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April 15, 2018
Hello and Welcome to the 2018 Golfing Season. As you receive the first Fox newsletter of the year we should be in day 3 of what, hopefully, will be another successful year at BSCC;
A special welcome to our new members listed below:
Benjamin Sikoryak
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Richard Loss
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Anthony Luca
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Stephen Hoffman
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Damon Adams
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Chris Weaver
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Alex Kramer
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Brendan Doak
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Tyler Kinzmann
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Michael Frontera
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Nickolas Flaherty
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Schyler Tily
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Richard Frontera
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Vince Agneta
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Stephen Picarazzi
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Steven Vagle
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Thomas Benson
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Corey Harkins
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Kevin Murphy
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Matthew McClemon
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Ben Spoor
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Kevy Smith
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When you see a new face be sure to welcome them to the BSCC family. While this is good news I am a believer in “the more the merrier”. I believe that the current members are our greatest source for generating the new members we require to continue to grow. If you are happy with the condition of the course, with the member tournaments, with the BSCC leagues, with the pace of play, and with the number of reciprocal courses to name a few then let your friends and acquaintances know why you are a member and invite them to join.;
Your Board, Committees, and the Staff were busy during the winter months as we strive to provide you the best golfing experience possible. Please look at the individual reports that follow for the details. How do we accomplish so much with so little? It is our members who answer the Superintendents call for volunteers, serve on the Board and Committees, grab a paint brush when needed, share their expertise, let us know when we are doing something good and when something needs to be addressed. I have always marveled, and written about, the generosity of our members in taking pride and ownership in their club and volunteering for the many projects. Thanks for all you do!!!
The club calendar on our website has been updated with all known activities. Things change quickly so be sure to check back often. Below are a couple of important upcoming dates. Please mark your calendars.
- 27 Apr – 6:00 to 8:00 PM – Season Opening Kick Off Party
- 5 May – 3:00 to 7:00 PM – Kentucky Derby Day Celebration (see the flyer on the last page)
- 14 May – Men’s & Woman’s 4 Person Scramble. Always a fun event which fills up fast. Pick your team and start practicing.
- 25 May – 5:30 PM Cocktail Tasting Event
- 12 Oct – 7:00 PM 2018 Annual Shareholders/Membership Meeting
Congratulations to Director of Instruction John Souza for his selection as the PGA of Northeastern NY Teacher of the Year.
See you on the course,
Paul
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April 15th, 2018
While there is not a lot of financial data to share with you this early in the year, there are a few things I would like to mention..
We have had a good start to the year in regard to new member signup. We have approximately 25 new members as I write this. It is still early so we are hoping we can attract more. There are still a number of members we have not heard from at all. No formal resignation and no dues payment. That is a big variable and always hard to judge which ones will and will not be returning. Because of that, it is hard to determine if we will achieve our membership dues projections. I would expect by May’s article, we will have a better understanding of how we are doing.
Steve has purchased a used rough mower. At this time, we are waiting for its arrival. The good news is that it was the exact model he was looking for and it was for less money than we budgeted. It did have more hours than we wanted which was why the price was reduced.
We have 6 Corporate Pass holders returning this year, so far. Last year we had 12 so we are hoping some of those from last year return.
The last issue I want to discuss this month is our payment policy. We continue to have a significant balance ($7000 - $8000) that is owed us from last years restaurant and golf shop charges. ;
Our policy states that if you are 45 days late, your playing privileges will be suspended until the bill is paid in full. As we transitioned to our new Office Manager last year, there was simply too much to learn and do that we were not as diligent as in the past in enforcing that policy. This year will be different. We will be strictly enforcing it.
If you are one who owes us monies from last year, your account has been set to cash only, you will not be able to charge to your member account. You will still be required to spend your monthly minimum. If you want to be able to charge to your member account, you will be required to provide us with a valid credit card that we will charge every month for your restaurant and golf shop charges.
For those who owe us money but are not returning as members, we will do our best to receive what is owed us. We may have to go to collections to get it. .
If you know any of these members, the Board has approved that none of these former members will be allowed to play at BSCC, either as a public play or the guest of a member until their outstanding balance is paid.
I, as your Treasurer and Julia as our Office Manager, spend way too much time tracking down the money we are owed. I will be doing everything in my power, working with the Board, to continue to strengthen our policies to ensure that what we are owed at the end of the year is the smallest amount possible.
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
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Spring is here! At least that’s what the calendar says; let’s hope the weather man gets the hint soon. It’s been a busy winter. The golf committee has met and determined the tournaments for the coming year. The club calendar has been updated and Todd is getting the pro shop ready for the new golf season..
We have several new members this year and I would suggest they stop in the pro shop and introduce themselves to our pro, Todd Manderson. Todd has been with us for 18 years and knows all the ins and outs of the golf course. He has brought us many new technologies such as our own Ballston Spa App and Golf Genius App. He can help you with leagues and the procedures to follow for setting up golf tee times.
We still have some special event dates available so if you know of a group or organization that is looking to have a golf outing have them contact Todd. We try to make your golf experience an enjoyable one. If you have any suggestions or concerns please feel free to let us know.
Hit them long and straight but most of all have fun.
Tony Lupino
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Fox- Membership report 4-2018.
Happy Spring!! That’s what the calendar says, and I’m going with it. First of all, I would like to thank the members of the membership committee for the time and effort they have put into serving on this committee all winter; Joyce Bassett, Don Cramer, Joan Johnson, Phil Klein, Kate Oppedisano, Lauren Petraske, Bill Tucker and Todd Manderson. We met every month and worked hard getting ready for opening day.
We took on several projects over the winter. The first was updating the new membership application brochure. Click on the link to see the completed version. You can also download it from the website.
https://www.ballstonspacc.com/images/Membership_packet_2018_v5.pdf
Special thanks to Joyce Bassett for her writing and editing expertise. Thanks to Todd Duval and Constructive Copy for the excellent printing job as well as the speed in which it was completed. Additionally, I would like to acknowledge and thank Julia for answering questions and sending information to many potential members before and after the printed copies were completed. She has been emailing and sending applications out since the first snow.
The second big project was updating the online member handbook. Many thanks to Bill Tucker for his work on this project. It is near completion and will be posted soon.
The other project the committee took on was updating of the website. Special thanks to Jody McQuiston for her work on sending photos, Joyce Basset for her editing skills and Todd Manderson for his work with 1-2-1 to get the new interface published. Many thanks to the entire committee for their input in making the website relevant and up to date.
As you can see, the membership committee has been busy, but there is still work to do. We can always make improvements and updates. I know many of you take photos on the course. If you have some good ones, please feel free to forward them to me, so we can use them in future publications.
In the meantime, please go to the website https://www.ballstonspacc.com/ and see the changes. The rates and specials for the 2018 season are posted. Below are the revised Friends and family benefit program that was presented at the December 2017 Membership/Shareholder meeting.
2018 New Membership Specials
Category |
2018 Rate |
Single
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$1790
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Couple
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$2840
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2018 Membership Dues
Category |
2018 Rate |
Single
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$2680
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Couple-Restricted
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$3260
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Couple-Unrestricted
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$3620
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JE (25-26)
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$945
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JE (27-29)
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$1260
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JE (30-31)
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$1680
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JE (32-33)
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$1995
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Young Adult
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$635
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Student
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$420
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Revised Membership Incentive for Friends and Family
For 2018 |
Single - Year 2 - $250
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Year 3 - $125
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Couple- Year 2 - $400
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Year 3 - $200
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Revised Stock Payment
Money paid towards stock purchase from new members will be reduced from $300 per year to $200 per year.
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As I write this first fox of the year the final round of the Masters is being played. I love to watch the Masters. I know that Augusta National is probably one of the best golf courses there is but watching it gets me anxious to see our course green up and get its spring lush look too. It will be awhile before we see much lush green grass up here in Ballston Spa New York. Mother Nature doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. There was a coating of snow on the ground Friday and Saturday. Not only the snow but the night time temperatures freeze the ground up slightly every night. Hopefully this upcoming week there will be a change in the weather and we can get the 2018 season underway.
We kept ourselves busy in the off season with plowing snow and equipment maintence and repair. It seems like you have all the time in the world after the new year to get all the equipment ready but going through every piece takes time and next thing you know it time to open the course. Our mechanic Joe is a meticulous person and does an unbelievable job with our equipment. No matter how good I am at growing the grass, if we don’t have good sharp equipment to cut everything then the course will not look or play as good as the reputation we have. Ed and I kept ourselves busy with tree work and course cleanup during the winter. We always start with any trees that are damaged or dying. Some of our weaker tree species are our pines, willows, spruce and cherry trees. The soft wooded trees seem to be more susceptible to disease and insects. After we work our way around the course hunting down dangerous trees, then we pick an area to focus on that the turf grass struggled last season. Whether it is a tee, green, fairway, rough area, we are trying to have the grass on the entire golf course be full and lush. The year before we focused on the far end of the 13th fairway, next to the green. This part of the fairway has always been very poor. The trees on the left blocked sunlight and the root from trees took nutrients and water from our turf grass. After removing some of the trees on the left of the far end of the fairway, the fairway looked better during the 2017 season than ever before. This year we selected the right side of the 13th hole. Starting at the tee and working our way all the way to the green. The rough and the fairway have always struggled to look very good with trees encroaching on the right side. An area also towards the center of the hole has a problem being wet. Having this area in full sun and removing a layer of thick roots should help this area be drier. We still have some finish work needed at the beginning of the hole. A layer of leaves needs to be removed and some dirt needs to be hauled in. The goal is to have lush grass all over the cleared area next to the hill at the beginning of the 13th hole.
If you remembered in my year end fox article I expressed concern about our rough mower and its poor condition. It took all winter but I’m pleased to announce that we purchased a good used machine with half as many hours and 11 years newer. It has not yet been delivered but should have it before our grass really gets going.
I am as excited as you are for the season to get underway. It had been a roller coast of a winter. Extreme cold to begin with, then lots of snow, then the February melt down, then back to snow. We pulled the covers this past week and everything from tee to green looks very good. There is no sign of ice damage on our greens. Our snow mold products we spray held up beautifully as well. You can really see some rough areas on the course that were not sprayed. They are all white and flat, showing the high pressure there was this winter from this disease. I am happy with what we accomplished this winter. It is definitely not fun cutting trees, grinding stumps, and raking sticks when the temperatures are around zero. It is a lot of dangerous work for Ed and me. We don’t keep the full crew on all winter because of the small labor budget. It is my goal to give you the best possible course conditions every day we are open. I also want to give you the healthiest turf on the entire property possible. Not just down the middle but rough area as well. Safety is also a concern of mine. If I spend all summer picking up large branches from a tree and it has a lot of rot then I deem it unsafe. It will be on the list of trees to work on. We have a new green surround to enjoy this year as well. If you remembered we did the 7th last fall. The green was made larger and the approach was smoothed and a new bunker was added. The green surround selected this year is number 3. We already started this green surround last December. My plan is to have this one completed this spring so that you have the rest of the season to enjoy it. Lots of work has been going on since I saw you last and more needs to be done.
I want to say hello to our new members and welcome back to our current members.
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By the time you read this the course should be open. I would like to welcome back everyone for another great year at Ballston Spa Country Club. Hope everybody has a wonderful golf year on the best kept courses in the capital district. Please remember to repair your ball marks and divots..
We held our first greens meeting of the year on Monday the 9th. Please see the website for the minutes. We are in the third year of the bunker renovation project and the 3rd hole bunker renovations are well under way and will be completed this spring. Steve has been very busy this winter please see his article for details. Steve was able to sell the logs for $5900 and that money was used toward the rough mower purchase.
Project day will be April 28 from 8 am to noon. Pizza will be provided after we finish. Hope to see you there..
If you would like to participate on the greens committee, please email me at mfarina@nycap.rr.com.
Mike
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We would like to welcome all of the current and new members back here to Ballston Spa Country Club. We have many new exciting new ideas that we are looking forward to promoting this season for your enjoyment.
The first is the addition of our 1st Annual Derby Day Social. We have notified all of the event via email and through our tournament program of Golf Genius. You are able to register online for the event.
Please check out our calendar of events that you all can find on our Ballston Spa Country Club website and our Ballston Spa Country Club App which is a free download via the App Store or Google Play. We will continue to keep our membership abreast of all of the day to day happenings and any important information that is needed for all to be aware off. These various communication mediums are very successful for the Golf Operation and the membership in order for all of us to be on the same page of the happenings at the Club.
Scooters
We have added 4 Golfing Scooters to our fleet of motorized vehicles for the season. They are single rider scooters that will carry your golf bag around the golf course for a different way for you to enjoy your golfing experience. They will be very easy to spot on the course. They are electric and very quiet. Give them a try some day, a fun source or transportation for your round.
Technology in Motion
We will be using Golf Genius to use for our in house tournaments for the season for signing up for events. You will be able to sign up for the events online and pay via credit card if you choose. Another way of making the communication and convenience for all to be engaged in. We will continue to educate all to get familiar will all of our technology enhancements that we have put into place at Ballston Spa Country Club.
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The 2018 winter season doesn’t seem to want to end, but nonetheless, there were a few projects that needed to be done over the off season.
The hot water heaters for the clubhouse were quite old and had started leaking, requiring their removal. Two new commercial sized hot water heaters have been put in place, some of the plumbing has been simplified and new exhaust vents installed. The volume of hot water has increased, the water temperature is more easily controlled and the overall system is more energy efficient.
The kitchen is also in the process of receiving some new equipment. New, gently used pizza ovens were installed in the kitchen to replace the older ovens that were no longer working. Henry’s agreed to split the cost of purchasing a second, large capacity cooler, to double the amount of cold storage. This cooler has been installed in the small shed just outside of the kitchen’s back door. In order to fit the cooler in this space, the walls and roof needed to be raised up. Volunteers have been helping to get this work done and this should be completed in the next few weeks.
The restaurant committee has been working with Henry’s to develop the 2018 menu. There will be a few new items on the menu this year, plenty of weekly dinner specials and several special events have already been planned, such as the ever popular cocktail tastings on Friday nights. Be sure to follow Henry’s through social media and the BSCC app to stay informed of upcoming events and food specials. The restaurant committee is always looking for new members, so if you are interested, please contact the office and let them know.
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Here it is, into our third week of spring in the Great Northeast and signs of Mother Nature's reawakening in the northern hemisphere are everywhere. The tulips are in full bloom in Aalsmeer, the cherry blossoms likewise in Nishinomya, the rapeseed has turned a golden yellow in Ghizou and the sun worshippers are celebrating in Teotihuican. And as I look out my office window in beautiful Greenfield Center New York, I see there's yet another lovely snow episode occurring, which reminds me that I need to begin thinking of my annual golf preparation rituals. I must start immediately if I'm to be ready for our opening day at BSCC, which I'm currently predicting to occur about June 2nd, judging from the frozen apocalypse raging outside as I write.
Bitterness and sarcasm aside, there are certain tasks that must be performed. These preparations have changed over the years as our annual three month golf season nears (okay, I'm done with the bitterness, I promise), and I'm here to feed your insatiable appetite regarding my thoughts on all aspects of getting ready for The Game (and that's it for the sarcasm).
I used to start with resolutions such as I Hereby Promise to Spend a Whole Bunch of Time Practicing my Short Game Such as it Is and I Also Promise to be Nicer to the Dipwads I Play With, No Matter what Depths of Dopitude and Vacuous Comments They May Sink to. After a mere 20‐odd years, I have come to the realization that this "resolution" silliness must cease and desist, as must the carpet putting and swing practice using that ridiculous club with the fins on it. Geezerdom and a newfound grounded attitude has prevailed and I hereby share my Golf Preparedness Drill.
I start with the obvious, taking my little leather tray off the office bookshelf and removing everything in it. Out come the ball markers, which I sort (lucky ones to the left, losers to the right), then begin cleaning and polishing them with cleansers appropriate to their medium (Goo Gone, Official Ball Marker Cleaner of the PGA for the metal ones, Krud Kutter for the rest), then, if no one is watching, I'll give them a little polish. I have some beauts, I gotta say. One each from The Masters, The Open Championship, The Gleneagles Ryder Cup and other memorable courses, as well as coins from a slew of foreign countries, an ancient BSCC marker with that silly cartoon fox we used to have as our logo and one, donated by my Scottish cousin, from a British construction company called PreCon Blocks whose marker promotes support for a charity in England called Stars for Spastics.
Next, I match the magnetic markers with the appropriate ball mark repair tools (why are they called divot tools?), and then move on to the clubs. Grips are washed, clubs are placed in a carefully and logically organized pattern in my new golf bag, where they will remain until the second hole of my first round, after which it's every club for himself (all my clubs are male, thus allowing questionable but deserving language when addressing their misbehavior). The new bag (skillfully won with raffle ticket 17270931 at the Member/Member last year), is thoughtfully loaded with the usual golf accoutrement in an attempt to minimize the inevitable searches for that rain glove during our two month season.
I also regroove my wedges with a tool that has made no appreciable difference to my 20 year old clubs, each with a sweet spot wear pattern that covers the entire face of the club. I complete the bag operations by installing all my new head covers which I'm pretty confident will play a significant part in reducing my handicap this year.
Next, we deal with the tee situation, discarding any that exceed my 2 1/8 inch maximum length and culling out those that seem to lack the necessary pointyness for ease of use in dry weather. Shoes are given their annual cleaning if necessary, which is seldom the case due to our short, one month season, the spikes examined for possible replacement and the laces removed, waxed and stress tested. Visors, the only chapeaus that fit my noggin (size: Really, Really Big), are washed in the dish washer and I do a cursory web search for rainwear, which I've never bought in 57 years of golf, but annually check out anyway.
Golf bag snacks are purchased and sorted by "Best By" dates and Gatorades are put in the freezer for that day in the middle of our 21 day season when the heat exceeds room temperature. This year I have also bought several new pairs of golf socks, which I've resolved to put on left foot first, like Jack Nicklaus started doing just before he won his last Masters in 1986. I do stuff like this even though I know it's bad luck to be superstitious.
That's pretty much the drill, folks. Most years at this point we're out on the porch watching the action from Augusta, but this year I have to get the driveway snow blown off before the second round of the Masters starts.
See you in June.
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