From the Golf Shop
Well, you can’t blame us for trying. We held on as long as we could to see if we were going to be able to play on May 1st and host the Opening Field Day Event. It would have been, and still may be, the biggest member event ever at Vespra Hills with 175 players signed up. We’ll wait for word on when we can open and will adjust the event schedule then.
Last week we held two Member Orientation Zoom Chats and it was nice to connect with new and long-time members alike. The sessions were beneficial for both groups, and it was good to deliver some new information, clear up a few misconceptions, and talk golf. One item that has come up for a few years in a row now is the benefits of allowing other members to see your name on the online tee sheet. This will make it easy for a friend to find your group and join in. It will be especially important for booking league times where we hope you will want to play with other league players. I would like to ask that you all go to your Tee-on preferences and click the check box that allows this. Logan did a nice video on this last year, and about 0:40 seconds in, you can see that check box I have referenced. Click here to see the tutorial.
The Match Play deadlines are approaching, so be sure you have registered, as once the brackets are made, it’s near impossible to add stragglers. Even if you think you have signed up, it is best you double check Golf Genius. You’ll see a link to a new Match Play event in this newsletter for Monday Night Match Play. This is a fun event, yet it does require a high level of commitment, and knowledge of the rules of golf and match play. We can take 32 players in total for this round robin style weekly 9-hole net singles match play. Signing up, taking a spot, then missing a bunch of the dates would not bode well. I suspect it will sellout in within a few minutes, so be sure to log on in the events section of the website on May 6th at noon to get in.
The Club Championship is also ready for registration. There are a few additions and subtractions for this year. The additions include moving the Men’s Championship Division to a 54-hole event beginning on Friday August 6 in the afternoon and adding Still Valley back into the rotation for all players. All other flights and divisions remain a 36-hole event. The subtractions start with the entry fee which drops 50% in price from $60 to its new fee of $30 per player. We will also be removing the flight qualification process that we used last year and we will go back to having your Golf Canada Index establish your flight for the entirety of the event. For the Men’s Division, any player can decide to move to the Championship Flight, yet please only do so should you feel like you can be competitive in this flight and are comfortable playing from the IV tees. All Men’s divisions are gross scores within your flight, no net division. Women’s and Junior Divisions have both gross and net.
The League Teams are set, and the captains have likely already reached out to get you engaged with your fellow teammates. At the time of writing this, the Men’s League is at an all time high with 190 players, which rivals the biggest and best leagues I can recall. The Ladies League is on the same high with a record 56 players this year. Amazing numbers, great support, and a prelude to what looks to be a great season up ahead. The Senior League is looking super, with over 42 registrations already. There’s room for approximately 12 to 14 more players before this is capped, so get in now. The Senior League is individual based so there is not a team draw, simply book your time with some fellow league players and see how you fare each week. It is a recreational fun league, so we will keep it lighthearted and focus on the laughs.
Thank you to those who purchased pre-paid power carts and game fees last week which will ensure you can use the Express Check-In. We believe you will enjoy being able to check yourself in for most of your rounds and skipping the line. I’ll be adjusting some of the packs that were purchased to include some 9-hole carts and game fees so you can use it for that type of round as well.
Once we get going, let’s all be on each others side and respect each other. Abiding by the Club’s guidelines on Dress Code, Pace of Play, Course Care, and tee time cancellation policies are the easiest ways to ensure we all can enjoy the Club to its full potential. If we have to, we will remind you to wear your hat forward, or tuck your shirt in, or to let a group play through, or to fix your divot/ball mark, or bill you a no-show fee. Should you encounter a fellow member that may be struggling with some of these guidelines, do not let it ruin your day. If you are skilled in diplomacy and can mentor them on the guidelines, then feel free. If you are not comfortable with that, we encourage you to politely ask for assistance from one of the Golf Shop Employees, or directly to me or Dave Caldwell. There can be some significant issues at times, and they will be addressed by the Club. For some of the more minor issues, try your best to keep perspective on the membership with all of its different personalities, backgrounds, expectations, and desires. That’s what I love most about a Club, all of the different characters! I guess I’m probably one of those characters. Why is Caddyshack coming to mind right now? (Always wished I could be
Ty Webb!)
See you all soon,
Chris McNair
Head Golf Professional
