The Division II Women’s Golf Committee is recommending to the Division II Championships Committee an increase in the number of rounds teams are required to play in the championship segment.

If approved, teams will be required to play at least six rounds in the spring season (up from four) to be considered for selection. The new policy would become effective for the 2008 championships.

The golf committee asked the Championships Committee last year for an increase from four rounds to eight, but the cabinet claimed the change did not accommodate schools from northern climates. Golf committee members, though — some of whom represent northern schools — say the change is manageable for all teams. Still, they see the six-round minimum as a reasonable compromise, and they maintain that since the championship is conducted in the spring, they need more spring results on which to base selection decisions.

The committee made the recommendation at its annual meeting June 21. The meeting was unique in that it was conducted via videoconference. A relatively light agenda with no budget items facilitated the one-day conference at a significant cost savings.

The meeting gave committee members a chance to applaud the remarkable efforts from officials at Grand Valley State University during the 2006 championships. Despite cold, windy and rainy conditions that committee members thought would have compromised or even canceled the tournament at other courses, only one round of competition was lost to the inclement weather. Rollins College won the team title by six strokes over Ferris State University on the Allendale, Michigan, course.

In other action, the golf committee clarified that "range-finders" may be used during practice rounds at regional and finals but not during competitive rounds.

Committee members also noted that the 2007 championships would be the first to use the newly approved three-day regional format in which golfers play 18 holes a day. Previously, regionals were held over two days, with golfers having to play 36 holes the first day.

The committee also noted that the new Division II regionalization policy will be implemented for the 2009 championships.

Finally, the committee recommended a minor change in the selection criteria that would become effective in 2008 if approved by the Championships Committee. When reviewing the criteria a second time after the first review results in a tie, the committee wants to place the spring results vs. fall results criterion higher in the priority scale.