Divots A Newsletter of The Country Club of Wilbraham

Transcription

1 A Newsletter of The Country Club of Wilbraham June 2013 Volume 14 Issue 8 Upcoming Activities Mon, Jun 3 Golf Comm 7pm Wed, Jun 5 Western Mass Women s Interclub 9am Sat, Jun 8 Family Day Tournament 1pm shotgun Mon, Jun 10 BOD Meeting 7pm Wed, Jun 12 Mixed Member/Guest 12:30 shotgun Thu, Jun 13 Ladies Clinic & Cocktails 5:30pm Sun, Jun 16 Father s Day Tue, Jun 18 Tuesday Women s Guest Day Wed, Jun 19 Silver Knights vs CC of Greenfield 9am Sat, Jun 22 Women s Stableford 11am tee times Mon, Jun 24 Outing- Special Olympics Golf Tournament Sat & Sun, Jun 29 & 30 Cote Cup Tournament General Mgr Pro Shop Dining Room Send all articles, meetings & calendar events to: tmiller@aduiepyle.com FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER Welcome to our newest returning member, Michael Carter. We look forward to seeing you at the club. Memorial Day weekend brings the Bill Sullivan Memorial Tournament each year. Day one was cancelled by rain, and the second day felt more like Thanksgiving than Memorial Day. Monday was used for the final rounds, and it could not have been nicer. Congratulations to all the winners. We are off to a great start! Periodically, weather conditions dictate that we close the golf course or cancel events at CCW. We get questions occasionally about these topics, and I would like to give a brief outline of how and why we do things. We monitor weather conditions by utilizing local and national weather television networks in addition to internet weather sites. We also keep our eyes and ears open to current outdoor weather conditions. If dangerous weather conditions are detected or are expected in the near future, we will sound the horns to clear the golf course. None of our staff has any formal training or education in weather detection. We stress to everyone, do not wait to hear the warning horns if you see lightning or GOLF COMMITTEE The golf season is turning the corner into summer and the season is going great. The May events went well and we have some fun events ahead of us. The course is in great shape, Thanks to Matt and his staff, and all of our members should be getting out often to enjoy golf at the CCW. Thanks to all of you for your patience during the Men s Round Robin (aka the Sullivan ). The weather was a huge challenge, but we got the event in with a strong effort by the staff, golf, meals and the grounds crew. The next major event is the Men s Ryder Golf (aka the Cote Cup ) at the end of June. This is a 2 man event with competition within handicapped flights over 2 days. Four different 9 hole formats will determine the winners Scramble, Better Ball, Alternate Shot, and aggregate. It s a fun event, so find a partner and sign up soon. This year we will use both tees to start the event each day. This will shorten the total time the tournament players are by Dean Helm threatening weather yourself! Get off the golf course immediately. Sometimes, lightning can appear quickly before we have an opportunity to act. Occasionally, weather conditions will change after we have sounded the horns to clear the golf course. We try to avoid this, but will always error on the side of caution and safety. When course conditions such as frost or heavy rains occur, the Golf Course Superintendent or his staff will contact the General Manager/Golf Professional. The facts are presented as well as the Superintendents recommendations. Sometimes there is little or no discussion; other times a great deal of discussion takes place, depending on the circumstances. In many cases, the General Manager/Golf Professional will tour the golf course with the Superintendent or the grounds staff before making a decision on course restrictions or closings. We utilize blasts and Facebook page updates to broadcast this information to the membership. If you are not currently on our list, I recommend you forward your address to us at DHelm@ccofwilbraham.com. by John McBride on the course and will provide more open tee time for our members who aren t in the tournament. Our monthly member/member member/ guest events have been under-subscribed. If you have suggestions, advice or other comments about this, please pass them on to me, another member of the golf committee or the pro shop staff. It s still early in the season, but not too early to think about our 4 Ball Labor Day tournament. This is our premier event of the year and you will receive more information soon. This year we are dropping the Saturday dawn sign up approach we ve used for a number of years. More details to follow regarding Labor Day Tournament details. The order of sign up determines who gets in the event if we don t have full flights.

2 Page 2 GOLF ASSOCIATION OF WILBRAHAM The Board of Directors of CCW introduces the formation of the Golf Association of Wilbraham (GAW). (also known as Friends of CC of Wilbraham) What is GAW? GAW will be a Non-profit Charitable Association dedicated to capital improvements at the Country Club of Wilbraham (CCW) and the advancement of Junior Golf. Who is GAW? Individuals, who are also members of CCW and dedicated to its improvement, formed GAW. There are representatives of GAW s Board of Directors also on CCW s Board of Directors. While GAW is an independent association, a very close relationship between GAW and CCW is essential to its success. Why? CCW has experienced declining membership and revenues over the past few years due to the general economy. CCW has done a wonderful job matching revenue reduction with rightsizing our expenses while maintaining excellent playing conditions. However, with fewer members and no initiation fees, significant capital improvements to the Club continue to be postponed. The bottom line: CCW continues to be a financially successful Club but we need to look for other funding sources to dramatically improve our facilities. Where will the funding come from for GAW? Initially, all funding will come from voluntary donations of interested parties. Once its non-profit status is approved all donations (retroactive to its May 2013 filing) will be tax deductible to the individual as a charitable contribution. As GAW is expected to be a long-running association dedicated to improving the property, interested parties will also be encouraged to bequeath a donation in their memory to the GAW. What will GAW do with the money? GAW will distribute all of its funds (there will be no compensation) to CCW for approved capi- Shooting your age is more rare than making a hole-in-one. Longtime CCW member Jack Lyons did one better than that. The 82 year old lefty shot a score of 81! Congratulations Jack! SENIOR MENS GOLF also know as Friends of Country Club of Wilbraham tal projects only. This funding will not be for operations of the Club (that is the purpose of dues). The first priority of the GAW, and supported by CCW s Board of Directors, will be Cart Path paving of the entire golf course. Follow-on projects could be the restoration and enhancement of sand traps throughout the course and the construction of an expanded patio area at the rear of the clubhouse. The project list will only be constrained by the amount of funds received. What is the plan for Junior Golf? After the initial funding, GAW will promote Junior Golf primarily through scholarships. All awards will be funded by specifically designated events and will not come from capital improvement contributions. What s next? The proper filing of the Association documents is in progress thanks to Fred Geoffrion. Communication activities are planned for the upcoming month to let everyone know of the GAW beginning with an informational session at the start of the Sullivan Tournament and a Friday night cocktail party shortly thereafter. What is the goal? While all amounts are gratefully accepted our goal is $150,000 through pledges of $1,000 over 3 years. How do I contribute? At, and following, the kick-off event pledge packages will be available in the pro-shop or from the members listed below. Contributions can be made in a lump sum or pledged over a three-year period. Once the entire funding for the first project is received (and communicated in the newsletter) construction will begin. With your support, collectively, we can make a tremendous improvement to your Country Club of Wilbraham. Mark Nowak, Mike Fuss, Fred Geoffrion, Dennis Lopata, Brad Dakers & Tina Miller by Bob Law The 2013 Silver Knights schedule is off to a good start. We have welcomed many new members to our ranks, and it is gratifying to see the number of participants increase. During May, the interclub portion of the schedule got underway. The first match was a home competition against a senior group from the Westover Golf Course. Our seniors prevailed by a 24 ½ to an 11 ½ margin. Later in the month, our group took to the road for an away match with the Amherst GC Legends. The Amherst seniors have always been a problem for our men, and this time was no exception. We lost that match by a 7 to 4 score. So, at this point we have one win and one defeat. Two matches are scheduled for June. On the 5 th we again take to the road for a competition with the Hickory Ridge CC Runner Runners. This match is a highlight of our interclub schedule. Then on June 19 th, we will host the Greenfield seniors. These interclub matches give our men the opportunity to mingle with seniors from other courses, and a chance to play at a neighboring club. A good time, and some good nature bantering, is had by all. The Silver Knights competitions are open to all CCW men, retired, semi-retired, or just available to play Wednesday mornings. If you have the time, come join us. CONGRATULATIONS TO Tom Race For his HOLE IN ONE May 1, 2013 Hole #5 With a 5 iron Nice job!! Answers to the Handicap quiz from page 3: 1. False 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. C Family Day Saturday, June 8 12 lunch, 1pm shotgun Sign up now!! Clinic & Cocktails Thursday, June 13 5:30pm, $15/per person, Guests are invited

3 Page 3 HANDICAP COMMITTEE A reminder that all scores should be entered in the computer, for new members that are not sure how to enter scores, the pro shop staff will be happy to help. If at least 7 holes are played a 9 hole score should be posted. If at least 13 holes are played an 18 hole score should be posted. For holes not played par plus any handicap stroke to which the player is entitled. League scores are posted by the league coordinator. Tournament scores are posted by the club staff. Your away scores should also be posted. First enter the date of play. Our computer has a listing of clubs in Massachusetts. If a club is not listed or is out-of-state enter other under club. Than enter the course rating and than the course slope. The next thing to enter is the name of the course. Now enter your score and post. If you have multiple scores to enter the dates should be entered for each score posted. You should not enter multiple scores for the same date. If you are not sure how to enter a score in the computer the CCW staff will be happy to assist you. If a mistake is made let the staff know- corrections can be made. Most of the information on handicapping can be reviewed at any time in the CCW handbook. Enter all of your scores; you should strive to lower your handicap. Your handicap should be a representation of your true ability. Your best scores should not always be your tournament scores or match play scores. This only shows that you want to keep your handicap high so you can shoot your low scores when they count. Come on; be fair to your opponents. QUIZ FOR JUNE 1. A player putted his ball from the fringe of the putting green and struck the unattended flagstick in the hole. There is a two stroke penalty. True or False 2. A player takes proper relief from a permanent ball-washer that interferes with his stance. After relief a fixed bench interferes with his swing. What is the ruling? a. He properly took relief but he must re-drop the ball without penalty because of interference by the bench. b. He should have taken relief from both obstructions with a single procedure and is not entitled to re-drop the ball without penalty. c. He proceeded correctly and is entitled to relief from the bench. 3. In match play, a player removes a loose impediment from a water hazard while his ball lies in the hazard. He decides not to play his ball there, lifts it and properly takes relief under the water hazard Rule. What is the ruling? a. There is a one stroke penalty. b. There is a total penalty of three strokes. c. There is a loss of hole penalty. d. There is no penalty. 4. In which one of the following circumstances must a player abandon a properly played provisional ball and continue with the original ball? a. the player s original ball is found after a search of more than five minutes. b. the player s original ball is out-of-bounds. c. the player makes a stroke with the provisional ball from a place nearer the hole than where the original is likely to be. d. the player s original ball, which could have been lost outside a water hazard, is found in less than five minutes in a water hazard. 5. In stroke play while making his backswing for a stroke at his ball lying in a hazard, bill accidentally brushes stone in the hazard with his club. What is the ruling? a. No penalty b. one stroke penalty c. two stroke penalty d. Bill is disqualified Answers to this quiz can be found on page 2 by Ed Prystupa Mixed Member / Guest Wednesday, June 12 12:30 shotgun Sign-up now!! Women s Stableford Saturday, June 22 11:00am tee times Sign-up now!! LADIES GOLF Summer is around the corner! Hard to believe it is June. Golf is gearing up, although May certainly wasn t very kind for our Wednesday night. Hopefully, the rest of the season won t be so harsh. Our WGAM Spring Team matches have been completed. Thanks to our ladies that represented CCW! Thanks also to all the folks who came out to support the Ryder Cup. Congratulations to the winners. 1 st place: Tina Miller, Lynn LeBel & Beth Lopata, 2 nd place: Jan Freeman, Virginia McGovern, Peg Singiser, 3 rd place: Dottie Zenaty, Cathy Thompson, Nicole Contois The Interclub matches kick off this month. Our first match is scheduled at CCW for June 5 with a 9am shotgun. We will be playing matches against members from Twin Hills CC and Springfield CC. The dates have not been confirmed yet for July or August so watch our bulletin board for these sign ups. by Tina Miller & Bobbi Perry We have 12 Teams for the CCW Ladies Match Play. The first round matches were set randomly by the computer and the list is posted on the board. The first round matches MUST be completed by June 30. The six winners from the first round will be re-assigned randomly by computer and posted on our board. Second round matches will need to be finished by July 30. The three remaining teams will play off in a Round Robin format for the third and final round. The team with the most points will be the First Place winners. Second and third places will be determined the same way. Don t forget about our next Clinic & Cocktails, June 5:30pm, no need to sign-up. Hope to see you there. If you haven t already, remember to sign up for the Ladies Stableford Tournament on June 22. Please keep your eyes on our Bulletin Board for all the signups and information about upcoming events. HAPPY GOLFING!

4 Page 4 GROUNDS COMMITTEE Well, the season is well underway and the course is in great shape. As evidence by the playability during the Cote Cup, three days of rain and the drainage on 1 and 9 are a success. Many Thanks to Matt and his crew. The areas we are going to have fescue are readily apparent from the long grasses. Just to set everyone s mind at ease, that is NOT the height of the rough. We are cutting rough at the same height (2.5 ) as the last three years. The abnormal rough we have experienced is a product of fertilizer, rain and timing of the mowing. Your grounds committee is not looking to make the course harder just more playable and attractive. The first cut of rough has been done and it looks great. HOUSE COMMITTEE Thank you to Scully catering for being so nimble last weekend in regards to the Bill Sullivan Tournament. Mother Nature decided to wreak havoc on the course, the restaurant and everyone s Memorial Day plans with torrential rains leading to unplayable conditions on Saturday as well as Sunday morning. The Management and Tournament Committee did a great job in rescheduling the tournament the only way possible. Unfortunately, this change resulted in a completely different format, and timing for the restaurant. Congratulations to the winners of the 2013 Bill Sullivan Memorial Tournament Championship Flight Winners - Scott Makuch & John Mailhot Runners-up - Jeff Kinder & Jeff Hunt First Flight Winners - Kevin Lee & Mark Osgood Runners-up - Gary Pabis & Jared Pabis Second Flight Winners - Bob Brown & Jeff Sagalyn Runners-up - Ed Prystupa & Mike Lazzari Third Flight Winners - Mike Fuss & Mike Pandolfi Runners-up - Joel Castleman & Dave Murphy Fourth Flight Winners - Lee Prentice & Kevin Dudley Runners-up - Gary Shepard & Ed Burnham Fifth Flight Winners - John Stuckenbruck & Dan McNamara Runners-up - Dick Chase & Harry McGill CONGRATULATIONS To Eric Crochi On his Hole in One May 21, 2013 Hole#10 With a 9 iron Nice job Eric!! by Fred Geoffrion & Matt Kowal We are working at making the greens healthier as well as maintaining the cart paths. You all can help by fixing ball marks and divots as well as staying on cart paths where they exist even if you have to drive through puddles. The Cote resulted in damage around these wet areas from carts taken off the paths. Also, you all are aware of where carts belong and where they don t. However, we continue to see carts too close to greens and tees, on mounds surrounding greens and in inappropriate short cuts. For you blue flag members, the flag allows you to park closer to tees and greens, but not on them or on mounds surrounding them. Please, everyone, take care of your course and maintain the playability for all. MEN S LEAGUES by Chuck Camerlin Thanks to Mary, Brian, Bart, Joe and staff, I don t think anyone noticed a difference. From the Sunday Lunch to the Monday after tournament appetizers (I use the term loosely as there was enough quantity and variety of appetizers to be dinner for most golfers) the food was plentiful and delicious as always. Tournament season is upon us so please check the calendar for special events that may limit the dining room hours. Please do not hesitate to track down any House Committee member with any questions, concerns or comments. The after work Men s leagues are off and running. We ve had some issues with rainouts, but these match play leagues are going well. The leaders late in June are as follows: The leaders on Tuesday are Jim Thompson & John Stuckenbruck. John Mailhot & Bill Giokas are just ½ point behind them and 5 other teams are only 1 point back. On Thursday, 4 teams are leading the pack, but the standings are very Partners Ed Prystupa & Jim Naglieri League players should remember it s their responsibility to get a sub if they can t play on a given week and to notify the pro shop so scorecards can be prepared appropriately. We have posted subs lists on the leagues scoreboards for your convenience. Please consider these subs first, but any full men s member can substitute. by John McBride Partners Tim Fowle & Dave Nicoll close. Bill Hick & Tom Washer are tied with Bob Schnepp & Jerry Singiser. They don t have much of a lead, however, because Tim Fowle & Dave Nicoll and Ed Prystupa & Jim Naglieri are only ½ point behind. Olivia runs the beverage cart on league night and joins a couple patrons Rick Miller & John McBride SAVE THE DATE Labor Day Four Ball sign up will be held Saturday, August 3, 2013 at 5:00pm

5 Page 5 June 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Golf Comm 7pm 4 5 Western Mass Women s Interclub Family Day Tournament 9 10 BOD meeting 7pm Silver Knights Mixed M/M M/G 12:30 shotgun 13 Ladies Clinic & Cocktails 5: Dining room closes early for private party 16 Father s Day Tuesday Ladies 18/9 holers Guest Day 19 Silver Knights vs CC of Greenfield Women s Stableford 11am tee times Cote Cup 24 OUTING Special Olympics Silver Knights Cote Cup Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 July Silver Knights Golf Comm 7pm Theme Night 7 8 Junior Member Clinic BOD meeting 7pm 9 Ladies Annual Invitational 9am shotgun 10 Silver Knights Junior Member Clinic 11 Junior Member Clinic 12 Junior Member Clinic OUTING Monson Scholarship Silver Knights Mixed M/M M/G 12:30 shotgun Club Championship Qualifier Ladies Presidents Cup & Club championship-senior & Super Senior 21 Club Championship Qualifier Ladies Presidents Cup & Club championship-senior & Super Senior 22 OUTING Minnechaug Boosters Silver Knights 25 Ladies Clinic & Cocktails 5: Club Championship Match Play Rounds-Men s President s Cup 28 Club Championship Match Play Rounds-Men s President s Cup Silver Knights

6 Page 6 Dining Room closed for the following events The Country Club of Wilbraham Scully Catering Monday Friday 11:00am 9:00pm Saturday 7:00am 7:00pm Sunday 7:00am 6:00pm Saturday, June 15 Dining room & bar will close early for private party Monday, June 24 Dining room & bar closed for the Special Olympics Golf Tournament Cote Cup June 29 & 30 Breakfast will be served both days prior to tee times Saturday-Summer BBQ after golf Sunday Lunch on the grill after golf June 7, 2013 Congratulations to all our Minnechaug Graduates!