Shoreline Seniors
Golf Club
A Member Club of
the NCGA &USGA
PGA Pro: Joe
DeBode 2940 N. Shoreline Blvd Pro Shop: 650-903-GOLF
President: John
Gannon VP: OJ Pilcher Treasurer: Ted Roshinski
Secretary: Tom
Konno Tournaments: Dave Collins Sweeps: Stu Matheson
Tee Times: Lee
Tsai Greeters: Jim Clark Website: Syed Hyder
Membership
Chairman: Jim Schmidt Social Chairman:
Frank Frankhauser
Handicap
Chairman: OJ Pilcher Greens Committee:
Harry Emerzian
City Liason: Vic
Calvo Newsletter Editor: Jim
Chiochios Past President: Sid Cantwell
Website: shorelineseniorsgolfclub.org
Jan 2010
President’s Message...
To all Shoreline Seniors Golf
Club members,
Happy New
Year to all of you! As we begin this new
year of golf, I would like to take just a few moments to make a few comments on
our Club.
We have had a slow shrinking of
our membership over the last several years.
It would appear that we lost about 10 members this year. I know there are any numbers of reasons for
this including probably the economy, natural attrition, some who are
discouraged by the challenges of winter conditions on the course, etc. I have spoken to a number of members all of
whom are feeling very favorable about the improvements the city is making to
the course this year and who likewise find it in probably the best condition it
has been in for January in a number of years.
I am encouraging you all to help recruit new members to our club to
increase our competitive and social status this year.
We are unfortunately
experiencing an increase in slow play right now. While cart path only days certainly slow
things down, we have had a number of “normal play” days recently with some
groups finishing in 5 hours plus. We
will be re-implementing the clock on the 18th hole so we will ask
each group to ensure that at least one score card reflects the time that they
exit the green as a reminder of the importance of pace of play. Remember our target is to have no group
finish in greater that 4 ½ hours. A
couple of reminders of ways to increase the pace of play are below:
·
Plan
your shots on the way to your ball and while others are playing.
·
Line
up your putts while others are putting and be ready when it is your turn
·
Walk
directly to your golf ball unless helping another with a search
·
If
riding, take several clubs to your ball to give you options without having to
return to the cart
·
Be
efficient with your pre-shot routine.
One or two practice swings should be sufficient…save the others for the
range.
·
Play
a provisional ball if you think your ball may be lost in a hazard or out
of bounds to avoid having to return to
the tee.
·
Leave
clubs on the exit side of the green towards the next tee.
·
Exit
the green area quickly after putting out.
Record your score at the next tee.
· Save the jokes for walking or riding up the fairway, not standing around on the tee or green.
Have your group follow these
guidelines by reminding each other and we will all have more enjoyable and
efficient rounds.
Your Board of Directors is
interested in your comments and suggestions regarding the club and our
activities. Please feel free to pass
them on to any of us on the board.
As a final note, I saw
the following quotation in the Jan 2010 Golf Magazine attributed to Arnold
Palmer and thought that those who didn’t see it would appreciate the reminder
of why many of us play golf:
“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated….it satisfies the
soul and frustrates the intellect. It is
at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the
greatest game mankind has ever invented”
Good golfing to you all,
John
Gannon
President 2010, SSGC
The Clock is Back...
In
keeping with the spirit of improving our pace of play during our Monday
tournaments, we are again going to display the clock behind the 18th
green and record our times. We want all groups to designate a time recorder and
ensure that his score card turned in reflects two times:
1.
The time they actually tee off
2.
The time they finish playing the 18th
hole
This
will allow us to identify specific areas where we need to make an extra effort
to improve pace of play. We would like all groups to be able to finish play in
4 ½ hours or less. The Board is particularly interested in ensuring that the
experience of all players in our tournaments is positive and that as an
organization, we contribute to an improved pace of play for the course in
general.
Board Officers and Assignments for 2010...
President: John Gannon Tee times: Lee Tsai Vice President:
OJ Pilcher Greeters: Jim Clark
Treasurer: Ted Roshinski Website: Syed Hyder
Secretary: Tom Konno Handicap Chairman: OJ
Pilcher
Newsletter: Jim Chiochios Social Chairman: Frank
Frankhauser
Past President: Sid Cantwell Membership Chairman: Jim Schmidt
Greens Committee: Harry Emerzian
Non-voting
assignments:
Dave Collins, Tournaments...Stu Matheson, Sweeps...Vic Calvo, City Liason
Greens
Committee Notes by Harry Emerzian...
1. Goose
and Coot Management Update
Jack
mentioned that the City is hosting a meeting of local Cities and agencies to
develop a plan to have as many agencies as possible oil goose eggs this spring.
Jack mentioned that the City will be addling goose eggs this spring. Jack also
discussed the impact of emptying the lakes have had on the coot numbers. The
numbers of coots have decreased over the past four years; 1/07...4,391 coots,
1/08...5,196 coots, 1/7/09...2,903 coots and 1/6/10...2,188 coots.
2. Tee
Leveling
Jack
updated the committee that #2 red and white tees, #12 red, white and blue tees,
#17 white and blue tees, #7 black, blue and white tees, #9 red, 15 blue and
white tees, #18 white tee, #5 white tee and #13 blue and black tees have been
leveled and new sod placed. The rest rooms have been powered wash on a monthly
basis and winter improvement projects such as pathway edging, bunker cleaning
and stump removal are taking place. Steve mentioned that aeration of greens
will take place March 30 and 31.
3. Golf
Honors
Jack
told the committee that Volunteers Jim Clark, Harry Emerzian and Hideo
Hashimoto will be honored by
the California Parks and Recreation Society at their Annual Awards Dinner
February 11 at the Mountain View Senior Center. Jack also mentioned that Roy Day Shoreline golf instructor
has been selected as a 2009 U.S. Kids
Golf Master Kids Teacher because of his exemplary dedication to the
growth and development of kid’s golf
4. Superintendent’s
Update
Staff mentioned that they have installed
fencing around key greens and tee areas to minimize the damage caused by the
coots. The maintenance staff is working with the tee leveling contractor to get
the tee boxes in the best shape possible prior to opening.
5. Questions from Committee Members
Harry
Emerzian asked about the second green and its settlement problem. Steve told
the committee that the second green is a priority for repair along with the #12
and #15 greens. Golf course staff will be scheduling repair for all three when
funding and time permit. Emerzian also asked that the golf course pass out
information about the Burrowing Owl and how the golf course works with the
City’s Burrowing Owl Specialist to protect and manage their habitat. Jack also
told the committee that he would provide information to Shoreline Clubs for their
newsletters.
Vic
Calvo mentioned that the course is in the best shape he has seen it in for many
years and wanted to stress how important it is to develop a plan to replace the
water hazards in the ponds with some sort of other type of hazard. Vic talked
about how the reduction of the water in the ponds has reduced the number of
coots on the golf course.
6. Retirement
Jack
Smith told the committee he is retiring but that he will be involved with the
transition after his retirement on 1/15 for a few months. He will be working
full days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and a half day on Thursdays. Harry
Emerzian will continue to represent the Senior Golf Club and Mona Nakamura will
represent the Women’s Club for 2010. The Shoreline Club will appoint a new member
for the committee for the next meeting.
Poppy Hills
Tournament...
This
year, our Poppy Hills tournament is Thursday, August 26, 2010. If you’re
interested in playing, mark your calendar and look for further information in
future Newsletters or contact Hideo Hashimoto at (650)-941-3384.
Handicap
Changes by OJ Pilcher...
OJ
received the following email from the NCGA regarding when handicaps will be
issued: “The USGA has decided that all handicaps will officially be
issued on the 1st and 15th of each and every month
starting in 2012. The NCGA as well as the other golf associations in California decided that they will start in 2010 before
it is mandatory. This new schedule will offer more timely updates to those who
play a lot of golf and will allow new golfers to establish a handicap more
quickly.”
Award Announcement
Roy Day Shoreline Golf Links Golf Professional is
being honored at the PGA Merchandise Show by US Kids Golf as a Top 50 Junior
Golf Instructor. This is the fourth year that
Burrowing Owls at
Shoreline Golf links
The Western Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small ground dwelling owl found in short
grasslands throughout the
They are protected by international treaty under the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703-711) and also California Department of
Fish and Game codes; sections 3505, 3503.5 and 3800. These codes “prohibit the take, possession, or destruction of birds,
their nests or eggs and violation of these codes is punishable by fines and/or
imprisonment”.
Additional precautions require that a protective buffer zone be maintained around active burrowing owl burrows of 250 ft. during the breeding season (February 1 through August 31) and 160 ft. during the non-breeding season (September 1 through January 31).
Note: a burrow is assumed occupied if a burrowing owl has been observed at that burrow within the last three years.
Burrowing owls do not dig their own burrows but use the
burrows of
Burrowing owls regularly habituate to human altered environments and are common at airports, golf courses and other irrigated short grass areas. Burrowing owls were first observed at Shoreline in the 1970’s and Shoreline actively monitors the demographics of its burrowing owl population and manages the entire area to enhance habitat for the burrowing owls and their prey to encourage a viable population for the future.
Any land disturbance at Shoreline including the destruction and blockage of ground squirrel burrows requires a Project Evaluation to be conducted by a biologist to determine if burrowing owls are present at the site and what avoidance measures if any are to be taken to reduce impacts to burrowing owls and also their habitat.
If you are unsure of the correct protocol to follow with issues regarding burrowing owls, please do not do anything to harass or destroy burrowing owls or their habitat or burrows and contact the Pro Shop for further information.
Mark Your Calendars
2010 Demo day will be held Saturday, April 17th
Shoreline Golf
Links on KMVT
