Raleigh, NC Chapter - American Singles Golf Association March 2008

Transcription

1 CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SINGLES GOLF IN AMERICA Raleigh, NC Chapter - American Singles Golf Association March 2008 From the President. We had two great golf outings and two great social events in February. We played Captain s Choice at Crooked Creek where first place went to Dan, Lee, Rick and Eric. In second place were Kyle, Penny, Rich and Curt. Well done to everyone for playing 18 holes in well under 4 and a half hours keep it up!! At Reedy Creek we welcomed Don Stokes for his first round with us as a new member. Not only is Don is an excellent golfer but he has one or two jokes in his bag as well! All the cards were collected and will be passed on to Kate to start tracking our handicaps! Kate Nell was heavily involved in both socials in February. Not only did she host the Super Bowl party but she also found time to ask Kevin Gregg from Golfsmith to come to our monthly meeting at Ben s Place. Many thanks Kate for all your efforts we really do appreciate it! Those that attended the monthly meeting received a talk on new innovations in golf equipment and everyone also received 2 Calloway golf balls and a $10 gift card from Golfsmith. Now that is a good reason to attend the meetings!! Kevin, who is a former member, also hopes to have our group approved for 10% discount when you show your ASGA membership card. Also, he might be able to arrange a FREE golf clinic at the store on Glenwood for our group. More to come on these later thanks Kevin! NOTES: If you have signed up for an outing and find that you cannot make it please call or Jeff or anyone who is playing to let us know preferably the day before so we can fill your space. Sharon Wertz called the course (Reedy Creek) to let us know she could not make it and we really appreciated it thanks Sharon. March golf formats for both outings will be Stroke Play this will help establish our handicaps. I am sure Jeff will do some fun prizes longest drive and closest to the pin just to keep it interesting. The Winter Chill in Pinehurst will be over by the time you get this I hope we all had fun!! ~ Sandra Ross Golf News Mother Nature cooperated in February and allowed us to get in both of the scheduled events. A group of 16 golfers enjoyed the challenges of Crooked Creek on the 9th and 11 competitors teed it up at Reedy Creek on the 23rd. Lets hope March gives us even better weather to hit the links. We have two very different courses awaiting us in March...different in location from Raleigh and course layout. First we will be trying to master the links at Chapel Ridge on the 8th and then on the 22nd we will try our luck at The River in Bunn. I have 5 tee times booked for both events, let s try to get a full compliment of golfers for these events. Who knows, maybe we'll bring out the "pink ball" early this year!!! ~Jeff Swoager Golf Outings Saturday, March 8th Chapel Ridge Golf Club 1010 Chapel Ridge Drive Pittsboro, NC Tel: Time: 1:00 pm Cost $45.00 Format: Play Your Own Ball Next Big Event: Reunion at Pinehurst, May ASGA members attended last year! Registration form with this newsletter or go to the event website at National Website: ASGANational@aol.com Office Hours: 8:30-4:30, M-Th; 8:30-12:30 Fridays (Eastern) National Office: or GOLFMATE To join ASGA or renew your dues, contact the National Office at above number or go to Regular Meeting Date: THIRD THURSDAY of each month Next Meeting: March 20th, 2008 Meeting Location: Ben s Place 8511 Cantilever Way Raleigh, NC (919) Our Website: (See next page for list of officers and board members.)

2 Raleigh Chapter Of the American Singles Golf Association President Sandra Ross Chairman of the Board Jim Talley Golf Chairperson Jeff Swoager Social Chairperson Lee Thayne Membership Chairperson Kathy Dowling Communications Co Chairs Sandra Ross Mary Anne Gracely Treasurer Joyce Jennings Secretary Penny Sardelli RALEIGH ASGA WEB SITE TM Saturday, March 22nd The River Golf Club 170 Clearwater Rd. Louisburg, NC Tel: Time: 1:00 pm Cost: $25.00 Format: Play Your Own Ball ~Jeff Social News February started out with a bang at Kate Nell s Super Bowl Party. Approximately 25 Raleigh ASGA members and guests watched a super game and cheered on their team while snacking on the great food and drinks present. Most really celebrated when the Giants won!! Thanks once again to our super hostess who does it so well! Next we had a great social at Cooley s Restaurant after Crooked Creek. Eleven of us socialized with food and beverage and chatted about our golf game, politics etc. After Reedy Creek we were led to the Cleveland Draft House in Garner. Eight of the golfers came and we feasted on some very good food. The ribs were great as were the special amber beers!! We ll go back!! February ends and March begins with a fun-filled weekend in Pinehurst for the Winter Chill!! Many of our members will be there this weekend. Report will follow in April s newsletter. If you have a place you d like us to go or if you d like to host a gathering at your home please let the Social Committee know. We are open to suggestions and like to try new places. Socials after Golf: Chapel Ridge March 8 Social at Carolina Brewery & Grill 120 Lowes Dr. Pittsboro, NC :00 PM The River March 22 Social at Carolina Ale House Hwy 98 Bypass & US 1 Wake Forest, NC St. Patrick s Day (Live music and Irish dancers) Monday, March 17 Tir Na Nog 218 S. Blount St. Raleigh, NC :30 PM March 20th Monthly Meeting Ben's Place Upcoming Multi Chapter events include: Keep checking the National website: for details on upcoming events such as: The Spring Fling April at Peachtree, GA Memorial Day May at Pinehurst, NC Tennessee-Carolina Challenge June at Kodak, TN ~Lee Thayne MEMBERSHIP DUES Dues for the Raleigh Chapter of the American Singles Golf Association are $70.00 per 12 month period. Payment can be made by check or credit card. Mail with application to: ASGA, Inc., P. O. Box 848, Pineville, NC JOIN BY PHONE, FAX, OR WEB Dial toll-free GOLFMATE ( ) and provide the info on the application form, your credit card number and expiration date, and you re all set! Office hours 8:30-4:30, M-Th; 8:30-12:30 Fridays. Or, FAX your application along with credit card information to (toll-free). You may also join on our national web site ( Your membership package will be mailed within 10 days.

3 Membership News Raleigh ASGA welcomes Don Stokes as our newest member. Don lives in Clayton and works at Pine Hollow. He has already played with the group and attended the February meeting. Welcome Don. ~ Kathy Dowling Raleigh Chapter Newsletter and Website If you play a lot of golf and want to save some money a good way to do it is to purchase a Calendar Card. They are available online at or NCGolfcard@aol.com ~Sandra ABOUT OUR MEMBERS Happy Birthday to these members: Margo Acomb - 03/29 Linda Duclos - 03/31 Edward Mclean - 04/04 Kate Nell - 03/11 Alice Ratliff - 03/08 These members are up for renewal: (date shown is last day of membership) Linwood Felts - 03/31/2008 Dennis McDermott - 03/31/2008 Richard Scott - 03/31/2008 Peg Wheeler - 03/31/2008 Susan Winstead - 03/31/2008 Welcome newest members: DONALD STOKES - Joined 02/07/2008 These members recently renewed: Dan Blankenship Irene Kennedy Irene Levy These members did not renew their dues: (date shown is date membership expired) Nick McIver - 01/31/2008 Our chapter currently has 62 members. Golf Tip - Playing in the Wind Amateur golfers and professional golfers alike all must battle the challenges of Mother Nature. There are no exceptions to this reality. The trick is to learn how to minimize the negative effects of organic conditions and, when possible, to turn them into an aid. Typically, the greatest natural weather obstacle for a golfer is wind. Rain, snow and hail certainly can affect ball flight but none are played in as regularly as a mild to wild zephyr, so for the purposes of this dialogue we will be restricting our efforts to the aforementioned. Typically, golfers in coastal areas are more adept at playing in stiff breezy weather, but even those in the middle ground -- Kansas, for example -- should be learning how to account for the bedeviling effect of this cruel handicap. Here are some keys to playing in the wind that should help to keep your scorecard in double digits and closer to par: 1. Club selection - When facing into a wind (headwind) for every five miles per hour the wind appears to be blowing choose one more club. Use the opposite philosophy for hitting with the wind. Do not trick yourself into believing the wind can help you carry the ball 250 with a four iron either! 2. Swing plane - Unless you are a single digit handicapper, do not swing any differently than you normally would. If you are an accomplished player, then be sure to always take a simple ¾ swing to avoid getting too much air under that ball. 3. Look for Tree Tops - Although the wind may appear to be blowing into your face, it does not necessarily mean that it will be doing the same thing 50 feet in the air. Look at the tops of nearby trees to indicate what direction the wind is actually blowing. 4. Balls - Choose a lower spinning ball when playing in the wind. The new line of low-trajectory, low-spinning golf balls really do perform better in the wind than highspinning accuracy balls. The wind can become your friend if you let it. Simply account for it by knowing where it is, how much it is blowing, follow club wind selection guidance, and then trust your judgment. Golf Quotes May thy ball lie in green pastures and not in still waters. ~ Author Unknown The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. ~ Billy Graham Golf appeals to the idiot and the child in us. Just how childlike golfers become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five. ~John Updike It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place the world is when one is playing golf. ~ Robert Lynd If profanity had an influence on the flight of the ball, the game of golf would be played far better than it is. ~ Horace G. Hutchinson They say golf is like life, but don't believe them. Golf is more complicated than that. ~ Gardner Dickinson If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they'd starve to death. ~ Sam Snead

4 CELEBRATING 15YEARS OF SINGLESGOLF IN AMERICA AMERICAN SINGLES GOLF ASSOCIATION MARCH 2008 Event Dates: Thursday, May 22 Sunday, May 25, 2008 Registrations Coming in Fast n Furious - With great excitement and anticipation, we re happy to announce our continued association with the fine folks at Pinehurst Resort in announcing our Reunion in Pinehurst again. Dates set for this year are May With over 400 in attendance last year, we expect a full sellout. As a result, we have reserved four courses for the event. One major attribute that Pinehurst possess is their ability to handle our group size. We re proud to see the American Singles Golf Association host their event at Pinehurst again this year, said Wayne Kearney, Director of Sales at the resort. The showing ASGA had last year is a testament to the match we have with our resort and your members. Pinehurst has a tradition that goes way back into the last century. All of the greats have played there. The No. 2 course will not be part of our standard package, but you ll have an opportunity to play it if you want to pay the price (a mere $287 vs. the $359 normally quoted). This year, No. 2 will NOT be aerated one week prior to as it was last year, so expect nothing but the best. The standard package is a great deal. If you priced this on your own, you d easily pay twice as much as what you get as an ASGA member. You can t fine a value like this at any great golf resort in the country. Of course, outside of everything Pinehurst has to offer, you get to meet hundreds of singles from various ASGA chapters. As with all ASGA multi-chapter events, you must be a member to attend. Here s what s included in the standard package: 4 days / 3 night s stay, based on double occupancy 2 rounds of golf, cart, range balls, prizes for winners + welcoming gift for all 6 food functions: cocktail party (with 2 free drink tickets if you register by April 18), cookout Friday after golf, Saturday sitdown dinner and 3 lavish buffet breakfasts (live piano playing!) Dancing with our DJ on 1st and 3rd nights (does he dance?) Tiger on Pinehurst: Fun golf is Pinehurst. Fun golf is playing links golf. Fun golf is learning how to maneuver the ball on the ground and give yourself options." All resort service fees and taxes. The resort service fee pays for bicycle rental, practice green, afternoon tea, on-site transportation, fitness center, tennis courts, outdoor pools, etc. In addition, Pinehurst is offering ASGA members a coupon good towards a 25% discount on spa services or one round of golf club rentals. See SinglesGolf.com for details on this coupon. Non-golf packages are available and non-hotel packages are available only to our Pinehurst chapter members. We will again group players into those who have established handicaps (and will play USGA your own ball format) and those without established handicaps (and will play a shamble format one day and a scramble/captain s choice the other day). Players have really enjoyed this grouping method and we ve received zero complaints over the last four events where we ve done this. Understand though that if you are listed as a player with an established handicap and you want to play golf with a person who is not listed as established, you won t be able to play together unless you re both in the non-established division, unless, however, you indicate you want to play the optional round together where there is no team competition. Please review the Pinehurst.com website and check out their hotel accommodations. They re offering the Carolina Inn, the Holly Inn, Manor Inn and their condos again. In addition to these hotels, if your chapter (or group of friends) would like to get eight (8) of your members together and get a villa, which has a common living room and kitchen facility, review the Pinehurst.com website and indicate such on your registration form. Packages start at $512 per person, based on double occupancy and $779 per person based on single occupancy. If you priced this event on its own, you d easily pay $1200-$1300 (dbl. occ.) for all that s included. An optional round at 9:00am on Sunday is offered as well. A registration form is enclosed with this newsletter and you can also obtain one at Tom Alsop, President/Founder, ASGA Phone or GOLFMATE GolfASGA@aol.com

5 SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN SINGLES GOLF ASSOCIATION Phone or GOLFMATE RESORT WEBSITE: Hotel Phone: Standard Package Includes: 2 rounds of golf (incl. cart, green fees, range balls, prizes) 3 nights lodging (Carolina Hotel or Other check below) 6 food functions: 1 cocktail party (dry snacks; also 2 drink tickets if you register by April 2), 3 lavish breakfasts at the Carolina, 1 cookout and 1 sit-down dinner DJ dancing on 1st and 3rd nights, welcoming gift and prizes. Includes all resort service fees & taxes. Resort services include on-site transportation, bicycles, afternoon tea, practice putting, driving range and more. Add l. Nights: If you come early or stay late, add l. nights, which includes the buffet breakfast, are $ for a single room and $90.75/person if dbl. occ., regardless of inn you are staying in. Tax & resort service fees are included in these rates. (Roommate must stay or your must pay single occ. rate of $163.50/night.) See Pinehurst.com for details on room types. GOLF: You ll play two of their 8 courses. Pinehurst arranges courses. Package play dates are Fri., May 23 & Sat., May 24. Optional Day-of-Arrival Golf and Dayof-Departure Golf. Also, optional play on the 2005 U. S. Open Course No. 2 at a rate of $287 on Sunday (straight tee times begin at 7:50am). Established handicapped players play USGA Rules and play your own ball. For non-established handicaps, scramble one day and shamble next day. PAYMENT: Full payment due by April 22th. There is a 25% cancellation fee on or prior to 04/22/08. Absolutely NO refunds after 4/22/08. If your plans change, you can sell your position to another member. See website for official cancellation policy. A letter or confirmation will be sent to you upon receipt of payment. If you do not receive confirmation by 04/29/08, you must call us at above number. NOTE: This is a MEMBERS ONLY event. Non-members must join ASGA to secure these rates. Call or go online at SinglesGolf.com/join. SPECIAL PKGS.: Non-Golf, Pinehurst Chapter members, see website or call us. ONE FORM PER PERSON, PLEASE PRINT. NAME SHOWN BELOW IS HOW NAMETAG WILL APPEAR. NAME ( ) MALE ( ) FEMALE CHAPTER NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP HOME PH ( ) WORK/CELL PH ( ) ADDRESS CHECK APPROPRIATE PACKAGE: (Resort has shuttles to transport you between hotels, courses, etc. Details at SinglesGolf.com) ( ) $ STANDARD PACKAGE staying at the HOLLY INN, MANOR INN OR PINEHURST CONDO (YOU LL HAVE A ROOMMATE) ( ) $ STANDARD PACKAGE staying at the CAROLINA HOTEL (YOU LL HAVE A ROOMMATE) ( ) $ ROOM-BY-MYSELF PACKAGE staying at the HOLLY INN, MANOR INN OR PINEHURST CONDO (incl. everything in St d. Pkg.) ( ) $ ROOM-BY-MYSELF PACKAGE staying at the CAROLINA HOTEL (incl. everything in St d. Pkg.) ( ) $69.00 OPT. DAY-OF-ARRIVAL GOLF ON THURS. ( ) $89 OPT. ROUND ON SUN. w/lunch ( ) OPT. Pinehurst No. 2 $287. ( ) $ STANDARD PACKAGE / 4-bedroom villa (sleeps 8). Must be part of a group of 8, all staying in same villa, not an inn. ( ) I have an ESTABLISHED HANDICAP of at GOLF CLUB ( ) My chapter issues my handicap (ASGA chapters count as a golf clubs without real estate according to USGA handicapping rules. Your chapter s handicap chairperson or committee must be able to verify this number as your handicap.) ( ) My handicap is NOT ESTABLISHED but my average 18-hole golf score is. You ll play a scramble 1st day, shamble 2nd day. ( ) I am a smoker AND I want a smoking room. (If you are a smoker and we cannot find a roommate for you, you must pay full price of room. We ll notify you by 04/22/08.) My roommate will be (We ll assign a same-sex roommate if you prefer. Please do not list yourself as someone else s roommate without their permission. IMPORTANT: If you choose a roommate, we can t hold your room until both parties have paid.) I am requesting a room with ( ) One King Bed ( ) Two Double Beds Note: Room preferences and hotels are first come, first served. Only the hotel controls the availability of room types. We register you regardless of availability. During one golf event, please pair me with. (Golf partner must be in same established / non-established group as you.) I AM REMITTING: Memorial Day Weekend 2008 Thurs., May 22 Sun., May 25, days, 3-nights + 2 rounds++ Limited to the first 500 players. This is our largest event of the year. Choose to play two or three rounds of golf. Optional round on Pinehurst No. 2 at discounted price. You can stay 3 additional nights, before or after event, at special ASGA Member-Only prices. ASGA NATIONAL EVENT $ for the package indicated above + $ additional nights: indicate dates you plan to come early / stay late: + $ Opt. Day-of-Arrival golf on Thurs. Pinehurst #1) (T-times: 10:30-1:30 Indicate preferred time: ) + $ Opt. round of golf + lunch on Sun. The Pit or Pinehurst #2 without Lunch.) + $ Mulligans (put $10 in this space if you want 3 mulligans for each of first 2 days of golf. Mullies not avail. on opt. round.) $ TOTAL AMOUNT (Check no. MAKE CHECK** PAYABLE TO ASGA, INC. ) CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION: All major cards accepted. I hereby authorize ASGA or the Pinehurst Resort to charge / debit my account for the TOTAL AMOUNT indicated above on this form. There is no credit card processing fee for this event. Resort may not charge card immediately. Acc t. No: Exp. Signature OTHERWISE, MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO ASGA, INC. AND MAIL TO: ASGA, P. O. BOX 848, PINEVILLE, NC QUESTIONS? TOM ALSOP at GolfASGA@aol.com OR CALL or GOLFMATE * Details of Million Dollar Hole-in-One at SinglesGolf.com/pinehurst ** There is a 4% svc. chg. for any check returned unpaid by the bank. Cancellation policy applies. See for complete details of policy and events. Check SinglesGolf.com on a regular basis for details & updates ASGA, Inc.