NYC CHAPTER NEWSLETTER - MARCH 2021
From the President
March 2021

In collegiate basketball, this is the season known as March Madness where the top 16 teams compete and people bet on which team will make it to the Final Four. For golfers, the real March Madness is trying to book a tee time to play 18 holes on random unseasonably warm days (after sitting on the couch for an entire winter). Still, the warmer days mean that spring is just around the corner.

March is also Women's History Month, and I know we all want to ensure that women are celebrated on the Golf Course. So let's all get out there and play. Bring your friends. Make onlookers your fans by showing them your finest swing on the 1st tee. Remember, we women must be present for our presence to be felt.

With golf season upon us, March is the perfect time to renew your membership and encourage other women golfers to join the NYC Chapter. The LPGA Amateurs is also offering some fabulous prizes based on how many new members you recruit.

LaToya "LJ" Finney
President
LPGA Amateur Golf Association NYC Chapter
2021 Tee-Off Event

Join us on Sunday, May 16th for the 2021 Tee-Off Event at Galloping Hill Golf Course.

Stay tuned for more details!
April 1st -- Start Posting!

a golf tee on a completed golf scorecard
No, it's not an early April Fool's joke. The season for posting your scores begins on April 1st. Let's just hope the courses are fully playable by then.

Whether you play 9 or 18 holes, if you're keeping a Handicap Index or want to start, you should be posting your scores starting on April 1st, either in the LPGA Amateurs GolfNet system or GHIN. 

Remember, for posting purposes, you can record no more than double bogey plus whatever strokes you're due on a hole. For example, if you have a 27 index and you're due 2 strokes on a par 4 hole, you can post a maximum 8 on that hole (4 + double bogey + 2 Handicap strokes). Or just post your gross score hole-by-hole and the system will calculate it for you. 

If you have any questions about your Handicap Index or the World Handicap System, contact Handicap Chair Ann Northrop at annnorth@earthlink.net.
Love Golf? 
Love the NYC Chapter?

Everything you love about our chapter is due to the work of our dedicated volunteers. Please lend a hand! 

Open Play Chair
Open Play is open to all members to play 18 holes of golf on the weekends at various local courses. Chapter members are asked to volunteer to cover one or more dates for which they will select the courses, schedule tee times, and manage logistics at the selected course. The Open Play Chair coordinates these volunteers, sends weekly emails to the Chapter regarding Open Play, and oversees Open Play payments and fees.
 
Beginner-Mentor Chair
Beginner-Mentor Events are for members who are new to golf. The events start with golf pro lessons for these beginner golfers. After the lessons, the beginner golfers play nine holes and are accompanied by more experienced members who volunteer to help. The Beginner-Mentor Chair organizes these events, including booking lessons and tee times, coordinating volunteers, and managing logistics at the events.

Social Media Content Team
Let your creativity and witty copywriting skills shine on your our social media platforms! Help us grow our social media presence and feature the lovely faces of our amazing NYC chapter members! (Must have a keen eye for design and familiarity with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Hootsuite.)

For more information or to volunteer, click here and send us an email. 
In Their Own Words

Your chapter leaders will continue to tell you about themselves in coming newsletters. We hope you enjoy getting to know these devoted volunteers.

In this issue, we feature our intrepid chapter Treasurer A'isha Torrence. A relative newcomer to the game of golf, A'isha may have gained a "home green" advantage over some of us. Read on to learn how!

What is your role on the board and what does it entail? 
I am beginning my second year as Treasurer, which involves managing the chapter's accounting, monthly financial reporting, and treasury functions. The LPGA Amateurs NYC Chapter normally hosts more than 40 golf and social events during the year. COVID-19 certainly put a damper on many of our in-person social events during 2020, but thankfully the golf courses reopened late in the spring and we were able to resume events on the course safely.
 
What is your profession/industry?  
I am an associate vice president focused on analysis, budgeting, and reporting for AHRC NYC, a $300 million human services not-for-profit that provides critical services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. I have extensive experience in human services, accounting, budgeting, and business analysis and have led and supported financial software implementations over the last 15 years. In addition to my volunteer role with the LPGA Amateurs NYC Chapter, I serve as co-chair of the Fiscal Managers Committee for the Inter-Agency Council of Developmental Disabilities Agencies, Inc. and I am the current president of the Manhattan Bronx Chapter of the New York State Society of CPAs. 

What is one fun fact about you?  

I recently moved to an apartment complex with a putting green. I bought extra putters for my guests so we wouldn't have to share my one putter from my set of clubs. I can't wait for the snow to melt to start practicing my short game!

 
What brought you to LPGA Amateurs?

Golf had never been on my bucket list of activities. In fact, until I joined LPGA Amateurs, I had stepped onto a golf course only once -- to attend a "Derby Party" at Mosholu Golf Course. Needless to say there was neither a horse nor a golf club in sight. What changed? A former chapter president shared her path to the game of golf and told me about the impact it could have on one's career. That led me to attend a Tory Birch shopping event hosted by the NYC Chapter. Maybe it was the champagne that flowed, the friendly atmosphere created by the board members, the swag canvas Tory tote (I use it often) or my newly acquired golf outfit, but I was hooked. 

 

What do you enjoy about golf with us?

When I began playing golf two years ago, I was assured the Beginner-Mentor program would be a great introduction to golf. And it was! Also, the women I've played with have been very supportive to newbies whether it was 9 holes or 18.  "Pace of play" is the term that has really stuck with me. 
Weather Still Uncertain But Your Game Needs Some TLC?

Here are some updated home practice golf ideas -- all with things you probably already have at at hand! Click here to email your own ideas or questions.

Putting. Even if you don't own a putting mat, you can still get some practice in!
  • Low-pile carpet or rug / yoga mat. Use a glass turned on its side as a cup. Challenge yourself to make 10 in a row for short putts and 3-5 in a row for medium/long putts. Up these numbers when you're ready!
  • Metal ruler/yardstick. Place a ball on the peg hole end, and putt down the yardstick, making sure the ball stays on until the end. Putt as softly as you can while holding the line. Try to get 10 in a row.
  • Two rubber bands. Put them around the putter head with about a one-inch gap between the two, leaving the sweet spot of the putter face exposed. Practice hitting putts with different swing lengths on any surface, making sure the ball doesn't hit either of the rubber bands. Furniture bumper dots also work for this; just stick them on your putter face one-inch apart.  
Golf Swings. BE CAREFUL! Make sure you have enough space and have cleared away delicate things!
  • Chipping and pitching with letter-size paper and cardboard paper towel roll shell. Take the cardboard from a finished paper towel roll and cut cylinder pieces of approximately 1.5 inches (toiler paper cardboard roll also works). Then take sheets of letter-size paper and crumple each up to golf ball size and insert into a cylinder piece. (You can use the crumpled paper by itself, but the cylinder shell makes contact a little more consistent.) Put your yoga mat/bath mat/rug down where you have more than enough space to make a chipping motion and place a paper golf ball cylinder down and standing upright. Now take a small suitcase or other container and set them down open several feet away from your mat. Chip so that the landing spot on the fly is into the suitcase/container. See if you can get 3-5 in a row.
    • For a tough challenge, if you have a 3-step ladder (or more), try to get one through the bottom rung, one through the middle, and then the top -- all in a row.
    • To work on your chipping motion, place a tee a few inches behind the paper golf ball and make sure you don't hit the tee; set down two alignment sticks or clubs parallel to your target and a little more than a clubhead width apart, and avoid hitting either when you chip.
Practice your setup posture with your smartphone or tablet. Video your full swing setup posture using your smartphone or tablet. Making sure you have room to swing, go very slowly through the motions of your swing, then check it out on the video.

Try indoor drills posted by golf instructors on Instagram and elsewhere.  Here are a few links to get you started:
golf in the fall
Looking for a Fall Golf Trip?

Our fairway friends from the LPGA Amateurs Lehigh Valley chapter formally invite you to a weekend golf getaway. If you're interested, click here to send an email to Chris Coy, the chapter president.

Here are a few details:
  • October 15-17 (Friday-Sunday)
  • $288 per person for 3 rounds of golf and 2-night double-occupancy hotel room
  • Binghamton DoubleTree, including daily breakfast
  • 3 greens fees and carts at Conklin Players Club, Links at Hiawatha Landing, and Enjoie Golf Club
  • Tee times will be after 1 p.m. on Friday and between 9:30 -10:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday

There's Still Time! Help Grow the Chapter!
Recruit new members for the chance at some amazing prizes

Members are the best supporters and promoters of the LPGA Amateurs. Now is the time to invite your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors to jin in the fun of being an LPGA Amateurs member! The LPGA Amateurs is hosting a Member-Get-A-Member-Drive (presented by Callaway Golf). Members who recruit new members between now and June 30, 2021 can be eligible for great prizes.

Ask the new members you recruit to include your name during the joining process, and you can qualify for a prize just by bringing in two new members! Prizes will be awarded at the end of drive based on the total number of new members you have recruited. (Recruitment credit applies to new members only. Rejoining members, virtual members, and complimentary memberships do not apply toward recruitment credit.)

Prize Eligibility Dates: October 1, 2020 - June 30, 2021
New Members Prize
Refer 2 new membersOne dozen exclusive LPGA Amateurs logoed Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls
Refer 3-5 new membersLPGA Amateurs 2022 renewal dues waived
Refer 6-10 new membersLPGA Amateurs 2022 renewal dues waived + One dozen exclusive LPGA Amateurs logoed Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls
Refer 11+ new members$500 Callaway Golf Gift Card
Recruiter of the Year
Refer 20+ new members
Trip for 2 to the 2021 LPGA Amateurs Solheim Cup Experience  (travel to and from Solheim Cup not included)

For details and rules regarding the Member-Get-A-Member Drive, please click here.
Have You Scored A Birdie (or Eagle) on the Course?
 
Our Birdie E-mailbox is open year-round for your latest stats, and we'll share your accomplishments in our newsletter and through our social media outlets. 

Send your email to birdies@LPGAamateursnyc.com
 
Please include the following details: 
  • Name
  • Course
  • What hole and what par is
  • What date/event
  • A picture, if available (can be of you, or your foursome or any other appropriate image!)
Follow Us on Social Media! Boost Us on Social Media!

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Social media is a great way to keep up with our Chapter, connect with other members, and see the latest announcements of Chapter events!

We will be continuing to build our social media content throughout the season. If you have an interest in joining our social media team, email Marketing Director Laura Bustamante at marketing@lpgaamateursnyc.com.  We are always looking for new, fun, and creative ways to share our love of golf with the world!

Support the LPGA Amateurs NYC Chapter by liking us and posting on our pages:
Visit us anytime at http://www.lpgaamateursnyc.com
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