Golf News

As the Club completes its 17th year and many great events have happened on these grounds, 2022 was a sea change in the growth and health of our Club. Tournament participation, member engagement and guest activity sponsored by Members were at levels not seen prior. Thank you for your support of our Professional Staff during an epic year, and we look forward to 2023 being more of the same.

As we moved into the “winter” phase of the golf calendar, we hosted some events that put an emphasis on fun and camaraderie, mixed in with a little competition. In November, the 5th Annual CR Cup was held. This popular event pits two teams of 36 players against each other in a Ryder Cup-style format; the “Overs” (50+) versus the “Unders” (49 and under)! Bragging rights are always on the line, and this year’s event was no different. In the end, the Unders retained the cup with a strong 40-32 victory. The Overs will be looking to get the Cup back in November of ’23.

The Club event calendar then pivoted to some of our most popular events here during the holiday season. The Club hosts the Turkey Shootout the day after Thanksgiving and the Nightmare before Christmas which falls on the Saturday before Christmas.

The Turkey Shoot-out is unique because it is played on a different golf course. Yes, the course is here at Champions Retreat but we take the Buff and Island nines, shuffle a few things around and you have a cross-country course. This nine-hole event featured a mix of tees and greens from each nine which also had a par 6 and a few diabolical tee shots. The team that could navigate this trickery the best would come out as champion. This past November, the Gross title, with a score of 34, went to the team of Phillip Tussey, Chris Newsome, Aaron Cozart and Will Rogers. The Net title, with a score of 29, went to Greg Honeymichael, Jonathan Lilly, Graham Wyman, and Grey Meybohm.

Shortly thereafter, the aptly named Nightmare before Christmas was hosted in December. As the name suggests, you better prepare for some 3-putts (and the occas ional 4-putt!).

The “scary” pin positions definitely kept all players on their toes. The scramble format adds an element of fun to offset the “nightmare." There was some exceptional play and none better than the team of Ryan Mitchell, Chris Blackburn, Chris Rud and Russell Fiveash. They fired an unbelievable score of 59 to capture the Gross title. The Net champions of father-s on duo Richard and Jackson Marshall, along with Ryan Marshall and Michael Downes fired a similarly sterling round of net 59.

Before you know it, we are kicking off the 2023 season with the Ice Breaker Par 3 Tournament. Stay tuned for all the exciting details!

Don’t forget to get “logoed up” here at the Golf Shop. Whether at the game, in the neighborhood or at work, there are many ways to show off the CR pride. This fall, we had our custom CR Dormie Workshop headcovers with the Island #4 scene and Smathers & Branson CR belts which had the logo of Nicklaus, Palmer and Player paired with the CR logo. The Golf House hopes to be your one-stop shop for the latest trends in golf fashion, accessories and equipment. Let one of the Professionals know how best we can assist you in your fashion or your game.

Mike Rymer | Director of Golf

854-6964 | mike@championsretreat.net

Course Conditions

As your new Director of Agronomy, I could not be more enthusiastic to join the team at Champions Retreat, and while reflecting on my last 3 months here, I am eager to experience the Club's many events. With that, there is also a four-legged friend that is even more excited about being a part of Champions Retreat and her name is Drizzle. For those who have not been able to meet her on the course, Drizzle comes to the golf course daily to deter the geese from occupying residence here at the Club. Stop and say hello next time you see us passing through.

Over this short period of time, our team has accomplished a great deal of success during our Fall golf events by maintaining a firm, fast and clean course. Following the completion of the Member-Guest, the Golf Course Maintenance team began establishing the winter playing surfaces on teeing grounds and at the practice facility by overseeding with perennial ryegrass. While dry weather impeded the initial germination, we were able to manage the moisture levels to achieve the goal. Since the initial dry spell, we have experienced excessive amounts of moisture, which has led to the decline of some of the ryegrass due to saturation. We will continue to address drainage where needed and cheer for some dryer days ahead.

Another area of focus has been pigmenting applications on fairways to maintain color and definition on the golf course.

Due to the recent artic blast of cold air, all pigment has departed and color has been lost. Beginning January 9th, our team will work with permanent colorant, which behaves more like a paint to allow for the desired definition without the excessive water needed to germinate the seed.

Over the next few months, our staff will be directing their attention to winter projects. Our focus will be preparation for daily play as well as the upcoming ANWA in March. These winter projects will include overall facility maintenance, bunker sand distribution and painting of fairways. We will continue to work on building a culture within our department that is consistent throughout Champions Retreat. “Your culture is your brand,” is a moto I live by, meaning if we show that we care for our staff, facilities, equipment and property… our team will notice, gain interest into the process and the results will lead to great things in the future.

On a personal note, I am happy to report that my family and I are all once again under one roof with our move from North Carolina now complete. My wife Anne and two boys Tanner (14) and Tate (12) are excited to get to know the area. I can’t thank you, the Membership and the Leadership Team for your support and understanding over the past few months.

We look forward to the joys and challenges that lie ahead in 2023.