Vol. 1 Issue 1 • Jan 2024
Pro’s Page Official Newsletter of the ICC Golf Shop
New Year, New Calendar 2024 is finally here! I know most of you are working on resolutions that you will surely stick to and I wanted to add one more to your list...play more golf! This upcoming year, we have plenty of opportunities to play in events, leagues, tournaments, clinics, or even just with your buddies! The MGA and ILGA are working closely with ICC to create quality events that you don’t want to miss! A few new events hitting the calendar this year: Opening Day Scramble, Wedge Clinics, Couples Evening League, Spring Showdown, Operation 36 (adult and junior), Thursday Night Scramble, Cornhole Championship, Ladies “Shot in the Dark”, and much more!
THIS ISSUE: New Year, New Calendar Page 01
Online Sign-Up’s Page 02 January/February Events
Page 02
Member Policies - Updated Page 03
Events Page 04 Events
Page 05 Pro’s Pointer
Page 06 OP36
Page 07
ILGA/MGA Page 08
NESS Page 09
2024 Calendar Page 10 Pro’s Page
Page 01
HOW TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS? If you’ve been at ICC for the last decade and played in an event, you’ve most likely seen the pen and paper registration sheet at the front counter. Starting in 2024, pen and paper are gone and online sign-up is here! You may be wondering, how do I sign-up for events? It’s never been easier! Go to iccalabama.com and use your online log-in to access the members page Click on “Golf” Click on the event type you are interested in Click on the event to register Enter in the required fields Done!
EVENTS: Feb 17th
TaylorMade Fitting Day 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Feb 18th MGA Individual Match Play qualifying opens Feb 19th
Presidents Day (Course is open for regular tee times) Feb 24th MGA Annual Meeting 8:00 AM Feb 24th MGA/ILGA Polar Bear Scramble 10:00 AM Shotgun Start
March 6th ILGA Ladies Days Begin
March 8th Now you will be able to go back to past events to see results (good or bad), as well as see which other members have registered!
Callaway Fitting Day 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Registration for each event will be 2 (two) months prior to event starting! All payment for events will be billed to your member number after each group has teed off. If you have any questions, please let me know!
Pro’s Page
Page 02
MEMBER POLICIES - UPDATED FOR 2024 As 2023 comes to a close, it is time to revisit our policies for 2024. We want every member and guest to be treated like family at ICC and in order to do so, have come up with a few policies for everyone to abide by. Dress code: Proper attire is required at ALL times while using the golf facilities (golf course and driving range). Pants/shorts: Blue jeans, athletic pants/shorts, or denim is NOT allowed. Shirts: all shirts must have a collar. Outerwear: a collared shirt must be worn under all outerwear pieces. T-Shirts are not permitted. Shoes: Sandals and boots are not permitted. Golf or tennis shoes only are permitted on the golf facilities. Ladies: tennis attire is appropriate. Driving Range: all players are encouraged to check-in. Golf Course: all player are REQUIRED to check-in. Fivesomes: must be approved by the Director of Golf. Carts: two carts per group. Guests: each guest is allowed up to 6 (six) rounds per year. Going forward, we will need your guest first name, last name, and phone number.
Pro’s Page
Please welcome the newest member of our team, Jake Campbell (AKA Deuce, AKA Jack, AKA Other Jake). We are excited to have him on the team and are looking forward to a great 2024! A little about Jake: Jake was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He played collegiate golf at Faulkner University from 2017 to 2021 while attaining a degree in Business Management. After graduating, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama where he started his career as an analyst for Hibbett, Inc. While working for Hibbett, he began pursuing his Masters in Business Administration, and married his wife, Hannah, in 2022. After two years of working in the corporate realm, he realized that the golf industry is where he belongs. Jake's father and grandfather have played a huge role in who he is on and off the golf course. He hopes to continue to help the game grow in new and exciting ways.
Page 03
MGA ANNUAL MEETING
POLAR BEAR SCRAMBLE
February 24th - 8:00 AM
February 24th - 10:00 AM Shotgun
Reasons to Attend: Great opportunity to meet other members. A chance to hear what the 2024 MGA season has to offer and get insight into the upcoming schedule. Opportunity to have questions heard and answered by your MGA Committee. All attendees will receive one (1) point to count towards The Ness Invitational. Meeting structure will follow an agenda, followed by an open forum of Q & A. If your questions are not heard, the MGA Committee will be around afterwards and will gladly address any inquiries. To have the meeting stay on schedule and your question to be heard/answered, please submit your questions to jgreer@heritagegolfgroup.com and I will share it with the MGA Committee.
Kick off the MGA Season in style with the Polar Bear Scramble & Chili Cook-Off! Sign-up as a team of three and bring your A game on the golf course and in the kitchen! Players are encouraged to bring their best pot of chili as our esteemed ICC Food Network judges will determine who takes home the title of Chili Master after play. There will also be a winner determined by the people! $80 Per Player
MGA INDIVIDUAL MATCH PLAY February 18th - Qualifying Begins Must be a member of the MGA to participate. A Stroke Play Qualifier (Net) will be held to determine the seeding within the 64-field match play bracket. Golfers must declare with the Golf Shop before the round they will use to count as their qualifying score(1 attempt per player). $65 Per Player for those who qualify for Match Play. Schedule of Matches: *Please make every effort to play matches by the scheduled deadlines. If matches are unable to be played within the outlined dates, the outcome will be determined by a coin flip.* Qualifying Round Completed by March 3rd First Round Matches Completed by April 28th Second Round Matches Completed by June 16th Sweet Sixteen Matches Completed by July 31st Elite Eight Matches Completed by September 1st Final Four Matches Completed by September 22nd Championship Match Completed by October 16th
Pro’s Page
Page 04
MGA TEAM MATCH PLAY March 5th Grab a partner and sign-up for the Team Match Play! Both players must be a member of the MGA and have a current GHIN handicap. The tournament is open to the first 63 teams and will be a blind draw for seeding in the bracket. $65 Per Player
MGA GROSS MATCH PLAY March 5th Sign-up for the Gross Match Play are open and the deadline to register is March 3rd! All play will be from the 1 tees and there will be no handicaps. The field is limited to the first 31 entries and brackets will be filled based on random seeding. $65 Per Player
MGA SPRING LEAGUE March 12th MGA Spring League is back! This unique format allows players to play 9-holes any time Tuesday - Friday and record their dogfight points on the front nine to be used towards qualifying. The league will cover 10 weeks and will pay weekly winners. All weekly winners will make it to the Shootout for a chance at the big pay day! $120 Per Player
OPENING DAY SCRAMBLE March 16th Let’s open the Spring with a BANG! Grab any four ICC golf members and have a fun, relaxed day on the golf course to kick-off the season! Come out and enjoy golf, contests, food, and fellowship as we crown the winners! $75 Per Player
Pro’s Page
Page 05
NEVER UP, NEVER IN Are you tired of losing money to those pesky playing partners of yours but your handicap won’t seem to allow you to beat them? We all have been there and not all of us are “GHIN Masters” like a few of our fellow members. One of the biggest reasons I see amateurs struggle is not taking enough club. For example: when a Tour player is asked how far he hits a 7 iron, he usually gives a number that is based on Trackman averages of good and miss hits (20 shots on the range: take the worst 5 out and average the next 15). When an Amateur player is asked, he usually remembers that one time he hit 7 iron to the back of the green on #13 from the tips to win money from his buddies. Yes, the amateur can hit the 7 iron 180 yards in perfect conditions and with the contact he has only dreamed of, but let’s be real, it’s a 1/10 shot. So, instead of playing for the 1/10 shot, play for the 7/10 shot.
“Guys usually never hit enough club. You know they’re always coming up short,” Joe LaCava Tiger Woods Ex-Caddie
If a pin is in the back of the green, most Amateurs hit the middle front of the green. “Afraid of going long” is what they will say. If a pin is in the front of the green, most Amateurs hit it short of the green. “It is an easier chip than a downhill putt”. But if I told you that you could hit 18 greens or have 18 chips, the obvious answer is 18 putts at birdie. Do me a favor, next time you are out on the course, play towards the back of the green on every shot outside of 70 yards. See how many times you go long, and how many times you hit it pin high. I bet the number is a little closer than you’d expect. If you hit it perfect, congratulations, you are on the back of the green! If you miss hit the ball because you don’t play golf for a living, welcome to the center of the green and a birdie putt! Afterall, if the Tour players are playing for misses, why aren’t we?
Pro’s Page
Page 06
OPERATION 36 IS BACK! Exciting News! We are integrating the Operation 36 Development model & coaching platform into our existing instruction programs, to enhance our member experience. Operation 36 is the fastest growing golfer development model and technology that is being integrated in coaching programs around the world. The end goal is to get all of our golfers to shoot par (36) from a full tee-box!
TAYLORMADE FITTING DAY February 17th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Come try the latest from TaylorMade in drivers, fairways, hybrids, irons, wedges, and putters! Get custom fit for your game and notice the difference immediately! Sign-Up using the QR code below:
How we will be integrating: Each golfer in our programs will get a profile in our community in the Operation 36 App. We will be offering 9 Hole Operation 36 formatted events for juniors and adults. After each event, our staff will record the event scores on your profile and track your progress over time. The app also allows our staff to organize programs & schedules digitally to improve communication with our families. Benefits to our membership: For our Juniors, it allows us to track their golf development over-time and gives parents a timely and motivating way to get their junior on the golf course. Our coaches have access to a junior development model that can help us project where a juniors handicap will be by the time they graduate high school. Parents can quickly switch between juniors in the mobile app to see their goals & log when they play and train. Each session is shared with coaches to help guide and report on their golf development each year. For our Adults, it is a fun way to improve your golf game and gives us a tool to communicate and help set goals. If you are a complete beginner it gives you the best path to become a golfer. If you have already played, it is a fun social challenge to see where you can shoot 36 (par) for 9 holes from. With the use of the technology, our staff can help you measurably improve by setting video goals, issuing practice plans and more.
Pro’s Page
Page 07
LADIES GOLF OUTLOOK 2024 season Ladies, I am happy to announce that we have a full array of events to offer you in 2024! OP36 Clinics, Wedge Clinics for ladies only, 18-Hole play days, Shot in the Dark, and much more! Keep a look out for different events throughout the year! A few upcoming events to keep on your radar: Ladies Only OP36 Beginner Series starts March 9th ILGA Ladies Days start March 6th 18-Hole Play Day - March 30th Ladies Only Wedge Clinic - April 13th
MGA OFFICERS 2024 season Gentlemen, your 2024 MGA Officers and Committee has already started meeting to get the season ready! They are fired up and ready to bring you bigger and better events! President - Brian Rosenberg Vice-President - Jay McCullough Treasurer - Bobby Hewitt/Blaine Wilson
Pro’s Page
Page 08
THE NESS QUALIFYING One of the biggest topics of the year, The Ness Qualifying system, is going to remain the same as 2023. Below is a list of points that members may accrue throughout the year based on length at the club and participation in events:
Callaway Fitting Days March 8th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM April 28th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM June 1st 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Junior Golf OP36 Tuesday/Thursday Begins March 5th Wednesday/Thursday Begins March 6th Juniors may register for one of the OP36 dates by going to iccalabama.com PGA Junior League will begin in the summer!
Reminders Please remember to rake all bunkers and fix your ball mark, as well as others! A good rule of thumb: fix 4 ball markers per green! Also, please fill in all divots with sand.
Pro’s Page
Page 09
2024 Events FEBRUARY 17th - TaylorMade Fitting Day 18th - Individual Net Match Play Qualifying Begins 19th - Presidents Day (Course Open) 24th - MGA Annual Meeting (8:00 AM) 24th - Polar Bear Scramble (10:00 AM)
MARCH 2nd - Wedge Clinic (3:00 PM) 3rd - Individual Net Match Play Qualifying Ends 5th - Match Play Begins (Net, Gross, Team) 6th - ILGA Ladies Day Begins 8th - Callaway Fitting Day (10:00 AM - 2:00 PM) 12th - MGA Spring League Qualifying Begins 16th - Opening Day Scramble 29th - Couples Evening 9-Hole Event 30th - Ladies 18-Holer
APRIL 7th - Superintendents Revenge 13th - Ladies Only Wedge Clinic 13th - Ladies 18-Holer 16th - Spring Showdown (Tuesday Nights at 5:30 PM) 20th - TaylorMade Fitting Day 25th - MGA 1-Day Member Guest 26th - Couples Evening 9-Hole Event 28th - Callaway Fitting Day
MAY 8th - ILGA Member-Member 11th - Ladies 18-Holer 18th, 19th - MGA B.A.S.H 23rd - MGA Spring League Shootout 27th - Memorial Day (Course Open) 31st - Couples Evening 9-Hole Event
JUNE 1st - Callaway Fitting Event 6th - Junior Club Championship 8th, 9th - Club Championship 11th, 12th, 13th - ICC Junior Golf Camp 15th - Parent Child Tournament 22nd - TaylorMade Fitting Day 22nd - Ladies 18-Holer 28th - Couples Evening 9-Hole Event
JULY 18th, 19th, 20th - The NESS 22nd, 23rd, 24th - Aerification 26th - Couples Evening 9-Hole Event
AUGUST 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th - Thursday Night Scramble 17th - MGA Ole Pal 20th - Cornhole Championship 24th - Couples Championship 30th - Couples Evening 9-Hole Event
SEPTEMBER 2nd - Labor Day (Course Open) 5th, 12th, 19th, 26th - Grapes & Golf 8th - Heritage Cares Tournament 14th, 15th - MGA Member-Member 18th, 19th - Ladies Club Championship 27th - Couples Evening 9-Hole Event
OCTOBER 3rd - Fall 1-Day Member Guest 2nd - Ladies Invitational 9th - Lady Legacy 19th, 20th - Inverness Cup
NOVEMBER 11th - Veterans Day (Course Open) 28th - Thanksgiving (9:00 AM Shotgun) 29th - Black Friday Golf Shop Sale
DECEMBER 5th - Golf Shop Christmas Sale 14th - Santa Scramble 24th - Christmas Eve (9:00 AM Shotgun) 25th - Christmas Day (Course Closed)