President’s Report
By: Marc Allan Staley
I‟m going to break from story-telling for my article this month. I‟d like to write instead about momentum. Very few forces in the world are as impactful as momentum. I‟m excited about the very positive momentum that Stafford CC is currently experiencing and I‟d like to highlight many recent happenings that I want you all to be aware of.
1) Record participation at Easter Brunch, Derby Day, Mother‟s Day Brunch, Travis Qualifying, Women‟s League, Jumbo Wedge League, Bocce Night, and Ryder Cup. This is a GREAT thing for the club. Our membership is engaged and participating!
2) The financials are in excellent shape and we are tracking very nicely towards our budgeted numbers for 2013. Responsible budgeting and a renewed focus on operations coupled with a great membership make this an easier task. I‟m asking the Board, and the membership to continue upholding your side of the balance sheet.
3) The tree work and # 6 tee project are mostly complete. I‟m hopeful we will have some resources to allow Peter to do a bit more tree work later this year. The course is in great shape, and thanks to Mother Nature, lots more green grass than in July‟s past!
4) Thanks to the leadership of Bill Burns, Stafford now has 4 brand new AED machines. We also have a greatly up-dated array of First Aid supplies in the clubhouse, Pool, and Pro-Shop. A portable oxygen machine has also been added. When Stafford‟s new scorecards are printed for next season, we will be the first course anywhere that I am aware of that will identify the location of their AED machines with red dots on their scorecard course map. They will be located in the Clubhouse, Pool, outside the Pro-shop, and the 15th Tee Rest House. Having them is great, knowing where they are in an emergency is more important.
5) Our membership is growing! We are UP about 10 members from where we were last year at this point. We also seem to be “talking” with lots more people than in years past. A good sign. Joe Muscarella is doing a great job as our Membership Chair!
6) The new White tees have been very well received by the membership. We also have identified where the new “Yellow” tees will be positioned. Special thanks to Jim Niziurski for taking the lead with the USGA‟s “Tee it Forward” initiative and making Stafford a more accessible and fun course for all levels of play.
7) The leisure league on Thursday nights is a Huge success. Special thanks to Leslie Harrower and Julie Haile for taking the lead and helping our women beginners learn the game in a supportive environment! There are now 8 new women golfers who feel great about Stafford and are having fun.
8) The “Zumba” classes have been a hit at Stafford. Special Thanks to member Jen Houseknecht for organizing these classes. hey are Monday nights at 5:30 and Saturday Mornings at 8am. Jen will also be offering some water aerobics classes as well. Stay tuned for more on this.
9) Pool usage is UP from a year ago. We have added 15 new chaise loungers, reading chairs, and kids‟ chairs as well. We are currently planning an adult evening swim that will piggy-back off a 9 & Dine. We are also working to better utilize the space in the Pool House by building out the eating area to create an air conditioned lounge complete with TV and furniture.
10) Tennis lessons are taking place on Monday evenings and Friday mornings. Special thanks to Nate Palmer for doing such a great job with this. He has a great 4-6 year old group Friday mornings. If you would like more information, please contact tennis@staffordcc.com
11) Stafford has been selected by the RDGA to Host the John Ryan District Championships in 2013! This is great news and a great honor for our club. We follow fantastic clubs like Oak Hill, CCR, and Irondequoit in being selected to Host. This should be an exciting 4 days in July next year as our best look to defend our Turf. I was told by an RDGA official that they consider Stafford CC to one of the “Great 8” courses they like to rotate through for this Championship. Awe-some!
12) I asked our maintenance manager Tim Tibbs to do a few odd jobs for me along with his daily responsibilities. You will notice the Stafford CC sign by the main entrance has been painted, as well as the front stairs up to the ballroom. We still have some touch up to do on our parking lot sealing project. I‟m waiting until later in the season to complete this. Also, Special thanks to Patty Cavanaugh for the tremendous job she is doing with the flowers throughout our grounds.
13) Lastly, we are blessed to have a fantastic supporting cast of folks who work with our managers every day. The Life-guard‟s, the pool grill girls, the halfway house girls, the awesome bag boy staff, and the wonderful group we have working in the house!! I may be a bit biased, but I really think they are the best we have ever had.
Help Stafford continue the great momentum! Share and idea. Make a suggestion. Volunteer to help out with an event or project. But mostly, just keep telling folks about what a great place Stafford
Pool Report
Marc Staley
The swim season is well underway and the Stafford Pool is in full swing. The weather has been a bit of a challenge this year. This is the first year in many that Stafford has hired our own Lifeguards. This decision was made due to a major increase in price to contract via the YMCA. We are very happy with our Staff and have made many significant upgrades to our safety equipment, uniforms, and chaise loungers. Mary Sue Calnan is back with us this year and is acting as out Head Life Guard. She is doing a great job and we are very lucky to have someone who has been certified as a lifeguard for over 30 years!
We have continued the swim test requirement for those who wish to swim in the deep end. This is a minor annoyance for some, but does elevate the overall safety of the pool for all swimmers.
We are currently beginning a renovation of the Pool Snack Shop area. We are looking to expand this area and create more of a lounge feel, with a TV, new carpeting, some painting and some new comfortable chairs. We are also working on air conditioning for this new area to give those at the pool a place to “take a break” from the heat. Stay tuned for more on this topic!
Private swimming lessons are available. We have a couple Lifeguards that do a wonderful job with this. If you would like more in-formation, please e-mail me and I will pass along their contact information. We are also working with Member Jen Houseknecht (newly licensed Water Aerobics and Zumba Teacher) to offer some Water classes to our membership. Look for some posted information on this in the snack shop soon.
Please make sure to add your cell phone number to our “Text Chain” which will update our swimming folks with changes in opening /closing times due to inclement weather. The list is on the wall in the snack shop. Thoughts, comments, suggestions, please e-mail me at president@staffordcc.com
Stay cool at the Pool! See you all down there soon!
Women’s Association
By: Carol Wescott, President
I have two experiences that happen this year I want to share. First was the very wet Spring Triple Crown Filly Day. June 8th it rained and rained so we postponed it till June 15th. And the rain continued – my rosary beads in the bushes couldn‟t make it stop. If we were going to play it had to happen on June 15th with no carts & we played! We still had a great time even though we went from 44 girls down to 21 girls. The winning team was Tina Lambert, Tina Bucceri, Cheryl Ebert and the ghost blind of Pat Garnish. Anyway afterwards I was still at the club (shocker I know) and saw our grounds crew whipping sand off of our 18th green. It was 8:00 PM. Do we realize the crazy hours our crews put in – for our enjoyment? It was an “ahha” moment for me. The beauty of our golf course comes with the price of hours and hours of labor at all different times of day. I hope we all get an opportunity to show some appreciation by simply giving the crew members a wave & thumbs up so they know our gratitude.
Next experience was playing nine holes on Tuesday night with our pro Eric Haile, Pat Garnish and Sue Giralico. Eric asked that I send a message to the women that he‟d like to play nine holes of golf on Tuesdays around 5:30 with the ladies. GET THREE GIRLS AND SET IT UP. We had a blast. What a joy he is to watch. He is engaging in conversation and went along with the little game I made up for the evening (another shocker) which I‟m proud to announce was won – not by Eric – but by Sue Giralico. Sue confessed afterwards how nervous she was the first couple of holes. If you ask he‟ll give you tips; but the evening was more about camaraderie and enjoyment. Be brave there is nothing to feel intimidated about. I hope you keep him very busy Tuesday evenings and share some special moments together.
We have so many great times yet to come this year. The July Guest Day “Simply Stafford” and August Guest Day “Rally for a Cure” with a Hawaiian theme this year are just around the corner. Our major tournaments are in full swing. Congratulations to Sharon Gnann, Shirley Haefele, Maria Woodward and Kathy Swift, winners of our Flag Day Tournament. My favorite event is the Ryder Cup tournament because we get to play with so many different people. I am the forever cheerleader that loves team spirit AND of course team uniforms. Again all our events are posted on our website and on the dry eraser board outside the pro shop or just ask anyone in the pro shop what‟s happening next at the club.
See you out there smiling.
Superintendent’s Report
By: Peter Cavanaugh
Finally, relief from the relentless wet weather. It seemed like it would never end. Rinse and repeat, the cycle went on for eight weeks saturating the soil. The course has been wet before but not for this long. Conditions are improving rapidly but the scars of all the flooding will be noticeable for a while. Low areas prone to standing water have lost turf and it will take some time before the spots recover. High humidity along with the soggy conditions have made it difficult to keep numerous turf diseases under control. Spray programs have been increased to control these outbreaks but with short term results. Mowing schedules were near impossible to maintain as often times it was just too wet to get the equipment out on the course. Frustrating and challenging as I’m sure it was for golfers who had to endure course closings and cart restrictions. Every aspect of maintaining the course was affected. The forecast looks promising and this will allow crews to get caught up on many tasks. With the improved weather, look to see the tee on 6 completed and sand installed in the bunkers that need it the most.
Thank you for your patience and have a great summer.
P.S. Don’t hold the “Superintendent Revenge ” pin placements against me.
History Matters
By: Ed Homsey
Because it happens so infrequently, it is very exciting when something new occurs in the history department. Thus, you can understand my excitement with the announcement that a significant Stafford CC artifact has been added to our collection.
John DeWitt, past-President and, currently, Distinguished Senior member, graciously contributed a beautifully preserved, original Stafford CC membership certificate. The certificate, number 59, was issued to Charles H. Honeck on June 26, 1922, and signed by club President Ernest L. Woodward and Treasurer Harry T. Perfield. Charles Honeck and his brother owned a major woodworking mill in Batavia. He had two children, Henry and Louise. At one point in his life, Henry was Vice-President of the woodworking mill and, along with his father, was among the first Batavians to become members of the fledgling country club. Louise lived out her life in the family homestead at 546 E. Main. Prior to her death, she sold the house, and most of its contents to a friend, Dom Valle, Sr, John DeWitt’s father-in-law. Some years later, Mr. Valle discovered the old Stafford membership certificate and gave it to John. The rest is history! Our thanks to John for a terrific contribution to our archival collection. It is greatly appreciated. You can expect to see the certificate on display in the ballroom display case as soon as I can make proper arrangements its display.
The magnificent fireplace in the bar/lounge has always been a subject of interest and curiosity to me. I’ve marveled at the wonderful stone-work with stones gathered from throughout the club’s property, appreciated the grand reproduction of our club’s logo, and enjoyed seeing the names of the inaugural Board of Governors neatly engraved on the stone plaque. The time period during which the fireplace was constructed is well-documented. It occurred during the Fall of 1921. I believe that the logo was placed on the fireplace sometime in the late ’50s or early ’60s. The Board of Governors plaque?? I always assumed that it was an original part of the fireplace. A recent discovery revealed the following: In a June 24, 1947 letter from then-President Oliver A. Church to Ernest L. Woodward, Church described the appreciation of the Board of Governors and membership for the installation of “the stone plaque” presenting the names of the “first Board of Governors”. The letter reported that the Board had “unanimously approved the installation” and planned to cover the cost through the club’s general funds. However, as indicated in the letter, Ernest L. Woodward “insisted on paying” the full amount. The letter expressed the appreciation of the Board “for this very gracious and pleasing gift”. Thus, the 1947 installation of the fireplace plaque, was another instance of Ernest L. Woodward’s significant generosity toward Stafford CC.
Our thanks to Don and Joan Bausch who devoted an afternoon helping Shirley and me transfer several boxes of Stafford CC artifacts to archival quality containers; a major step in our efforts to preserve our collection for future generations. As a closing thought, the History and Archives Committee invites you to donate items associated with Stafford’s past; either distant or recent past. Pictures, documents, trophies, etc. would be welcomed, appreciated, and well-cared for.
MANY, MANY THANKS FROM THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT–
Mrs. Jon (Patti) Lynn, Honorary Member of the club, graciously loaned us several pictures of her late husband, Jon Lynn, long-time golf professional at Stafford. The pictures have been scanned for preservation in the club’s archives, and will be inserted into the Stafford CC chronology that I am creating. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to talk with Patti about Jon, his background, and various notable and interesting events that occurred during their service to Stafford CC.
Just today, the 12th, I opened my locker to find a notebook full of Staff-O-Grams dating from April 1986 to Sept/Oct 1993. A huge surprise. I hope to hear from whoever made this wonderful contribution in order to offer my personal thanks.
–Ed Homsey
Play Stafford with a “Courteous Pace”
By: Marc Allan Staley
It’s often easy to find yourself involved in, or perhaps overhear a conversation regarding “Pace of Play” at Stafford CC. Indeed, these conversations take place at every Golf Course around the globe. This is not a problem unique to Stafford, and certainly not a problem unique to any specific gender. However, “Pace of Play” is often something that everyone digests depending on their own interpretation. My “Pace of Play” may be very different from yours. So the following is my attempt to further clarify what I feel we should all understand and adopt at Stafford CC….. that is a “Courteous pace”
Many issues can impact the length of a round. The skill of the player, the number of players on the course, the difficulty of the course (pin locations), weather, familiarity with the course, riding vs. walking, etc… The USGA recommends that a foursome complete 9 holes in 2 hours and 15 minutes and 18 holes in 4 hours 30 minutes. However, the gold standard at a private club is to complete 18 holes in 4 hours. Why is this? It’s due to the familiarity of the golf course. Much information is already known to the members, such as where you are going, how putts break (generally), and the course is usually a lot less crowded than a public course. At Stafford, we should all strive to play 18 holes in the “Courteous Pace” of 4 hours.
Playing with a “Courteous Pace” means that you are controlling the things that you can control. Here is my unofficial, unscientific, and mostly unabridged list of things we should ALL do to extend one another a “Courteous Pace” at Stafford CC.
1. It’s your turn….are you ready? Improve your pace of play during a round by being ready to hit when it’s your turn to play. Although this is a simple concept, the majority of time lost on a golf course is when players wait and watch their friends. Saving just 15 seconds per person per hole can save a foursome 18 minutes over the course of an entire round. Be Ready.
2. Your place on the golf course should be “behind the group in front of you, not in front of the group behind you”. As long as you are not following a group with fewer players (ex. Foursome following a threesome) you need to stay within 2 shots of the group in front. If you see a larger gap develop, it’s time to speed up. This is the responsibility of ALL Players in the group that is out of position. Policing each other is the best policy and will help promote a “Courteous Pace”.
3. Know where you are going. When approaching a green, place you golf bags, push carts, and motorized carts towards the tee box of the next hole. It’s estimated that by doing this one simple thing, groups can cut 7 minutes off their play time for 18 holes.
4. Don’t let your Cart slow you down. If your ball is within reasonable walking distance (25 yards) when your cart partner approaches his ball, get out with them and crab a couple clubs you might need for your shot. Walk to your ball and get ready to hit. Once your cart partner hits, you can hit, and they can come pick you up. In my opinion, this is the single greatest thing you can do to speed up your round if you ride.
5. Calculate and record your score on the next tee box. This should be obvious to all. Do not stand on the green and pull out your scorecard while others wait in the fairway. This is the fastest way to infuriate the players behind you and get a bird throw in your direction.
6. Assess the order of play immediately upon entering the green. Know what the order of play will be, and be ready! Begin to line up your putt while the others are putting. Almost half of your strokes during your round happen on or very near the greens. Therefore, efficient play on the greens will dramatically speed up your round. Little things like fixing ballmarks for your playing partners, holding clubs for them, and conceding obvious gimme’s helps as well. Remember, the first person to hole out should grab the flagstick and replace it immediately upon the last player holing out. Lastly, if you are studying your putts from more than 2 angles, let me be the first to tell you…..you’re not that good….just hit it.
7. Be a good host! If you have guests, be sure to help them with direction, yardage, strategy, and reading the greens. You are their cherpa. They will have a better time with some help from you, and the “Courteous Pace” will be respected.
8. If the course if clear in front of you, allow faster players to play through. This will endear you to the group you let go through, and most likely result in an alcoholic beverage being purchased for you in the clubhouse.
9. Practice playing with a “Courteous Pace” even when you don’t have to. Just because the course is empty on a Sunday afternoon doesn’t mean you can “pull the chute”. Try to develop a rhythm to your game that delivers you at the 18th green 4 hours after you began your round.
10. Lastly, if you are slow player, try to acknowledge it and speed up a bit. If you are a fast player, try to acknowledge it and calm down a bit. A player who shoots 73 will naturally be faster than someone who shoots 110. Try to be patient and helpful to your playing partners. Rushing people and helping people are two different things. Be respectful and don’t act like a jerk! If your day is ruined because you have to spend another 30-40 minutes in the middle of the most beautiful park in Genesee County…. The world wants YOUR problem. Relax, watch the group behind you play for a moment, check out the flowers, pick up a few loose tees from the tee-Box, tell a joke, Fix a divot or two, stretch, study the tree tops so you better understand how the wind blows through Stafford, enjoy the sounds of the grounds, wave to somebody, force yourself to smile, take a few deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth … and be thankful you are blessed enough to be playing a great game, on a great course, with mostly above average people!
Golf Report
by Jim Niziurski
In the spirit of Play It Forward, several of our members are now regularly playing the new White Tees. Feedback has been very positive. Those folks have indicated that they‟re hitting more greens in regulation, they‟re playing faster, and they‟re having more fun. If you haven‟t already played from the Whites, give „em a try!
As was indicated on our website, we have reacted to feedback from those who have been playing the White Tees, and we‟ve made some adjustments. As of July 2nd, the White tee on #5 is now adjacent to the Green tee (rather than the Blue), it‟s next to the Blue on #13 (instead of the Green), and it‟s next to the Green on #17 (rather than the Blue). Keep sharing your thoughts/opinions regarding the White Tees. We‟re striving to make our course fun, yet challenging, for all levels of playing ability.
Recall from previous communications that we‟re in the process of establishing another set of tees… Yellow Tees… that will play just under 4500 yards in total. The Yellows are intended for youngsters, those who are just starting to learn the game of golf, and those who just can‟t hit the ball very far. The course has been marked with the positions of the new Yellow Tees, and the markers have been ordered. We‟re not building new tee boxes… most of the Yellows will be positioned in level areas of the fairways. The markers will be flush with the ground… just like our 200 and 150 yard markers. Once Peter and his crew have the markers installed, the RDGA will visit our club to rate the Yellows for both men and women. Once rated, we‟ll make up temporary scorecards so that you can officially post your scores from the Yellows.
The following table summarizes the yardages from each set of tees (including the adjustments just made to the White Tees):
Thank you to all who have provided feedback regarding our new website and new email system. This Board has made intra-club communication a top priority, so keep letting us know what‟s working, and what could be improved.
Kudos to Peter and his staff for the way they‟ve handled the inordinate amount of rain that we‟ve received this year. Compared to most other clubs in the greater Rochester area (private or public), we‟ve had the fewest number of days where the course was just unplayable. The bunkers have been re-filled, and the greens and fairways are in tremendous shape. We have many fun and competitive events coming up Sign up and enjoy your club!
Pro’s Report
By: Eric Haile
As we are moving closer to fall already, its hard to believe how fast the golf season is going! Once we got passed all the rain in June, Peter has done a tremendous job with our golf course! He and his staff deserve a lot of credit in maintaining such a wonderful facility!!
Tournament participation has been steady this year and we encourage all of you to participate and support your club! We had another great Invitational and a special congratulations goes out to Chuck Flynn and his partner Erik Fix on their victory!! We have had tremendous response to the format and look forward to 2014 being even better!! Thank you to all who participated!
Just a reminder of upcoming events here at Stafford: Member-Member August 3 12:00 shotgun, Super Stag August 14 1:00 shotgun, Travis Cup August 16, Men’s Club Championship August 17,18,24&25, Ladies’ Club Championship August 24&25, Stag Day September 11 12:30 shotgun and Fall Festival September 20&21. We will be busy here at the club so don’t miss out on your favorite tournament and sign up!!
As companies are changing their product already in preparation for 2014, keep in mind that we will be sending equipment and merchandise back by Sept. 15. Please do not wait to use your sweeps in the Golf Shop until Oct. 31. Also, a reminder that ALL special orders MUST be placed by September 15th. Thank you for you cooperation!
Keep making birdies and enjoy your club!! Remember life is too short to not enjoy a great day on the golf course!