The Maple Ridge Messenger 7-1-09
1/13/2010 9:54:05 AMTHE MAPLE RIDGE MESSENGER
The Official Newsletter of Maple Ridge Golf Club, Columbus, Ga.
JULY 1, 2009 EDITION
PERSPECTIVES … Tom Kubik, General Manager
What a great game golf truly is…no matter your skill level or pursuit of competition or just enjoying the great outdoors and getting some fresh air. I mention that so that we may keep golf in its proper perspective.
On Friday, June 19, Shawn Robinson (Food & Beverage Director) along with Bill Williams (Chef) went to Glover-Auten Foods to pick up some rolls. Seemed like an innocent enough chore until a pick up truck backed into Shawn and pinned him against the loading dock. The driver of the pick up was still accelerating and spinning his wheels as Shawn and Kip Fox (Glover employee & Club member) were yelling at him to stop. A picture of the tailgate of the truck looked as though it wrapped around a telephone pole and not a human leg and hip. Shawn was taken by ambulance to St Francis Hospital ER and to everyone’s amazement…x-rays revealed no broken bones. After a puncture wound on his right thigh was stitched up, he was released on crutches.
We called Dick Esterson out of retirement and he has stepped up to help us out while Shawn is out. Unfortunately all is not as well as we first hoped…Shawn visited with Dr. Stephenson at St Francis Orthopedic and an MRI revealed a torn ACL and Medial Lateral damage requiring surgery to repair. The surgery will be scheduled after the wound on his leg heals. Just an innocent food pick up has changed and affected so many lives…keep Shawn in your Prayers for a full recovery and be sure to thank Dick and Bill for pulling double duty while Shawn is on the mend.
So if you hit a bad shot or suffer from an unlucky lie or bounce…keep it all in perspective.
As always…please let us know your thoughts and ideas to make Your Club the Best it can be. Thank you so much for your continuing support!
2nd ANNUAL CHATTAHOOCHEE VALLEY AMATEUR SLATED FOR AUG. 15-16;
ENTRY FORMS AVAILABLE ONLINE; JAY BUICK-PONTIAC-GMC 1ST SPONSOR!
Maple Ridge Golf Club, in partnership with Green Island Country Club (both of Columbus, GA) is proud to announce the official scheduling of the 2nd Annual Chattahoochee Valley Amateur Golf Championship. This prestigious event, a revival of the former Bi-City Amateur held from 1952-2005, will be played Saturday, August 15 at Maple Ridge and Sunday, August 16 at Green Island.
Details will be publicized via a media release and at www.golfmapleridge.com. Immediately known are that Jay Pontiac-Buick-GMC has signed on as initial sponsor, that tournament entry fee will be $130 with $35 practice rounds available at either course in the week prior to play, and that golfers can download and print entry forms off the Maple Ridge website.
Cason Hammock is the defending champion at seven-under-par 137, having defeated Patrick Stone and Wright Waddell by three strokes in 2008. Right behind them were Bobby Thomas (-3), Charlie Whittington (-2) and Brent Paul (1). They led a field of 100 players, which tournament organizers hope to increase to 120 this August.
Last year, Ft. Benning Golf Course co-hosted the inaugural CVA. Maple Ridge serves as anchor site, with a different area public course or private club selected to share the event each year. Mike Gill and Green Island C.C. head pro Richard Korytoski worked out logistics for the 2009 tournament. More details will be released and additional sponsors identified in weeks leading up to the 2nd Annual Chattahoochee Valley Amateur. (Full-field scores from 2008 are posted at www.golfmapleridge.com.)
TIPS FROM THE PROS Mike Gill, Dir. of Golf & Gene Matthews, Head Pro
Time after time my lessons start out by working on a student’s posture or set-up. In my opinion, players learn to bend over too far when learning the game. My philosophy is; at the end of my swing I should be standing vertical, so if I’m going to end up vertical, I should start vertical to eliminate as much movement as possible.
To check your posture, get in your golfing position and hang a club from the back of your shoulder. The club should fall from the back of the shoulder through the center of your knee to the center of your foot. This will create a good balanced athletic position. From this posture your arms should fall directly down from your shoulders on a middle iron. Balance is a fundamental of the golf swing that needs to be revisited time to time.
Remember -- if you play fast you can play with anyone! -- Mike Gill
LET’S TALK TURF! Doug Smith, Certified Golf Course Superintendent
Brown Grass & Bare Patches! Since our aerification procedure you may have recently noticed we have lost some turf on a few of our greens. The hot weather combined with the heavy sand top-dressing resulted in severe turf injury on the greens where the bare patches are evident. In an effort to get these areas to recover we will be frequently watering, spiking, and applying additional wetting agents and fertilizer.
You may have also noticed some “brown or burnt” tees that have suffered high temperature turf stress as well. In order to get the tees back in shape we will be following similar turf recovery procedures as is being performed on the greens.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause but please understand we are attempting to make Maple Ridge the best it can be!
SUMMER SURGE SERVED UP! Rick Jacobson, Dir. of Sales & Marketing
Another very successful “Potential Member Day” is in the books! We’ve picked up a total of nine new members since mid-June. Let’s welcome them alphabetically, with member sponsors in italics (we thank you for your interest and effort growing the Club!):
Joey Barrett (Facilities Manager at Georgia Power, Jason Stansell)
Jason Davenport (TSYS Client Specialist, Scot Yarbrough)
Mike Fowler (Synovus Securities stockbroker,Todd Hammonds)
Sook Ja Kim (Queen’s Beauty Supply, returning member, Mona Sprinkle)
Gage Long (Glenwood School golfer and grandson of member Larry Long, Sr.)
Jimmy & Shannon McIlrath (United Methodist pastor and St. Francis Hospital nurse, respectively, Clubhouse Members – a category available for non-golfers)
Mike Smith (president of A-COM Security Services, Larry Jay)
Dan Womack (AFLAC Senior Manager, Marketing Research)
Won Sik and Ae Suk Lee (owners of Lee’s Package Store on Double Churches Rd.)
Last night many of these folks attended our latest New Member Reception and learned more about ways to get involved at Maple Ridge. Among them – playing in our popular 4th of July Holiday Scramble this Friday morning (okay, so it’s July 3…) and in a Three-Person Scramble Saturday afternoon July 11 to win a chance to play two weeks later with former Auburn and Buffalo Bills great Joe Cribbs in the Odis Spencer Celebrity Golf Tournament. The Spencer High School Athletic Appreciation Association hosts a star-studded fundraising event July 25 with two dozen big names from the NBA, NFL, college football, PGA and Olympics on hand. Full details coming up in the July 15 Messenger and at www.golfmapleridge.com.
Another little-known benefit of joining Maple Ridge: we’ll pay the 2009 Men’s Golf Association dues for all men 21 and over, and the MGA will buy your dinner on the 3rd Thursday of the next month after you join. There’ll be a 9-hole event and quick meeting, and a chance to play for the prestigious Maple Ridge Cup starting the following Saturday. Ladies, the LGA wants you (associate membership available for non-golfers), and kids 10-18, Gene and Mike have a great junior (JGA) program in place for you! Future Potential Member Days are Aug. 22 & Sept. 19!
The Old Boys of Summer, your Maple Ridge Hackers senior softball team, rallied for a 16-15, extra-inning win last night. We’re now 5-8 with five games to go (four make-ups from the rainy spring), just enough time to hit peak form for double-elimination playoffs. August can’t arrive too soon! We’re working on a post-season golf outing for the ten-team Columbus Senior Softball League here at The Ridge with CSSL president and Maple Ridge member Bill Hand.