CHIPS & PUTTS
PRESIDENTS CORNER & EDITOR'S NOTE
TOURNAMENTS
THE WINNER'S CIRCLE
HANDICAP/RULES & GREENS
BOGCAC NOTES
EDITORS SECTION
MEMBERSHIP/MARKETING
SPONSORS
WALNUT CREEK MEN'S GOLF CLUB

CHIPS & PUTTS

Volume 41   No.1 - 4                                                                                            January - April 2010

ATTENTION!   ATTENTION!
This newsletter is a combined newsletter for January - April 2010.
Do NOT discard!

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
(DINNER INCLUDED)
WEDNESDAY MARCH 3rd 2010 at 6:30 PM

Don't miss this meeting! It is the first of the four dinner meetings scheduled for this year. The NCGA will be providing a representative to review the current changes to rules of golf. Members will receive the new version of the USGA booklet "THE RULES OF GOLF" (if they arrive in time). As usual we will be raffling off a free tournament, and some very nice golf balls. Be sure to be there for a fine dinner provided by The Clubhouse and to share good cheer with fellow members.

There are no meetings in April or May. The next General Membership Meeting will be on Wednesday June 2nd 2010.

PRESIDENTS CORNER & EDITOR'S NOTE

President's Corner

The year is underway and we have had our first tournaments of the year, all

with good turnouts. We still have some work to do on pace of play, based on

what I have seen so far..

These are a few simple things one can do to help improve pace of play. It is

every golfers job to keep the pace up on the course.

1. Be on the tee prior to your tee time ready to go

2. Play ready golf and be ready

3. If you are losing site of the group in front of you send two players

to the tee, while the others finish putting.

4. Think about what shot you might be playing as you head to your ball.

Welcome to the new members who have joined the club and have already played
in our tournaments.

That's all for now, see you on the links.

Rick Callaway

Editor's Note

The last newsletter stated "The "B" team is putting this newsletter together. Our Newsletter Editor, Hugh Ferguson, suffered a heart attack last Wednesday night (11/11/09)." I think the "B" team did a great job. I was innocently walking the dog, on my birthday, when the chest pain hit - I made it home and then the real pain hit Luckily emergency was not crowded and before I could sneak out they had me on a EKG table and then to a room and then to the ambulance. Down to "PILL HILL" we went and on to a surgical bed where they threaded a probe up my groan - injected some warm dye and examined my heart to see if a stent or angioplasty could be used. (I must add that I was awake during this exploratory phase). Very quickly it was decided that a three-way bypass was needed so they quickly sawed down the middle of my chest and pulled the ribs apart. The Doctor told me later that they yanked the heart out, borrowed some veins from my thigh and used them to bypass the artery blockage. (For the record I was asleep during this phase.) Before I knew any better I was laying in bed with tubes sticking out of my body and a beautiful nurse asking if I was comfortable. I missed my birthday party, but made it home in time for Thanksgiving. My thanks to the members of the golf club for their very nice get well cards and phone calls. It was quite an adventure, but I don't recommend it.

TOURNAMENTS

NEWS from the Tournament Chair

We are off to a good start for 2010. Our first NCGA qualifier was held Sunday February 7 in a Shotgun format. We had 80 players and everyone got home in time for the Superbowl kickoff including the Tournament Directors. We will organize that tournament as a Shotgun again for next year. The Poppy Hills event was held on Tuesday, February 16 on one of the nicest weather days we’ve had all winter. It was a great day for all. Coming up is our St. Patrick's Day fun event on March 7.

Tournament Sign-ups need to be done prior to our published deadline dates. If you try to sign up after the deadline date you can be put on an Alternates List. Please understand that 9 days prior to the event we have to release times to the public; and then begin the pairings process and review all players to insure payment has processed. We do have a policy that no one plays without payment in advance and it's only fair that everyone abide by that rule. You can pay in the pro shop the morning of the event as a last resort (i.e. you got in as an alternate). It’s very hard for Tournament Directors to get an event started and find specific players to collect money so we want to minimize that method of payment as much as possible.

Thanks to efforts of Stephen Cherepy Sr. all the Tournament Events are now on the website and you can sign up for any of them right now. This is new for 2010. The tournaments are open for business so you can get out your schedule and do them all at once if that is your fancy.

We always want to fill our events with members so we are trying to make it as easy as possible. Use the website to sign up, or do it manually by using the "Universal Entry Form" found in the pro shop. Follow all the instructions and be sure to email me and Nancy Deal so we know its in there.

SPECIAL NOTE: IF YOU ARE SIGNING UP FOR A "TEAM EVENT" BE SURE TO INDICATE WHO YOU ARE "TEAMING UP" WITH IN THE "NOTES" SECTION ON THE WEBSITE (below where you enter names).

Tournament cancellations are accepted up to 48 hours prior to the start of the actual tournament. Refunds are processed after the event when the accounting is reconciled. If you cancel 24 hours prior to the start of the event, there will be no refund. Also, there is no refund for "no-shows". If the event has a meal served with it as part of the event (i.e. St. Pat's and Fall Festival) the cancellation deadline is the Tuesday prior to the event because we have to confirm the food numbers.

One more thing to think about if you cancel late - if it is a team event you are letting down the others on the team if an alternate is not found to fill the slot. Obviously, we cannot avoid family emergencies; but if you need to cancel please do so sooner than later.

When posting your score please make sure you understand how to adjust your score using Equitable Stroke Control; and be sure to ask if to post as "T" or not. We will start putting signs up next to the computer prior to tee off of an event to help in this regard. After an event, Ken Hoehn is our recorder for the Leaderboard on the Golffusion website.

And finally, the Tournaments Department of this organization can always use extra volunteer help in advertising upcoming events. The old-fashioned phone tree is a great way to get the word out. We always need a list of alternate Tournament Directors as well. Please fee free to contact me or Bill Haish if you are interested in volunteering
.
We are off to a great start. Let's continue to fill our events and play lots of golf.

Best Regards,

Jan Allaway

Upcoming Tournaments
TOURNAMENT DATE(S) DAY

St. Patrick's Day Mar 7 Sun
Four-Man Team Par Point Mar 21 Sun
NCGA Net Amateur Qualifier Apr 17 Sat
Two-Man Scramble May 1 Sat
Club Match Play Qualifier,Championship May 8May 15 & 16 May 22 & 23 SatSat-SunSat-Sun
Flight Championship Matches May 15 & 16May 22 & 23 Sat-SunSat-Sun

THE WINNER'S CIRCLE

2009	Holiday Classic	1st Flt	Paul Dommes, Gary Strand,Gary Snyder & Rick Schmidt
		2nd Flt	John Moore, Stan Janczura, Jim Lafayette & Greg Grebe
		3rd Flt	Jack Calloway, David Dwyer,Jim Helms & Kenneth Kratz Sr
2010	NCGA Four Ball Net Qualifier	1st Flt	Paul Dommes & Gary Strand
		2nd Flt	Doug Ryle & Stephen Cherepy Jr.
		3rd Flt	Brett Morris & David Dyess
	NCGA Zone Qualifier (Poppy)		Ed Ruiz, Craig Berg, Bob Bucey & Mike Loar

Congratulations to all our winners!!

HANDICAP/RULES & GREENS

Pace of Play
The general tournament rules for not being on the tee at your tee time, as outlined in the Tournament Rules Section of the WCMGC Yearbook will be strictly enforced.

The following warning and penalty rules regarding slow play will also be enforced: If a group is determined by a marshal to be out of position, the group will be given a first warning. If the group continues to be out of position a 2-stroke penalty will be assessed each player in the group.

Definition of Out of Position:

The FIRST group will be considered out of position if at any time during the round the group is behind their allotted time (which is 15 minutes per hole). Any following group will be considered out of position if it is taking more than the allotted time to play and/or reaches the tee of a par 3 hole and the hole is clear, or fails to clear the tee of a par 4 hole before the preceding group clears the putting green, or arrives at the teeing ground of a par 5 hole when the preceding group is on the putting green. The Club will supplement the course with our own starters and marshals when needed.

If possible Marshals will also assist in speeding up play by helping with spotting a ball, letting players know if it is clear to hit a blind shot, and letting players know if they may be getting behind.

Anyone who feels he was unjustly penalized for either missing a tee time or for slow play will be able to appeal the penalty. Refer any appeals to the Club President who will resolve the issue. It is not the responsibility of the Tournament Directors to settle disputes.

BOGCAC NOTES

Updates since the last newsletter a s follows:

The Clubhouse at Boundary Oak - The December and January events were well attended. There is a "Fiesta Night" dinner event scheduled for Friday February 26th. Dinner events will be scheduled monthly on the last Friday of the month from now on. The schedule for other future events can be found on the Course website. Kirsten Knauer has moved on up to work for Fleming's Corporate Headquarters so CourseCo will be looking for a replacement in the near future. Amber Wright will be spearheading a sales and marketing thrust this Spring to increase bookings for the Clubhouse They are holding a bridal faire on March 28th. Bookings are picking up including some for 2011.

Lance Iwanaka noted that the construction of the "event area" on the right side of the first tee box area is now complete and should be blooming this Spring.. The new signage has been installed. Work is progressing to improve the drainage and landscaping at the range. Stocking of the Pro Shop is increasing and the Home Club display areas have been installed.

Barry Slavin reviewed the report to the PROS Commission and noted that rounds played are ahead of last year and the course is slightly ahead of budget.

Tom Worthy reminded everyone to support this year's Mayor's Cup Tournament, which is a fund raiser for Junior Golf, that will be held on Friday May 21st.

The golf course maintenance continues under a 45% reduction in water use order The tree management program is continuing. There are numerous drainage improvement projects ongoing throughout the course such as the reworking of the drain inlet on the right side of the first fairway.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday March 17th 2010 at 4:30 p.m.

EDITORS SECTION

From the Editor

An old Golfer goes to the Wizard to ask him if he can remove a curse he has been living with for the last 40 years.

The Wizard says, "Maybe, but you will have to tell me the exact words that were used to put the curse on you."

The old man says without hesitation,

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

While shopping for vacation clothes, my husband and I passed a display of bathing suits. It had been at least ten years & twenty pounds since I had even considered buying a bathing suit, so I sought my husband's advice.

"What do you think?" I asked. "Should I get a bikini or an all-in-one?"

"Better get a bikini," he replied "You'd never get it all in one."

He's still in intensive care.

And, my favorite is:

The graveside service just barely finished, when there was a massive clap of thunder, followed by a tremendous bolt of lightning, accompanied by even more thunder rumbling in the distance.

The little old man looked at the preacher & calmly said, "Well . . . she's there."

We have noticed a number of young players turning in great performances lately but it is really nothing new, it seems. Justin Rose created a sensation in the golf world in 1998 when, at age 17, he finished two strokes behind Mark O'Meara at the British Open. John Ball Jr., however, was only 16 when he won the Claret Jug in 1890. Still he was a seasoned veteran compared to Tom Morris Jr., who won the Open in 1868 at age 14.

A few more short ones from the Editor

A Doctor examining a woman who had been rushed to the Emergency Room, took the husband aside & said, "I don't like the looks of your wife at all."

"Me neither doc," said the husband.

"But she's a great cook & really good with the kids."

Chuck asked his wife, "You never argue when I get mad at you.

How do you always control your anger?"

"I clean the toilet,” she replied." How does that help?" he asked.

"I use your toothbrush."

MEMBERSHIP/MARKETING

The Boundary Oak Golf Course is a tremendous recreational asset to Walnut Creek...and the Walnut Creek Men's Golf Club is a key component to its success! Year after year, we have about 500 members who play thousands of rounds, including tournament and regular recreational golf at the course. In fact, our club probably accounts for 15 to 20% of total rounds at the course each year.

A recent article in our local newspaper indicated that rounds are up significantly over the previous 12 months. We have also seen an uptick in participation among our membership but are still striving diligently to increase it even more. Our first tournament of the year was fully subscribed (100 players) and we had a full field at our annual NCGA Zone Qualifying event at Poppy Hills (60 players). Every member is highly encouraged to participate in this year's tournaments. Remember, you don't have to be a highly skilled golfer to participate as practically all of our events are scored based on current handicaps. In other words, everyone has a chance to have a great day!

Our golf course is coming into its best condition in years. Following recent precipitation, the turf is set for a lush explosion once warmer weather hits. Our new golf course management company, CourseCo, has made many improvements in maintenance practice to bring the facility to a high level of conditioning, especially for winter conditions. Our greens are now competitive with conditions at the best courses in the East Bay, bunkers have been reworked, and fairway conditions are vastly improved.

The best way to increase our membership is for members to seek out and recruit their friends and golfing pals. Let's make this one of the best year's ever for the WCMGC!

Buddie Johnson
Membership/Marketing Chairman