Hello everyone,
Hard to believe we are in the month of August. Back to school is upon us as last minute summer vacations occur. July was a busy month with golf events: Club Championship, VGA Junior Match Play and VSWGA Ladies State Day, not to mention PGA Junior League Match and our weekly leagues. All this, plus regular play has given the course a 14% increase in rounds for the month of July over last year.
I was impressed with the aspiring junior golfers we saw a couple weeks ago in July. Between the Junior Match Play Cup, ran by the Vermont Golf Association, along with our own Junior Club Championship, not only do the kids participating have great swings and flexibility (ah to be young again) but the way the juniors conducted themselves was astounding. They come in like adults, using manners, carrying themselves in a respectful way and excited for the competition. Then, once on the course, these youngsters behaved better then I have seen many adults. The respect they shared with the course and one another, along with supporting and encouraging each other was a wonderful display of positive sportsmanship. This leaves me hopeful for the next generation of golfers.
As we move towards the middle of August, sunrise times occur later and the sunset takes place earlier in the evenings. Starting Saturday, August 13th, we will move starting times on the weekends to 7am. Weekdays will stay with a start time at 7am for now; however, the latest tee time available daily will move to 6pm.
Towards the middle of this month we start to lose our wonderful college staffers. The staff leaving this month are:
Aiden Parascando - Grounds Crew - Poughkeepsie
Alex Meade - Outside Services - St. Michael's College
Avery Sleeper - Pub - Elon College
Brody Yates - Golf Shop - Sienna College
Emma Comeau - Pub - University of Saint Andrews
Freddy Marshall - Golf Shop - University of Hartford
Jake Larkin - Grounds Crew - High School
James Guiliano - Golf Shop - St. Michael's College
Maddie Moran - Pub - UVM
Michael Baechle - Grounds Crew - Central Connecticut State University
Rowan Godbout - Pub - UVM
Sean Maloney - Grounds Crew - Teacher BFA Fairfax
We cannot thank these wonderful crew members enough for all of their hard work this summer in continuing to help make Kwiniaska Golf Club a wonderful place to be for employees, golfers and patrons. We wish you all the best!
|
|
|
|
LEFT:
VGA Junior Match Play
RIGHT:
2022 Junior Club Championship
|
|
|
Congratulations to the following:
Brody Yates - 5th Place in the Vermont AM
Cooper Guerrier - 2022 Junior Club Champion
Denny Dodd - 2022 Senior Club Champion
Jason Havers - 2022 Men's Club Champion
Jazz Bruce - 2022 Ladies Club Champion
Rich Bokan - 2022 Super Senior Club Champion
Thank you for your continued business, we appreciate you. If you need any help or have any questions, please reach out.
Be well and happy,
Club Manager
|
|
On Friday, August 5th,
only hot dogs will be available for food beyond snacks
as Sue preps for the
2022 Marcia G. Nappi Ladies Open.
Food Operation Hours:
MONDAY
4pm - 9pm
(Limited Menu)
TUESDAY
10am - 6pm
WEDNESDAY
10am - 9pm
THURSDAY
10am - 6pm
FRIDAY
10am - 6pm
SATURDAY
9am - 6pm
SUNDAY
9am - 3pm
Drinks and snacks are always available through the Golf Shop.
|
|
The Game of Golf can be played for many different reasons, it is what makes the game so unique. It can be played for the social interaction with friends or strangers you may be paired up with. It can be played for enjoying the sheer beauty of the facility you are at or the experience one has while on the course. And some of the time it is enjoyed in a competitive environment with the many different styles this may constitute.
Playing competitively provides a great measure of one’s skills and knowledge of the game, both physically and mentally. Competitive golf brings an element to the game that creates a different feeling for the player. One major feeling competitive golf brings out is adrenaline. Whether it be hitting the first tee shot of the day or trying to sink your last putt to win a match, adrenaline can evoke feelings of both nervousness and excitement for the player. The player may not be able to control this feeling but they have complete agency over how they perceive the feeling, whether it be perceived as good or bad, right or wrong.
There are many different forms of competition that can be played on the golf course. Stroke play, match play, best ball, and scramble are some of the traditional formats seen at golf courses for competitive play and can be seen here at Kwiniaska. We just recently held our Club Championship which is a 2-day stroke play tournament. We had around 60 members compete in this event which was split into four different flights. The temperatures were high with plenty of low scores.
The next week we hosted the Vermont Golf Association 2022 Junior Match Play Cup. Many of our junior members at Kwiniaska participated in this event with our very own Jack Bryan making it to the Championship match in the 10-14 age group.
To cap off July, the next weekend we hosted our Junior Club Championship. It was great to see many of our junior golfers get together and enjoy this 1-day Stroke Play event. In the end it was Cooper Guerriere who battled through windy conditions to fire a +2, 72 and win the event by 3 strokes.
Congratulations to all that have competed in these tournaments and all of our winners. It is exciting to see you all improve between these past couple of years and we encourage everyone to experience the “feeling” competitive golf provides if you haven’t yet.
Sincerely,
John Paul, PGA
co-author, Brody Yates
|
|
This month we have the following events scheduled:
Marcia G. Nappi Ladies Open will take place the Saturday, August 6th with a 9am shot-gun start. You must register by Wednesday, August 3rd (unless we are sold out). This event was created because Mrs. Nappi wanted to host an event for ladies recognizing them as special people in the golfing community. This is a two person event with just a few spots left. New this year...Hole-in-One contest with a Mini Cooper from the Automaster!
Monday, August 8th, the course will open at 12pm. The late start Mondays allows Grounds Crew more time on the course to accomplish items such as verticutting, topdressing, cart paths and spraying.
Men's League Final will take place on Wednesday, August 17th with a 5:30pm shot-gun start. Food and awards will follow.
The 2-Day Member - Guest is coming up August 20 - 21st. This year Mr. Nappi's generosity is soaring. Not only is he giving 2023 memberships to 1st Place Gross and Net winners, he is sponsoring a Hole-in-One contest with an automobile from The Automaster!
Ladies League Final takes place on Monday, August 22nd with a 5:30pm shot-gun start. Food and awards will follow.
|
|
The VGA brings the Men's State Day back to Kwiniaska on August 30th. There will be available tee times for play, but limited. As members, make sure to schedule in advance.
Director of Golf, John Paul, is hosting one Member Clinic at the Kwini Club Practice Facility on Thursday, July 28th: Fundamentals of the Swing-Irons.
Mondays that all play start off #10:
August 8th
August 22nd
Events Upcoming in September:
Late Start - Course Opens at 12pm
Monday, September 12th
High School Boys Golf Match
Wednesday, September 14th
Saturday, September 17th
Your member account will be charged for the registration fee at the time of registration unless you use another form of payment.
|
|
90 DEGRERES,
It’s Not the Temperature or Days Left in the Season
|
|
Fuses always tend to get a little short at this time of the year. It’s the wear and tear of a 7 day a week operation that starts early in the morning and takes part in the hottest time of the year. Physical exhaustion, when added to the expectations of others, is dwarfed by the even greater burden of what we expect of ourselves. It can be stressful to use a kind word and in today’s world, it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. Add the customer service component to it and it’s no wonder people do not want to work in those types of occupations anymore. I applaud anyone who has to deal with what our society has become. I couldn’t do it. If I was in the Golf Shop, they would need to park a hearse outside the front door.
Yet, even an intense person like me, finds himself trying to preserve what energy reserves he has at this time of year, if only for the briefest of moments. I’ve never been shy about “correcting” people and I’ll never apologize for that. It must be my Massachusetts upbringing and the reason why I have so many colorful names associated with me. I guess it comes with having standards, but even I wear from the grind. Call it wisdom, maturity, or just plain futility, but choosing which battles to spend your energy on comes with age. When apathy or complacency start to creep in, the war is all but over. Although I’ve often found myself looking the other way on things, I’ve also been blessed with the gift that allows me to tap into a fire that never dies when people aren’t doing what they’re supposed to. Whenever I catch myself looking the other way, it usually just gets me angry, and anger is a fuel to get you through the dog days of August. There is seldom a fuel shortage.
Although, things have gotten remarkably better since my early days here at Kwini (over 3 years now), there are still the pet peeves of every superintendent that will always infuriate them. I have a list of my pet peeves concerning employees on my computer. It used to hang on the wall at Jay Peak, but again, I may have mellowed. So once again, I will revisit one of my favorites. The 90 degree rule.
|
|
When it’s 90 degrees in July, the 90 degree rule is even more important than ever. Like people, grass gets stressed in the heat of the Summer and under the right conditions, will fail. How many people actually know what that means? I could leave a whole paragraph empty for effect, like an interlude in 2001 Space Odessey to contemplate such an existential thought….Grab some Twizzlers or popcorn. |
|
I roll up on lots of public players who have no clue what 90 degrees means when I find them “out of bounds,” to use a skiing term and that’s probably our fault in not explaining it to obvious beginners. People taking up the game during the pandemic are our future, the reason for golf’s record numbers after decades of flat or declining rounds and the spark of hope in a stagnant industry.
But what’s amazing (maybe it shouldn’t be) to me how many lifetime golfers profess to know what the 90 degree rule is and seconds later drive right down the length of a fairway, practically running over (often do, as I straighten most of them during member play) the last cart block directing them to stay on the path. They are often the ones who complain about millennial entitlement yet have a blind eye to their own generation’s. The older you get, the less you care about what people think. I get it, I came out of the womb that way, but this does not translate when it comes etiquette, the game of golf and conditions, and I will beat this dead horse until I can feed it to my dog. Cart revenues are essential to the existence of any golf course, but make no mistake, carts are the worst thing that has ever happened to golf course conditioning. I raise a glass to every walker, even as they walk past their divot or ball mark.
The conditions at Kwiniaska have improved dramatically, especially in fairways, and those improved conditions can tolerate cart traffic better than they have in the past. Cart Path Only days are fewer and shorter than they have been in the past when we have rain. However, the soil will never change here and returning to the free for all is not an option. If you give golfers an inch, they will take land like Putin in Ukraine. Some holes will never open for carts(12, 17, par 3’s) because due to their size, if they were, they would soon turn to dust, devoid of grass and devolve into impenetrable Kwini Brick. Conditions improve when golfers respect the rules and the golf course and decline when course etiquette is cast aside for convenience. Let’s keep making strides forward and the course will continue to improve.
|
|
One Foot In, One Foot Out
Just like a funeral home, a golf course and most other businesses need bodies to stay afloat (unless you weigh them down). This pandemic has made the labor market a crypt as I have stated many times throughout the last few years. Finally, at least for a few weeks until school starts, we have staff to start making a little bit of headway on the golf course instead of just spinning in our graves. Most of the additions are part time, however if you’re not adaptable and flexible in this new market, rigor mortis like hiring practices will be the death of you. This need for employees was never more evident than in the aftermath of the latest 2.5” rain event which decimated carts paths and left every bunker truly a hazard to be avoided. Cheers to the maintenance staff for their efforts and the camaraderie at the end of the day, realizing that the team effort got it done. These are the most rewarding moments at the end of the day, which I had hoped would be a shortened one. Not how you like to spend a Friday in July. It was somewhat discouraging having just completing an edging project to address bunker maintenance that has fallen by the wayside during the labor challenges of the pandemic. Before our recent transfusion of new blood, we were pale and lifeless and had only been able to do a complete rake of bunkers perhaps one time a week. Which brings up the question, “aren’t bunkers supposed to be hazards?”
|
|
The level of bunker maintenance has always been a topic for debate, and the cost of maintaining a hazard has never been higher with some bunker renovation systems costing $2/square foot to implement, often more expensive than green construction. We put rakes out there for a reason, so if you end up in a footprint, don’t blame the maintenance department, blame your fellow golfers who do not rake the bunker after their shot. This pretty much sums up the view of many superintendents. I get it. During the pandemic, rakes were removed as a potential touch point so golfers got used to not having to clean up after their poor golf game. This only exacerbated the already rampant lack of golf etiquette that reflects our society in general. Fixing ball marks(there is no lifting involved), replacing or filling divots(either will do) and replacing rakes(if you actually used it) like the sticker says on the handle will only help the next time you find yourself in mortal danger in a hazard. When staffing drops again in a few weeks, so will bunker maintenance. Please help the cause and rake the bunker, otherwise, in addition to your stance, you’ll always have one foot in the grave on the scorecard and one foot out.
Better Late Than Never
|
|
Never before have so many people gotten a life lesson in the concept of supply and demand than during the last two years. It really doesn’t matter who you think you are or how high your level of self-importance is (isn’t that always the case), if it’s not available due to the state of the world today, Tough Twinkies!! Happily, I can report that the remainder of the 6 maintenance utility carts, 3 of which we received 15 months ago, have arrived in time for our increased crew size. With these new work carts, we are well positioned to meet our maintenance needs for the foreseeable future, whatever that means. Just like out in the world, there’s a lot of “tools” out there, but thanks to Mr. Nappi, we have some actual tools to help in our endeavors. Hopefully the remainder of our John Deere package gets here in the Fall, WHICH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER!! |
|
Not So Grumpy
Recently we had our VGA Ladies State Day. Though most crusty old critters, trapped in the bygone days of exclusive boys’ club mentality decry the day, I find it one of the more refreshing days of the tournament season. Without a doubt, the women, as it is in life, put the men to shame. How few wars we would have if women were in charge. On these restful days, you won’t see me tearing off across 3 fairways with extreme prejudice chasing someone’s sense of entitlement because they paid a membership or green fee. Respectful of the game and of the golf course, extremely timely in their pace of play and much, much better players than those who flog themselves on a daily basis, leaving us to wonder why they play the game. The women remind all of us at Kwini that the game is meant to be “FUN’” and enjoyed in the company of friends, with or without the air of competition. Their compliments are one of the few days that I actually try to absorb, rather than just hear them. Listening as opposed to hearing. Interesting concept. I’m encouraged by the fact that Kwiniaska has such a great, and growing female membership, headed by a great GM in Charli and has a strong presence in the local golf community This coming weekend, we are having our second annual tournament for Marcia Nappi. Hopefully the day lives up to what we are hoping to make it.
From a not so crusty critter, thank you to all who are taking part and for your role in dispelling some of the negativity we “back of the house,” guys sometimes fall into. Have a great day!
|
|
Many golfers ask about GPS and apps they can use. There were only a few apps that had the updated version of the new Kwiniaska Golf Club. Google Earth has now update our course in their system; therefore, more of the apps people use should be updated.
Did you know the GHIN app has GPS available as well?
The Golf Shop has also received a supply of Bushnell products from the Phantom 2, Ion Edge Watch, Tour V5 and the Wingman Speaker. Remember, members receive a 10% discount on in-stock purchases in the shop!
|
|
Kwiniaska Golf Club
August 13th, 2020
|
Photo by Greg Carter, Civil Engineering Associates |
|
Howard Nosek, Course Superintendent
Robert Nappi, Owner
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
