments. Mike organizes them into foursomes and sends them to one of the ten private courses the tour plays in the Boca Raton area. In 2009, 667 rounds were played by tour members. Mike also tracks the money won and lost through small-stakes betting, and at year end, the player who won the most money earns the “Tour Leader Award.” Players also vote on the Most Improved Golfer Award. Some years, no one gets the M.I.G.A., because, well, there is no player who actually improved.The tour members are: Mike Becker, David Berkowitz, Larry Cohen, Gary Cohler, Richie Coren, Marc Culberson, John Griscom, Marshall Hall, John Lewis, Bob Jones, Joe Machotka, Victor Markowicz, Bernie Miller, Barnet Shenkin and Stan Tulin.

Jesper Parnevik and Larry Cohen
                    Jesper Parnevik and Larry Cohen
This is a "non-tour" photo of star PGA golfer Jesper Parnevik and Larry (they played golf then bridge--guess who shot the 68?).