CHIPS from the Bunker

Transcription

1 El Cariso Senior Men s Golf Club CHIPS from the Bunker March 31, 2018 About the ECSMGC By-Laws The El Cariso Senior Men s Golf Club was established in The club is governed by its By-Laws as revised in Articles I, II and III of those By-Laws have been summarized in past issues. The remaining Articles are listed and described below: Article IV refers to Obligation, Discipline and Disputes, Article V sets forth the rules concerning Government and Management, Article VI establishes the requirements for club Meetings, Article VII, identifies the positions and the duties ascribed to the club s Officers, Article VIII describes the club s requirements regarding a Quorum, Article IX refers to the club s membership Dues, Article X, Amendments requires a majority vote for modifications to the By-Laws, and finally Article XI, Procedures establishes that Robert s Rules of Order shall be used for all meetings. Interested members are encouraged to read and become familiar with the club s By-Laws. The By-Laws in Article VII provides for the election of officers who shall comprise the Board of Directors. Currently the designated Board members are as follows: Co-President/Tournament Chair: Ray West (818) Co-President/Membership Chair: Les Bittenson (818) Past President/Handicap Chair: Dale Thomson - (818) Director at Large: George McNeil (818) Secretary: Al Roth (818) Treasurer: Sal Trujillo (818) Website Manager: Saied Haghighi (310) Bereavement/Illness: Chet Christenson (818) Editor Newsletter: Bill Gardner (818)

2 Letter from the Editor - (Bill Gardner): Dear Club Members My recuperation from cancer surgery continues, and it has kept me off the golf course for the past several months. But I have been in touch with club activities through and telephone exchanges, and by attending board and general meetings. I appreciate all the good wishes that have been extended to me. This issue of Chips includes the message from the President(s) and the usual updates from the Board Members concerning their areas of responsibility. There is a thought provoking message entitled The Back Nine, and a section summarizing a bit of history about the upcoming Masters tournament. Additionally you will find inserted some random quotations and some amusing sidebars. It is always my goal to make Chips interesting, amusing and informative. Your comments and criticisms are welcome. A Message from the Co-Presidents - (Ray West and Les Bittenson) Many positive things are happening at El Cariso. The course management team, GolfLinks, is taking an active role with our group and their promises are starting to come through. The 60 new carts are just that, not old ones recycled from a private course. All have full windshields that you can see through. The greens look great and GolfLinks have shared their plans about the approved course improvements with us. Most important, they are asking for our input, reacting to suggestions and we are seeing action. We were pleased that Scott Williams joined us for the meeting for a frank and open discussion and we will be inviting him back again in the near future. The recent moves we made on payouts for the tournaments have worked well and we are able to use 3 flights with 4 places and still have a few bucks left over to pay for our operating expenses and Lunch at Denny's. The net results are that we increased the ability for our group to have expanded "Bragging Rights" and we are "financially solvent". The new board members are working well together and we look forward to a great year. Lesson Learned: I burned 2000 calories in less than an hour the other day. That s the last time I ll take a nap with a batch of brownies in the oven. -2-

3 Illness/Bereavement (Chet Christenson): Fortunately there are no deaths to report this quarter. Joe Mowry continues his treatments for leukemia, and Jose Barrios is still caring for his ailing wife. We miss you guys and you are in our thoughts. I am pleased to report that Ray West has recovered from his recent bout with pneumonia. Way to go Ray. More good news: several members who were reported ailing last quarter have returned to good health. Chris Milne, Bill March, Romero Hernandez and Bill Gardner are all back in action. El Cariso Senior Men s Golf Club Website Please visit the club s website at: The website is updated regularly and is an excellent source of information regarding the club s news and events. The weekly tournament results are posted along with a listing of future events, upcoming table assignments and a host of other club news is available on line. The website is ably managed by Saied Haghighi. If you have any questions or comments about the website please contact Saied. Financial Statement this Quarter - (Sal Trujillo): Beginning Cash Balance 11/1/17: $3,704 Income: $5,465 Porter Valley Tournament: $3,950 Membership Fees: $1,515 Expenses: $4,014 Porter Valley Green Fees: $2,601 Trophies and Prize Funds: $1,096 Lunch for Meeting: $ 226 Printing/Supplies: $ 91 Ending Balance 3/31/18: $5,155-3-

4 Handicap News Update - (Dale Thomson): Hi guys, I have taken over the task of compiling the results of each weekly tournament (with a huge assist from Saied Haghighi). We are attempting to make the process easier than it has been in the past. We are using an Excel template that we have developed and downloaded the member s handicaps and scores from the GHIN website into it each week. We need your help in making this process as accurate and efficient as possible. Scorecard Etiquette and Handicap Calculation: 1. Everyone must post their score!!!! If you don t post your score in a timely manner you won t be awarded any money for flight places. Please post before leaving the course each week if possible. If you post from off-site you must post by Friday midnight so the results may be processed and submitted to the table workers in a timely manner. 2. Put your actual score for each hole on the scorecard. Do not pick up your ball just because you have reached the maximum score you can post on that hole. Keep playing and record the actual score on the scorecard. After the round adjust the score before you post to account for the hole(s) where you took too many strokes. The actual score is used to determine flight placing. The adjusted score is used for handicap index calculation. 3. When you check-in each week please be sure to check your name off on the roster at the Sign-in table. If you chose not to participate in the weekly prize pool please advise the table worker, and draw a line through your name on the scorecard. 4. If you make a birdie on a hole you must ensure that the scorekeeper for your group circles your score on the scorecard (no circle = no birdie money). 5. If you put your name and distance on a Closest to the Pin (CTP) card you must indicate the feet AND inches e.g.: 7 ft., 2 inches will win over an entry that just indicates 7 ft. To calculate your course handicap, the USGA uses the average of the lowest 10 of your last 20 posted differences and the course rating (59.2 for El Cariso). This average is then multiplied by the course slope (93 for El Cariso) and divided by 113. I know this sounds complicated but it really isn t. Seniors Lament: It is said, With age comes wisdom but sometimes age comes all by itself. -4-

5 Tournament Table Assignments - (April through July 2018): April: T. Kline, C. Lockwood, M. Llerenas May: G. McNeil, N. Klosterman, D. Meyerson, G. Mullins June: J. Espinosa, C. Lopez, J. Munoz, G. Aguilar July: M. Delim, S. Izuhara, P. Jiminez, T. Thorpe Upcoming Events (April through July 2018): There will be a tournament every Thursday during this period. Please take note of the following Special Events that are scheduled during that time frame: April 19 4-Man Scramble May 6 8 Las Vegas June 19 General Meeting Lunch July 5 Red, White and Blue Tournament Tournament Report (Ray West): The club will continue its involvement in the annual interclub matches this summer with DeBell, Knollwood and Vista Valencia. The $20 subsidy for each player in each flight will also be continued. All members are welcome to sign up. Broad participation is encouraged. Sign up at the sign-in table, or let me know of your interest and I ll get you on the list. The next Las Vegas Tournament is scheduled for May 6 th through the 8 th. Details will be available at the sign-in table. The annual shot gun tournament at El Cariso will not be conducted this year due to lack of interest and for financial considerations. The annual shot gun fund raiser at Porter Valley will not be planned this year due to insufficient attendance and discontent from many of our membership. Porter Valley is open to outside golfers each Monday, so some informal gatherings may be scheduled for those who would like to play a private country club course for a good price ($35). Memorable Quotations: Golf is like a love affair: If you don t take it seriously, it s no fun; if you do take it seriously it ll break your heart. ~ Louise Suggs, Original Member, LPGA~ We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." ~ Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father ~ Like bike pants, golf tells you a lot about a person. ~ Rick Reilly, Author and sportswriter ~ -5-

6 The Back Nine - Something to Think About Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet, in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams. But, here it is... The back nine of my life and it catches me by surprise...how did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become. And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did. But, at least I know, that though I'm on the back nine, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's over. A new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many more things I'm happy that I have done. It's all in a lifetime. So, if you're not on the back nine yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it NOW! Don't put things off Life goes by so quickly Seize the day. Do what you can today, as you can never be sure how long it will last. You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past. "Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. HAVE FUN! BE HAPPY! And remember "It is HEALTH that is real WEALTH and not pieces of gold and silver. A Word to the Wise: Never take a laxative and a sleeping pill on the same night. -6-

7 The Masters: This year s Masters Tournament will be conducted from Thursday, April 5 th through Sunday, April 8 th at its permanent venue, Augusta National Golf Club. The defending champion is Sergio Garcia who won last year s event in a playoff over Justin Rose. Sergio pocketed $1,950,000 for his win in addition to the coveted green jacket that is awarded to each winner. The idea for Augusta National originated with Bobby Jones who wanted to build a golf course after his retirement from the game following his world famous Grand Slam in He sought advice from investment banker Clifford Roberts, who later became the chairman of the club. They came across a piece of land in Augusta, Georgia of which Jones said: "Perfect! And to think this ground has been lying here all these years waiting for someone to come along and lay a golf course upon it." The land had been an indigo plantation in the early nineteenth century and a plant nursery Jones hired Alister MacKenzie to help design the course, and work began in The course formally opened in 1933, but MacKenzie died before the first tournament was played. The first "Augusta National Invitational Tournament, as the Masters was originally known, began on March 22, 1934, and was won by Horton Smith, who took the first prize of $1,500. The first tournament was played with current holes 10 through 18 played as the first nine, and 1 through 9 as the second nine then reversed permanently to its present layout for the 1935 tournament. It was in that 1935 tournament that Gene Sarazen hit the "shot heard 'round the world" when he holed his second shot from the fairway on the Par 5 15th hole for a double eagle (albatross). This tied Sarazen with Craig Wood, and in the ensuing 36-hole playoff Sarazen was the victor by five strokes. The tournament was not played from 1943 to 1945, due to World War II. To assist the war effort, cattle and turkeys were raised on the Augusta National grounds during those years. Initially the Augusta National Invitational field was composed of Bobby Jones' close associates. Jones had petitioned the USGA to hold the U.S. Open at Augusta but the USGA denied the petition, noting that the hot Georgia summers would create difficult playing conditions. So Jones and Roberts decided to conduct their own tournament and the rest is history. Membership Update - (Les Bittenson): The total number of members on our roster at this time is 76. That is down from the 94 members reported at the end of last year. Aging and health issues continue to take a toll on our membership. New members are always welcome, so please be an active recruiter among your family, friends and colleagues. If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining our friendly club please refer them to me. -7-

8 As a recruiting effort, please remember our Bring a Buddy program where members may bring a non-member golfing friend to join them any Thursday for a round with the ECSMGC. The non-members will pay their golf fees, but will not be in the official competition, and will not be asked to make the $7 contribution to the prize fund. Hole-in-One Pot Well, it happened again. One of our fortunate members scored a hole-in-one this quarter and claimed prize money from the Hole-in-One Pot. Congratulations to Gary Mullins for his magical tee shot on the 17 th hole, which he struck on January 25th. Gary is one of our newest members, so it didn t take long for him to make his mark on the senior men s club. All members are invited to join the Club s voluntary Hole-in-One prize fund. It is just Five Dollars to enter and you could be the next big winner. The pot is progressive, so an additional five dollars per entrant is added every six months until some lucky golfer claims the prize. In order to be eligible participants must be currently paid up in the pot. If you would like to join in you can sign up and make your contribution with the guys at the sign-in table on Thursday morning. Don t miss out you could be the next one to score that illusive ACE. Currently there is $435 in the pot. These funds are held separately and are not comingled with the club treasury. This is not a fund raiser for the club. General Business Meeting and Luncheon: The required General Business meeting for the first quarter of 2018 was held at Denny s Restaurant in Sylmar on March 20 th. The club secretary (Al Roth) led the pledge of allegiance and then read for approval the minutes of the last meeting. In the treasurer s absence Al also delivered the current financial report. The business agenda included the following: The Handicap Chairman (Dale Thomson) reported on recent changes to the posting procedure, which are described in detail in the Handicap section of this newsletter. Co-President (Les Bittenson) reported on the current level of membership, and noted that several club members who were ailing last quarter are back on their feet. See the appropriate sections of this newsletter for details. -8-

9 Co-President (Ray West) clarified the Hole-in-One Pay-in and Pay-out procedure wherein new members will be asked to contribute the amount necessary to bring their initial contribution equal to the others in the pot. Thus all paid up members will be entitled to receive the full pot in the event they score a hole in one. Also Ray delivered the Tournament Report (see the Tournament Section of this newsletter for details), and he asked the members about inviting the El Cariso Ladies Golf group to join us for our Thursday tournaments. The proposal was accepted by the members present. Al Roth presented a plaque to Dale Thomson honoring his service as president for the past three years. The Hole-in-One award for Gary Mullins was noted, but was not presented because Gary was not in attendance. GolfLinks owner (Scott Williams) addressed the meeting and described some upcoming changes and planned improvements to the course and club house, (see the El Cariso Golf Course news section in this newsletter for details). The quarterly business meetings are required by the Club s By-Laws. They are open to all members, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Lunch is provided. Comedy Corner: Les and his golfing buddy had a regular golf game every Sunday afternoon, and afterwards they would alternate hosting a dinner at home with their spouses. After a pleasant dinner one evening the ladies cleared the table and went into the kitchen. Les and his friend were talking, and his friend said, Last night the missus and I went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would recommend it highly. What s the name of the restaurant? Les asked. His buddy thought and thought and finally said, What s the name of that flower you give on Valentine s Day? You know the one that's red and has thorns. 'Do you mean the Rose?, Les replied. Yes, that s it! the guy exclaimed. Then he turned toward the kitchen and yelled, Hey Rose, what s the name of that restaurant we went to last night? -9-

10 News from the El Cariso Golf Course Manager: In February, Scott Williams, owner of the course management firm, GolfLinks met with representatives of the El Cariso Men s Club, the Ladies Club, and the Senior Men s Club. In that meeting Scott made the following announcements: Repair of the Driving Range has been approved. Demolition and Re-construction should start in March Upgrading of the bathrooms is scheduled for the May/June time frame Sixty new carts are scheduled to be delivered in March Scott acknowledged the poor current conditions of the sand traps. He indicated that they would be roto-tilled soon. Scott claimed that there is about 2 feet of sand in the bunkers and the roto-tilling is expected to solve the problem. Renovation of the Bar area is in the planning stage, and work is expected to start in May Other items of discussion included: Scott was congratulated on the improved conditions of the grounds For seniors, the importance of parking lot access for carts was stressed. It was noted that the inoperable lock on the Ladies Bathroom needs to be repaired. The general dissatisfaction with the short comings of the restaurant and bar was reiterated. A request was made for a more visible location for the bulletin board. Scott also advised that a new CHAMPIONS CLUB membership option will soon be announced. It will be similar to the Players Club membership, which was offered by the previous course manager. The monthly membership fee will be $ Champions Club Members will get a riding cart for $5 with their paid green fee. Also included will be daily use of the driving range (up to two medium baskets), and a free beverage with each paid round. Details will be available at the golf shop. -10-