THE MAPLE RIDGE MESSENGER

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

DECEMBER 15, 2009 EDITION

HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!                                                     Tom Kubik, General Manager

Economic woes, continuing war, the wettest year ever, and the list of negatives goes on … but this is the time of the year to renew our Faith and to count our Blessings.  I want to take this opportunity to thank our members for your support and our employees for their efforts to make Maple Ridge such a special place to work and play. 

May the Season provide the Light of Joy and Faith in each of your hearts and may you receive the Light willingly and pass it on to everyone you meet.

We wish you a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy, Happy, and Prosperous New Year !!!

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

Happy Holidays…  All I want for Christmas is a really good pair of waterproof boots.  Well, in my case all I want is a really good pair of waterproof boots for Hanukkah!   I’m thankful Hanukkah has come a little earlier than Christmas, and since it’s already the fourth day of Hanukkah, I received my boots in time to check out the flood!  If you haven’t read the Ledger or watched Kurt over the last day or two, I’ll let you know this has been the wettest year we have ever had since the National Weather Service has been recording weather data in Columbus.  As of this morning, December 15^th, we have recorded over 75 inches of rain this year.  Our normal annual rainfall in Columbus is usually about 48 inches! 

So as you venture out to play the course over the next few weeks during this Holiday Season please be aware with that with the excessive rainfall we received on the golf course lately comes certain problems such as cart path only conditions, eroded creek banks, washed out bunkers, thin and muddy turf, excessive weeds and delays in the #9 spillway project.  But all is not that bad, as we have experienced lower electric bills than normal because we don’t have to use the pumps for irrigating. 

Above all the golf course Maintenance Staff wishes everyone happy, safe, and dry as possible Holidays!

ENDING STRONG, FIRING UP FOR 2010!                          Mike Gill, Director of Golf

You don’t need me to tell you it’s been sopping wet, we’ve bumped the year-end Men’s Golf Association tournament to Saturday, Dec. 19.  The event benefits the First Tee of Columbus and shotguns at an a.m. time TBA based on weather.  Good format – for each hole, we’ll use each team’s best par-3 score, two best par-4 scores and three best par-5 scores.  After, the MGA hosts its annual awards presentation and has snacks for players in the grille.  Donnie Russell won the 2009 Maple Cup for total points earned.  Four leaders from each three-month session and the “Top Ten” for the year also receive cash payouts.  Brent Burns ReMax Prime Realty’s sponsorship provides that through March, our buddy Brent pays new members’ 2010 MGA dues, buys their first Thursday dinner and the $30 “close-up” certificates on all par-3’s!

January will be here before you know it.  We hope you’ll plan to enter our annual New Year’s Resolution Challenge on Friday the 1^st, before the bowl games start.  Later that week, the Ladies Golf Association welcome 2010 with its first Monday meeting and dinner on the 4^th, the Valley Seniors join us for the first private outing of the year on the 5^th, and Thursday Night Grille Games resume on the 7^th. Dinner at 6, Poker and Corn-Hole tournaments follow – weekly until March daylight allows for golf.

MIKE’S TOO MODEST TO TELL YOU!     Susan McCollum, Member Services

There’s bright news in the aftermath of yesterday’s rained-out PGA Central Chapter Dogfight scheduled to be hosted by Maple Ridge.  Mike Gill will be honored at the PGA Georgia Section’s annual awards dinner at Atlanta’s Turner Field in February, as he’s been voted the chapter’s 2009 “Junior Golf Leader of the Year”!  Each of three chapters in Georgia nominates Club professionals for four awards, the others being “Pro of the Year”, “Teacher of the Year” and “Assistant Pro of the Year”.  

We are making it easier for members to make weekend tee times!  Our NEW AND IMPROVED Winter Tee Time procedure is in effect for December, January and February. Call Wednesday at 7:00 a.m., for Saturday AND Sunday times.  This process allows us to use the extended weather forecast to more accurately predict a starting time for the weekends, based on the predicted low temperatures and the presence of frost.

The GSGA Handicap system charges will remain unchanged for 2010, $25 for adults, $15 for juniors under the age of 18.  These charges will be billed on the December 31 billing.  If you are currently in the system and wish to continue maintaining your scores in the handicap system, then no action is necessary. 

NOW’S THE BEST TIME TO JOIN!        Rick Jacobson, Dir. of Sales & Mktg.

Bonus Day!  The Club will be OPEN for member play on Tuesday, Dec. 29.  That reminds me what a great time it is for unaffiliated golfers to pull the trigger and treat themselves or a loved spouse, child or friend to the best golf and social value in the Chattahoochee Valley – membership at Maple Ridge!  Just 16 days remain in our “Free Fall” campaign -- get 30% to 50% off your initiation fee!  We’ll pro-rate the December dues to get you on the course with your new member gifts immediately!

Here’s a guy who took advantage: Dr. Mike Hagues, president of Emergency Medical Specialists of Columbus, the ER management arm of St. Francis Hospital.  We’re glad to welcome Mike to our midst, wishing him much happy golf!  Thanks also to his friend, member Dr. Dean Chipman, giving me cause to remind members that we reward you with significant account credit when you refer friends who later join.

How about this?  Introducing – our “New Golfer” Membership!  This three-month trial membership gives the starting golfer unlimited practice range usage six days a week, three (3) individual lessons and three (3) group-clinic sessions with our PGA pros, four (4) greens fees, $50 golf shop credit … and if, as it ends, you join the Club on April 1, you’ll save half your initiation fee, which could be as much as $750 off!  The whole shebang costs just $500, payable half in December, half in January.

Contact me at 706-569-0966 or rjacobson@wcbradley.com and let’s get it going! What better gift can there be than an expression of love (for the person and for golf?)