The Division II Women’s Golf Committee is recommending that teams participating in the championships be allowed to use two coaches on the course rather than just one.

Committee members at their recent annual meeting in Indianapolis supported the measure not only to align with the policy used in Division I but also with what is being applied more frequently in Division II regular-season competition.

Committee Chair Janet Bailey, athletics director at Glenville State, also noted that the USGA in 2008 adopted rules allowing up to two persons to give advice. The NCAA did not adopt the change for its postseason competition at that time, but now the committee is recommending the two-coach rule.

“It was a source of confusion primarily at regionals since golfers were coming off their regular-season play where many golfers were accustomed to having two coaches,” Bailey said.

Bailey also said more Division II women’s golf programs are hiring a second coach. The travel party still provides for just one coach, however, so institutions that choose to bring the second will have to pay that coach’s way.

In other action, the committee voted to eliminate one of the two practice rounds, both as a cost-savings measure and a practical matter.

The committee also recommended that the 2010 finals be at the Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, with Grand Canyon serving as the host institution.

In addition, members discussed legislative proposals for the 2010 Convention, including a concept from the Life in the Balance initiative that would reduce the dates of competition for golf from 24 to 21.

Bailey said the committee accepts the rationale behind the proposal but is also interested in a proposal from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference that addresses Life in the Balance issues.

The idea is to spread out the nonchampionship segment in golf and thus keep golfers from missing class time periodically for several weeks in a row. The proposal states that during the nonchampionship segment, golfers may participate in any practice or competition as permitted by other legislation, provided it is restricted to a maximum of 24 days that occur within 60 consecutive calendar days.

It also would allow an institution that declares fall as its championship segment and discontinues championship-segment activities by November 1 (instead of November 15) to add 15 calendar days to the 60 consecutive calendar days available during the nonchampionship segment.