by LARRY D. INGRAM

MEN'S SOCIAL GOLF Nine Hole League (MSG9) will be kicking off their signature event this month, the annual Green Jacket Tournament and Awards Banquet.
On Friday, April 18th, round one of the Green Jacket Tournament begins at Tara Club. The field then moves to Monticello on Wednesday, the 23rd for round two. Rounds three and four will be played at Tara and then Monticello again on the 25th and 30th of April; four (4) consecutive nine (9) hole rounds.
The best eighteen (18) hole net score over the four (4) rounds of play will determine the tournament winner. In addition to the Green Jacket presentation, there is a $100 cash prize, including prizes for second, and third through seventh place finishes. There will be a closest to the pin competition during each round as well as cash prizes for low net score for each round.
To qualify to compete in MSG9 tournaments players must have a GHIN handicap rating and have played no less than six (6) rounds of golf with MSG9 in this calendar year during normal league play days.
The Green Jacket Tournament has traditionally been a three round event all played at Tara Club on three consecutive Fridays in April; designed to coincide with The Masters Tournament in Augusta. When the event was originally founded Tara was the only golf course open in Savannah Lakes Village. Monticello wasn’t completed until the spring of 2000.
The 2025 Green Jacket Tournament will mark a historical departure from previous years. This year, the Tournament Committee has included Monticello in the rotation and added an additional play day. The awards ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 7th, at the River Grille. 
Men’s Social Golf Nine Hole League began in 1997 as a small group of social golfers who agreed to play under a set of modified USGA rules to emphasize a reasonable pace of play. MSG9 is sanctioned by the Board of Directors and has grown into a full membership of over one hundred and seventy players. As the league continues to swell, nine hole play is a welcome pastime for our members who enjoy the rewards of social interaction and casual golf.
Every Wednesday at Monticello, and every Friday at Tara, MSG9 players tee it up for nine holes starting with the first tee times of the day. MSG9 also offers an afternoon session from March through November that begins at 2 pm. Afterwards, golfers gather at the clubhouse to share their wins and their woes over pints and pitchers. Every play day is as much about fellowship as it is about golf.
MSG9 hosts two annual tournaments which are both followed by a dinner for the Green Jacket presentation and a picnic at the pavilion in September for the Social Cup Awards. The 2025 season is filled with a busy calendar including two Thursday Scrambles, two par three days, and several other occasional games. Not to exclude the Holiday party and gift exchange in December.
Our mission is to maintain and promote relaxed nine (9) hole golf while encouraging the social interaction of our membership as we support community golf initiatives. All Savannah Lakes Villages residents are welcome to join the MSG9 Men’s Social Golf Nine Hole Golf League. For more information visit www.MSG9.net
By design, it’s just nine, where friends meet to play.