The Division III Men's Golf Committee recommended eliminating a policy that provides championship hosts with an automatic berth into the national tournament at its annual meeting July 19-21 in Boston.

The provision was implemented several years ago to boost what at the time was believed to be a lack of potential bidders for hosting the finals. However, interest in hosting the tournament has increased over the years even without the automatic-qualifer incentive, and committee members noted that the Division III golf championship was the only one operating with such a policy.

In addition, members noted that bracket expansion in 2007 also is likely to increase interest in hosting the event. Though some committee members were reluctant to remove the provision, the consensus among the group was that the field of potential hosts had grown enough to warrant a change.

The committee also discussed the format for the 2007 championships when the bracket expands (from 23 to 35 teams) and automatic qualification becomes effective. When the committee learned that bracket expansion had been approved, its initial recommendation to the Division III Championships Committee was to pare down the larger field with a 36-hole cut to 18 teams and six individuals not on those teams.

After further consideration, however, the golf committee has asked to modify the number of participants in the final two rounds. Cutting the field in half still leaves 96 players for the final two rounds, a number too large to administer in one wave of tee times. With two waves already a necessity, then, the committee reasoned that the post-cut field should be 23 teams and five individuals, which is the same field administered in the current championship tournament. That produces two waves of 60 golfers each, which the committee believes is a manageable number. Plus, the committee supports the increased participation opportunities a smaller cut would produce.

Also with regard to the expanded bracket in 2007, committee members established site specifications for tournament hosts in 2007 and 2008. Those specs will change since the 35-team field will require either two adjacent 18-hole courses or a 36-hole facility, at least for the first two rounds before the cut is implemented. The committee also asked the Championships Committee for an increase in the number of rules officials available to work the finals (from 10 to 12) because of the need for a larger venue.

Committee members also talked about how to use a $7,500 enhancement fund for future championships The Division III Championships Committee recommended the enhancement fund for finals at 22 Division III championship sites beginning in 2005-06 to improve the student-athlete experience at those events. The Division III Management and Presidents Councils approved the measure in April.

Golf committee members considered a number of possibilities, including on-course leaderboards (both manual and electronic), standard bearers, and a student-athlete lounge area in the clubhouse with computers, televisions and snacks.

In other action, the committee recommended changing the championships date formula to the second full week in May, with competition being staged Tuesday through Friday. Practice rounds would be conducted Sunday and Monday.

In a related matter, committee members recommended moving the selection date for determining championships participants to the first Monday in May. Currently, selections are announced 10 days before the tournament begins, but the new date would provide teams with an additional weekend for regular-season competition.

The committee also:

• Praised officials from Oglethorpe University and the Central Florida Sports Commission for their work in hosting the 2005 championships.

• Did not support a concept being debated in Division III under which national championships in golf and tennis would be conducted in the fall rather than in the spring.

• Did not support a proposal requiring golfers to play only one brand of ball during a round. The "one-ball rule" is in effect for the Divisions I and II championships.