Shoreline Seniors Golf Club

A Member of the NCGA and USGA

PGA Pro: Joe DeBode 2940 N. Shoreline Blvd Mountain View CA 94043

Pro Shop 650-903-GOLF

President: Dick McLeod  VP: Larry Peck  Treasurer: Bruce Fujikawa  Secretary: Mike Anderson

Tournament Chairman: OJ Pilcher  Newsletter: Jim Wilson

Website: shorelineseniorsgolfclub.org Club email: shorelinesenior@yahoo.com

 

March 2008

 

March Tournament Schedule

 

Monday   March 3rd        Best Nine—Front or Back

Monday   March 10th       Low Net (T)

Monday   March 17th      Point Par

Monday   March 24th       Stableford

Monday   March 31st       Aggregate Twosome

 

No Golf Course for Old Men

 

It’s Dangerous Out There! The rainy season has brought slippery conditions around many of the holes so

be careful. Mike Anderson (Board Member) slipped on the #4 tee while returning to his cart. The result: a severed quadriceps tendon, orthopedic surgery, six weeks in a cast on the right leg and three months of rehab. Al Liu was more fortunate according to Mike. He fell and broke his femur, which will heal faster than Mike’s tendon. Bill Bares slipped coming off the tee box on #1 and wrenched his new artificial knee.

I understand also that Perry Neff slipped as have I several times.

 

And I’m sure there are more slips. These are all I know about. Please watch your step! Otherwise There Will Be Blood (and aches and pain).

 

The Poop on the Birds

 

Waterfowl Damage at Shoreline Golf Links:  Vic Calvo arranged a meeting with Kevin Duggan, City Manager, city staff and Dave Collins on January 24 to increase awareness of the extent of waterfowl damage at the course and to urge action. 

 

City staff advised that the latest estimate of waterfowl "occupants" is around 950 Canada Geese and 5,200 coots. They also advised that they have received preliminary approval for (permitted) addling of Canada Geese eggs over much of the Baylands between Palo Alto, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. This initiative would make a dramatic reduction of Canada Geese very likely over the next three years.  Final approval has been postponed, however, to obtain more environmental information (see below). No similar strategy exists for coots, the offspring of which are almost invariably born in Northern Canada. 

 

The City will continue (permissible) efforts to harass the coots (border collie, chasing, etc.) and protect the greens (coot fences), and actions to repair the damages are also being initiated.  There was discussion of filling in the majority of the course's sixteen acres of lakes, retaining portions of existing water hazards adjacent to greens and several fairways so as to retain the design character of the course.  The City Manager expressed interest in this as a mid-term solution, as well as any other measures (including suggestions made by members of the Shoreline Seniors Golf Club) that could reduce damage to the course.

 

Pro Shop Update

 

Shoreline is now using CGSTeetimes.com for its phone reservation system.  Also, it is up and operating online to take tee times. You will notice changes next time you make a reservation via the phone.

 

The annual shoe sale will start March 1 and Demo Day has been scheduled for April 19. 

 

Bill Mykytka has been awarded a special honor from the Acushnet Company. Bill was one of the top 100 achievers in the PGA Professional Golf Management Program as well as in the top four within California. Bill has been given an Acushnet PGA Apprentice Scholarship for his outstanding performance. Please congratulate Bill when you see him next in the Pro Shop.

 

Roy Day has a new book out entitled SPeed Practice Drills. You can buy it in the Pro Shop for $21.95. You know we all need this.

 

Friday Greens Fees

 

Two of the Fridays in February were rained out.  A decision regarding returning Friday greens fees to the higher rate will be delayed for a few months.

 

More Poop on the Birds---Migratory Bird Management

 

Jack Smith informed the Greens Committee that he has met with PG Dogs staff to give them a tour of the coot situation at Shoreline.  PG Dogs will be submitting a proposal to bring their dogs to Shoreline for geese and coot control.

 

Jack also mentioned that he, Steve Crane and Joe DeBode will be going to S.F. Airport on 2/21/08 to investigate birdballs.  Birdballs have been used at the airport to cover a small pond to deter birds from settling at the airport.

 

Jack updated the Committee regarding Geesepeace and the efforts that have been undertaken.  Contact was made with the California Fish and Wildlife Commission who met this month to discuss adopting a regulation that would allow for the permitting of agencies to addle geese eggs.  Staff was informed that the item was pulled from the agenda due to insufficient environmental information provided to the Commission.  The Commission will be revisiting the item at a future meeting.

 

Greens Superintendent’s Update

 

Green aeration will take place Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1 and 2.  Hydroseeding around the 13th green will take place in early March if weather permits.  The 13th green should be ready around April 1.  The cart path for the 13th hole is going out to bid and will be installed once the weather permits.

 

Shoreline maintenance operations will be relocated to the Sea Van area between holes 13 and 18.  The move will take place later this month and will last about a year while the new maintenance facility is built. 

 

Rules

 

There has been some recent discussion regarding the lift, clean and place rule when conditions warrant that carts are cart path only. The Shoreline Seniors are currently playing lift, clean and place through the green. This means we can lift, clean and place in the rough or fairway.

 

The Shoreline Seniors Board will bring up this issue at the next Board meeting and decide if lift, clean and place should only be allowed in the fairway. In the meantime continue to play lift, clean and place in the rough or fairway.

 

Travels

 

Send me your travel adventures and I’ll publish them. Below is all I know about.

 

Leo Rabago, his wife, two sons and wives and six grandchildren just returned from a one week cruise to Mexico with stops in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Los Cabos.

 

Bob Prillinger and his wife Ruth and Mike and Phyllis Pisano have been to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico recently. The Prillingers have also been to Palm Springs over the past month or so. While in Palm Springs they saw the Follies, a group of women performing song and dance routines from Broadway musicals. The age range of these former Broadway stage performers is 55-86. I’ve also seen this show and it’s great. Bob said he’s going to try out as soon as he gets his two knees replaced (the first scheduled for April). He just had his hip replaced so he’ll definitely be Bionic Bob soon.

 

Peter Steiner is currently in Hawaii for two and a half weeks with his wife, son and wife and grandkids.

 

I’ve been to Starbucks every day and watched the rainfall but that’s it.

 

Great Shots

 

I know there are a lot of great shots out there so send them to me.

 

I’ll give you mine to start us off. One February day, Peter Steiner flubbed his second shot on 15. He hit his third, a 90-yard pitch, into the hole for a birdie. Meanwhile, I had flubbed my second shot also to within 60 yards of the hole. When I saw Peter’s ball go in I called out that I was going to do the same. And I did. Leo Rabago who was on in two was so amazed that he three-putted for a bogey.