Albany Chapter - American Singles Golf Association November 2008

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1 CELEBRATING 16 YEARS OF SINGLES GOLF IN AMERICA Albany Chapter - American Singles Golf Association November 2008 President s Message As I succeed Tom Bourke, I want to thank him for his years of leadership. He brought energy and enthusiasm to the position of President that served all of us well and oversaw an increase in our membership. I am happy that Tom will continue to serve on the board as our past President. I also want to thank my fellow board members for serving with me. May we continue to make our ASGA chapter as successful as it has been in the past and responsive to our membership. All of you are welcome to join us at our meetings which are usually held the first Tuesday of each month at the Tuscan Grill in Clifton Park. Or feel free to or call any of the board members if you have a suggestion on how we can improve our chapter. I want to thank Beth Disque for doing such a great job these past years with our newsletter. She has passed that mantle to Don Sislowski, our new Vice President. I know that Don would appreciate any news items that you might have to put in the newsletter. We had some very sad news recently in our ASGA family. The passing of Ruth Horton's father, the tragic death of Jay Sullivan's daughter and the sudden death of Beth Disque's brother hit all of us. We extend our sympathy and support to them. Words never seem to capture in an appropriate manner what needs to be conveyed. But Ruth, Jay and Beth, you have our loving support! Our golf season ended in October. It was a great year highlighted by our Labor Day celebration in Saratoga. Thanks to all who made that event both fun and successful. As we look to next year, our golf meeting is scheduled for January 11th. Please mark that date on your calendar and plan to come. The more ideas, the better! Our treasurer, Mike Congero, will be ordering the 2009 Golf calendars. We hope to have them available for purchase in early December. We use the calendar cards that come with them to obtain discounts for our informal golf events. When you buy from us, you save the sales tax, plus the club earns $4.50 for each calendar we sell. Thanks, Mike, for doing this. You will note under Upcoming Events below that plans are in place for a Game's Night on Nov. 15th, our annual Holiday Party on December 14th and our Super Bowl party on February 1st. You will be receiving more information as the time approaches. Thanks to Don for hosting the Game's Night and the Super Bowl party at the Hearthstone Village in Latham and to Karen Babin for hosting our Holiday Party at her home in Saratoga Springs. With the renovations at the Callaway, we are still looking for a regular place to hold our Friday evening gatherings. Please send us any suggestions you may have. Ideally, we would like to find a place that is geographically accessible to all of us. As Thanksgiving approaches, let us be grateful for the great times we had this year -- on the links, the fun at our various gatherings and for the fellowship and support that we have received from one another. Have a great holiday! ~Gary Albany ASGA Officers, Board Members and Committees *President - GARY O BRIEN Overall responsibility for ASGA-Albany. Plan agendas for monthly meetings. Answer to ASGA. Write monthly message for newsletter *Vice President - DON SISLOWSKI Assist president. Oversee committees. NEXT BIG NATIONAL EVENT: New Year s in Orlando **** Stay at 4-Star Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate Info at Other Multi-Chapter Events: SinglesGolf.com/events National Website: ASGANational@aol.com New Office Hours: 8:00am to 4:00pm, M-F (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: Second Tuesday of each month Next Meeting: Tuesday, December 2nd Meeting Location: The Tuscan Grill Our Website: Our Hotline: (See next page for list of officers and board members.) To join, renew dues, make a change of address, phone, etc., call National Hotline at left.

2 Albany, NY Chapter of the American Singles Golf Association President Gary O Brien gobrien3@nycap.rr.com Chairman of the Board Tom Bourke tbourke@imgdate.com (508) Vice-President & Newsletter Don Sislowski Local Golf Beth Disque reader16@earthlink.net (518) Multi-Chapter & Away Golf Ellen Riley Informal Golf John Holmes and Marian Gogola TM Social Chairperson Karen Bishop karebsh1@yahoo.com and Rita Roberti Membership Chairperson Ann Graziano and Kathi Vakiener Secretary Beth Disque reader16@earthlink.net (518) *Treasurer MIKE CONGERO Collect and disburse money for ASGA. Provide monthly financial report. Banking *Secretary BETH DISQUE Minutes of monthly and special meetings. minutes to board members after each meeting, Communications to members/friends Chairman of the Board TOM BOURKE Past President Communications (Website) - BETH DISQUE & JUDY AXENSON News and pictures on the website Communications (Newsletter) DON SISLOWSKI Compile monthly newsletter (MS Word) to send to ASGA National Social KAREN BISHOP & RITA ROBERTI Plan non golf functions Committee KAREN BABIN Local Golf - Formal Outings BETH DISQUE & HELENE CHAPADOS Help plan and run monthly outings Multl-chapter and Away Golf ELLEN RILEY Help plan golf events away from home (ie Lake Placid, Cape Cod, etc.) Informal Golf JOHN HOLMES & MARIAN GOGOLA Help to set up a schedule of informal golf events for any days other than the formal events 9 Hole Golf OPEN Plan 9 hole golf events...weekly league? Membership - ANN GRAZIANO & KATHI VAKIENER Help in spreading the word about ASGA and attract new members. Welcome new members.plan Meet and Greet for early I cannot commit to a chairman or committee position at this time but I will help as needed if available Jim McGowen, Mitch Tarbell, Bob LaBarge, Clyde Winnie, Gregg Anderson, Wayne Coulter, Ray Frederick, Ralph Maioriello Note to all members An organization is only as good as its people. We have a wonderful group of members and friends in ASGA, but keeping the organization vital and active requires a lot of work. All the board members and officers are volunteers. Please remember to thank them for their contributions to our group. And think about what you can do to contribute to the well being of Albany ASGA. We need YOU! Let any of the board members know if you have an area where you are willing to help. Albany ASGA Meeting Minutes 11/4/08 The meeting was called to order by Gary at 6:50 p.m. at Tuscan s Grill. Present - Mike Congero, Beth Disque, Joanne Malecki, Don Sislowski, Ann Graziano, Gary O Brien, Marian Gogola, Tom Bourke, Ellen Reilly, Kathi Vakiener, John Holmes New chapter leadership took effect at this meeting. Secretary s Report - Beth Disque Minutes from 10/14/08 were approved. Treasurer Mike Congero mcongero48@aim.com Communications (Website) Beth Disque and Judy Axenson Do you want to update your personal information on our chapter s roster? You can now do this yourself. Simply click on the MY ACCOUNT link at the national website (SinglesGolf.com). You can update your address, phone, add your cell phone, change handicap, etc. Doing it yourself takes the burden off of your chapter leaders so they can spend more time on the golf course and less time on the computer!

3 Access to Yahoo Officers and social committee people Beth will change password and let people know Treasurers Report Mike Congero Available Balance = $ There is $130 outstanding from French s Hollow due to 4 people. Mike will them and find out if they would like a refund. Approved Chapter Leadership for 2009 Need Newsletter chairperson Don Sislowski will take over. Kathi V. will continue on the membership committee. Social Events Friday Nights. Santino s (now called Chapter 2) is out a much younger crowd Smokey Bones got a good turnout, but no one is particularly fond of it What is happening at Calaway? Don will find out. Don will also investigate Phillies. Suggestions Martelles karaoke at 9, Chipshots band starts at 7, Appletini s parking Is bad, November will be at Chipshots, pending availability. Don will check. Marian will check about Mill Road. Game night at Don s Nov. 15 Sat. starting at Hearthstone Village Community Room -BYOB Snack to share $5 members, $10 nonmembers We will send out notices of the OC Holiday party Dec. 20 Feb. 1 - Super Bowl Party at Hearthstone Village Community Room beginning at 5 Holiday Party at Karen Babin s December 14, 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 10 member, 15 nonmembers ASGA will provide the entrée and all paper products, coffee, tea and water Tom B. will check with Ralph s about the entrée items BYOB and an appetizer, veggie, dessert or salad to share Those who do not want to bring a dish to share, can pay an additional $5.00 Sign up for set up and clean up Bring a unisex grab bag gift..- minimum $10 up to $15 value Membership Don will investigate Meetup.com a vehicle for getting information out about what we are doing We have no incentives for referring other people to ASGA. We should explore this. Other Items Suggestions for away golf were mentioned we will table until the golf meeting on Jan. 11 Upcoming Meeting Dates Dec. 2, Tuesday 6:30 Tuscan s Grill Jan. 6, Tuesday 6:30 Tuscan s Grill Jan. 11, Sunday, 3 p.m. Golf Planning meeting - Hearthstone Village Community Room Meeting Adjourned 8:35 p.m. Respectfully Submitted ~Beth Disque Past Outings August 24th Sycamore and Yanni's ~Mike Coscia Yours Truly made four tee times for 18 holes starting at 12:30 and one tee time for nine starting at 3:00. Beth did the communications via the internet and we had 19 happy people show up to play. The following played 18; Ray, Joe, Marion, Myself, John Bob, Judy, Bob, Beth, Tony, Gregg, Duane, Jim, Jay, Wayne, and arrived Cathy. The following played 9; Bob, Vicki and Sandra. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and the course is just awesome. The back nine are very hilly and scenic. The 9th and 18th holes are "killer'" holes and very close to each other. One guy started on the 18th and played most of the course on the 9th until he realized he was playing the wrong hole. We reserved 20 seats at Yanni's in Ravena for 6: people showed in spite of a difficult detour. Duane never made it to the restaurant and is believed to be still lost in the Helderbergs. Yanni's has a nice view of the Hudson and a marina and the drinks were cold and the women hot. Labor Day Weekend It's September and we just enjoyed a spectacular Labor Day weekend event. The weather could not have been better. (Thanks Gary- two years in a row!) It was wonderful to welcome our friends from Conn. and Mass. on Friday night at Garcia's for a meet and greet celebration. It was great to meet some new faces and welcome back some familiar ones. It was another spectacular day at the track on Saturday (big winners????) and then a fun filled evening in Saratoga with great food and great music everywhere. Sunday morning brought another beautiful day for golf at VanPatten in Clifton Park. Everything there went off without a hitch and moved smoothly all day long. Congratulations to all the winners and special thanks to Vicki for the great lunch she made for all of us. It was wonderful and delicious, especially the cookies!!! We closed the weekend with dinner and awards at Delmonico's. Great food and great friends - lots of awards and raffle prizes. What a great ending to a great weekend!!! Many thanks to all who made it possible, especially to John for the set of wedges he made and to Beth for all her diligence in tending to every detail. What wonderful folks you all are!!! Ready to start planning next year???? ~contributed by Karen Bishop Capital Hills, Friday, August 29 by Mike Coscia Four, foursomes started tee time play at 12 noon. Only four gals showed and the guys were extra nice to them so as to gather at least one lady into their group. As Paul from the Mass chapter said to someone " today is no day to piss the ladies off". Beth led off the first group, Cathy Kelly played with the second group and got her money s worth, Republican Betty from Mass played with her new found friend Dan from the Hartford chapter. Kathleen aka "Dessert Queen"' also from the mass chapter played in the final group. Wayne, who could not find the course was guided in via the cell phone by Duane. He arrived late and joined us on the course. The course was in excellent

4 condition and has a memorably challenging hilly terrain. The day was cloudy and cool making for enjoyable golf. Someone moved the white tee markers to behind the blue markers on hole three to make life more interesting. It was not appreciated by some. The fun moved from the course to Garcia's Restaurant starting at 5:30 PM. Tom, Ann, Gary, Karen and Saratoga Mike, were there to greet the golfers and new arrivals with two drink tickets and a welcome packet. A Mexican buffet was available for our dinner. A Hartford group arrived late because they played another course on their way up to Albany. Karen took pictures of our festivities with some candid pictures of people having a good time. She promised not to blackmail anyone. The fifty/fifty drawing kept people at the restaurant to near the end. The party continued for sometime after. A day at Saratoga Track, August 30 A group of ASGA people gathered at the Comfort Inn for the 11 AM bus to Saratoga. The bus riders were mostly people from the Mass and Hartford chapters staying at the hotel with a few Albany people mixed in. We spent the afternoon in the Paddock tent area and the admission included a delicious hot and cold buffet and a dessert bar. People grouped together on tables with mostly people they already knew. The Mass and Hartford members and out of towners mingled to make new friends and happy experiences. No one seemed to have a financially rewarding day although some might have been quite about winning for fear of the IRS or a girl friend. This writer was in one group that included Kathleen, Betty, Andrea from Hartford, and Dan and can only report on this group. Kathleen and Betty were not familiar with the horses so "expert" Dan and myself helped them and others lose their money. However every time Kathleen lost she got up to drown her sorrows with a dessert. We all lost count of how many desserts she had. When the dessert bar was closed, and the girls were still losing,dan took them to Ben and Jerry s to sooth their woes. The big race of the day was the 10th with Curlin in the spot light. The horse did not show why he is a true champion. The group split up after this race, with mostly Albany people walking back along the main street and the other chapters taking the bus to Broadway. The bus people split into smaller groups. This writer's group went to the Adelphi hotel and sat out in the back court yard enjoying beer wine and dessert for Kathleen. We talked politics in a friendly way. We later walked Broadway and danced to one of the alley bands. When the cry went out, I need a beer badly" we stopped at the Grey Gelding at an outside table and enjoyed refreshments. We rushed our last drinks to get to the bus on time 10 Pm. Kathleen entertained us with her rap music about the Mass chapter. Golf at Van Patten, G.C. Sunday Aug. 31 It was a beautiful day for golf and reckless driving. Beth and Rita were chauffeured to the course but it was a white knuckled, stiff leg ride caused by a sight impaired, hung over, late braking, double line truck passing, don't know the roads driver. They were so up from the ride they played their best golf in a while. John and Vicki greeted the golfers with sandwiches and other goodies to eat. John had on a yellow and black stripped old time golf outfit. Beth took photos of the interesting people. Before we started golf Dan made sure Kathleen of Mass had enough dessert for the day, by giving her eight individual cakes, brownies, Twinkies etc to the howl of the crowd. The event was a shotgun start scramble with prizes for the individual and team achievement. The winners are as follows; Delmonico's After golf, many members celebrated at the restaurant. The small glass beer, wine, and mixed drinks flowed freely before, during and after the meal. Those known to be captive to the euphoric juice of the grape continued in their ways. Prizes were awarded to the winners and photos were taken to document the winners. The " dessert queen" celebrated her July birthday with a formal Restaurant waitress song and fireworks display and of course a Canoli for dessert. Kathleen was worried she would be arrested for fraud because really wasn't her birthday. The drinking and dining went on into the night past my bedtime. Tom, Ann, Gary, Karen, John, Beth and others deserve special recognition for an outstanding three days of fun. For the young and strong there was a fourth day at Orchard Creek GC on Monday Sept. 1. ABOUT OUR MEMBERS Happy Birthday to these members: Diane Dodd - 11/05 Bob Mattox - 12/09 Duane Parker - 11/18 Mitch Tarbell - 11/03 These members are up for renewal: (date shown is last day of membership) Clyde Winne - 11/30/2008 These members recently renewed: Karen Babin Robert Gilbert Ruth Horton These members did not renew their dues: (date shown is date membership expired) Ann Graziano - 10/31/2008 Thomas Paratore - 09/30/2008 Our chapter currently has 54 members.

5 Labor Day Weekend Outing

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8 Labor Day Weekend Winning Foresomes

9 Halloween Cruise on the Captain JP ~by Tom Bourke A great night was had by all. As most of you will recall, it was a balmy night with clear skies which makes for delightful fresh air and great views of the Hudson shorelines from the Troy pier all the way down past the pier of Albany. I am not sure I ll remember all but there was Gary, our new president, with his lovely Judy, Diane Dodd, Greg Anderson, our own Jo Ann who with her travel, we had not seen in a few months. Welcome back Jo Ann. And there was Kathy Vaknier, our member chair and her friend? Bill. Cathy Bennett, who was fabulously costumed in black with a Phantom of the Opera mask, should have won a prize but they gave it to a batman and robin duo robbery on the high seas! A very special thanks goes to Don and Stephanie, who car pooled together, were on board early, and got us the best tables on the Captain JP up in the front of the ship but on the dance floor deck. We could hear and dance to the REFRIGERATORS but we weren t packed in like sardines at the tables adjoining the dance floor! Don is off to a great start as a major team player and the Albany chapter s Vice President! We definitely should consider another cruise in Ann and I had a great time along with the rest of our ASGA crew! Thank You Notes To those who were at your season ending formal golf outing at Van Patten and your members. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this fun, fantastic day. Our fore some, myself, Greg, Rita, and Marian were such a great group to be with. Again a big thanks to you all that made me feel as though I was long time member of your group. Regards to you all!!! Rich Shostak Hi All, Thanks to all of you who have written to me since my "leaving Albany" went out. You all made my day. I am here and staying with my son and family for awhile. I will be moving around for several weeks staying with friends, cousins and my son. I'm putting a bid in on the house in ski country. It is beautiful.. I'm going to have one heck of a BIG party there, and you're all invited. If it's in the winter, bring ski clothes, and if it''s next spring/summer, bring your clubs. We can have an outing at the country club. It's a beauty. There's a community pool that's quite larger and accommodate lots of fun loving people. There are several hiking trails all around me, so there are lots of fun things we could do, including a trip to Niagara Falls for a ride on the jet rover that goes into a Level 7 rapids.it is an awesome experience. I hope you do keep in touch. I answer all my s, and I appreciate the sentiments you expressed. it just confirmed what I already know - ASGA has caring, wonderful people in it. As an organization, there is none better. See you soon. Peace and be well to all. Vicki Hi, I'm not sure who gets this , but I want to thank everyone who put the Saratoga event together! It was a quadruple Blast!! Also, I want to apologize for any confusion or ill-feelings I could have caused by passing the cookies and pie up to the raffle table on Sunday Night. I just thought I'd keep a joke going over my voracious appetite for desserts on Saturday. I realized afterwards that not everyone knew of the joke and could have thought the pie and cookies were legitimate raffle prizes. Sorry if it ruffled any feathers. Please pass my apology along to anyone who may have commented on these two 'prizes'. Again, thanks for the fun time! Kathy Rovnak Central Mass I would like to thank everyone who took part in making the Labor Day weekend a success. Everything from Friday night to Sunday night was just perfect. Thanks Ann, Tom and Beth and anyone else who took part. Hope to see everyone again next year. Mary LeBel Hartford Chapter I would like to THANK John Holmes for making the BEST EVER wedges!!! While my game wasn't very good on Labor Day Monday - the short game will be 100 % better with the use of his terrific wedges. The lob is a beautiful way to approach a green and hold! Who would have thought! Thanks John! and Thank to everyone who contributed so generously to the Raffles - we had a lot of winners - and Albany Chapter is very grateful for your generous support! The Labor Day weekend was another wonderful time with new and seasoned friends - and I can't wait to see you all next year. Beth and Karen, Mike, Tom, John, Fred, Don - and so many others - including Gary with the terrific weather - have outdone themselves again. It is a lot of hard work and time - but what a wonderful outcome.

10 Thanks to everyone who celebrated this Labor Day weekend with us in Albany and Saratoga. Ann - future queen of the short game - Graziano Beth, Tom, Ann, John, Gary and anybody else I have forgotten, I wanted to let you know how great a time I had this past weekend. I am sitting here at home, with the sun shining and thinking, what a beautiful day: wish I was playing somewhere!. True, I didn't do very well at the track, but I had a fabulous time. My friend Denise, who has not attended any ASGA events, also had a great time. She was a tad nervous, having not played very much this year and not knowing anybody. But she said she felt so comfortable all weekend, she would come again. Again, thanks you all so much for all the work you put into this weekend and for graciously tolerating the whiners from CT. Nancy Hammond Thanks to all of you for your expressions of sympathy, caring, and compassion after the recent death of my brother, Robbie. I can't tell you how much your support meant to me and how much it has helped me in getting through this very difficult time. I love you all! Beth Upcoming Events Fri., Nov. p.m. Social Gathering & Dinner at Chipshots at the Town of Colonie Golf Course Sat. Nov. 15, 7 p.m. Game Night at Hearthstone Village see details below Fri., Nov. p.m. Social Gathering & Dinner at Chipshots at the Town of Colonie Golf Course Fri., Nov. p.m. Social Gathering & Dinner at Chipshots at the Town of Colonie Golf Course Tues., Dec. 2. 6:30 p.m. Monthly Meeting at Tuscan s Grill, Clifton Park Sun., Dec. 14, 3 p.m. Holiday Party at Karen Babin s see details below Tues., Jan. 6, 6:30 p.m. Monthly Meeting at Tuscan s Grill, Clifton Park Sun., Jan. 11, 3 p.m Golf Planning Meeting (more details later) Sun., Feb. 1, 5 p.m. Super Bowl Party (more details later) Saturday, November 15 Game Night Please come and join us for a November Game Night. We'll be getting together at the Hearthstone Village Community Center for poker, billiards and Tiger Woods Golf on the Wii. Date- Saturday, November 15 th Time- 7:00 pm Location - Hearthstone Village (see attached map) BYOB and a snack food or dessert to share Cost - $5:00 members, $10.00 non members RSVP by Wednesday., November 12 to Don at AlbanyASGA2002@yahoo.com us if you need directions or more information. Sunday December 14 Holiday Party Mark your calendars so you don t miss our annual holiday party usually our biggest gathering of the year. Bring a friend. Date Sunday, December 14 Time 3 7 p.m. Location Karen Babin s house in Clifton Cost - $10 members, $15 nonmembers Details ASGA will provide the entrees, paper products, coffee, tea, and water You need to Bring Your Own Beverage and an appetizer, vegetable, salad, or dessert to share. You can pay an additional $5.00 if you prefer not to bring a dish to share. Also, bring a unisex grab bag item (wrapped), minimum value - $10.00 but no more than $15.00 Watch for an with more information about this event. Rules and More Rules Hapless Larry managed to get in another golf predicament. Larry s soaring ball to the green landed short and buried itself in a bunker. The ball was completely covered by sand. I mean the ball totally disappeared. In searching for the ball, Larry s foot accidentally moved the ball and the ball became totally exposed, or in this case, uncovered. What is the correct ruling/requirement? A. No penalty, however the ball must be replaced and totally covered with sand. B. No penalty, however the ball must be replaced and covered with sand but a part of the ball may be left visible. C. One stoke penalty and the ball must be replaced and totally covered with sand. D. One stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced and covered with sand but a part of the ball may be left visible. And the answer is... The answer is B There is no penalty; the ball must be replaced and recovered so that only part of the ball is visible. Rule 12-1 is applicable to this situation. In a hazard, if the ball is believed to be covered by sand or lose impediments, a player can remove by probing or raking with a club as much sand as needed so that he can see a part of the ball. If an excess is removed, there is no penalty and the ball must be re-covered so that only a part of the ball is visible. If the ball is moved during the removal, there is no penalty; the ball must be replaced and, if necessary, re-covered.

11 Survey from our year-end outing at Van Patten on October 5. What social events would you like us to plan for next year? Indoor Winter Golf 2, Christmas-3, Super Bowl 2, Kentucky Derby 2, 4 th of July -3 Bowling, Memorial party, Columbus Day Monday outing, Thanksgiving-2 What golf courses do you like? Van Patten-7 Saratoga Lake -7 Stadium-5 Shaker Airway Meadows Mill Road 2 Tee Bird-2 Orchard Creek. Saratoga Spa -4 Sycamore 2 Highland Windy Hills Evergreen Public Course Amsterdam Muni-3 Schenectady Muni Copake Town of Colonie 3 Capital Hills 2 Brookhaven Eagle Crest-2 Cobleskil Fairways of Halfmoon 2 Kingswood Queensbury-2 Are there any courses where you would prefer NOT to play? Evergreen 7 Pioneer Hills Rolling Hills French s Hollow-2 Did you like the nine and dines we started this year? Yes-12 Good idea but it didn t work for me 2 Would like to try different courses Do you have any suggestions for our Friday night gatherings? Where would be a good place for us to schedule a regular meeting place for Friday evenings in the off golf season? O Toole s -2 Tuscan s Grill Smokey Bones Mill Road Santino s -2 Central location Town of Colonie Golf New Calaway Would you prefer us to pick one location for every Friday or rotate locations? Prefer Albany Same location (5) One location is nice because everyone knows where to go Rotate but limit location to 2 or 3 A couple of different locations boring to use the same one all the time One as long as food and entertainment are good Rotate Would you like us to include Vapor (or a night club spot) for one of the Friday night gatherings? No-7 Yes 7 Somewhere with dancing Not big on my list Any suggestions, comments (positive or negative), or advice you can offer will help us as we plan the direction our club will take in the coming year. It is getting much better Doing a good/great job (2) Liven up golf Dress- funniest outfits or other crazy programs Discourage/exclude disruptive or non-congenial golfers new members opt out when play is not pleasant New member orientation Lessons golf and etiquette We need to get the word out. More Golf Special invite to Ann and Tom to join us at Various events

12 CELEBRATING 16 YEARS OF SINGLESGOLF IN AMERICA AMERICAN SINGLES GOLF ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER 2008 New Year s: A Time for Reunion Yes, we heard about the economy. And isn t it great that we live in one of the strongest economies in the world. Gas prices are dropping like leaded gasoline and now is the time for all good members to come to the aid of... themselves! Put your worries behind you and start the new year off right with great golf in warm Orlando. This 3-day event is open to all ASGA members. It s an opportunity for you to meet friends you didn t know you had and to renew friendships. Here are the basics: Who: Open to all ASGA Members When: Monday, December 29, Thursday, January 1, 2009 Where: Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate, 1500 Masters Blvd., ChampionsGate, Florida Phone What: 3-Night Stay - 6 Food functions - 2 Rounds of Golf with Optional Day-of-Arrival and Day-of-Departure Golf Why: To meet friends you didn t know you had and to have the time of your life! Standard Package Rate is $ PER PERSON, DOUBLE OCCUPANCY, IF PAYING BY CHECK and $ if paying by a major credit card. Our annual trip for warm climates in the winter have landed us back in Orlando once again. It s really tough to beat what this city offers to golfers. Yes, we could have chosen a venue less expensive but a vacation should feel like a vacation. This hotel will make you feel like you have arrived. It is four-star from the rooms to the pools to the on-site golf courses, quality of food, etc. Check out the hotel s website (OmniOrlandoResort.com) and you ll see what we mean. We know gas prices are high, but you ll easily make-up for high gas prices with the savings you ll get on this one. If you and a friend visited this resort as a non-asga member at the same time, the two of you would easily spend $400 more for the same things you ll receive under our standard package. The standard package includes: 4-days, 3-night s stay at the Omni Orlando Resort at Champions- Gate, based on double occupancy (you ll have a roommate) Breakfast at Trevi s Restaurant at the Omni each day 2 rounds of golf, one at the National Course, one at the Int l. courses (site of annual PGA Father-Son Event) Cart, range balls and prizes for winner 6 food functions: Cocktail Party / Welcoming Reception with hors d oeuvres, buffet dinner after first round of golf, 3 breakfasts and New Year s Eve plated dinner. Dancing with the DJ at the Omni on first and third nights Welcoming Gift, spa and David Leadbetter group discounts Registration Form Included In This Newsletter. Details and online registration at SinglesGolf.com/newyears New Year s Day falls on a Thursday this time around and this event actually beings on a Monday. The beauty of this arrangement is that you can arrive as many as three (3) days early and stay up to three (3) days late and it will only cost you $64 per person (based on dlb. occ.) to stay an additional night, or $128 to room by yourself. Orlando offers so much more and our online website can give you links to other things to do while there, such as visit Mickey, SeaWorld, MGM, etc. And, with all of ASGA National events, there are no hidden charges. Resort fees and taxes are all included in all of the package prices. Resort fee even includes local phone calls, newspaper and wireless internet if you care to bring your laptop! They ll even turndown your bed for you each night! So check out all the details at SinglesGolf.com/newyears and get your registration form to us early. See you there! Post-dated Checks Okay If you wish to post-date your check for November 24, you may do so. Please attach a note with the check so we will surely be notified. Did Your Chapter Hold its Elections? In October, chapters should have elected their chapter president for the 2009 calendar year beginning January 1. During this month, chapters are suppose to elect their committee heads. All of this is according to your chapter bylaws ( If you have not elected your leaders for next year, please make sure you do it by the end of November. As soon as you have completed your elections, please inform the national office by submitting the new names to: New Newsletter Format Beginning January 1 We re creatures of habit. But for the first time, we ll go to a different format for your newsletter, a 5.5 x 8.5 booklet-style that will be done on our new raz-ma-taz digital printer and will mail easier. To see a mockup of the new format, go to SinglesGolf.com/newformat - Tom Alsop President / Founder American Singles Golf Association

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