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October 2020 ISSUE: 8
DRIVE
THE MAGAZINE OF HIDDEN
THE MAGAZINE OF HIDDEN VALLEY GOLF CLUB VALLEY GOLF CLUB
In this month’s issue 1
CLOSE YOUR EYES
THE GREATEST EVENT TOURNAMENT RESULTS
ON EARTH?
booming. Our tournament participation in
From The President’s September nearly doubled that of 2019 and the
Desk new handicap system has allowed all of us to
play on equal footing.
It’s safe to say that in a year of global turmoil,
golf has been a rare bright spot and beacon of
hope that we can return to
“Golf, like the measles,
normalcy.
should be caught young,
for, if postponed to riper Golf has offered people the
years, the results may be chance to safely reconnect both
serious.“ with the outdoors after endless
zoom calls and shut downs and
with their friends.
P.G. Wodehouse
It is clear that the perception of
Hidden Valley GC has rapidly
shifted. The fish & game folks
What an incredible year
were blown away by our
for golf 2020 is turning
hospitality, our new young
out to be!
members are rapidly
The National Golf assimilating into the
Foundation recently tournaments and daily games
released a report showing and the food and beverage
that year over year rounds Eric Kranz operation is humming thanks to Steve
of golf played in the VanWassenhove’s expertise.
United States are up 21% President, HVL Golf Club
As the golf season winds down here in
in August! This follows a
October, it is safe to say that all things
year over year increase of
considered 2020 was a special season at
14% in June and 19% in July.
HVGC and one we can be proud of and build
This national trend is definitely not missing us upon.
here at Hidden Valley as the golf club has seen
record numbers of rounds played in both
August and September. The surge in new
members continues as we have added
memberships across the spectrum of
demographics which should keep the course
lively and spirited going forward.
Overall, Hidden Valley Golf Clubs prospects
continue to look bright, brighter than ever in
many ways. The course is in tremendous shape,
membership is increasing to levels that offer us
options on how to proceed with capital
improvements and play at the course is
2
diminishes physical contact with surfaces that
From The Pro Shop could host unwanted germs.
At the risk of going a little stir-crazy, being
I can say as of the date of this publication, outdoors and getting some exercise can do a
HVGC has done very well navigating the current world of good.
Covid 19 Pandemic. From the early stages in
A lot is still uncertain about how this will all
Spring with heavy restrictions to the current
play out, but we do know that open and well
situation presenting itself
ventilated spaces are not
today, the club has
conducive to a virus surviving
survived and even
and/or spreading. That
flourished through this
makes golf courses seem like
period of uncertainty.
a great place to get away
While we should all take without risking too much
the necessary precautions when it comes to your health.
to keep the spread of the In fact, the fresh air, exercise,
Coronavirus at bay, I and limited social contact
believe the game of golf is could boost overall physical
one of the few sports that and mental health.
can actually thrive during
Brian Krinsky I understand the severity of
a quarantine as evidence
the situation we are in, and would
of our own membership. never recommend going against how
PGA Pro, HVL Golf Club
This year despite the the professionals tell us to handle this
pandemic our rounds of pandemic. With that being said, golf
play are up and we have surpassed our original does seem like a perfect sport that
goal set in the beginning of the year. We could do everyone good while we all deal with
currently sit at 246 members with only 170 the realities of the world today. That is why
members at the start of the year. That’s quite an HVGC is
achievement and bodes well for golf moving
the perfect place for our members and future
forward especially at HVGC. Why? Our club
members moving forward into the future. Golf
offers a host of reasons, from a great golf
as a sport
course, great membership and a fun
environment to a great value. Obviously golf is is here to stay as evidence of golf rounds up all
also an individual sport over the country. Golf has been rediscovered in
a sense. Our club is prime for good things to
played outside, so social distancing should be
come. Now would be a great time to solicit any
quite do-able. Even playing in your normal
new prospects for membership. We are
group shouldn’t be an issue, as you can just
growing as a club during an unprecedented
walk or take individual carts (currently) for
time and who would of thought that at the
your group. Everyone
beginning of March. Let’s us all keep the club
plays with their own equipment and golf balls, surviving, growing and flourishing! Lets do it!
and even leaving the pin in is completely legal
Finally, this pandemic event has been
(thanks USGA). All of the above greatly
challenging to most throughout the entire
world. My wish is for everyone to be safe,
3
healthy and happy as we work our way through
this pandemic. Take care all!
October Pro Shop Hours
Weekdays: Open 8.00 am
Weekends: Open 7.30 am
4
Once we complete the annual top dressing of
CourseTalk the greens, we will be focused on raising the
canopy of some of the trees, repairing bunkers
and placing sod on fairway bare spots.
Maintenance of the golf course and its environs
is a 365-day-a-year and while golf is beginning We will be also tackling leaf removal which will
to wind down as Fall approaches, our work be almost a daily task until the Fall season is
seems to intensify. over.
We completed the I hope you enjoy your time on the
aerification and reseeding course. This is truly a beautiful time
of the fairways and tee of year as the Fall colors transform
boxes at the end of our course, the shadows lengthen
September and we will and the air turns crisp.
complete the greens by the
early part of October. That
will be followed by
application of starter
fertilizer to give the new
grass a head start once a
new growing season begins.
Jason Gadd
Big thank you from the
maintenance team to the Course Superintendant
POA and the Board of
Governors who secured a
new blower that we will use to help the top
dressing process, remove leaves, clippings and
dew.
I also want to call out Dave Freking for his help
in landscaping around the club house and the
course. Thanks to Fred Kerth for stepping up to
handle hole positions and Steve
VanWassenhove for helping fix divots on many
of the fairways.
Obviously, I would ask every member and
visitor to bear with us while we reseed and top
dress. Continue to fix your divots on the
fairways and your ball marks on the greens.
These simple acts have a profound impact on
the way the course plays.
Since the last magazine, we have removed two
large trees from the side of the 18th hole.
5
The Greatest Sporting
Event On Earth?
Every September, every two years it seems that but rather between the French and the U.S. It
the entire world stops for a few days and was 1913, the first big breakthrough year in golf
focuses itself on a very specific patch of green as 20-year old amateur Francis Ouimet
wonderland somewhere in defeated the two leading players
either Europe or the USA. in the world, Brits Harry Vardon
and Ted Ray, in an 18-hole
Considered by many to be playoff for the U.S. Open at The
the greatest sporting event in Country Club just outside of
the world, the Ryder Cup Boston. But in an event halfway
captures the imagination of around the world several months
almost everyone - golfer and later, a four-man team of French
non-golfer alike. professionals soundly defeated
Over the course of three an American squad, 6-0, at
days, it becomes a Titanic Versailles. This proved to be the
clash between the best of the “grand daddy” of all
USA golf world and their international matches – older
European counterparts. than the Walker Cup, the Curtis
Cup, the Canada Cup and the
In this issue of Drive, we take Ryder Cup.
a look at the history of this
very special event. The concept of an international
Samuel Ryder team event percolated further as
The history of the Ryder Cup
is a fascinating journey – a
real metamorphosis if you
will – from halting efforts at
an international match in the
early years to American
dominance after World War
II and finally to restoring
competitive balance with the
addition of players from
Continental Europe.
THE FOUNDING AND EARLY
YEARS
Interestingly, the first true
international team golf
match did not occur between
the U.S. and Great Britain,
6
the PGA of America first gave it serious fortune selling penny packet of seeds to the
consideration early in 1921. Later in the year the British public through the mail, ran a series of
circulation manager of Golf Illustrated golf tournaments for the British pros in an
promoted what was supposed to be a match effort to promote his company, the Heath and
between the U.S. and Great Britain at Heather Seed Company. Totally smitten with
Gleneagles, Scotland as a follow on to the the game, Ryder hired top-notch British golf
professional Abe Mitchell to teach him
the game at the princely sum of 500
pounds a year. In discussions with
Mitchell and his fellow pros Ryder
thought that an international match
between the two major golfing nations
would encourage international
understanding, get more American
players to the Open Championship
(and conversely more British
professionals to the U.S. Open) and
help promote Ryder’s penny packets
of seeds.
Thus the first Ryder Cup matches
were scheduled for Wentworth Golf
Club in 1926 as a prelude to the
qualifying the next week at
Sunningdale for the British Open to be
held at Royal Lytham. However, due a
strike that shut down most travel into
Britain, many of the American players
weren’t able to get into the country
and the American side had
“replacement” players, mostly from
British Commonwealth countries.
Although the American side, led by
Walter Hagen, was soundly defeated,
13 1/2 - 1 1/2, it was a start. As such,
Ryder decided to hold the trophy until
England’s Ted Ray presents the Ryder Cup to the next year when the two sides would
Walter Hagen in 1927 contain native-born players on each side.
Thus the first “official” Ryder Cup, featuring
Glasgow Herald’s 1000 Guineas tournament to four foursomes on the first day and eight singles
help build circulation for the magazine. It was on the second, was held at Worcester Country
not a success as there were few in attendance, Club in Worcester, Mass. in June of 1927 as the
but interest was kindled. 10-man U.S. team won decisively, 9 1/2 - 2 1/2.
At about the same time, Sam Ryder, a
successful British seed merchant who made his
7
With the matches alternating between the U.K. But the matches were still fiercely contested. On
and the U.S., each side won on their native soil the eve of the 1947 Ryder Cup the British
over the next four Ryder Cups: Great Britain captain, the feisty and combative Henry Cotton,
won at Moortown in 1929, the U.S. won at claimed that certain American players – most
Scioto in 1931 (with Charlie Nicklaus, Jack’s notably Ben Hogan – were playing irons whose
father, in attendance), the Brits winning at grooves were too sharp, thus making their balls
Southport in 1933 and finally the U.S. winning stop abruptly on the greens. Cotton insisted
at Ridgewood in that the
1935. But it American’s clubs
wasn’t until be inspected. As
1937, with the a result, all the
cup at Southport American’s irons
again, that a were found to be
non-home team conforming. So
won as the on the eve of the
American side next Ryder Cup
prevailed for the in 1949, non-
first time on playing
British soil 8-4. American
And, adding captain Hogan,
some spice to still recovering
the matches, it Ben Hogan from the horrific
was Hagen who accident that nearly took
led the U.S. his life some 10 months
side from the beginning in 1927 all the way up earlier, made a similar claim about the Brits’
to 1937. In 1939 the Ryder Cup was halted for clubs. Upon inspection, however, the clubs of
World War II. However, the American side two of the British players were indeed found to
named several teams during the war, playing be nonconforming. As a result, the host pro at
numerous exhibition matches against challenge Ganton spent the evening filing down the
teams – once against a team led by the great offending irons so as to be ready for play the
amateur Bobby Jones – for the benefit of the next morning. But the American side won this
USO and War Relief. Ryder Cup, just as they did in 1947, thus
starting an era of almost complete dominance
THE ERA OF AMERICAN DOMINANCE
in the transatlantic competition after World
With the conclusion World War II, both War II.
America and Britain hungered mightily for
normalcy – and the resumption of golf. But the The American side went on to win 17 of the next
Brits, worn out financially by the rigors of war, 19 Ryder Cups, right up through 1983, with a tie
couldn’t muster the necessary funds to make coming in 1969 as Ryder Cup “rookie” Jack
the trip to Portland, Ore., for the Ryder Cup in Nicklaus conceded a 4-foot putt to Tony
1947. Into the breach stepped one Robert Jacklin, thus ending the competition in a tie. It
Hudson, an Oregon industrialist, who literally was one of the great shows of sportsmanship in
saved the Ryder Cup by bank rolling the Brits’ the annals of sport, as the U.S. retained the cup
trip to America. It was a gesture that showed having won it two years earlier. The only
the best of the Ryder Cup spirit, one that Sam American loss, in 1957, was an aberration as a
Ryder would have certainly saluted.
8
clearly outclassed British team upset a far- It’s been said that the essence of the Ryder Cup
stronger American team at Lindrick. is pride and passion and raw emotions. I’d
agree, but for true golf aficionados – and the
THE EUROPEAN RESURGENCE
competitors too – it’s almost existential, a little
In light of the continued dominance of the bit of life and death.
American side, interest in the Ryder Cup
appeared to be waning. So, Jack Nicklaus Quite simply, what Sam Ryder began in 1926
suggested in 1977 to Lord Darby, the head of the has grown to become the grandest event in the
British PGA, to expand the British team to game.
include players from Continental Europe to add
And that game was set to be played in 2020 at
competitive balance. It was the one move that
the Straits Course at Whistling Straits in
eventually elevated the Ryder Cup to the first
Kohler, Wisconsin. However, like so many
rank of all of golf’s major tournaments.
major sporting events in 2020, it fell victim to
With players from continental Europe allowed the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the event will
to compete in 1979, the Ryder Cup has become be held over the same course from September
far more competitive – the European side has 21-26, 2021.
won 11 Ryder Cups outright, retained the cup in
Team USA will be captained by Steve Stricker
another with a tie, while the American side has
while the Europeans will be led by Padraig
won eight, but only one of the last five.
Harrington.
The respective teams will not
be finalized until the end of
August 2021 but the US has
already introduced an
interesting change.
The top six points earners by
end of August next year will get
automatic places on the team.
That leaves Stricker with the
chance to pick six additional
players rather than four as has
been the case in prior matches.
Jack Nicklaus captained Team USA in 1983 Who will win? You have to say
the odds favor the Americans. They are without
and 1987. He was instrumental in expanding
a win since 2016, they are on home turf and the
the tournament to include mainland European
US team is going to be packed with the top
players.
players in the world.
Over almost 100 years, the Ryder Cup teams Still, golf is golf and anything can and does
read like a who’s who go golf. In a sport where happen.
individual prowess and talent usually means
One thing I can tell you for certain is that I
everything, suddenly we find fierce competitors
know what I am doing over three days in late
rooting for each other and only caring about
September next year.
whether it is a US or European victory.
9
4th Place:
TournamentTalk Phil Cooper, Barry Howard, Ken Gessner, Ken
Townley
Men’s Singles Championship 5th Place:
1st John Sparks Tim Rohrer, Tom Flynn, Chuck Dearing, Jeff
Wiedmann
2nd Lance Hensley
3rd Steve VanWassenhove Green Keepers Revenge
Barry Howard
Flight A
Ladies Singles Championship 1st Place:
Sean Powell, Brett Bondurant
1st Sharon Voelker
2nd Place:
2nd Julie Townley
Chris Bedford, Randy Lyness
3rd Place:
2-Man Best Ball Championship Ted Bertaux, Andy schoeff
1st Lance Hensley/Matt McCool 4th Place:
2nd Pay Hayden/Ron Barton Sharon Voelker, Ed Park
3rd Paul Fox/Steve Nesmith 5th Place:
Mac Buren/Tom Cullen Bob Hertsenberg II, Tom Scheidt
Flight B
123 Tournament 1st Place:
Paul Fox, Steve Nesmith
1st Place: 2nd Place:
Steve Baitz, Dennis Richter, Chuck Thomas, Ed Steve Baitz, Chuck Thomas
Gemperle
3rd Place:
2nd Place:
Mick Fiorini, Bob May
Larry Harrison, Chuck Brandel, Bob May, Mick 4th Place:
Fiorini
Tom Flynn, Paul Meyers
3rd Place:
5th Place:
Julie Townley, Heather Hann, Pam McCreary,
Rob Yake, Spencer Jacobs
Kris Stoelting
10Upcoming Events
Year End Tournament
October 17. 2 Person Register at the Pro Shop
Year End Meeting
November 6. HVGC Clubhouse. All members and partners welcome. 6 p.m.
Deep Freeze Tournament
November 7. 2 Person. Register at the Pro Shop
112020 Tournaments
March 21 Par 3 Challenge 4 Person Blind Draw
April 4 Step Aside Scramble - CANCELLED 4 person Blind Draw
April 18 & 19 Victors Tournament - CANCELLED 2 Person
April 21 Matchplay Championship begins Singles
May 2 4- Person Stableford Tournament - CANCELLED 4 Person
May 5 Two-Person Best Ball Championship begins 2 Person
May 16 666 Tournament - CANCELLED 2 Person
May 25 Memorial Day Flag Tournament Singles
May 30 Shamble Tournament 4 Person
June 13 Ryder Cup Alternate Shot Tournament 2 Person
June 27 Captain & Crew Tournament 4 Person
July 4 Flag Tournament Singles
July 11 & 12 Victors Tournament 2 Person
July 17 Men’s Invitational 4 Person
July 25 4-3-2 Tournament 4 Person
August 7,8 & 9 Club Championship Singles
August 22 Board of Governors Tournament 4 Person Blind Draw
September 5 1-2-3 Tournament 4 Person
September 19 Greenkeeper’s Revenge Tournament 2 Person
October 3 Pinehurst Tournament 2 Person
October 17 Year End Tournament
November 6 Year End Meeting
November 7 Deep Freeze Tournament 2 Person
Click here for all tournament details
12“I’ve gone on and off, but like Augusta, I won it
Golf Talk playing with my eyes closed every single putt
and some of the other wins, too,” Garcia
explained. “I feel like it gives me a little more
Just Close Your Eyes! freedom to feel the stroke. Sometimes we get
too focused on trying to make it perfect and
There’s many a time that I think lots of us close kind of following with the eyes and everything.
their eyes after a bad shot. The pain of So this way I feel like I just feel it and I just let
watching that ball soar out of bounds or into a me natural ability kind of take over instead of
pond is just too much! telling myself what to do.
But closing your eyes while you take a shot. “I think it was probably me just practicing and
Now, that’s something totally different. trying to feel something. But it was a while
back. It was probably
almost four years ago.
You know, I would love
to putt with my eyes
open, but I feel like my
stroke is more consistent
when I kind of try to
forget about it and just
kind of feel it. That’s
what I’ve been doing.
“At the end of the day we
all try to find a way to
feel comfortable. Jordan
used to putt looking at
the hole. It’s kind of like
the same thing. Just
And that’s the revelation we discovered about kind of forgetting about the stroke a little bit
Sergio Garcia last week. and just kind of feeling and letting your natural
He was asked directly about it by a reporter athletic ability to take over, I guess.”
covering the Sanderson Farm Championship. Garcia has always been known as an
“Would you believe me if I told you I’ve been exceptional ball striker, but his putting has let
doing it for about three years?” Garcia him down on various occasions over the course
responded. of his career, which he blames for being too
mechanical and less feel-based, and while his
That’s when everyone started taking a closer season-long statistics do not bear out an eye-
look at Garcia on the green, and it’s clear, he popping trend of improved numbers, when he
does close his eyes while stroking his putts. plays well — and wins, as he did this weekend —
What’s more? He said he putted the entire 2017 he putts pretty solidly.
Masters with his eyes closed. You know, the one
he won. “These greens obviously help because they’re
very fast, so yeah, I felt like I’ve hit a lot of good
putts,” Garcia said, who finished the week
13+2.830 in strokes gained: putting. “I made a mud is. If the mud is on the left side of the ball,
few, I’ve obviously missed a few, but the feeling your ball is going to tend to move to the right.
overall is very positive.” Conversely, if the mud is on the right side of
your ball, it’s going to tend to move to the left.
So, the question becomes can Sergio’s putting
technique help you? Why not?
“Yeah, why not?” Garcia said when asked if Pandemic Spurs Golf Boom
recreational golfers should try putting with
their eyes closed. “If they feel like they struggle
with it, maybe. I don’t know. At the end of the For the second consecutive month, Hidden
day, you do what you feel is best for you. It’s as Valley set new records in terms of the number
simple as that. There’s no right or wrong. of rounds played in the month. But, our success
Obviously, everyone wants to do it perfectly and is not unique. It looks like the pandemic is
the way it should be. It doesn’t mean that it’s creative a resurgence in the game throughout
the right way or not. But the way it kind of the country.
should be. But we’re all different. We’re all
The latest report from the National Golf
different players, and everybody feels different
Foundation and Golf Datatech has further
things, and you’ve just got to try to see what
solidified the theory that the coronavirus
feels best for you.”
pandemic has aided in a renaissance for the
game of golf.
Mud, Mud…Glorious Mud
The August report, released during the last
week of September, shows that rounds were up
Mud balls are particularly frustrating because 20.6% year-over-year. That sets another record
more often than not, they occur on a wet day for the biggest increase in a peak season month
when you’ve found the fairway. The issue is that since Golf Datatech began tracking rounds two
the mud can be a bit unpredictable in how it decades ago.
To put a number of actual rounds
the 20.6% increase signifies, the
NGF has estimated an increase of
roughly 10 million more rounds were
played in August 2020 over August
2019. This comes on top of reports
that saw 17% year-over-year growth
in June and July, all of which does
plenty to offset the 42.2% drop in
April 2020 versus April 2019 as
COVID-19 put much of the United
States into lockdown.
affects your golf ball’s flight. And the NGF is bullish on the continuation of
the golf boom as we enter the final third of the
However, there is a rule of thumb that we can
calendar year.
follow that will allow us to figure out what our
golf ball is going to do depending on where the
14“There’s good reason to believe that the Beyond an increase in rounds played by avid
momentum will continue, given anecdotal golfers, the pandemic has seemed to bring new
reports from course operators, record and returning golfers back to the game.
equipment sales and continued spikes in online
searches for the game’s ultimate consumable: According to golfweek.com's interpretation of
golf balls,” the report said. the report, “NGF research shows the number of
golfers ages 6 to 17 could rise by as much as 20
As COVID-19 continues to linger and the threat percent this year, with the increases occurring
of a fall wave is ever-present, the question being since pandemic lockdowns began.
whispered about in golf circles is an interesting Approximately 2.5 million kids teed it up in
one: did the pandemic save golf? 2019, so 2020’s increases could mean half a
million more juniors giving the sport a try.”
Ted Bishop, an outspoken former PGA of
America president, isn’t shy about his opinion It’s not just a participation boom, either. The
on the question. NGF reported $331 million in equipment sales
in August, up 32% year-over-year and crushing
“I think that’s a pretty accurate statement,” the all-time August mark of $287 million in
Bishop told Gary Van Sickle of the Morning 2006. August’s retail numbers followed $389
Read. “Here’s what I saw: there was nothing million in sales in July, which was the highest
else to do. High school sports shut down. for any month Golf Datatech has ever tracked
Restaurants and bars were limited or closed. since 1997.
There has been nothing else to do or even watch
on TV.”
15“I’m optimistic that this excitement for golf However, given the protagonists of this story
carries on into 2021,” Bishop told The Morning are an actor known for his humor and a band
Read. “More than anything, I’m optimistic named after a popular recreational habit,
about going forward. I would not have felt that the legalese of the cease and desist message
way even two or three years ago.” matched the mood given by each of the two
sides.
After a relatively straightforward preamble
Want To Earn Commission? laying out that the firm was writing on behalf of
their clients, who had written and performed
the song Listen to the Music. From there, it got
No matter what he does, there is something just
into a bit of unfamiliar territory as far as these
plain funny about Bill Murray. Some
letters go.
comedians just ooze smiles and there’s nothing
you can do to stop that grin breaking out across “It’s a fine song. I know you agree because you
your face. keep using it in ads for your Zero Hucks Given
golf shirts,” Paterno
Yes, he’s been in
wrote in the letter
iconic movies such
first obtained by
as Groundhog Day,
The Hollywood
Ghostbusters and,
Reporter.
of course,
“However, given
Caddyshack.
that you haven’t
So it might not paid to use it,
come as too much maybe you should
of a surprise to change the
discover that there company name to
are laughs to be ‘Zero Bucks
had in the middle Given.’”
of a legal battle he
Paterno referenced
has found himself
Bill Murray other instances of
in.
music being used by William
In the year 2020, nothing is normal, Murray Golf without the proper
including cease and desist letters from lawyers rights procedures being followed but failed to
representing two of the world’s most beloved mention which specifically. That’s when things
entertainers, Bill Murray and the Doobie got a little loose with the legal writing.
Brothers.
“This is the part where I’m supposed to cite the
Last week, the Doobie Brothers’ lawyer, Peter United States Copyright Act, excoriate you for
Paterno, sent a legal warning to William Murray not complying with some subparagraph that I’m
Golf, the irreverent apparel company founded too lazy to look up and threaten you with
and modeled after the laid-back golf stylings of eternal damnation for doing so. But you already
Bill Murray, that the company needs to either learned that with those Garfield movies. And
pay for using the Doobie Brothers’ music in you already know you can’t use music in ads
their advertisements. without paying for it,” Paterno wrote, taking a
shot at a less-than-proud moment in Murray’s
16career. “We’d almost be OK with it if the shirts made about the company’s “ugly” shirts, and
weren’t so damn ugly. But it is what it is.” finished with a peace offering.
The last line was the kicker for fans “Your negative comments about (the shirts)
of Caddyshack, perhaps Murray’s most iconic fashionableness are especially disconcerting to
role, “So in the immortal words of Jean Paul all of us, especially considering 75% of my
Sartre, ‘Au revoir Golfer. Et payez!’” wardrobe consists of William Murray polos,
shorts and pants,” Yoffe wrote. “In the immortal
The William Murray Golf brass didn’t take long words of Mr. Murray – the more relaxed you
to formulate a response, tweeting their rebuttal are, the better you are at everything … so let’s
on Friday in a similarly lighthearted tone. pour one up and unwind with a listen of the
recently-released
‘Quadio’ box set
and plan to cross
paths at a Doobie
Brothers’ 50th
anniversary show
in 2021 when
some level of
normalcy
resumes.
“As your client so
aptly stated in
this classic song
in question,
‘What the people
“First, I would like to compliment you on need is a way to
finding levity in the law at a time when the make them smile’ — which both Bill and the
world and this country certainly could use a Doobies have been doing for decades, as world-
laugh,” Lawyer Alexander Yoffe wrote, before class entertainers.
incorporating a number of Doobie Brothers “Please provide us with the shirt size for
songs into his next sentence. “We would also yourself, Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons,
like to confirm that both our firm, and the good Michael McDonald, and John McFee, along
folks at William Murray Golf, are indeed fans of with which of our client’s shirts you find
the Doobie Brothers’ music, which is why we the least offensive and we will happily upgrade
appreciate your firm’s choice of ‘Takin’ It to the your wardrobes and hopefully win each of you
Streets,’ rather than to the courts, which are over as new fans of the brand.
already overburdened ‘Minute by Minute’ with
real problems.” “At least that’s ‘what this fool believes.'”
Pointing out that a member of Paterno’s firm If only all legal battles could be this
was in a similar rights scuffle in recent years entertaining.
and used the defense of no harm, no foul, Yoffe
transitioned to the disparaging remarks Paterno
17Board of Governors
The club’s Board of Governors met on September 30, Food & Beverage Report
2020. Participants were Rob Bates, Mike Gardiner,
Steve VanWassenhove reported that beverage sales at
Paul Fox, Jason Gadd, Fred Kerth, Brian Krinsky,
the club generated a profit of $7,188 for July and
Eric Kranz, Dan Kroeger, Dave Hafner (HVL POA)
$12,000 in August.
and Steve VanWassenhove.
Social Committee
POA Report
It was agreed to stage two night golf events in 2021 -
The club currently has 245 members. Finances
one in the Spring and one at Halloween.
remain solid with a cash balance in excess of
$188,000.
Board Structure
Paul Fox presented a revised Board Structure report.
Course Report
It was agreed that members should be able to
The turbine blower has been purchased.
continue to propose themselves for Board positions
Two dead ash trees have been removed from the side but their nomination would be reviewed by the
of #18 green. The fence on #5 hole has been proposed nominations committee. The proposal will
repaired. now been amended and presented back to the Board
at its October meeting.
The tee boxes and fairways have been aerated and
reseeded. Financial Review
The greens will be treated at the beginning of A new process for tracking the financial success of the
October. club was reviewed by the Board. The monthly report
will track key performance metrics including, course
A total of four leaks have been repaired in the utilization, maintenance, membership, food and
irrigation system. beverage. The report will now be used to set the 2021
budget.
Pro Shop
The next meeting is scheduled for October 28, 2020,
The club set another new record in terms of rounds
at 6.00 p.m. at the Hidden Valley Golf Club
played per month. A total of 3,091 rounds have been
clubhouse.
played so far in September.
Participation in club tournaments is up compared to
last year with the Hidden Valley Fish and Game club
staging its golf outing on the course with 144
participants.
Merchandise sales from the Pro Shop increased
during the month.
Treasurer’s Report
The balance in BOG funds is $9,199.43,
18According to a Desert News story, the lawsuit
Mulligan claims the backer paid for the Finau family
mortgage payments, medical insurance, a new
car and other golf related expenses for Finau
I’ve done it and I bet this same thought has and his brother including their living expenses
crossed your mind at least once and maybe for the family to live in Florida while as juniors
more times than that. the brothers were receiving lessons from David
Leadbetter.
The thought comes after a better or outstanding
round of golf. Your mind wanders to begin Those expenses totaled more than $592,000,
thinking about whether you could have or the suit claims. Additionally, the backer claims
maybe even could still make it on the pro tour. he was promised 20% of future professional
earnings which is where the $16-million bill
Maybe, if you had applied yourself at an earlier
originates.
age, you could have already made it by now.
Sure…then OK…nearly
you woke up $600,000
and had investment
your for a return
breakfast! that runs
into the
But what
multi-
does it take
millions
to make that
seems like
leap from
a
turning your
reasonable
hobby into a
bet to
multi-
Mulligan
million
dollar
career?
Tony Finau
There was an interesting insight into what it
costs to make this move this week through a
rather unusual source. but it’s going to take more than just money to
make it on the tour.
Tony Finau is a well known name on the PGA
Tour but he found his name on a lawsuit this Generally, you are going to have to start early.
week. His former backer is suing him, his Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy
family and his team for upwards of $16-million all started when they were toddlers. Yes, there
are exceptions. Y.E. Yang picked up golf at 19
At 31-years-old, Finau has already won on tour and went on to win the 20o9 PGA
and accrued close to $20-million in earnings. Championship. Larry Nelson won three major
Now, a Utah businessman is looking for tournaments but didn’t start playing until he
payback from those earnings having bankrolled was 21 years old.
Finau and his brother, Gipper, on their quest to
turn pro. Those are exceptions. If you have the talent and
the passion, you are going to be playing in
19school if your school has a golf team and you will face on their quest for professional ranking.
will almost certainly be looking to play at And there will come a point where parents will
collegiate level. You are going to want to play need to let go and get some help for their son or
in local, regional and national amateur daughter. Unless you are already a professional
tournaments. The top tournaments in that golfer, there’s only so much a parent can do
category include the USGA Amateur before they do need to hand their budding pro
Championship, USGA Amateur Public Links off to a mentor that can help steer them towards
Championship and the North/South Golf their eventual goal. And that’s going to cost
Championship. someone money.
That’s a grueling schedule for any young golfer. But if you have battled your way on the amateur
Exciting, yes but still intimidating. As any circuit, you now potentially face the even more
parent knows who has taken their kids to daunting task of the PGA Tour Qualifying
endless football, baseball, track or soccer Tournament - or otherwise known as Q School.
matches, there comes a time when the kid just
gets burnt out. They either quit the sport or Q School is split into four stages - Pre-
they certainly don’t want to think about Qualifying, 1st Stage, 2nd Stage and Final Stage.
collegiate play. Pre-Qualifying is a three round tournament
while the remaining stages consist of four round
Young golfers are going to have to push through tournaments with no cut in the event. Good
that barrier - the first of many barriers that they news is that the early stages are regional so that
20cuts down on some of the expense and If you finish in the top 45, you will probably get
traveling. 8 starts the following year.
Pre-Qualifying is held at six different locations. Finish outside the top 45 and there’s still a good
Most have between 50-75 players vying for a chance you will get to play a few Web Tour
top 30-40 spot. Bottom line, you need to finish events. What you do after that is all up to you!
in the top half to stand a chance of moving
forward. Average score for those moving And if you don’t get through Q School? You can
forward was +4.5 for three rounds so not crazy still participate in ‘minor league’ golf
low but remember everything counts so the tournaments or you can sign up again for Q
pressure is significant. School the following year.
Get through Pre-Qualifying and you face 1st Before you despair at what looks like an almost
Stage. Have no doubt. Stage 1 is huge. impossible journey, just remember what one
Monumental in fact. person can do, another can do. Ask Justin
Thomas or Jordan Spieth - neither of them
1st Stage is full of players. Really good players made it though Q School the two times they
and scores are going to be ridiculously low. tried!
Usually, it takes double digit under par scores
to advance to the next stage so this is where a
whole lot of hearts are going to be broken.
If you do advance to 2nd Stage, you can almost
taste success and players are so close to
achieving their dreams. The trouble is that
everyone that gets to this stage deserves to get
through to the 3rd Stage. But they won’t and
only about 125 will advance. The average for
four rounds at 2nd stage is 19 under par!
If you do get to the Final Stage, it is pretty
certain that you will be playing some
professional tournaments the following year.
The overall winner will receive full Web Tour
status for the following year. If you finish in the
top 10, you will get about 16 starts next season.
21Green Reading
Each month we’ll offer our suggestions
from the pantheon of excellent writing on
and about our favorite pastime
One of my favorite daily golf reads (and listens)
is Andy Johnson’s TheFriedEgg.com, a website
about golf that is mostly dedicated to golf
course architecture and in-depth golf course
reviews. It is here that I found out about two of
my favorite golf courses (Lawsonia Golf Links
and Spring Valley Country Club) and started
learning some of the ins and outs of course
design.
If you have any interest in course layout
(and if you are a member at HVGC you
should because we have a great one!)
then The Fried Egg is a wonderful
resource. They have in-depth videos of
most course hosting majors, deep dive
interviews with architects and
superintendents, and two
introductions to golf course
architecture (Golf Course 101 and
School of Golf Architecture) that can
help bring you up to speed.
One of my favorite features is their “Bang for
Your Buck” guides which are “a guide to
affordable and architecturally interesting golf
courses in X location.” It’s how I decided to play
the two courses I named above and is a key
resource as I plan a fall trip (oh no it’s already
October?!) to Michigan to explore some Mike
DeVries courses.
I would be remiss if I failed to mention that
Andy also hosts the best podcast focused on
professional golf, The Shotgun Start, a thrice
weekly rundown of all things pro golf. Definitely
worth a listen.
22MemberTalk
Welcome to our new members
A very warm welcome to our new members
of the Hidden Valley Golf Club family:
Jacob Hornberger
John & Peggy Tisch
Richard Bauer
Richard McDowell
Tom Himmler
Chris Knosp
Mike Seipel
Don Braunwart
Logan & McKenzie Williams
Linda Schroeder
Eric Johnson
Landon Bartlett
Timothy Ridner
William Richard
Marc Drapp
William Goodridge
Can we update all the plaques in the
club house?
We got behind on that task so thanks for
staying on our case! We collected all the
updates from the Pro Shop and we will be
sending that to the engravers. Hopefully,
we will have everything updated this
month.
23Thank You To
Brock Restoration Mansfield Insurance Agency
Cabana on the River NAPA Auto Parts, Cleves
Civista Bank Premier Properties Real Estate
Our Sponsors Craig Distributing Co Inc.
Dearborn County Chamber of Commerce
Ravenna Heating & A/C
RJM Consulting
Don Bacon Appliance Service Sales unlimited
Duffy insurance SPCA Cincinnati
Hidden Valley Lake Golf Course Dearborn Savings Bank State Farm insurance
19775 Alpine Drive, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 IORI Insurance Steele’s Hometown Tire and Auto Service
T: 812-537-5033 JTM Food Group TG Young Contracting inc
E: hiddenvalleylakegolf@gmail.com
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