- Blue Fox Run Men's Club

Opening Drive

All Members:

“Global Warming?” Temperatures in 40’s as far down as the Florida Keys? Maybe reading this newsletter will send your mind to place where you can see the flag and wipe the perspiration off your forehead. Where the sounds of golf are all that is heard…

“FORE RIGHT”...“Nice shot Bags”...”Anyone want to play birdies…No Tom!”...”Anyone have any cigarettes, No Tom!”...”Hey Prez, why are things moving so slowly?”

Gee, I’m warm already! Let’s talk some golf! My goal is to try to update you on all relevant matters pertaining to our club as we come out of 2009 and head into the 2010 season. First, a look back...

News

2010 Elections – The following slate of officers and committee members were ratified at the Members Meeting immediately following the 2009 Fall Classic Tournament.

*Executive Board*		*Tournament Committee*
President	Bob DuBosar	Dave Bagdigian
VP & TC	Steve Young	Bruce Kraczkowsky
Treasurer	Paul Pedemonti	Greg Larocque
Secretary	**Rob DiMattei	Ray Stoll *Bill Malm
Handicaps	Jim Clark	*Bobby Marques

* Newly elected to Tournament Committee

** Moved from Tournament Committee to Executive Board

I would like to thank Ted Bowyer for volunteering his time to the Tournament Committee the last two years and welcome new comers Bill Malm and Bobby Marques.

Additionally, it is bittersweet for me to announce that Will Lorenz has decided to leave his post as Club Secretary in order to spend more time with his family. Will has been an extremely important member of our Executive Board and Tournament Committee for over 10 years. His professionalism, dedication, and most of all his input, will be sorely missed by me, and the other Board members. The club owes him a debt of gratitude and I hope you will extend your hand of thanks to Will, when you see him out on the course!

The Board and the Club are appreciative that Rob DiMattei has agreed to move into Will’s spot. I have every confidence that he will fill Will’s shoes with the same qualities. I personally look forward to Rob putting his own stamp on the job.

We would be remiss if we did not say thanks to all that have served our club in the past and who continue to give back to our club!

2009 Club News – Last year our boards, after surveying our membership, decided to allow range finders during our tournament play. My own personal feeling that play would slow down even further, simply did not happen. In actuality, the devices had no affect from what we could see, one way or the other. Oh, and now that my wife surprised me with a Sky Caddie for my birthday, they are now here to stayJ! While we’re on the subject, all three nines have been mapped and are available with most devices. Additionally, the pro shop has a new supply of Callaway uPro’s for rent.

2009 also saw our club move from 3 flights to 4 flights of play, as we continue to always pay attention to the distribution of handicaps at our club. We want all players to feel like they have a fair shot at winning. In addition to that move we also changed the payouts to include 2 low gross and 2 low net in each flight to once again reward the best play that day.

Our Member Guest was a big success once again and we look forward to continuing this event next year. More on this later.

2009 Club Champions – Congratulations to Pat Griffin, Harvard Sylvan, Ted Bowyer and Mark Occhineri for winning the Club Championship in their respective divisions.

2009 Player of the Year – Congratulations to Tom Scarrozzo for winning the Gross Player of the Year trophy for the 10^th time! That is a tremendous accomplishment considering all of the strong players we have in the Gross Division year in and year out. In the Net Division, Peter Sodafsky won his first POY trophy. Pete has been a very strong player for many years in our club, and I am glad to see him get some recognition.

Who will bring home the 2010 hardware? Why not you? If you are new to our club or just want to make sure that you understand our point systems for determining the winners, go to Club Policies Tab on the home page of this website.

2009 Match Play Champion – This tourney has built a strong following since it’s inception in 2002 and as always, was hotly contested this year. The Final 4 survivors:

A-Flight – Steve Young C-Flight – Jim Nardini

B-Flight – Lou Pepin D-Flight – Hal Kolpak

Lou Pepin (B-Flight Champ for the second year in a row) and Hal Kolpak made it through to the final and the 2009 Match Play Champion is … Hal Kolpak. Congrats and enjoy the free golf for 2010!

2010 Club News

The 2010 Schedule is up on the Web Site – The Tournament Committee hopes you will enjoy the make up of the schedule. Please note the color codes for Match Play and NEPGA events. Other notes:

· We will open the season on SATURDAY April 3, 2010 (not Sunday) due to the Easter Holiday. You can call in for your tee times the previous Saturday March 27^th or visit the pro shop in person that day for this tournament sign up only;

· The 2010 Member Guest will be held Friday May 28^th at 1pm. We will return to our normal rotation of playing the event on the White & Blue nines this year do to your feedback.

Winner of the Drawing for Free Golf for the 2010 Season - Anthony Pugliese

As a result of his good luck, Anthony will provide free beer all season long to his friends! Now don’t you wish you had been nicer to him?

Can you name another club in the area that gives away not one but two free “golf for free for a year” awards to their men’s club? No! Thank you Barry Wilson G.M.!

BFR Course News

· Annual Pre-Paid Golf Memberships available for 2010 – Full memberships ($2010.00) with unlimited golf and carts. This deal will also include 10 additional free rounds of golf to be shared with your friends or family. Call Barry Wilson for details @ 860-324-7816.

· Pro Shop Credit for 2010 Season – So as not to pressure our members into using their pro shop credit up by the end of the year when inventories are down, Barry has extended the life on your credit until April 30, 2011.

· BFR is committed to enhancing your Men’s Club experience - Barry Wilson (G.M.) and Brian Johnson (Course Superintendent) want us to play on the best public greens in the area. They have promised to speed up our greens by double cutting every Sunday morning. Get there early, you may want to take a couple of extra practice putts!

Views

Know the Rules – Tall Grass – Blue Fox Run, like many courses in the country, are favoring a more natural links style look. While this is pleasing to the eye, this decision also makes our golf course infinitely more difficult. In the late spring, the grasses can be so dense at BFR, that even if you do find your ball (which is unlikely), you can’t advance it. In order to speed play up, a local rule decision was made by Course and Club management to proclaim any ball hit into the tall grass (definition – grass that obviously has not been mowed) will be considered in a lateral water hazard (see Rule #26 below). The thinking was, that this is a more equitable rule (being penalized one stroke) then applying Rule #27 for a lost ball and losing stroke and distance and having to go back to original spot from which the ball was struck!

26-1. Relief for Ball in Water Hazard

It is a question of fact whether a ball that has not been found after having been struck toward a water hazard is in the hazard. In order to apply this Rule, it must be known or virtually certain that the ball is in the hazard. In the absence of such knowledge or certainty, the player must proceed under Rule 27-1.

If a ball is in a water hazard or if it is known or virtually certain that a ball that has not been found is in a water hazard (whether the ball lies in water or not), the player may under penalty of one stroke:

a. Play a ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5); or

b. Drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped, with no limit to how far behind the water hazard the ball may be dropped; or

c. As additional options available only if the ball last crossed the margin of a lateral water hazard, drop a ball outside the water hazard within two club-lengths of and not nearer the hole than (i) the point where the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard or (ii) a point on the opposite margin of the water hazard equidistant from the hole.

When proceeding under this Rule, the player may lift and clean his ball or substitute a ball.

Following last year’s play we had heard from a number of you that the rules were not being followed. My guess is that this was due to not understanding the rules as opposed to knowingly breaking them. The most common infractions noted, were players either grounding their club in the tall grass, and or taking practice swings and coming into contact with the tall grass as they did. Both of these situations are inappropriate and should be penalized (see below).

13-4. Ball in Hazard; Prohibited Actions

Except as provided in the Rules, before making a stroke at a ball that is in a hazard (whether a bunker or a water hazard) or that, having been lifted from a hazard, may be dropped or placed in the hazard, the player must not:

a. Test the condition of the hazard or any similar hazard;

b. Touch the ground in the hazard or water in the water hazard with his hand or a club; or

c. Touch or move a loose impediment lying in or touching the hazard.

Penalty For Breach of Rule:

Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.

In the early part of our season prior to the tall grasses starting to grow, it may be difficult to ascertain whether your ball has come to rest in the rough versus in the tall grass area. You have to ask yourself, would this shot normally be in the tall grass later in the year? If the answer is yes, then you are required to follow the rules above. The advantage of course, is that you will likely find your ball and have a swing at it, thus not incurring a penalty shot if you do elect to hit it out.

I hope you have found this discussion helpful and I would expect that we will have fewer complaints lodged this year as a result.

If you have questions about this subject or any other, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the website. Remember, if you are on the course during a tournament and no one in your group is sure as to what to do, play two balls and ask for a ruling in the club house.

Handicaps and Posting All Acceptable Scores – The Executive Committee would like to remind each member that it is a club requirement to post all acceptable scores for handicap computation. This is a requirement for all match play, stroke play, 2-ball, & 4-ball events (9 or 18 holes) including Men’s Club or other weekly league play as well as any and all rounds played by the Rules of Golf at home or away courses. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please contact any BFRMC Committee member or refer to the Handicap Notice to Players.

Dues

2010 Membership Dues – Annual dues will remain unchanged at $150.00. Remember if your completed application and dues are not received by March 15th, we cannot guarantee that you will have an active handicap in time for our first tournament.

The club is required to submit its initial list along with payment to the CSGA and only those paid members will be on that list! We cannot assume you are coming back. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

$50 Pro Shop Credit for New Member Referral – We will continue to offer $50 pro shop credit for members who refer a new member to us. You will only be credited if the person you refer puts your name on his paid application in the space provided. If you like what we’re doing as a club and you like the course, why not bring some new members in to the fold and get something for it?