Nov. 2010 Issue
The Official Newsletter of the Southern Nevada Golf Association
The Grind Clark County Amateur Boulder Creek Golf Club November 11-14, 2010
The final event in the 2010 SNGA Tournament Series, the Clark County Amateur, concluded on Sunday, November 14th from Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City Nevada. There were prevailing winds, smooth and speedy greens, precarious hole locations and a chill in the air.
Brady Exber 2010 Clark County Amateur Champion
In This Issue >>> 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Clark County Amateur Misunderstood Rules PJ Macquire Southwest Golf Club Winner Pointe Hilton Resorts County Amateur (Cont.) Body Balance for Performance MetLIfe Auto & Home速 What's on Tap?
The players had to put on their best game faces to attack the course. Greg Frey did exactly that by making a hole-in-one on the fourth hole, a daunting 217 yard par 3, using a 3-wood for his first ever hole-in-one. Congrats Greg! There was a lot at stake for the leaders in the 2010 SNGA Player of the Year Race in every division. The County Am would prove again to be a difficult and fitting end to another successful and exciting SNGA Tournament season. Story continued on page 8. Page 1
Misunderstood Rules By Mike Charrie
2010 Champion Southern Nevada Silver Cup Team
Come join us in 2011! For details on becoming a part of the WSNGA, contact Janet at wsngainfo@gmail.com. Page 2
PJ’s Super Section Information about Golf Course Maintenance from PJ McGuire, CGCS Nevada Golf Industry Alliance I thought I would take a few minutes to talk with you about the Nevada Golf Industry Alliance. This is a group consisting of every major golf organization in the state, both North and South including, Golf Course Owners, Superintendents, Club Managers, Golf Professionals, junior golfers, and member associations like the SNGA. The Mission of the NGIA is; “To improve business conditions for the golf industry in the State of Nevada by serving as an educational resource for the industry and the public, by serving as an advocate for the industry before the state legislature and other governmental bodies, and by communicating to the public the economic benefits and environmental stewardship provided by the game of golf. “ This group was formed in 2009 to help answer the call of ever pressing issues that can and will affect the business of golf in this state. Water issues will continue to present challenges to our business as well as our enjoyment of the game. The political climate and taxation issues will add challenges to a golf business in this state that is hurting from the economy just like all other businesses. Our formation of this group during the last Nevada State Legislative Session was key to our helping shape an assembly bill that would have increased the tax burden on each course in the state by $50,000 up to $300,000. With the efforts of this group as well as the passionate help from avid golfers and folks in the business, we were able to write letters and attend hearings in Carson City that allowed our voice to be heard, and this crippling law did not pass muster. The 2010 Nevada State Legislative Session is set to begin shortly. The NGIA is gearing up it’s efforts as golf will again be on the minds of poorly informed politicians trying to solve some of the worst financial issues in recent memory. We need to be a visible and vocal source of positive information about the golf industry. We need to be the folks who are called upon to answer questions about the impact the game of golf has on our state, and just how many tourists come to the silver State to enjoy golf. We need to educate how environmentally responsible our industry is. We need to focus on the life skills and benefits that teaching the game of golf to children brings to future generations. We need to assure that the opportunities for golf continue to weather this financial storm. I may be a little bit biased as golf has provided for my family for almost 25 years. My children have grown up on the golf courses in Southern Nevada. I want to help assure that both the business of golf as well as our ability to enjoy the peaceful, natural setting in this all too fast-paced world of ours continues. I ask you, as members of the SNGA, to help support this important organization like your association leaders already do.
Page 3
FINAL 2010 YEAR END POINTS RACES The anticipation for the final 2010 SNGA Tournament Series event was elevated as several of the Player of the Year races were hanging in the balances. None of the points leaders wanted to relinquish their lead while everyone who was trailing was looking forward to the opportunity to try and take them out. Everyone who had a stake in the races fought through the elements and pressure of the competition to try and put on their best efforts to take home the coveted number one spot. Several of the races were very close going into this event and ended even closer. Half of the races ended with thirteen or less points separating first and second. In the Scratch Division, Joe Sawaia topped the list over Steve Fink and Brady Exber. Saiwaia used back to back victories at the Boulder Creek Amateur and the Nevada State Mid-Amateur, and a second place finish at the Nevada State Amateur to amass two-thirds of his points and vault himself into the lead where he would stay. The Net Division title was captured by Randy Goodwill over the hard charging Dennis Moore and Trik Caspary. Moore did what he had to do (win the Clark County Amateur) and Caspary used a second place finish to stay in contention, but Goodwill played well enough to finish third in the event and retain his lead for Player of the Year. In the Senior Scratch Division, Frank Acker used a four way tie for second place in the Clark County Senior Amateur to keep his lead over Steve Fink and John Turk to successfully defend his 2009 title. Turk and Fink finished 1-2 in the Las Vegas City Amateur in October to get them within striking distance of Acker, but Acker fought off the elements and the competitors to secure his title. The Senior Net title was taken by George Yocum over Scott Godino and John Turk. Going into the final event, Turk trailed Yocum by 39 points while Godino trailed by only 19. With Yocum not playing in this event, the top nine players on the list were capable of taking the title with a victory in the Clark County Senior Amateur. Godino fell just short of capturing the title by earning six points and finishing thirteen behind Yocum. 2010 marked the inaugural Super Senior Division Player of the Year Award. Both the Srcatch and Net Divisions came down to the wire. In the Super Senior Scratch Division, Sev Loeffler won Player of the Year by narrowly edging out Ed Stocklen by a mere 2.25 points! Loeffler and Stocklen used a 2-3 finish respectively in the Las Vegas City Amateur to tighten the race to make this final event so critical. Loeffler finished tied for fourth to earn twenty-four points which was twelve more than Stocklen earned. This gave Loeffler the crown. Going into the final event, the Super Senior Net Division was just as wide open as the Senior Net Division with only thirty-four points separating the top six players, with all of them playing in this event. Tom Khamis had a 14.5 point lead over Mike Bridges and a 16 point lead over Leo May going in. The top five players all finished less than eight points apart in the Clark County Senior Amateur with Tom Khamis coming out on top to win the Player of the Year title by only 8.5 points over Bridges. Congratulations to all the players who battled all year long to earn this prestigious award! It is well deserved. Thank you to all the players who participated in the 2010 SNGA Tournament Series and made 2010 such a great year. We look forward to seeing you all competing for the titles again next year…and bring your friends (you know, for bragging rights). Goodnight and see you in 2011.
Desert Hawk Hole #9 Boulder Creek Golf Club
Page 4
Stay & Play
Tee-up this year at the Pointe Hilton Resorts with our Stay and Play package. Your package includes a one night stay, Hilton Breakfast for two, and one round of golf at either Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort or Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort. October 13 - December 31, 2009 rates from $109/Night/Person* January 1 - February 28, 2010 rates from $129/Night/Person* March 1 - April 4, 2010 rates from $149/Night/Person* April 5 - May 20, 2010 rates from $109/Night/Person* May 21 - September 26, 2010 rates from $69/Night/Person* September 27 - October 14, 2010 Overseeding - No Play. October 15 - December 31, 2010 rates from $119/Night/Person* *Package rates will vary based on single occupancy or double occupancy. Packagerates are based on double occupancy per person.
For reservations please call 1-888-463-4931 or to reserve online at T a p a t i o C l i f f s R e s o r t c l i c k h e r e and to reserve at S q u a w Pe a k R e s o r t c l i c k h e r e . *Package rates are based on double occupancy and inclusive of golf. Packages and Package rates are all based on availability. Please make your reservations within 5 days of arrival by calling the phone number below and request Plan Code "P9". Please call 1-888-463-4931 to book your package and to reserve tee times. Package price is only available with a valid tee time reservation. Rate is based on the number of golfers in a suite. For one tee time per day, package must be booked with occupancy of one adult, two tee times per day, must be booked with occupancy of two adults. Package rate may be subject to change if additional tee times are required. Exclusive of tax and gratuity. Golf greens fees are based on availability and are subject to change without notice. Guests receive one round of play for each night's stay. Please note that the golf course will be closed September 27 through October 14, 2010 for course overseeding. Offer includes two Hilton Breakfast buffet certificates for each night's stay. One certificate is valid for one adult Hilton Breakfast buffet. Each child 5 years of age or younger will eat without charge when accompanied by a paid adult including adults utilizing the Hilton Breakfast buffet certificate. At the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort breakfast certificate is redeemable at Pointe In Tyme restaurant and at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort breakfast certificate is redeemable at Hole-in-the-Wall restaurant. Breakfast certificates have no cash value; gratuities are not included. Certificates not valid for room service breakfast, after departure or at another hotel. Offer cannot be combined with any other discounts and is not applicable to groups.
The Curtain Closes on the 2010 Tournament Season (Continued from Page 1) Boulder Creek Golf Club November 11-14, 2010
Now for the results. With both temperatures and scores in the 60’s, it made for a pretty interesting event. With two of those scores (68 & 69), Brady Exber took home the Senior Scratch title with an impressive two day total of 137 (-7). Exber’s nine shot victory in the Senior Scratch Division was over four players: Lance Baral, Paudie O’Connor, Frank Acker, and Stevens Hakes who all tied for second place with a two day total of 146 (+2). Exber ran away from the field by posting half of the division’s rounds that were under par. Baral (70) and Acker (71) posted the other rounds under par which helped them earn the tie for second. Jeffrey Gauf - 139 Net (-5) took home the Senior Net Division with a two shot win over Burke Cahill. Gauf was tied with Cahill after the first day and fired a two-under 70 net score on the final day to edge out Cahill by two. Randy Sears took the Super Senior Net Division with a two-day net total of 139 also, which was a five stroke win over Russ Gard (144). Sears posted a net 68 (-4) on the second day to hold off the hard charging Gard who posted a net 67 (-5) on the second day to stay in contention. Cary Casey fired an even par 144 to earn the Super Senior Scratch Division by six strokes over James Miller (150) and Harlan Braaten (150) who shot a 69 (-3) on the second day to vault him into a tie for second place. Casey had a comfortable five shot lead going into the second and final round of the event. He shot a two over 74 to earn the victory over Braaten and Miller. Dennis Moore (146) captured the Net division with consistency. He posted two identical 73’s to fend off Trik Caspary (151) for a five shot victory. Dennis Moore proved that the old adage that most golfers have heard over and over again, “consistency is the name of the game” is still a relevant statement. Two net rounds of 73 (+1) earned him the victory. In a Scratch Tournament that included a hole in 1 on the Par 3, 203 yard 4th hole by Greg Frey, Brady Exber (141) defeated A.J. McInerney (147) and the rest of the field in dominating fashion. Exber’s victory in the Championship division earned him the only SNGA Major Title that had eluded him for so many years. This put him in elite company with Ed Fryatt and Morris Ferstman as the only three players to win all four of the original SNGA Major Championships. Congratulations Brady on this monumental accomplishment and to all the winners from the Clark County Amateur! The SNGA would like to thank the Boulder Creek Golf Club’s professional golf staff and the restaurant staff for doing a great job as usual with the events we hold there. The course was in tremendous shape and was a great joy to play. The SNGA would also like to thank all the volunteers who came out to this event and who helped all year long for their efforts to help conduct the 2010 SNGA Tournament Series. A big THANK YOU goes out to Mr. Reliable, Chuck Buys for being such a vital part of the 2010 season. If you see him around, please shake his hand and tell him thank you. We look forward to seeing everyone next year and only hope that the 2011 season can top the great year that 2010 brought... Page 6
Strong Stomach Muscles Equal Distance and Consistency If you were to think about one body area to strengthen in order to improve your golfing distance, accuracy and consistency it would definitely be your stomach muscles. The stomach or abdominal muscles are the foundation for supporting proper golf posture throughout the swing and are the core muscles responsible for allowing your legs and arms to generate power. Strong arms and legs without a solid foundational support from strong abdominal muscles will not provide you with the added distance and accuracy you are looking for. As a golfer, weak stomach muscles will also promote injury to the lower back. There are four portions of your abdominal muscles that need to be strengthened: upper, lower, transverse and oblique. The following exercises are for you to try so you can develop the core strength in your body necessary to gain added distance, accuracy and consistency in your golf shots. Pelvic Tilts Supine Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Try to tilt your pelvis back and forth (arch your back and flatten your back), trying to limit any chest or upper body movement at the same time. Make sure when you flatten your back, you should also be drawing in or flattening your stomach (not sticking it out). Repeat this back and forth for the prescribed amount of time by your golf fitness professional. Russian Twists Grab one dumbbell and sit on a Swiss ball. Stabilizing the dumbbell on your chest, slowly walk yourself out on the ball until the ball is directly under your mid-back. From here raise the dumbbell directly up in front of your chest using both hands. Now, try to rotate your whole upper body keeping your arms straight, lowering the dumbbell to your side and then return yourself to the starting position. Try to rotate in the opposite direction next. Perform the recommended number of reps, alternating back and forth to each side. Make sure you stabilize your lower body as you perform each rep, since the weight is going to make it difficult to maintain balance. Call for your golf performance evaluation at 702.677.0858 or email tgaspar@fitgolf.com.
Page 7
Page 8
Las Vegas National Golf Club Site of the 2009 SNGA Season Opener
final thoughts... 2625 N. Green Valley Pkwy. Suite 100 Henderson, NV 89014 702-458-4653 www.snga.org
“Only fools live in the past or carry envy to the present.” ~ Chi Chi Rodriguez
What’s on Tap >>> Happy Thanksgiving from SNGA The SNGA would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. The SNGA is thankful for all the new friendships that were made in the 2010 season. We are also thankful to have such a wonderful game filled with such tradition and honor to call our own. The SNGA would like to give thanks to all the golf courses, their staff, SNGA volunteers, players, and Board Members on making 2010 a very memorable season. Its not often that we get to be apart of something we love and cherish so much. Though the hours are long and the obstacles are many, we know that the dedication of everyone associated with the SNGA will help us to continue to drive an Association dedicated to advancing and sustaining the game of golf in Southern Nevada.
Page 9