By Todd Dobson
These are the much-too-early Power Rankings, taking into account what has transpired during the extension window, the free agency period thus far, and the rumors I’ve heard swirling around local establishments near the home of the Grass League.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 1st
Welcome to today’s seminar: Franchise Management 101, taught by GM Kevin Flaaen with support from professional golfer Wyndham Clark.
After you win a season-long points race in the Grass League, time is of the essence. You must act fast. Just ask the 2010 Cleveland Cavaliers, who were the best team in the regular season only to see their franchise cornerstone take his talents to South Beach at season’s end.
Act fast they did…
Transactions:
✅ The franchise extended Hayden Wood – the face of the franchise, former Oklahoma State standout, and son of PGA Tour legend Willie Wood – as well as famed tour caddie Rickie Romano through the 2026 season.
✅ The franchise extended backbone players Kevin Lucas and Matt Ryan, who ended the season by finishing second at the GL Championship.
✅ Extended budding Grass League stars John Chin and Andrew Yun who finished T4 at the 2025 Summer Grind.
✅ Signed away #7 ranked Cody Massa and #8 ranked DJ Lantz who finished T3 at the 2024 and 2025 GL Championships ending their tenure with rival Phoenix United.
It’s also worth noting that the San Diego Munis will have two first round picks in the 2026 GL Draft after pulling off draft night robbery with the LA Roses in last year’s draft.
The funny part to me is that 6 months ago Kevin Flaaen would have bought you a free round of beers at Grass Clippings Rolling Hills if you said hi. Today, you’d be lucky to circumvent his security team to hand him a resume. The Munis remain in the top spot until they either turn in a poor performance or Kevin Flaeen gets hired away.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 5th
I think if you asked the United brass, they would tell you they were pleased with the fifth-place finish after a tumultuous start to the season. Leaving the Grass Clippings Open, United sat in last place in the season standings, forcing GM Austin Quick to retool the team. Retool he did. Their top pair finished first at the Summer Grind, eventually leading to a strong finish in respectable territory.
The offseason objectives were clear: identify and lock in the core nucleus while simultaneously integrating young talent that could blend with that core. Even with Cody Massa and DJ Lantz jumping ship for the rival San Diego Munis, my offseason grade for United is an A+.
Transactions:
✅ Extended Will Kropp on a 2 year deal with a team option in year 3
✅ Extended Sam Fidone, Joe Affrunti, Vince India, Tyler Weworski, and Austin Quick
✅ Signed budding star Gavin Cohen to a 2 year deal.
🚨What started as a rumor is becoming more inevitable everyday. United is in advanced talks to sign a former US AM winner and the deal is expected to be done within the next two weeks.
United checked every box this offseason, and I think they sent a message to the league by offering multi year deals. They believe in their players, and in this league, belief goes a long way.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 3rd
2025 was a storybook year for the New York Blue Birds. They captured their first tournament win at the 2025 Grass Clippings Open and carried that momentum through the year to finish third in the season-long points race. There is something businesslike about the Blue Birds. Yes, they have fun, but they do so in a way that says, “We’ve been here before.” Expectations are high, and Captain Abe Candelaria wouldn’t want it any other way.
Transactions:
✅ Extended the 2025 Player of the Year Kurt Watkins and playing partner Jake Byrum.
✅ Extended Chad Hambright and Alex Chiarella, the duo that is poised to breakout.
✅ Extended Abe Candelaria, Michael Herrea, Redford Bobbit, and Jharhed Hack.
✅ Signed Trevor Lampson and Jim Knous.
This roster didn’t need many upgrades, if any at all, and somehow they found a way to bring Trevor Lampson and Jim Knous into the fold. As the league continues to grow and mature, the New York Blue Birds are poised to grow right alongside it.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 4th
The Michigan Auto Aces sat along the 18th green at the 2024 GL Championship and watched Billy Hanes of the Tampa Bay Swamp Dawgs make a 50+ foot putt to rip the championship out of their hands. No one knew how the franchise would respond. True to the identity of the state of Michigan, the Auto Aces responded in a big way. A franchise victory at the 2025 GL Summer Grind, a fourth-place finish in the Season Points Race, and the formation of the foundational pieces of their roster followed.
You could argue they deserve to be higher up on this list, but again, that’s a testament to the talent within the Grass League.
Transactions:
✅ Extended co-captains Joe Hooks and Daniel Ochoa, as well as their playing partners Aaron Grimes and Skylar Finnell.
✅ Extended 2025 standout Gabe Salvanera and Hunter Reed.
✅ Signed former U.S. Four-Ball Champion Kiko Coelho, former Oklahoma State standout Leo Oyo, and Matt Kang, a player whose profile bio reads, “I’m not a system player — I am the system.”
A lot of the confidence and, dare I say, belief – stems from their GM, Andrew Carlton, who is a former Auto Aces player himself. The 2025 GL Championship was a testament to the close-knit group Carlton has put together, and with the new additions alongside the already solidified roster, the sky is the limit in 2026.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 2nd
Most reading this will be beside themselves seeing the Roses here in the fifth spot after just winning the most recent GL Championship in dramatic fashion and finishing second in the Season-Long Points Race. But these (much too early) Power Rankings are very much of the “what have you done for me lately?” variety.
Transactions:
✅ Extended face of the Franchise Ryan Ruffels along with fellow Australian and Lads member Asaeli Batibasaga.
✅ Extended franchise conerstones Dylan Vanderveer, Charlie Reiter, Mason Glinski, Andrew Von Lossow, Blake Snyder, and Marty Sanchez.
It’s worth noting the Roses have two open roster spots before the season officially kicks off. Their drop in the rankings has much to do with the fact that they have zero first-round picks in the draft, Gabi Ruffels remains unsigned, and Gavin Cohen – who has strong ties to many of the Roses players – chose Phoenix United over what most thought was the logical destination.
Nonetheless, Dave Roberts owns this franchise, and if you know anything about “Doc,” it’s that he has a knack for winning and getting the best out of his players.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: N/A *Expansion Franchise
The Las Vegas Action have yet to hit a golf shot in the Grass League, and if you look at their franchise profile, they have yet to sign a player – so how come such a high ranking? Well, not everyone is privy to certain information or willing to talk with Todd Dobson. I’ve been fed just the tiniest of breadcrumbs from fringe sources at best, but what I can tell you is that if half the things I’m hearing are true, then the tectonic plates beneath the Grass League could be in for realignment.
Las Vegas is known as “the entertainment capital of the world” for good reason. All I can say is buckle up – we’re in for one hell of a show.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 7th
Look, I have a Minnesota Muskies tattoo on my right thigh, if that helps indicate how I feel about the Muskies franchise. As I’ve been saying for quite some time, it’s the most valuable franchise in the state of Minnesota, but 2025 was not an acceptable season given the expectations throughout the lake communities up north.
The Muskies have conducted zero transactions in this free agency period – that’s because they didn’t need to. Their entire roster has been locked up for the foreseeable future. A roster that includes the No. 1 par-3 player in the world, Drew Kittleson; one of the best senior amateurs in the world, Bryan Hoops; U.S. Four-Ball champions Sam Engel and Brian Blanchard – and the list goes on.
I honestly don’t think you could improve the roster if you tried. It’s just a matter of execution.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 8th
The Scottsdale Strikers find themselves right where they finished the 2025 campaign – in eighth place. The franchise has, for the better part of eight months, been on the verge of breaking out in a big way. Despite the finish, the franchise found a cornerstone player in last year’s draft in Andrew Augustyniak and became the first franchise to sign a former PGA Tour winner in Charlie Beljan.
So don’t get me wrong – there is serious momentum behind this franchise, and I’m led to believe the roster just needs some time to settle in, especially Beljan, who has only played one event.
Transactions:
✅ Extended Charlie Beljan and Andrew Augustyniak who have quickly become the faces of the Strikers.
✅ Extended the young duo who have continually performed well in the past two GL Championships – Tony Hendrick and Joe Nuehesiel.
✅ Extended Grass League vets in David Bradshaw, David Lebowitz, and Danny Wax who have all shown flashes of brilliance throughout their tenure with the Strikers.
The Strikers do have three roster spots currently open, and I’d like to believe they have big plans to round out the roster. It’s worth noting that owner Jason Adler is now known for finding value in the draft. The Strikers’ power ranking could change drastically over the next few months, but at the current moment, a lot rests on the shoulders of Beljan and Augustyniak.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 10th
The Tampa Bay Swamp Dawgs have now seen both sides of the league. They ended 2024 having just won the GL Championship, retained both the player of year winner – Dan Buchner, and the #1 player in the world – Billy Hanes, but today sit at 9th in the Power Rankings. If I were to try and guess what happened this year that’s exactly what it would be a guess.
What I do know is that the Swamp Dawgs might have the most swagger out of any Franchise. They expect to win and win they should. Brock Mackenzie is the sleeping giant that everyone is anxiously waiting to wake. Last year’s Grass Clippings Open looked to be that moment until an Arizona haboob had different plans. Regardless the Franchise only recorded one Top 10 in 2025 and someone needs to right the ship.
Transactions:
✅ Extended Franchise owner Ben Herman and Brock Mackenzie.. the heart and soul of the Swamp Dawg community.
✅ Extended Ryggs Johnston the DP World Tour star who has already won the Australian Open in his young pro career.
✅ Extended 2025 draft picks Pete Ianello and Eric Hawerchuck as well as late year adds Joshua Lee and Dillon Board leaving one remaining coveted roster spot.
From a franchise management perspective, the Swamp Dawgs did everything they needed to do. Hanes, Buncher, Herman, and Mackenzie are all coming back. The extension of Ryggs Johnston is a huge boost, especially now that he has Grass League experience. And finally, former No. 1 overall picks Pete Ianello and Eric Hawerchuk are poised to have the breakout year the city of Tampa Bay so desperately needs.
Things could change quickly for the Swamp Dawgs. As they say, the night is darkest just before the dawn.
10. Dallas Horsemen
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 9th
By now, we all know that Good Good Golf owns the Dallas Horsemen – golf pioneers continuing to move mountains in the sport. Grass League may be a boulder in comparison, but nonetheless, it has positioned the Horsemen at tenth place in the preseason Power Rankings.
Now, I don’t know if the power has been out at Good Good headquarters or if their front office is dodging Todd Dobson’s calls on purpose, but they have yet to sign a single player to their franchise, which tends to raise some concern. Yet I have faith in Matt Kendrick – he tends to keep thoroughbreds at the ready. Like the Swamp Dawgs, things could change quickly for the Horsemen.
2025 Season Points Race Finish: 6th
The Hollywood Hitters finished in sixth place in 2025 and did so with the wind at their back. They made a flurry of pickups right before the GL Championship that created waves throughout the league. I honestly thought they would be atop this very list. When Colt Knost, Steve Marino, and Scott Harrington signed on, folks were led to believe there was a new urgency behind the franchise – but here we are, February 12, and not one player has been signed. Radio silence.
I know folks tend to do things differently out in Hollywood, but I would hate to be in upper management knowing the likes of Peter Tamasulo, Colin Featherstone, Colt Knost, and company are all currently free agents.
