June Fox Newsletter

Mark Caravaty
Ellen Garelick
Connor Nash
Matthew Walrath
Jake Baxter
Christian Flemming
Andrew Walrath
Grant Touhey
Will Parker

I have included our end of May Financial report in this month’s Fox write-up and we made a couple of corrections / changes from last month’s report. Our budget for Restaurant Commissions was updated to $33K and our budget number for Stock Reserve should have been a negative $10,500.
 
Al and I also performed an initial analysis of our greens fee and cart revenue and adjusted upwards our end of year projection for these two categories. We had originally budgeted $230K for these two categories. Our current projection is $263K. $16K is the increase in our corporate pass program revenue.
 
At the end of June, Al Squire and I will do a significantly more in depth analysis of our projected revenue for greens fees and carts. We will take our YTD numbers, compare them to last year. We will also look forward, reviewing what our tournament schedule was in 2015 and compare that to 2016. The goal will be to update our projected revenue number based on this analysis and provide a more accurate end of year cash position.
 
I hope everyone saw the payments terms that are now included at the bottom of your monthly bills. If not, go back and take a look at your bill. It is very important that everyone is aware of these policies. We do not want to see anyone have their playing privileges suspended for non- payment.
 
I included the table below last month but page two of my report did not make the Fox.
I will update the table each month so you can see how things are going.

As always, if you have questions on anything that I have mentioned or you have been wondering about, please email me (tucats@nycap.rr.com) or talk to me when you see me at the course. I would be happy to provide you any info you need.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Rick Funaro,
Treasurer 
 

Happy Summer.  The season is in full swing and hopefully you are all out enjoying our amazing course.  There were 148 members who participated in the member-member tournament and it was quite the event.  Thanks to our Corporate Pass Holder Luis Pabone and BMW of South Albany for sponsoring the tournament.    I would also like to thank Todd Manderson and his entire staff in the Golf Shop for all the work they did before and after the event.  The large turnout and poor weather conditions certainly added to the tournament preparations and conclusions.  Last but not least, thanks to Henry’s on the Green for their excellent service and meal planning.  They did an outstanding job feeding cold, hungry and wet golfers. 

If you missed the tournament this year, put it on your calendar for next year.  Or better yet, plan to play in one of the upcoming member events.  I think these are the features of belonging to a club that you do not get to experience by playing at many public courses.  I hear many people trying to calculate their dues and dividing it by the number of rounds played.  This number does not take into consideration the camaraderie that is found by playing with your members in these events as well as the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday rounds.  Those may also include the Men’s, Women’s, and Senior’s leagues, the Friday Fun night, Saturdays Herd or Wednesday Chicks.  If you don’t know about these groups, see the staff in the Golf Shop or look at the calendar on the website http://www.ballstonspacc.com/tournaments-outings/calendar-of-events  to see what events are happening.  There is lots of golf to enjoy, so come take advantage of it.   

See you on the greens,
Cindy Walkanowski

I just have a few updates for everyone this month.  We continue to work on the #8th hole.  The second load of sod was rolled out a few weeks ago.  We used the big rolls of sod this time because the area was large and flat.  Basically the sod comes in a large roll that can be picked up by a tractor and then rolled out like carpet behind the tractor as it rolls forward.  It saves a lot of back braking work and works really well as long as you have a big flat area.  We then moved onto the area next to the road.  Trees were planted next to the road to provide some buffer from the traffic.  The area between the trees and the sod was then smoothed out, raked and seeded.  Straw was then spread to help the seed start to germinate.  So far the grass has begun to grow and it looks pretty good.  We only seeded half of the area because the far end needs some fill.  Over the course of the next few weeks I will haul in fill to cover up all the roots and stumps from the trees that were there.  That area will also be seeded at some point.  I want to give a hug thank you to all the volunteers who have helped on this project.  I could not have done it without your help.
           
We top dressed greens this past week.  The object is to smooth the greens and provide a firm surface.  This is an extremely important cultural practice that needs to be done throughout the season.  Thank you for your patience during this process.
           
We have not yet had time to finish our sod nursery.  The area behind #14 green will be our sod nursery.  The area needs to be leveled and the irrigation needs to be installed.  Aerification plugs will be spread and the area will be seeded.  This will give an area where we can take sod from when we have damage or decide to sod something.
           
The course is shaping up quite nicely.  I have gotten a lot of compliments lately which is nice.  Trying to keep up with the mowing seems to take up most of our time.  I’m happy that the #8th hole project is winding down because just keeping up with the mowing of the golf course is a lot for us.  I want to thank our crew for their efforts in making the course look as well as it does.  We are very lucky to have such a talented and committed crew.  From the employees to the volunteers, it is truly a team effort to have the whole facility look as good as it does.  Thank you to all.

     Dick Cody ghost writing for Todd
 
    More Enjoyable Golf For All

Now that Summer is at our doorstep, however cold it's been the last few days, the staff at
Henry's seems to be getting a better understanding of what the day to day operation of a golf course concession requires. They have been sending the beverage cart out earlier on both weekends and weekdays, which has been an improvement. There have been a few staffing issues at times, which unfortunately affected the beverage cart on occasions. They have been catering many new tournaments along with outside events, which at times may seem to be an inconvenience. They now understand that it's best not to schedule any major parties on busy league nights. That said, they are still learning. Feel free to voice any concerns or questions directly to me, as it's important we continue to welcome our outside guests, while meeting the needs of our members.

The restaurant manager, Dave Foster, provided the following information on a few events Henry's is scheduling in July and August: On August 13th Henry’s will be doing an 80’s Prom Party. BSCC members attending will receive a club discount. A flyer and tickets should be printed this coming week. Additional details to follow. Henry’s is also planning another Friday evening event, similar to the very successful Margarita Cocktail but with different featured beverage(s). 

 

It's not often a presumptive presidential candidate takes the time to sit down with a lowly golf blogger and talk about his favorite topic but that's exactly what happened just the other day when Donald Trump and I met for lunch at Henry's on the Green in the Ballston Spa Country Club clubhouse (the Capital District's Best Golf Value). The Donald ordered a Donald Trump which, he explained to our server Kristie, was a drink comprised of half Arnold Palmer and half Red Bull. "It's got me written all over it," he said.

I started the interview asking him about his game.

The Donald: It's great, just really great, the best. If you had my game you'd say it was top shelf, you'd be complimented by experts, the best experts, really. I only listen to top notch experts, lots of them, I know them and it's... you know, really good... good.

Tucker: How good are you? I know you claim to have won many club championships and carry a 3 handicap.

TD: I always say, and I have the best words really, I always tell people I won't play the same course twice on the same day, even if it's one of my beautiful, great courses, the best courses, because I'm too accurate.

T: I'm afraid I don't…

TD: That's okay, it's not your fault, you don't have my IQ, which is the highest, you know? Don't feel bad, everybody's just like you. The reason I don't play the same course twice in the same day is that my shots, really good shots, will always, and people, the best people, lots of them, will tell you my shots will end up in the divots I made in the first round because of my incredible accuracy. They're wonderful divots, don't get me wrong, the best divots, but who wants that? I mean, I'm good enough, one of the very best, to be honest, no one plays a divot shot like me, I know divot shots, exceptional, but hey.

T: There are those who question your 3 handicap.

TD: They're all losers, deadbeats, failures. They want what I've got - tall buildings, deep pockets, beautiful women, really gorgeous, you know, the best. They're liars, none of them own golf courses. I own golf courses. Lots of golf courses all over the... you know my courses, they're the best, they're...... they're played by the best golfers in the world. All over my... the world. I put my scores in as they are and between you and me, they're fantastic scores, really impressive. Bozos, that's what they are.

T: You've been accused of cheating at golf. Rick Reilly, in his book Who's Your Caddie? said "Golf is like bicycle shorts: it can reveal a lot about a guy." He followed up by saying that when he caddied for you, on the cheater scale you were "an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10." Others, like Samuel L. Jackson, Oscar De La Hoya and Alice Cooper had similar views after a day on the links with you.

TD: Number one, Reilly's a terrible writer, just the worst, a very dishonest writer, look it up. Number two, the rest of those guys.... that's a terrible thing to say about a golfer. The truth is, I killed them, really humiliated them on the course and they're just not big enough to....they need to be fired and I fire people better than anyone, you can ask people, people who...plus, I have lots more money than them as well, they're all pinheads, all takers, bimbos. Losers, little people. And number three, I'm a winner. T: What advice can you give our readers that would help them aspire to your golfing prowess? DT: Nice try but I didn't get to the top, and let's be clear here, I'm right there, right at the very top, I mean I don't go around telling people my secrets to success. Why would I do that? The numbskulls wouldn't be able to understand me anyway, don't get me wrong, I love numbskulls even the best numbskulls who really, wouldn't you say? ...really just need to be punched out.

T: Just last week none other than Jack Nicklaus said you were a fine man and that he'd be voting for you.

TD: Jack's a very smart guy, like me and I've given him millions of dollars to build some of my simply spectacular courses.

T: Don, on behalf of my readers, who are the best readers, they really are, only really good readers read my stuff, which is really good stuff, you won't find better stuff anywhere, and on their behalf I'd like to thank you for taking the time....

TD: That's just who I am. I give. I give the best.