THE MAPLE RIDGE MESSENGER

The Official Newsletter of Maple Ridge Golf Club, Columbus, Ga.

OCTOBER 15, 2009 EDITION

Happy 16^th Anniversary / Daylight Savings Comes to an End                                Tom Kubik, G.M.

Thank you for a great sixteen years at Maple Ridge!  You and your Club have experienced numerous changes over the years including a major renovation, public to semi-private to private to semi-private to private, employee and member turnover, and great economic conditions to not-so-great conditions.  Through it all we still have the best members and a golf course that is getting better as it matures.  Management’s goal remains to provide the best Private Golf Club experience at an affordable price.  Special thanks to all who enjoyed the food and fellowship during the Anniversary Cookout last Saturday.  God willing … May we all reconvene next year at the same time.

Daylight Savings comes to an end on Sunday, November 1.  The Club will adjust to the Winter operating hours and the Pro Shop and Grille will begin to close at 6 PM unless there are special activities scheduled (LGA, MGA, Grille Games, etc.).  Keep the Club in mind for Holiday Parties, Gift Certificates, and golf apparel and equipment for your Holiday needs. 

As always, we welcome your thoughts and ideas to make your experiences at Maple Ridge Golf Club the best they can be.  Thanks to all of our members for your help and support!

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES…                       Mike Gill, Dir. of Golf & Gene Matthews, Head Pro

            Let’s first welcome a new face (Sam Robinson) and a returning one (John Stephenson) to the golf shop!  Sam is originally from Eufaula, Alabama and has lived in Columbus for six years.  He’s a member of Maple Ridge and a very accomplished golfer. Sam played at Troy (State) University and one year on a mini-tour.   He’s spent the last thirty years in the metal building business and currently carries a 0.3 handicap index.

            As for John, the Columbus native and PGA professional will be working part-time in the golf shop.  For the past seven months, he’s been at sea working as a teaching pro on cruise ships worldwide.  John loves to teach and has a passion for the game of golf.  Jason Fober has taken on a new business venture but remains on the staff working weekends.  We know our members will enjoy interacting with all three.

            Head Pro Gene Matthews readies his McGladrey Team Championship entry for the national finals at Pinehurst Resort October 26-28.  The team of Terry Register, Donnie Russell and Larry Jay (replacing Michael Ray, who was committed by his work schedule) will head up to the Sandhills of North Carolina on Saturday, the 24^th, play a practice round Sunday on Pinehurst #4, then enjoy a player’s welcome reception.

Monday’s first round will be at Course #8, followed by two days at #2 and #4.  The two best net scores each hole will count, as in the Georgia Sectionals earlier this month at Chateau Elan.  A total purse of $200,000 (cash for the pros, gift certificates for the amateurs) will be distributed to the 41 teams who advanced from all over the country.

                Put November 5 down on your calendar for Ping Demo Day on the practice range from 2 p.m. till closing.  Be on hand to see the new G-15’s, I-15’s, putters, wedges – the works!  The public is invited to join Maple Ridge members and their guests.  That day marks the first of our Thursday Night Grille Games, our weekly dinner-poker-“Corn-Hole” and TV sports evening to replace the 9-hole dogfights, once DST has ended.

LET’S TALK TURF!                   Doug Smith, Certified Golf Course Superintendent

Wet!  Need I say more?  O.K. then, just a little.  Concerning the course conditions, it’s really wet so please use caution when you are allowed to get off the cart path.  You will notice that we will be restricting carts to the cart path for longer periods of time after a rain event now that we are in the Fall since the ground takes much longer to dry then it did back in July & August.  Also, you will notice a change in the appearance and playability of the greens in the near future because of the cooler nighttime temperatures and shorter periods of available sunlight. For example, after the upcoming weekend when the nighttime temperatures are forecast to get down into the mid to low 40’s the greens may turn off color a bit while their speed will become faster.

In other news I have another Project Update.  The plans for #9 spillway have been given the stamp of approval by the proper authorities and are now in the hands of our contractor, All Terrain Septic and Grading, LLC.  Once the weather cooperates, look for some excavation work to begin, hopefully before the end of October.  If all goes according to plan the project should be completed before the end of the year.  Thank you again for your patience and understanding, which helps us make Maple Ridge the best it can be. 

FIRING THROUGH FALL!                          Rick Jacobson, Director of Sales & Marketing

            Happy 2^nd Birthday to the Maple Ridge Messenger!  This edition is our 48^th consecutive bi-weekly issue since establishing this print and online version of Club communications on November 1, 2007.  Our roughly 575 members receive it by mail with their monthly statement and events calendars, while our e-mail database now exceeds 3200 persons!  News-gathering, editing and informing is my twice-monthly pleasure, when we have so many local and out-of-town folks interested in Maple Ridge.

            Remember our autumn promotional campaign:  “It’s Not Quite a ‘Free’ Fall, But It’s Close!”  New members joining through 2009 get 33 to 50% off your one-time initiation fees as follows:  Full Member (age 35+):  Reg. $1,500 – Now $750;  Intermediate (age 30-34):  Reg. $1,000, Now $500;  Jr. Intermediate (age 25-29) or Weekday (any age):  Reg. $500, Now $300;  Military (Active Duty):  Reg. $300, Now $200;  Junior (age 18-24):  Reg. $150, Now $100.  Student (age 10-17) and Clubhouse Memberships (no golf) remain annual steals at $550 and $150 (pro-rated for Oct.-Dec.).

            At this time of year, we get busy booking holiday parties and dinners, but here’s a special event of a rare nature we hope you’ll support:  “Dee Armstrong Presents A ‘70’s Costume Event!”  The former award-winning TV anchor “is fulfilling her lifelong dream, offering an intense six-week course of study for young people on how to start their own business”. ‘Teenpreneur’ will be officially introduced at Maple Ridge Friday, Nov. 6 from 7-10 p.m.  Come hear from teens who were in the summer pilot program, dance, dress up, have some great food and fun! Call Katrina at Meetings R Us: 706-412-9518 or register at www.meetingsrus.org. Donation/Admission is $25 per person.

            We’re also very proud to host a busy fall schedule of golf outings.  There’s still room for your group of 8 or more to join the following:  Pratt & Whitney Golf League (Oct. 17), Greater Columbus Homebuilders Association (Oct. 23),  Columbus Water Works (Oct. 24), Pro-Lady Tournament (Oct. 27), HD Electrical (Oct. 29), Muscogee County Republican Party (Nov. 2), Dixie Seniors (Nov. 3), North Columbus Rotary (Nov. 4), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (Nov. 10), Optimist Club of Columbus (Nov. 13), Cottonmouths Hockey Club (Nov. 17 – we love having the Snakes out here!), Lighthouse Mission for Christ “Swing For Sight” (Nov. 24), New Horizons Community Service Board (Dec. 1), Dixie Seniors (Dec. 8), Partners in Education (Dec. 11), Central Chapter PGA Dogfight (Dec. 14).  Call Tom, Mike or me to book now!

            Brent Burns ReMax Prime Realty sponsors tonight’s Men’s Golf Association dinner, Saturday’s MGA tourney and all MGA events through March! Member Brent’s involvement includes picking up new adult male members’ first-year MGA dues and their first Thursday evening dinner, in order to introduce them to MGA activities and golfers.  He’ll also provide the closest-to-the-pin prizes on all par-3’s each month, with $30 golf shop certificates replacing the two-cart-fees previously supplied by the Club.  We thank Brent, a successful realtor and sponsor of the B.A.S.H. tournament last May.