The Nineteenth - December 2019 Edition

12.19

nineteenth THE

SCARBORO GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB MAGAZINE

Scarboro’s camaraderie and culture lives on It is full of warm welcomes and big hugs

By Carol-Ann Goering, Chief Operating Officer

I

t’s the most wonderful time of the year… I find myself humming this seasonal favourite each morning as I walk through the rotunda and approach our beautiful Christmas tree. The twinkling lights and smell of the fresh tree bring back vivid memories of my previous Christmases at the Club. I would like to offer a sincere

thank you to Ginny Fauteux and her band of very busy elves for bringing the spirit of Christmas to Scarboro this year.

Please come by the Club to see the wonderful collection of themed Christmas trees and remember to bring

your food donation to place under our Charity Tree in support of the Bluff’s Food Bank!

To celebrate this camaraderie and the special bond between members, the Board of Directors

My first month back at Scarboro has been full of

recently approved the launch of a ‘Member Private

warm welcomes, big hugs and even a few tears. I

Label’ logo. This logo is a nod to the history of the

thank you all for your support and patience as I re-

Club and will incorporate the Club’s lion, axe, and

acquaint myself with the Club, members, and staff.

crown. Merchandise with the private

Although it has been no surprise to learn that much

label logo will be for purchase by

has changed at the Club over the past 15 years, it

members only and available in the

has quickly become apparent how much I have

Golf Shop starting this Spring.

missed the camaraderie and culture that thrives at Scarboro.

Thank you to our member volunteers for making the Club so festive for the 2019 Holiday Season!

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

In early December, the Club hosted its annual Staff

Industry Magazine. Chris has been building himself

Holiday Party. In addition to celebrating the season,

quite the reputation as the ‘go-to’ person in the

we took the opportunity to recognize employees

Toronto area for food inspiration and innovation.

celebrating milestones with the Club as well as to

Click here to read Chris’ article.

congratulate our Employee of the Year nominees.

In other kitchen news, Chef and I would like to recognize the outstanding performance of Francesca Tan, who has been promoted to Executive Sous Chef. Hernan Ortiz and Matthew Cooksey are also being recognized for their outstanding performances, and have both been promoted to Sous Chef roles. Congratulations to all three!

To wrap my report, I’d like to share a few important messages: The minimum house spend deadline was moved last year from March 31 to January 31. We have many exciting events planned in December, so I do encourage members with minimum house balances

The 2019 Employee of the Year is Nada

to please join us to celebrate the season!

Mojsoski! Nada was recognized by her peers for her

The Annual Meeting of Shareholders is scheduled

outstanding commitment to the Club, her ongoing

for Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 10:00am.

support of the staff, and her unwavering dedication

A member information meeting will also be hosted

to the members. Please join me in congratulating

by the Board in January to discuss capital plans for

Nada for this notable achievement.

the coming year.

We’d also like to congratulate Lesley Thomas, Greens; Tina Reyes, Clubhouse; Patrick Reyes, Kitchen; and Brad Milligan, Golf Shop; all of

Lesley Thomas

Greens

30 years

whom received awards of excellence this year.

John Garbel

Service

20 years

Abdulhamid Ali

Clubhouse

15 years

Dale Alli

Admin

10 years

Jim McMahon

Golf Shop

5 years

Stephen Denis

Greens

20 years

Amzad Ali

Clubhouse

15 years

Frank Rozon

Greens

10 years

Moganraja Ponnurajah

Kitchen

5 years

Kerwin Octive

Service

5 years

At the event, we also took the opportunity to recognize 10 employees for their long service to the Club. (See chart to the right) I would like to recognize all our employees, new and old, for their ongoing commitment to the Club and its members.

I would be remiss if I did not thank the members who gave so generously to support the staff holiday event this year. Your contributions were greatly appreciated by all.

In other staff news, our Executive Chef, Chris Gironda, was featured in November’s Club Manager’s

Your 2019 Service Excellence Award Winners are...

Nada Mojsoski - Employee of the Year

Patrick Reyes - Kitchen

Tina Reyes - Clubhouse

Brad Milligan - Golf Operations

Lesley Thomas - Greens

With the introduction of the new World Handicap

a few moments to do so before the December 18

System (WHS) on January 1, 2020, the Club will

deadline. Your feedback is very important to us and

be hosting, in conjunction with Golf Ontario, a

will ensure the Club continues to improve upon its

WHS information seminar on Saturday, April 25

services and amenities.

to explain the changes you can expect after the

Just a reminder that, although the Club is quiet

implementation of the new system. We encourage

over the winter, the dress code and other club

all members who maintain a handicap to attend.

policies continue and will be enforced as necessary

Join us in the Performance Centre early in the New

by the management team. Please note, athletic

Year to experience Scarboro on TrackMan! Thank

wear, including athletic shorts, yoga pants, and

you to Mario Mendonca who was instrumental in

t-shirts are amongst the list of prohibited attire in

helping us acquire the Scarboro Golf simulator

the Performance Centre.

software so that our members can experience their course from the comfort of our TrackMan bays this

I wish you and your families all the very best for a safe and Happy Holiday season.

winter.

The 2019 Annual Members Satisfaction Survey

Carol-Ann

Goering

joined

Scarboro

on

was sent to all members on November 18. If you

November 1st, 2019 as the Club’s new Chief

have not already completed the survey, please take

Operating Officer.

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

ď Ž

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Santa Did Come to Town A tradition that dates back decades

S

Click here to see him land!

carboro’s 2019 Children’s Christmas Party

in the coming months and they are not limited to

showcased both Santa and the Clubhouse

social events.

at its finest. The nearly 350 members and

Centre is offering families the ‘High 5’ parent/

guests who joined us this year shared an experience

child clinics. These clinics are designed for fun and

that all will remember for years to come and will

learning catered to everyone in the family.

look forward to experiencing again and again!

As an example, the Performance

We are encouraging

Chef and his team prepared a delicious feast. Nico

our members’ spouses

Barrett, our Clubhouse Manager, Kathleen Howard,

to experience more of

our Assistant Food & Beverage Manager, and our

what the Club has to

exceptional kitchen and service teams executed

offer. If your spouse is

with precision the impressive task of serving so

interested in receiving

many individuals in such a short period of time.

our weekly eNewsletter

Adding to the fun was the Professional Staff from

that details our planned

the Golf Shop, who organized special Christmas

social activities, please

themed t-shirts for both our young and young-at-

have them contact me

heart as keep sakes to commemorate the day.

directly.

It was particularly enjoyable to see our newest

Should you know of

members and their families excited to join a tradition

any friends or family

that dates back decades at Scarboro.

that may be interested in

The photos from the day tell this story better than words can.

the Scarboro lifestyle, have them contact Scott Hay at shay@scarborogcc.com or by phone at 416-266-

The Club has more shared experiences planned

4546, ext. 241.

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

The Clubhouse is the perfect place to enjoy the Season

We have new events planned this year for members

By Nico Barrett, Clubhouse Manager his is my third Holiday Season at Scarboro

T

In addition to the Bistro and Dining Room being

and can safely say that the Clubhouse never

open for service, we also have a number of member

looked more festive than it does now!

events throughout the month including a new event

Reflecting the natural landscape of the Club’s

we’re trying out this year on Saturday, December

setting, the décor is entirely in-keeping with the

21st – the Holiday Film Fest at 2pm. We’ll be rolling

elegance of the Clubhouse. And of course, the

down our new video screen and playing some

reason I bring this to your attention is not only to

holiday favourite animated films in the Winged

praise the work of the creative team behind it (thank

Foot Room. Popcorn, kid’s drinks, and other treats

you Ginny Fauteux and team!), but to also suggest

will be provided at no charge. Adults of course are

that the Club really is the perfect place to celebrate

welcome to enjoy the movies as well! An indication

the season.

of your intention to attend is appreciated and

We are open Tuesday through Sunday for

adults are expected to remain on the premises (the

breakfast, lunch and dinner service. And as an

perfect opportunity to spend some quiet time in the

added bonus, and new this year, we will be open

Performance Centre?). An ‘a la carte’ luncheon will

for several days between Christmas and New Year’s

be served in the bistro before and after, for those so

Day. In fact, if you’re tired of turkey, we’ll be hosting

inclined.

a fabulous burger bar on Friday, December 27th and our popular Pasta Bar on Saturday, December 28th (a bit of a change from the usual Thursdays!).

If a Holiday Film Fest is not your style, then give our Dinner and Dance on December 13th a try!

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Our spray technician readies the course for Spring His work is vital to the health of the turf

By Bill Gilkes, Green Superintendent

A

lmost every Fall we experience some sort

and he has come a long way. He is fully certified

of scramble to get an enormous amount

after taking the Turf Managers Short Course at

of work completed before we put the golf

Guelph University last Winter and the Pesticide

course to bed for the winter. A recent trend which

Exam prep course after that. Andrew has what every

we have identified is an early November snowfall

good spray tech needs, an understanding of what

(which usually melts a few weeks later), and this

he sprays and why. His role will be expanding next

year was no exception. Before the first snow, we

year as he begins work assisting Lesley Thomas,

had finished the dormant fungicide application on

Assistant Greens Superintendent, in planning out

greens and tees, but still had fairways to do; we had

the chemical and fertilizer applications. We are

not yet cleared the leaves that were still out on the

confident he will be successful in assuming these

fairways which would need to be blown off before

additional duties by the end of the season.

spraying; then abnormally cold weather followed that week which slowed down the melting process.

Once

the

snow

melted, frost delays in the mornings and rain during the day created more

delays,

but

we

finally caught a break

A good, conscientious spray tech is vital to the

last week. Our Spray

overall health of the turf and we are lucky to have

Technician,

someone like that in Andrew.

Andrew

Klein, came in on the

The turf needs to have a protectant on it for the

weekend and completed

long, winter rest under the cover of snow. This helps

spraying most of the

to ensure that we will start the new season on a high

fairways and, as I write

note. Andrew has been working very hard over the

this article, is on the course finishing up the last few.

past few weeks to ensure the course is protected

This is Andrew’s third year as our spray technician

so that we can all have a little more piece of mind. 

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

New rules for the New Year

Changes will help all golfers establish a handicap

By Chris Piedimonte, Head Professional

C

urrently, the United States Golf Association (USGA) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A) are working together to implement a universal handicap system by 2020, known as the World Handicap System (WHS). Thanks to handicap systems around the world, golfers of all levels and ages

are able to post their score and accumulate a personal handicap factor.

Right now, there are six major handicapping systems used across the globe that have helped golfers track their scores. The WHS will replace these systems to ensure that all handicaps are calculated using the same method.

BELOW ARE FIVE NOTABLE CHANGES:

1. N UMBER OF SCORES REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A HANDICAP INDEX Golf Canada Handicap System (pre-2020):

• Revisions will be daily, so a player’s Handicap Index will become active the day after their third 18-hole score is submitted.

A Handicap Factor is issued to a player after five 18hole scores are submitted and a revision takes place.

• Scores can be made up of any combination of

Reasons for Change: • One of the key principles of the WHS is to enable

9-hole and 18-hole scores.

• A Handicap Factor is revised after the posting of each score.

Rule Change for 2020: A Handicap Index will be issued to a player after three 18-hole scores are

as many golfers as possible the opportunity to establish and maintain a Handicap Index.

• By requiring fewer scores, players who only play sporadically may be more likely to maintain a Handicap Index.

submitted and a revision takes place. In Canada, the

• Statistics show that players with a Handicap Index

term ‘Handicap Factor’ will be changed to Handicap

play more rounds of golf. Making it easier to get a

Index (for uniformity across the globe)

Handicap Index can help increase participation.

• Scores can be made up of any combination of 9-hole and 18-hole scores.

S C SACRABR O R ROO GGOO LL F BO F && CCOOUUNNT T R YR YC LCU LB U B

2. P LAYING CONDITIONS CALCULATION (PCC)

Reasons for Change: • To provide a mechanism that allows a better

Golf Canada Handicap System (pre-2020):

assessment of the difficulty of a course on a

There is no calculation or adjustment to account for

particular day.

abnormal course or weather conditions.

• Golf is an outdoor sport with many factors that

Rule Change for 2020: When abnormal course or

can impact scoring (weather, rough height, hole

weather conditions cause scores to be unusually

locations, etc.).

high or low on a given day, a “Playing Conditions

• A score of 90 made under challenging

Calculation” will adjust Score Differentials to better

conditions could be a more impressive

reflect a player’s actual performance. The “PCC” is:

performance than an 88 under normal

• An automatic procedure by the computation

conditions – and incorporating a Playing

service that compares the scores submitted on the

Conditions Calculation allows this to be

day against expected scoring patterns,

represented.

• Conservative in nature and applied in integer

• This is one of the more modern features of the system, but a similar calculation has been used

values • Applied in the Score Differential calculation of all players – even those who submit their score(s) on

successfully in other parts of the world.

• The PCC is designed to be conservative, so if an adjustment is taking place 4-5 days a week,

a later date.

then the Course Rating may not be accurately representing the difficulty of the golf course.

• The ability to identify such courses will provide enhanced integrity to the system

3. M AXIMUM HANDICAP INDEX

currently play but do not have a Handicap Index

Golf Canada Handicap System (pre-2020):

would be above those limits.

The maximum Handicap Factor/Index is 36.4 for

• Statistics show that players with a Handicap Index

men and 40.4 for women.

play more rounds of golf. Therefore, making the

Rule Change for 2020: The maximum Handicap

system more welcoming can help grow the game

Index for all golfers will be 54.0, regardless of

and create a more sustainable future.

• Although the maximum Handicap Index will be

gender.

Reasons for Change:

54.0, the Committee in charge of the Competition

• To make the game more welcoming to new

can set a lower maximum limit for entry or use in

players and incentivize beginners to establish and

competitions.

maintain a Handicap Index.

• I f the desire is to have players with similar

• To provide all players with a more precise measure

abilities competing against each other, the

of their demonstrated ability and allow players of

Committee can also divide the competition

all skill levels to track their progress in the game.

into flights.

• By encouraging novice and recreational players

• Although some are concerned that increasing the

to get a Handicap Index, they’ll be provided

maximum Handicap Index may lead to handicap

with opportunities to learn about the Rules of

manipulation, safeguards exist within the Handicap

Handicapping.

Index calculation to minimize the potential for it

•A lthough the number of players with a Handicap

(“Cap” – Rule 5.8; “Exceptional Score Reduction” –

Index at or above the current maximums of 36.4 and 40.4 is relatively small, many golfers who

Rule 5.9; “Handicap Review” – Appendix D).

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

4. M AXIMUM HOLE SCORE FOR HANDICAP PURPOSES (NET DOUBLE BOGEY)

Reasons for Change: • The Net Double Bogey adjustment is more consistent from hole to hole than the ESC procedure.

Golf Canada Handicap System (pre-2020):

• For example – Using the ESC procedure, a

The maximum hole score for handicap purposes

player with a Course Handicap of 21 would

is based on a player’s Course Handicap and the

have the same maximum score (8) on each

following Equitable Stroke control (ESC) table:

hole – regardless of the Par or difficulty of the hole.

COURSE HANDICAP

MAXIMUM SCORE ON ANY HOLE

9 or less

Double Bogey

10 through 19

7

20 through 29

8

30 through 39

9

40 or more

10

• By factoring in Par and Stroke Index values under the Net Double Bogey procedure, adjusted hole scores will be more precise and reflective of each player’s demonstrated ability.

• This is a more personal assessment compared to the grouping together of Course Handicap ranges.

• While this is a change for all who have used

Rule Change for 2020: The maximum hole score for each player will be limited to a Net Double Bogey, calculated as follows:

the Golf Canada Handicap System, Net Double Bogey has been used successfully in many parts of the world – as it is the equivalent to zero points in the Net Stableford format of

Double Bogey + handicap strokes a player receives (or gives) based on their Course Handicap (“or gives” only applies to plus handicap players)

play.

• The 2019 “Rules of Golf” introduced the maximum score form of stroke play, and Net Double Bogey was included as a recommended maximum score.

• When Net Double Bogey is the maximum score set by the Committee, no adjustments are necessary for handicap purposes.

5. E XCEPTIONAL SCORE REDUCTION (ESR)

Rule Change for 2020: When a player submits

Golf Canada Handicap System (pre-2020):

a score that produces a Score Differential of 7.0

When a player submits two or more Tournament

strokes or more below their Handicap Index,

Scores (T-scores) within a 12-month period

they will be subject to an Exceptional Score

that are at least 3.0 strokes better than

Reduction.

their Handicap Index, they are eligible for an

• When the Score Differential is between 7.0

Differentials.

automatic Handicap Index reduction.

and 9.9 strokes below their current Handicap

• The amount of the reduction is determined

Index, a -1.0 reduction is applied to the most

by the number of T-scores submitted by a

recent 20 score differentials. When the Score

player within the last 12-months, as well as the

Differential is 10.0 strokes or more below their

difference between the Handicap Index and

Handicap Index, a -2.0 reduction is applied to

the average of the two best T-score Handicap

the most recent 20 score differentials.

• Scores submitted after the exceptional score

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will not contain the -1.0 or -2.0 adjustment

competitions should receive the T-score

(unless they are also exceptional), which will

designation, and as a result it has been

allow reduction to gradually work itself out of a

applied inconsistently.

Scoring Record.

• By considering all scores in the Exceptional

Reasons for Change:

Score Reduction procedure, a player’s

• To simplify the automatic reduction process.

Handicap Index will be more responsive to

• Section 10-3 of “The Golf Canada Handicap System” is nearly five pages long. Exceptional

exceptional performances in competitive and recreational play.

Score Reduction will be covered in less than one page in the Rules of Handicapping.

• Since T-scores under the Golf Canada Handicap System are retained for 12-months

• This new procedure will be straightforward and

and compared to the Handicap Index at each

intuitive. When a player submits an exceptional

revision, it is possible for T-scores that were

score, they will receive an automatic

not exceptional at the time they were made to

adjustment of -1.0 or -2.0.

become exceptional at a later date. This will no longer take place in 2020.

• Handicap research shows that players who have shot 7.0 strokes below their Handicap

On Saturday, April 25th, Golf Ontario we will be

Index are more likely to do so again in the

hosting a World Handicap System seminar at our

future.

Club from 8am – 12pm. The fee is $35.00. Please

• Under the Golf Canada Handicap System,

click here to register.

only rounds played in events designated by the Committee as T-scores can lead to an automatic reduction.

• There has been confusion as to which

SCARBORO GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB