-[ DECEMBER 2016 ]-
DECEMBER 2016 2 3 5 7 9 13 Back Hours Letter from Andrea On The Course Golf Outlook & Events Feature Article: Trio Golfs Thier Age Country Club Christmas Calendar Visit us on the Web RockledgeCC.com and check out all the great features. If you have a question or concern, email us at admin@rockledgecc.com FORE is published for its members by Rockledge Country Club. Send correspondence to: Kimberly Wilson, Editor Rockledge Country Club 1591 S. Fiske Blvd. Rockledge, FL 32955 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook.com/ RockledgeCountryClub Instagram.com/ RockledgeCountryClub RockledgeCountryClub. Shutterfly.com
HOURS... GOLF & PRO SHOP Tuesday Sunday... 7:00 am 5:30 pm RANGE HOURS Tuesday Saturday...7:30 am - 6:00 pm Sunday...7:30 am - 5:30 pm GOLF SNACK BAR Tuesday Sunday...8:00 am 3:30 pm BUSINESS OFFICE Tuesday Friday...9:00 am - 5:00 pm VUE 18 RESTAURANT Breakfast is served Saturday & Sunday: 7:00 am - 1:00 pm Lunch is served... Tuesday - Friday: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday & Sunday: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm Dinner is served Tuesday - Friday: 5:00-10:00 pm HOLIDAY HOURS... CHRISTMAS EVE Golf Shop 7am-3pm CHRISTMAS DAY Closed DECEMBER 26-30 Golf Shop & Vue 18: open regular hours Business office, CLOSED NEW YEARS EVE Golf Shop 7am-3pm Vue 18 11am-4pm NYE Party 7pm-1am NEW YEARS DAY Golf Shop & Vue 18: open regular hours 2
From the desk of Andrea Beyel Dear Members, The fall weather reminds us why we live in beautiful Florida. The time has certainly flown by these last three months. In September we celebrated our newly renovated Vue 18 with a fun Friday night celebration and ribbon cutting. So many of you were here to celebrate with us and I was touched by all the warm wishes and out pouring of support. I believe everyone had a great time, and I am truly blessed to be working with such an incredible staff and serving a wonderful membership. October ushered in cooler weather as the golf course began to buzz with activity. We had an incredible turnout for our Haunted Greens Hayride on October 28th. We will definitely do this again next year. November reminded us to be thankful as even more familiar faces began to return. Our Thanksgiving Day buffet was a huge hit and I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving. 3 The course keeps looking better and better despite Hurricane Matthew that wreaked havoc on our course in October. This week is sure to speed things up with a scheduled lowering of the mowing heights. On December 3-4 we are having our Platinum Coast Invitational which is shaping up to be one of our most well attended PCI tournaments in years. The Men s Member Guest tournament weekend is scheduled for March 10-12, 2017. We are hoping for an unprecedented turnout this year and have great plans for an exciting weekend. This month we have decided to combine many of our popular holiday events into one day, Country Club Christmas, on Sunday December 18, 2016. We will start the day with our traditional Santa Brunch, followed by a Holiday Scramble. Make sure to join us for at 5:00 pm happy hour before our traditional Christmas Cart
Caroling fun begins at 6:30 pm. There will be a trailer for those of you that would like to join and do not have a golf cart. All the details are found on pages 13-14. We are looking forward to bringing in 2017 with a fun New Year s Eve party. All of the details will be out very soon. In January you can expect to see the return of our regular events such as Bingo, Corks & Canvas, Prime Rib Night and All You Can Eat Crab Legs. From my family to yours, I wish all of you the happiest of holidays. All my best, Andrea Beyel General Manager 4
-[ ON THE COURSE ]- FROM JERRY YEOMANS, DIRECTOR OF GOLF OPERATIONS The holiday season is already upon us and we are beginning to welcome back our friends from the north. Cooler temperatures are starting to trickle in, and that is a nice relief from the summer humidity. We are getting back to normal after the hurricane brought us some unwelcome extra work. We are most appreciative of all the members who chipped in to help in the immediate days after the storm. The debris field left behind was enormous and it took an army to remove it all. We did lose a couple of key trees on the course (#1 and #9), but overall, the damage was minimal. The greens are performing nicely and should pick up some pace as the weather cools and slows the growth. We recently performed a small tine aerification to allow for water and oxygen penetration through the thatch layer. This is a relatively non-intrusive procedure that will be done periodically to keep an open soil profile. An aerification that removes soil will not be done until spring (May). We also recently fertilized and applied a pre-emergent herbicide to the fairways and rough areas. This is important to give the turf the nutrients it needs to strengthen it for the cooler season. The herbicide will prevent the major winter annual weeds from germinating, and will help keep us clean through the winter. Please remember to do your part in helping the course stay in good shape. Try to avoid traffic areas with carts by using the paths where provided. Staying on the paths around tees and greens will eliminate the wear areas that develop when the grass can t outgrow the problem in the cooler weather season. Ball marks on greens are always unacceptable, and we are seeing more than we should. There are free tools in the pro shop, so make sure you have one to use. Yours in Turf, Jerry Yeomans
-[ ON THE COURSE ]- FROM JEFF TURNER, HEAD GOLF PROFESSIONAL Good Day Fellow Golfers! With the holiday season upon us, this would be an appropriate time to discuss new clubs. New Year and new clubs sounds like a winning combination. Here are a few tips: 1. Don t believe the hype. What you see advertised may not be the best for your game. If we believed every ad, we would all hit the ball 400 yards and sink every putt. Go to a trusted club fitter and test the equipment before you buy it. 2. 14 Clubs is Maximum by the rules of golf, but not a requirement! If you have a slower swing speed you may only need every other club. If you hit your 8 iron and 9 iron the same distance, you may need 8-10 degrees of loft difference to see a distance difference. 3. Play the same ball all the time. It s important to know how the ball you play reacts to your clubs. Does it land on the green and roll, or stop with spin? Both are OK, but you need to know what s going to happen to score well. 4. Repeat this process at least annually. You may think that driver from 8 years ago still works, but clubs do actually wear out. Drivers should be replaced every 2-3 years, irons every 3-5 years and wedges every year. Additionally, your swing may change over time and your clubs may no longer be the best fit now. 5. Give it some time. Adjusting to a new set of clubs takes spending some time with them. Don t expect to lower your score immediately. For example you may now hit your 7 iron 10 yards further, now you have to adjust to hitting it that distance and change your game accordingly. Be patient. I hope this helps you in your quest for a better game and adds a dimension to club fitting that isn t often thought of. Good Luck and feel free to ask questions. Happy Holidays, Jeff Turner, PGA 6
GOLF OUTLOOK Platinum Coast Invitational... Sat.&Sun, December 3-4 Pro Shop Christmas Party... Thursday, December 8 Golf Clinic (9:00 am)... Saturday, December 10 Golf Cart Caroling... Sunday, December 18 Holiday Scramble... Sunday, December 18 Toilet Bowl... Saturday, January 14 Club Championship... Sat.&Sun. February 25-26 Member Guest Tourn... Fri.-Sun., March 10-12 RHS Football Tourn... Saturday, April 29 7
Two Day Stroke Play Format: Championship Division - No HCP - open to all Sr Championship Division - No HCP - Over 50 1st and 2nd Flights - Full HCP Super Sr Flight - Full HCP - Over 70 www.rockledgecc.com/platinumcoast 8
Trio shoots their age at Rockledge Country Club By: Taylor Wilson For most golfers, shooting their age is a feat they only dream of. But for a trio of golfers at Rockledge Country Club, shooting their age is like clockwork. Fred Robinson, Charles Tournabene and Phillip Eschbach are all World War II veterans, well into their 90s and play several rounds of golf per week at Rockledge Country Club in Brevard County. Don Sparpana, Rockledge Country Club member for the past 10 years, frequently golfs with the trio. They play regularly and they play well, Sparpana said. I mean, they are not just out there to bang on the ball, at best they shoot in the high 80s and at worst probably mid to high 90s if they have a bad day. Robinson is 94 years old and a Pearl Harbor survivor, but that doesn t stop him from playing golf at the club every week. I have been a member here since 1967, and I play golf four or five times a week, Robinson said. I used to play seven days a week, but I am little old for that. Phillip Eschbach (left), Fred Robinson(center) and Charles Tournabene (right) enjoying a round of golf at the Rockledge Country Club. PC: Kimberly Wilson a hole-in-one. In their years of golfing, the trio is proud of the number of times they have made Eschbach said he has had made a hole-in-one twice. Robinson and Tournabene said they both have made a hole-in-one three times. 9
Rockledge Country Club members and Rockledge locals have taken notice to the trio and asked themselves how they can achieve an active lifestyle into their 90s as well. Kimberly Wilson, marketing and communications manager at Rockledge Country Club, is one of many who are impressed with their active lifestyle. They are an inspiration to all of us at the club, Wilson said. I don t know what their secret is to being so active at their age, but I would like to find out. Jeff Turner, PGA, head golf professional at Rockledge Country Club, said the reason these men are still so active is because they have been playing golf on a daily basis for 60 years. Sparpana said that he would attribute their good health to regular practice and attending fitness classes at the gym. Chad Kessler, orthopedic surgeon at Georgia Bone and Joint, shared his expertise on the matter. It is important to maintain your weight, aerobic fitness and lean muscle mass through low-impact aerobic exercise and resistance training in order to continue to have the ability to be mobile and physically active into your 80s and beyond, Kessler said. Tournabene and Eschbach said they would attribute their health to clean living. Rich Janne, Rockledge Country Club member, has been golfing with the trio for 10 years. Chuck (Charles Tournabene) has always gone to the gym, Janne said. He plays four days a week and goes to the gym for two or three of the others. Janne said Eschbach has always been very active. Fred Robinson, 94, celebrates the putt he just made. Robinson has been a member of Rockledge Country Club since 1967. PC: Taylor Wilson You know, Phil (Eschbach), the other day he didn t play golf because he had to spend time cleaning up his yard from the hurricane, Janne said.
As a part of their active lifestyle, the trio plays tournaments among other members within the private club. We have a group that can be anywhere from about 8 to 26 depending on the time of the year, and it s competitive, Sparpana said. We draw names each time we go out and each time we play a different game and the winners get the pot. The games are for fun and exercise for Robinson, Tournabene and Eschbach; it s not just about the money for them, said Sparpana. Robinson, Tournabene and Eschbach all said they play for the the love of the game. Phil Eschbach, a University of Florida alumni, drives his golf cart back to the clubhouse at Rockledge Country Club. PC: Kimberly Wilson Eschbach, a Melbourne native and Cocoa High School alumni, laughed and said they cheat a lot when it is just them, which keeps it light and fun. Twice a year we have a little banquet for lunch, and today was one of them, said Janne. It s called the Tournabene Group, and we play four days a week for $5 a piece. Janne said Tournabene then keeps the money in the kitty for the banquets. He said the Tournabene Group also one banquet before the snowbirds arrive and one after they leave. When the year ends, it s pretty close, but each person has probably won equal times, Sparpana said. There may be a few differences, but overall there isn t much of a spread. Turner said they all have about the same handicap, ranging from 23 to 24. He said they are all out there just to have a good time. I play with these guys, they re wonderful. They are a great gang to play with, and I like taking their money, Robinson said. 11
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DECEMBER www.rockledgecc.com/activities Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Brunch Platinum Coast Invitatnl 27 28 29 30 1 2 Brunch 3 Yoga 9am Platinum Coast Invitatnl 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brunch 10 Tacos & Trivia Golf Shop Christmas Party Yoga 9am Prime Rib w/shearer Golf Clinic Brunch 11 12 13 14 15 16 Brunch 17 Tacos & Trivia Yoga 9am Brunch Country Club Christmas Christmas Day CLOSED New Years Day 18 19 20 21 22 23 Brunch 24 Tacos & Trivia Yoga 9am Christmas Eve 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Tacos & Trivia Yoga 9am New Years Eve Party 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tacos & Trivia ROCKLEDGECC.COM 1591 S. FISK BOULEVARD (321)636-6022 ROCKLEDGE, FL 32955