Sterling Farms Men’s Club

Dear Fellow Golfer,

After some crazy weather, the golf season has sprinted to a start. Sterling Farms may have lost over 100 trees, but the #1 public golf course in Fairfield County is already in beautiful playing condition.

Last year I stated my two goals as President were to increase communication and participation. There were some successes and lessons learned. The board and I have taken these into consideration and are making adjustments for 2010. I will be sending less lengthy emails throughout the season but more short email reminders. The intent is to make sure our members are aware of sign-up start and end dates.

One major addition to what we do as a club is our new Player of the Year cumulative point system. Members will get points for participating as well as for placing in all of our events. At the end of the season we will have additional payouts. We are currently working with some local companies in an attempt to get a financial sponsor. Any monies received will be used to pay out the winners of the Player of the Year as well as put money in the bank for when we host the Shoreline tournament in 2012.

Membership rates for regular and senior members have increased in 2010. We had kept the rates the same for the past few years while most of our hard costs kept increasing.

• $70 Standard Membership
• $60 Senior Membership (62 and older)
• $30 Junior Membership (12 to 17)
  ***We collect an additional $10 from members participating in CSGA events.

The website and bulletin board have been updated with our calendar of events for the year. But please mark your calendars with the following dates:

• Opening Event Saturday April 24
• Member / Member Sunday June 27
• Member / Guest Sunday August 8
• Closing Event Saturday October 2

I would like to take a moment to thank our supporters. Please think of them when looking to do business. This includes the pro-shop with Angela and her staff; The Stamford Golf Authority, Paul, Tracey and their staffs; The Royal Green and everyone who provides us with food and drink!

We hope to see you on the links!

Carl Gregorio

President
Sterling Farms Men’s Club
http://www.sfmensclub.com/

Tags: Handicap, Members, Sterling Farms, Website by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

 Dear Fellow Golfers,

The season is truly beginning. As of Wednesday, April 1^st, you now must post all of your scores played in the local area.  Our first white tee event starts on Monday April 13^th and our first weekend event starts in two weeks on Friday April 17^th. In this letter I will be discussing the following:

-         Masters Party

-         Opening Event

-         Membership Sign Up 

The Masters Party is on Saturday, April 11^th from 3:00 to 6:00 PM at the Royal Green. This social event is a great opportunity to catch up with members you have not seen in many cold months as well as to meet some of our new members.  And you can’t beat the free food.  Do you have a friend who might be interested in joining our club?  Bring them along as well.  So please RSVP by email so we can provide the Player’s Club with a headcount.
- Email: sfmc@sfmensclub.com
- Event Flyer: http://www.sfmensclub.com/Masters%20Party%202009.PDF

The Opening Event is on Saturday April 25^th with a shotgun start at 7:45 AM.  This two man scramble is a great way to start focusing on your game as well as a grand opportunity to enjoy hamburgers, hot dogs, beer, soda and more! Hopefully we will fill this event up quickly. So make sure to sign up the next time you go to the pro shop or you can do it on our website.  The cost is $65 per person.
- Online Event Sign Up: http://www.sfmensclub.com/opening_event_signup_2009.html
- Event Flyer: http://www.sfmensclub.com/Opening%20Event%202009.PDF
- More Information: http://www.sfmensclub.com/opening_event.html

Hopefully you have already signed up for the Men’s Club or are planning to do so soon. On May 1^st our standard membership fees go up $5 from $60 to $65.  The Senior and Junior rates will remain the same at $55.
- Online Membership Sign Up: http://www.sfmensclub.com/membership_signup_2009.html 
- Membership Benefits: http://www.sfmensclub.com/membership_2009.html

I hope to see you out on the course very soon!

Best Regards,

Carl Gregorio
President
203-253-1476

Additional Links:
Scoring on temporary holes: http://sfmensclub.com/blog/?p=59
New slope and course rating: http://sfmensclub.com/blog/?p=51
Pro shop discounts: http://sfmensclub.com/blog/?p=48

Next Newsletter Topic:
President / Vice President Cup Sign Ups

Tags: Handicap, Members, Sterling Farms, Website by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

On April 1st the handicap season begins.  So any round played in the local area (on or after April 1st) needs to be posted in the GHIN system.  Currently Sterling Farms Golf Course is going through some course enhancements. The following describes how to properly score holes that have either a temporary tee or green.  

Hole #3 (temporary green): Must take par plus handicap allowance for both posting on the computer and on the weekend sign up sheet.

• + to 14 Course Handicap = 4
• 15 to 32 Course Handicap = 5
• 33+ Course Handicap = 6

Hole #11 (temporary tee): Must take par plus handicap allowance for posting on the computer.  Must use actual score made on the weekend sign up sheet.

• + to 11 Course Handicap = 4
• 12 to 29 Course Handicap = 5
• 30+ Course Handicap = 6

Hole #12 (temporary tee): Must take par plus handicap allowance for posting on the computer.  Must use actual score made on the weekend sign up sheet.

• + to 3 Course Handicap = 4
• 4 to 21 Course Handicap = 5
• 22+ Course Handicap = 6

Also if you hit into a construction area, this is considered abnormal ground condition / ground under repair.  In this case you should follow the USGA rules:

“Through the Green: If the ball lies through the green, the player must lift the ball and drop it, without penalty, within one club-length of and not nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief. The nearest point of relief must not be in ahazard or on a putting green. When the ball is dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief, the ball must first strike a part of the course at a spot that avoids interference by the condition and is not in a hazard and not on a putting green.”

Tags: Handicap, Members, Rules, Sterling Farms by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

The Sterling Farms Golf Course has recently been re-rated by the USGA.  We now have a new course and slope rating for each of the tees.  We also now have Gold Tees that fit in between the White’s and Red’s.  The new ratings are as follows:

• Blue Tees: Slope 129; Course Rating 71.7
• White Tees: Slope 126; Course Rating 69.6
• Gold Tees: Slope 123; Course Rating 67.5

For your reference the old slope and course ratings were:

• Blue Tees: Slope 126; Course Rating 71.4
• White Tees: Slope 122; Course Rating 69.5

The new ratings are effective April 1, 2009.  This is also the first day scores are allowed to be posted that are played in the tri-state region.

Latest Update from the course:

“Beginning Sat. 3/14 Sterling Farms will be open with 17 regular greens, 1 temp. green and 2 temp. tees. RESERVATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE, Welcome to the 2009 season! ”

Rumor has it the two temporary tees are on holes 11 and 12.  The temporary green is on hole #3.

Tags: Handicap, Members, Sterling Farms by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

SFMC members now have an additional benefit of joining the club.  The Sterling Farms Pro Shop is offering discounts if you are a Men’s Club member.

The discounts are as follows:

• 10% off clothing, bags & shoes
• $50 off 8 irons or more
• $10 off drivers
• $5 off fairway woods, hybrids & putters

So let the Pro Shop know you are a Men’s Club member during your next purchase and enjoy some of the many benefits of being a member of a great club!

Don’t forget to thank the Pro Shop for their continued support!

*Update: You must show your GHIN handicap card at the time of purchase in order to get the discount.  You are not allowed to come back after making a purchase and request the discount.  You can obtain a GHIN handicap card at the handicap computer in the pro shop by clicking on “Print Label”.

Tags: Members, Pro Shop, Sterling Farms by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

Dear Fellow Golfer,

It is almost that time of year again!  After a long and arduous winter, the golf season is knocking on the door.  And I am glad it’s back.  This past winter didn’t just see bad weather but also dark clouds in the economy and financial markets.  The invitation to get out on the golf course for 4 hours (ok maybe 5) and forget about the current headline news has already put a smile on my face.

In the following letter, I will talk about membership fees, my focus and objectives as president, and our event schedule. As always, if you have any questions after you read this letter, feel free to email me at president@sfmensclub.com or check the website for more details at www.sfmensclub.com.

Membership rates are staying the same in 2009 except for one minor adjustment.  They are as follows:

• $60 Standard Membership
  • Standard Membership goes up to $65 on May 1^st (this is the only minor adjustment)
• $55 Senior Membership (62 and older)
• $55 Junior Membership (12 to 17)

***As usual, we will collect an additional $10.00 from any member participating in CSGA events.

As your new president I am focused on two goals for this upcoming season.  They are to increase communication and increase participation.

The first part of increasing communication is already in the works.  I spent the winter months building our new website.  Sean Sullivan helped me out with the administrative side of things and the entire Board of Governors has provided input throughout the process.  The new website is a user-friendly tool to provide information as well as timely updates.  We also have a blog to give a little more insight into the club and a forum for members to discuss hot topics or to find a partner to fill up a tee time.

Communication works both ways.  The website is just one of the ways the Board of Governors communicates with our members.  Now there are feedback forms, emails and phone numbers on the website to facilitate our members communicating with the Board.  We continue to seek your feedback throughout the year.

Increasing participation, especially in our tournaments, is a top priority.  The past few years has seen shrinking participation in our special tournaments.  In addition, this year there are many people keeping an extra eye on the money leaving their wallet.  Because of this we have kept the costs the same.  Please mark your calendars with the following dates:

•          Opening Event                   April 25^th (Saturday)
•          Member / Member          June 27^th (Saturday)
•          Member / Guest                September 13^th (Sunday)
•          Closing Event                     October 11^th (Sunday)

For the first time we are hosting an event during the week from the white tees.  Visit our website for more information (http://www.sfmensclub.com/white_tee.html).

2009 has all the makings for a fantastic golf year.  Our club’s home is at the #1 public golf course in Fairfield County.  The Golf Authority tirelessly continues to make improvements to an already great course.  We are supported by an excellent pro shop staff as well as golf course employees.  So come and join us!  We have weekday events, weekend events and/or special tournaments almost every week of the golfing season.  You can win some pro shop credit, meet new friends and play some competitive golf.

We hope to see you on the links!

Carl Gregorio

President
Sterling Farms Men’s Club

www.sfmensclub.com

Tags: Members, Website by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

A funny thing happened at a recent board meeting.  Two members were asked for their take on what “winter rules” means.  They each had two very different responses.  One thought it meant to roll the ball over with your club.  The other thought you lift, clean and drop within a club length.

If there are disagreements on a rule within the board, it usually means there is an even larger discrepancy throughout the membership. 

To set the standard we have added the definition of ‘winter rules’ to the local rules page (http://www.sfmensclub.com/local_rules.html).  When we start up the season in April, Winter Rules will be in effect.  The board will decide when to move to summer rules.  This decision is based on course condition, weather and the SFMC’s calendar of events.  If, for example, the President’s Cup qualifier weekend A is played under ‘winter rules’ we will wait until the qualifier weekend B is played before moving to summer rules.

So here is the rule:

• Through the green only (in the fairway or the fringe of the hole being played), after marking your ball, you are permitted to lift, clean, and place the ball within 1-club length of it’s original position, no nearer the hole
• This is allowed once per stroke. Once the ball is placed it may not be re-lifted and re-placed.
• Failure to mark the original position before lifting it, such as rolling it with a club, is a 2-stroke penalty or loss of hole in match play.

Tags: Members, Rules, Website by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

A few years ago our bulletin board was filled with members comments as well as those looking for tee-times.  The past few years the boards have seen less and less traffic.  Along with building a new website we have installed a new forum for our members.  We have tried to set it up so it will get maximum use once again!

We have set it up so anyone can come onto the forum and read through the topics.  Only members who register can start topics or reply to an existing topic.

We have set up three categories to make things easier.
1. General
2. Find a partner
3. Buy, sell, trade

So come on over to the forum at http://www.sfmensclub.com/forum/. If you are a member, please register. 

Remember the Board of Governors is always seeking out feedback from our members.  Feel free to utilize our feedback form (http://sfmensclub.com/feedback.html) or post a topic for discussion on the forum.

Tags: Members, Website by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

The team of Angela Aulenti (Sterling Farms Pro Shop, Head Golf Pro) and Kammy Maxfeldt (from Norwalk, CT) won the LPGA “Teaching and Club Professional” National Team Championship.  This is a two day event that was held on December 15th and 16th, 2008.  There were 62 two-person teams competing in this event that was held at Palm Valley Country Club, in Palm Desert, CA.

Angela and Kammy’s team score for the two rounds was 69 & 60 for a total of 129. They beat out the second place team by 1 point at 130. For their victory, they took home the winning team purse of $6,000.

Congratulations to Angela and Kammy!

Tags: Members, Sterling Farms by CarlGregorio
No Comments »

It is well known that we update our event results on a consistent basis.  But for 2009 there is even more information we will provide on a regular basis.

The first is our monthly Board of Governors Meeting Minutes.  We have never made these available to the membership before.  Now we have a web page that displays all of our minutes going back to beginning of 2008.  New minutes will be posted each month.

The second is the handicap index’s of each of our members for each revision.  We now provide a pdf document that shows all of our members handicap index by both alphabetical listing as well as by index (lowest to highest).  This is a great way to see where you stand in our club as well as if you are improving or not.  The new membership index’s will be posted after each revision.

Tags: Members, Website by CarlGregorio
No Comments »