This Year

Accommodations

The Grappa Invitational participants will be staying in this beautiful home near Singleton Beach.

Here is a brief description of this amazing beach house.

There are seven bedrooms and five baths encompassing over 4200 square feet. There are three living levels with stone floors, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, a large outdoor balcony on all three levels of the house, and a covered poolside lanai. The first floor layout has one bedroom with a king bed, a full size bathroom, kitchen, family room, and dining area. The second floor has four bedrooms including one with a king bed and three others with double beds. There are also three full baths and a laundry room on the second level. The third floor has a bedroom with a king bed and bath. There is also a game room/bedroom on the third floor that has three double beds along with sitting area plus Foosball, stand up arcade games (Galaga and Ms. Pacman), a sofa, love seat, big flat screen television, and Xbox system (bring your own games}.

The Courses

Tee times can't be booked this far in advance, but the Organizing Committee has put together a proposed list of epic golf courses

Bear Creek Golf Club

Golden Bear at Indigo Run

Old South Golf Links

Country Club of Hilton Head

Dolphin Head Golf Club

Hilton Head National

The Tournament

Early in our history we decided, for a variety of reasons, that only scores from previous Grappa Invitationals would be used to calculate player handicaps. For each event, scores from the previous two events are used to calculate a "Grappa Index" for each player. The handicaps for this year's event are as follows:

Rules and Guidelines

The following Grappa Invitational Rules are intended to minimize slow play and add to, or modify the USGA Rules of Golf. All situations not addressed below will be governed by the Rules of Golf.

Rule 1 - This whole damn section

Since most of this page constitutes a violation of USGA Rule 1-3, Agreement to Waive Rules; the first Tournament Rule is to Eliminate USGA Rule 1-3.

Rule 2 - Ball Lost or Out of Bounds

If a ball is lost or out of bounds, the player may under penalty of one stroke:

play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played -OR-

drop a ball, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the out of bounds margin (or the estimated location of a lost ball) directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far back the ball may be dropped -OR-

drop a ball, within 2 club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than the point at which the original ball last crossed the out of bounds margin (or the estimated location of a lost ball)

This rule modifies USGA Rule 27-1

Once final course selection is completed, course handicaps will be computed for each player, indicating the number of strokes the player receives on each course.

Rule 3 - Ball In Water Hazard

This rule applies to hitting over a water hazard or other penalty area where there is no designated "ball drop" area. If the player has proceeded according to USGA Rule 26-1, and has hit three consecutive balls into the same hazard, the player may, under penalty of one stroke, drop a ball on the far side of the hazard, within 2 club-lengths of the boundary of the hazard and at the point, within the boundaries of the fairway, furthest from the hole.

The Grappa

The organizing committee will supply the tournament with an adequate supply of Italian Grappa of the lowest quality available. The Grappa will be distributed over the 5-day event as follows:

At the end of each day, the player with the highest net stroke total for the day will be required to consume a standard shot of Grappa. The Grappa must be consumed straight-up, in other words, the shot of Grappa cannot be mixed with any other beverage (including water) and cannot contain ice.

At the conclusion of the final round all cumulative scores will be recorded and the players with the lowest gross total (no handicap) and the lowest net total (with handicap) will be declared the Grappa Invitational International Grand Champion and Grappa Invitational International Amateur Champion, respectively. In addition to any other prizes awarded, the Grand Champion and Amateur Champion will each be granted the right to distribute 3 shots of Grappa among the other players. It is totally at the discretion of each Champion how these shots are distributed. (i.e. The winner can give one shot to each of 3 players or all 3 shots to one player) with the exception that each Champion is immune from the grappa shots distributed by the other Champion.

The Grappa Effect - Well this is what it's all about. Here is the 2001 tournament field partaking of the "Nectar of the Dogs". Notice the difference in facial expressions between Team Sweden and Team USA. Anyone familiar with Grappa (who doesn't suffer from a genetic mutation that has left them without taste buds) knows that it is the most vile, wretched, grotesquely foul liquid substance ever produced for human consumption (no offense to my friends in Italy who may stumble upon this website). This is evident in the reaction by Team USA, however, when you grow up drinking Scotch as a toddler, in a country where they celebrate special events by imbibing a variety of kerosene-like beverages and eating raw fish, your taste buds are immune to the kind of havoc that Grappa wreaks on normal humans.

Player Handicaps

Location

Join us in Hilton Head, SC, where golf meets southern charm for an unforgettable tournament experience.

Address

17 Crabline Court

Hilton Head Island, SC, 29928