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GREAT START
The golf season is off to a great start. Despite all the rain the golf course is in excellent shape, the long-awaited back tee on 7 is open and work on the bunker and green surround on 4 is completed. It is amazing what our Superintendent accomplishes with his hard-working small staff. When they pass you on the course give them a smile and a wave to show your appreciation for all they do.
The weather has had a negative impact on our golfing schedule. It is difficult to get in a “golf rhythm” as we dodge raindrops. We finally caught a break in the weather as 138 members enjoyed the best weather of the year during the Member Member competition.
Everyone who played was a winner and many members “cashed”. Players can review all the statistics on your Golf Genius app. If you were unable to play but want to follow the tournament you may do so by putting this code (XRZATV) in the GGID box on your Golf Genius App. Tony will be working on getting you the GGID for future events.
Speaking of winnings and pro shop credit, did you ever wonder how much you have in your account?? Wonder no more. Check out you statement online (membersection/view online statement/statements) and your credit book balance will be displayed.
ROSE COLORED GLASSES
I have been accused at times of seeing everything through rose colored glasses. I prefer the glass is half full versus half empty. It’s not that I do not see and recognize the challenges we face but that I prefer to focus on the positive.
- Yes, the restaurant operation is not operating at the high standard we desire.
- Yes, the Board is working hard to address and fix.
- Yes, we read and discuss every email you forward.
- Yes, we would be interested in hearing your solution to an issue
- Yes, it is frustrating when you change your email and it must be changed in at least 5 places.
- Yes, it is frustrating when members sign a slip in the restaurant with the wrong name and account.
- No, it is never okay to yell at or berate an employee.
During our Board meeting this is when Cindy will say “Stop, we get it”.
“Smart Pass” Discounted Guest Passes
We are again offering the popular discounted guest passes during US Open week. Passes are $35 and include a cart and may be purchased from June 10 thru June 17 inclusive. You must be in the group using your passes. Passes purchased during this period will expire at the end of the 2020 golfing season. Plan accordingly and see the pro shop or Julia to get yours.
VETERANS BENEFITS
I am including the following as I have realized that very few veterans are aware of this program.
The Exchange—the Department of Defenseʼs oldest and largest military retailer—is honored to serve all honorably discharged Veterans with a lifelong online military exchange shopping benefit.
Your online shopping benefits include:
- Tax-free shopping
- Military-exclusive pricing
- Members-only credit options
- Free shipping on orders over $49 or any amount when you use your MILITARY STAR™ Card
The Basics
Who is eligible for this benefit?
Honorably discharged Veterans of all United States Armed Forces, including the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard as well as the Air Force Reserve, Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve and National Guard.
What is the benefit?
Approved Veterans can shop the online exchanges, including ShopMyExchange.com! Shopping with the Exchange online gives you access to exclusive military pricing and offers, tax-free shopping and more. This is a lifelong benefit that will be extended to all who discharge honorably from service.
When did this benefit take effect?
The Department of Defense announced this benefit in January 2017; it became effective on Nov. 11, 2017.
Where can I use this benefit?
Online with any of the military exchanges. This benefit does not grant installation access.
Why have these shopping privileges been extended to Veterans?
To recognize and honor your service, make your life better and improve the overall military community. Expanding online shopping privileges strengthens funding of military Quality-of-Life programs including Army Child Development Centers, Youth Programs and Fitness Centers, Air Force Outdoor Recreation programs, affordable school lunches for Warfighters' children overseas, combat uniforms below cost and more.
How do I know if I'm eligible?
Click here to sign up for an account! Note: You may be asked to submit discharge paperwork for review to verify your eligibility. This can be for several reasons, but most likely, the record we have for you is missing a type of discharge (commonly called "Character of Service" or "Character of Separation"). You will be provided a link to VetVerify.org, a shared service of the four military exchanges, to upload your documentation. This process can take up to three days to complete; you will be notified by the VetVerify customer service team when your documentation has been reviewed.
See you on the Course
Paul
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AJGA Tournament Update
Sponsors, Housing and Volunteers needed
We have been working hard on recruiting sponsors and volunteers, finding housing for the AJGA staff and many other tasks, trying to make this first year event as successful as possible.
We are still looking for housing for 4 AJGA staff, including our Tournament Director, Katie Nord. If you have room in your home and would be willing to house a staff member, please contact me as soon as possible. If you can house multiple people, that would be great. Housing the AJGA staff saves the AJGA hotels costs, reduces the tournament costs and therefore allows more money to be donated to charity.
If you know of a business that would like to receive some positive recognition and be a sponsor for the event, please let me know. Hole Sponsorships start at just $250, if they would like to play in the event, team sponsorships are $1200.
I know I have talked to many who have told me they would be volunteering for the event. However, if you have not registered with Kate Oppedisano, our volunteer chair, please do so. She has a spreadsheet that is tracking our volunteers and if you would like to do something specific, please let her know. You can email Kate at kho12866@yahoo.com.
We want to raise as much money as possible for the two benefiting charities, the Double H Ranch and the ACE Grant Program. Sponsorships and money raised as part of the golf event will be split 50 / 50 between the charities.
You will see shortly a fund raising poster that will be posted in the bar area and in the Golf Shop. This will track progress towards Ballston Spa Country Club’s goal of raising enough money to sponsor 2 children for a week at the Double H Ranch. This is being done outside of the golf event. As a result, 100% of the money collected goes directly to the Double H. We are asking all of our members and their guests as well as our public fee players to consider giving to this incredibly worthy organization.
You can leave money with the staff in the bar / restaurant, leave it with the Golf Shop staff or with Julia in the Business Office. Julia will collect the donations daily, put them in the safe in the office and we will make the donation to the Double H during the Jr. - Am tournament luncheon. There is also a link, specifically set up for us by the Double H, on our website that you can use to donate electronically. They will send you back an electronic receipt. BSCC will be notified of these contributions so we will be able to count those donations towards our goal.
I thank you in advance for your help and support for supporting junior golf and these very worthy charities.
Sincerely,
Rick Funaro, UHY Albany Junior Tournament Chair
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June 15th, 2019
Things continue to look very positive for Ballston Spa Country Club. We are on track to collect approximately $605,000 in dues. Our green fee and cart revenue is a few thousand ahead of last years numbers. I know that is hard to believe with all of the rain we have had. Our Corporate Pass Holder revenue is the same as last year which is good.
I have competed an analysis of the house budget and we are expecting to have significant savings in this area. Much of that is thanks to Roger Laime and his volunteers who managed to repair the cooler room and bar room floor for significantly less than the professional estimates we had.
Also, last year we had nearly $10,000 in one time expenses that we are not expecting this year.
We did spend $2000 of savings and will be replacing the bar room entrance deck with new Trex decking and new railings. Again, you will probably see Roger and his volunteers out there doing the work. Of course, with our aging clubhouse, things can break or need repair at any time, so we will not be spending any of those anticipated savings until we are very sure of our situation as the end of year approaches.
I have completed our bunker assessment analysis for 2019 and the charge will be 3% of dues. This is the same amount as 2018. In 2016 the assessment was 4%, in 2017 in was 3.5%. These charges will be included in the invoices that go out in early July. Next year will be our last year for this assessment as we have the bunkers on 13 and 14 to finish.
I hope everyone got their invoices on time this month. Everyone that Julia has asked said they did receive one. Please check your junk or spam folder first and if you did not receive one, please contact the business office.
Just a reminder that you can always check your balance online and even make a payment online. The Board of Directors never wants to take away golfing privileges so please check your balances online and you can see if you are behind in your payments. Payments are due by the end of the month. May charges are due by the end of June.
I would like to request your help with charging in the restaurant. When signing your receipt, please make sure that your name is on the receipt. There have been times when the wait staff has entered the wrong number and the member has signed the receipt without checking if it is their account. Of course, the charges go to the wrong account and this makes work for the office. So, just be sure the name at the top is yours and always sign it.
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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The golf season is in full swing & the weather is finally starting to cooperate. Steve has just finished the work on the fourth green and as usual it looks great. The course is drying out and the greens and fairways are looking more like a summer golf course. There are still some wet spots out there so please be conscious of them and go around them.
There are several events going on this month so I thought I would give you a heads up. The Member/Member just finished this past weekend with perfect weather. On Friday June 14th 8:30-1:30 is the Mike Beach Memorial Golf Event. On June 15th 8:30 am and 16th 9:30 am the men’s and women’s President Cup. On June 27th-June 29th is the men’s member guest. If you are not playing in these events and want to play on these days check with Todd for available times. July 1st is the Purdy 8:30am-2:30pm, July 5th is Cocktail Tasting Event 5:30-8:30, July 8th is the Mark Rider Cup Event 1pm-6pm, July 12 is Men’s Guest Day 12pm-4pm, July 15th is the SGAENY SENIORS event 12:30-5:30. On Saturday July 20th 8:am-1:00pm is the Women’s 18 hole Member Guest. On Sunday July 28th is the start of the AJGA golf tournament that runs until August 1st.
As a reminder, all golfers have to check in with the pro shop before playing. This includes any guest you may have playing with you. No one is allowed to start their round off the tenth tee without the approval of the pro shop.
We had a few problems getting the bills out for April but the problem has been solved. Your monthly bill payments are due the month following your charges. Please pay your bill on time.
Our membership continues to grow each year which means we have more people playing golf. Please be considerate and keep the pace of play moving so everybody can enjoy our beautiful golf course and please replace or repair your divots and ball marks.
Hit them straight and long but most of all have fun.
Tony Lupino
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There have been no changes to the membership numbers since the last FOX. Below is summary of our membership. This includes all playing members, social members, and Corporate pass Holders. As you can see when asked, “How many members do we have?” the answer is not always clear.
Report as of 6/5/2019
The membership committee will continue to meet throughout the summer to address issues concerning membership. If you have any questions or concerns, please forward them to a committee member. Additionally, if you would like to be on the committee, please let me know. All members are welcome.
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Finally, we are getting some drier weather the past few weeks. The course is finally drying out and we are able to get everything cut. It has been tough to make the course look very good because we have to skip all the wet low spots of the golf course. Our crew does their best to cut as much as they can without damaging anything. Areas that we have tried to cut wet have been rutted up and scalped. We will have to fix all these areas now that we are dry. I will try to aerify these areas and roll them smooth. Finally, we will try to seed some grass back into these wet areas.
The #4 green surround is finally finished. We got the last of the bentgrass sod last week. Thank you to all the volunteers who help during this huge project. I could not have done it without you. Thank you to the membership for your patience. The weather was a real challenge this spring to get this project finished. It will take some time for all the sod to root in good. Once the sod roots in good we will start to mow and roll the bentgrass sod and smooth the surface of the green expansion and the larger collar area. Over the course of the summer the short grass sod seems will fill in. This is another huge improvement to your golf course. We will begin the #14 bunker this fall after we have completed all the course aerification. Again, thank you all for your help and patience during this project.
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We would like to welcome the sunshine back to the Capital District and with that being said, we have a large slate of member events on the schedule for the upcoming season. Please check our Calendar of Events for all that will be happening here at Ballston Spa Country Club. You will be able to locate that on our App or on our Website. We keep this updated daily if things change or events need to be rescheduled. The calendar is your number 1 source to stay in touch at your facility.
Titleist Demo Day
We will be hosting a Titleist Demo Day on Saturday June 27nd. The tech will be here from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. They will have Trackman with them so all will be able to get some spin rates and launch angles as well as other data to help you get fit for the products that Titleist Provides. This will be the only time that they will be here for the season. So, mark your calendar and Get Fit.
Golf Tip
Grip Pressure is a part of the golf swing that is very much overlooked. The reason I bring this up is because many of the sets of clubs that I see have worn out grips. When the grip is worn out because of too much wear or just dry rot due to the age of the club, the player will tend to squeeze the golf club tight than is necessary. Due yourself a favor and check your grips or have us check them for you to see whether or not your equipment needs some new handles. You will be pleasantly surprised to the feel you can obtain with softer, fresh grips.
Golf Genius
This will be our 5th season using Golf Genius. This tournament software program has done great things for our facility. I am happy to see that many of the members involved in playing on a regular basis have embraced it and have been willing to learn how to use the basics for entering scores and looking at results. We use this just about every day. The data that we have collected over the past 4 years has allowed us to accurately look at the handicap holes and see how close they really are to being correct. This fall we will be re-handicapping the holes for both the men and the women. We will be changing at least 4 for the men’s handicap holes and we need to collect more data this season for the women’s to accurately feel confident to adjusting theirs.
The program has allowed new members that have joined our facility to meet new friends and get them involved right away so they too can enjoy our fun atmosphere.
Member Member
The 2019 Member Member was a success once again with 138 players participating. This shows the camaraderie that we are lucky to have at Ballston Spa Country Club. There are so many results and winners that I have included the GGID so all can see the results. XRZATV is the GGID that you can put into the Golf Genius to see all of the winners from both the Men’s and Women’s Event. We would like to congratulate all of the winners and I personally would like to point out that Peter Kanches and Ed Rufer where winners this season after donating and not competing for many years. This is due to the fact that we were able to finally convince Peter to finally move up to the forward tees and he told me he was able to reach the par 4’s in 2 shots.
This allowed him to compete in the event and finally come out on top. Congratulations Peter on a fine weekend of play and he now enjoyed the game much better this weekend.
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Admit it: we all do strange things to pass the time. One of my friends is working on a book describing the Influence of the Sixteen Pound Bowling Ball on 12th Century Southeastern European Cuisine, another collects custom made South American hinges. I’m no different. While driving, I read license plates and, using a strict set of rules, challenge myself to get to the number “22” through adding, subtracting, multiplying, etc., using only the four digits available. I also read signs both forward and backwards, which very occasionally results in a yuk, such as Trafalgar Park.
A couple of years ago I was asked by Amazon to write a review of an item I had purchased from them which happened to be a bag of golf tees. This amused me but I wrote it anyway, describing the ingenious pointed tip for easy insertion into the ground and the perfect concavity of the top, etc., ending with my assertion that the product deserved a prominent spot in the Golf Tee Hall of Fame. At the time, I wrote a Times Union golf blog post about my review and a reader suggested I check out the questions (769 of them) and reviews (5,734) of the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer on Amazon. Well, it’s a hoot.
Question: I see that this product slices a banana into 18 slices. Is there a 10 slice version? 18 slices are just too much food!
Those of you who at this point are suspecting I’ve mistakenly submitted an article I wrote for WhackJob Quarterly to a Golf Club Newsletter can be forgiven, but there is a segué.
One of our newer Members, Mark Miller, recently gave me a golf ball he found, remembering that I played it a couple of years ago. For whatever reason, I’d stopped using it but went online to see if it was still getting good reviews. This led to reading lots of other golf ball reviews and eventually a quest to find reviews that just amused me.
All quotes are reproduced exactly as they were written. My comments are italicized.
Let’s start with the most popular ball on the PGA Tour, the
Titleist ProV1.
Question: What’s the difference between the high and low numbers?
Answer: There is no difference. It’s easier to find your ball with the high numbers.
Answer: Most dozens are marketed with numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. These are marked 5, 6, 7 and 8. Used to be in history balls played in the winter months. Or made in the winter months. What ever there is some history.
Q: How many pounds does it weigh?
Q: What is the difference between black numbering and red?
A: They go further and lighter.
Q: Are they microwaveable?
Q: Are they dishwasher safe?
Review: Good ball. Thought they would float, being more expensive. I was wrong.
They bounce great and there's that wonderful clicking sound when they hit the ground that no other ball can match. At BSCC this year balls have a definite lack of “clicking” when they land. They sound more like a bull elephant stepping into a mud bog.
Those of you looking for a tad more distance might want to consider
TaylorMade RocketBallz
Review: 4 stars $15.99/dozen
Longer explanation. My husband is not a pro or even a high performing amateur. . .to be honest we spend an inordinate amount of time hacking in sand traps, whacking in tall grass, and searching for the lost (usually a lost cause). He loves the game. Comparing the Rocket to others, we had in the bag (two other brands) added an average of 52 yards to his distance off the tee-box.
Wilson Smart Core
Q: Are these balls you can track to find?
Review: 3 stars. These are too easy to lose.
Nitro
Q: What are the dimensions of this product?
Q: If struck by a golf club will these balls generally travel in the direction of the swing?
Calloway Super Soft
Q: Why are the yellow version better for beginners?
A: It’s visible 2-3 feet further into the pond.
Q: How high does this ball bounced if it were on concrete?
Magna
Love these things. If you’re a weekend high handicap like myself these are perfect. It’s kinda like having the ball set up on a tee. The sweet spot is elevated so misses are scaled back a bit. Great (legal) product!
Comment: The sweet spot is elevated only if you don’t put the ball on the tee upside down.
Volvik
These balls were the absolute worst balls on the greens. You can't get to the pin no matter how hard you hit them.
Bridgestone (Tiger’s ball)
I really like these, the problem I have with them is that the outside cover tends to come off too easily after a wedge shot.
Wilson 50 Elite
The most common complaint is that people thought they were getting 50 golf balls (for $11), even though they were shown in a regular box. The 50 refers to the compression.
Wilson Chaos
(24 for $22) For a game that requires precision and discipline, it’s an odd name for a golf ball. Also, they are available in green. No, really.
Review: These balls are un-losable. Like, you cant possibly lose them I'm only down 2 balls, but those 2 aren't lost, I hit them directly into the water, so that's on me.
These balls make me suck less.
Polara XDS
Putting took some getting used to the more solid feel and a little less break on the greens.
Maybe it’s that center of gravity thing.
Kirkland ($25 for 24 balls – Costco)
I think they lose distance after 4 holes so I have many sleeves ready to give away at Christmas.
I was able to get 2 boxes (48 balls) for $48.00.
The reviewer does the math and explains that this works out to $1 per ball.
Noodle
The weight placement seems off in these balls, they are all slicing. But so does every other ball.
9 people found this helpful.
For those of you looking for more distance on your chips:
Great golf balls. Added yardages to my drives and chips.
They are durable. Usually discard a ball after playing 6 rounds with the same ball.
This guy is good. Either that or he brings his own ball to the miniature golf course.
And of course the complaint a lot of us have about our golf balls of choice:
Power button ceased to work even though I followed the cleaning instructions.
So yeah, I have some time on my hands, but at least I’ve spent it helping y’all in your quest to find the perfect ball for your imperfect game.
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The Fox August 2005
The Green Committee reports hot humid weather has challenged Steve Solsky to keep the course healthy. The new tee on #16 is being sodded and the area between #15 and the 16th tee has been cleared out.
President Rick Funaro reports we are $38,000 ahead of 2004 revenue at this juncture, much of it in increased membership revenue, and reduced expenses of $32,000 over 2004, allowing the purchase of a good quality, used John Deere tractor.
Tournament Results
Men’s Senior Member Guest:
1st Tucker, 3rd Stan Ziobrowski 9th Tom Highfield .
Men’s Member/Guest Quota:
1st Jimmy Bryant 2nd Steve Ludwin, 3rd Tom Hudy, 5th Tucker, 7th Tim Krohl 8th tie, Rick Funaro, Gary Krohl, Dick Cody, 11th Jack Cottrell
Men’s Member/Guest
Championship Flight: Tony Merola 1st Flight: 1st Steve Ludwin, 2nd Flight: 1st Tucker 3rd Flight: 1st Jack Cottrell, 2nd, Tim Krohl 4th Flight: 2nd, Pete McNamara 5th Flight: Jimmy Bryant 6th Flight: Bruce Kay 7th Flight: Dick Cody
July 4th Holiday Mixed:
1st gross: Roxanne/John Andrews, Debra/Jack Cottrell 1st Net: Mary Assey/Joan Taylor/Stan Ziobrowski/Jim Bryant 2nd Net: Pat/Jim Furphy/Jeri Carr/Don Gallagher
Two Man Scramble:
A Flight Net: Tony Merola
Women’s Member/Guest:
Goodfellas Flight: 1st Gross: Sharon Nevins 2nd Gross Paulette Martin 1st Net: Sue Pollard. 2nd Net: Linda Lake
Wise Guys Flight: 1st Gross: Sue Kahler/Suzie Mansfield 1st Net: Roxanne Andrews
The Fox September 2005
We have a new patio awning.
Tournament Results
Ladies Mini Member/Guest
2nd Net: Pat Joseph
Senior Women’s Club Championship
55-60 Kate Oppedisano, 65+ Pat Stack
Senior Men’s Club Championship
1st Flight: 2nd, Jimmy Bryant 2nd Flight: 1st, Ron Symanski 2nd George Mahoney
3rd Flight: 2nd Ed Rufer 5th Flight: 2nd Tim Preston 6th Flight: 2nd Bruce Kay
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