PRESIDENT’S LETTER Play More Golf has gone stark mad over golf and everyone in the Quaker City plays, according to the October 1897 issue of The Puritan Magazine. Well maybe, but with over six feet of snow this winter, golf moved indoors for those of us in present-day Philadelphia. Association planning for the 2010 golf season has focused on a theme of playing more golf. We are excited to announce an opportunity to play more golf on many of the fantastic courses in our area. GAP Member Play Days provide Member Clubs an opportunity to open their courses for one day to GAP Members and to generate revenue on an otherwise slow day. Club members will sign up on the GAP Web site to play at participating Member Clubs. The Stableford format was selected as a fun format to provide a chance to win prizes for those who want a little competition. Green fees, cart fees and prizes are included in the cost set by the host club. Some clubs have elected to GAP President Rich Meehan offer food or beverage in their pricing. Twenty-two clubs are offering GAP Member Play Days this season so far. Indian Valley Country Club kicks off the first GAP Member Play Day on April 12. Just as in 1897, there are beautiful golf courses in and near the City of Brotherly Love. Member Clubs are hosting more than 65 days of competition in 2010. The Association offers a full schedule of competition for every age and level of competition. The GAP Team Matches, offering great competition and even better fellowship, will see more than 300 teams compete on three Sundays in late April and early May. Major championships, handicap net events, partner tournaments and team competitions are conducted thanks to more than 100 volunteers. The Association eRevisions contain more than your handicap index. We share Association news and the latest member benefits, such as our new GAPerks. My GAP Locker, on the Association’s Web site, is an easy way to keep up with play more golf opportunities and to register for Association benefits. Just sign into My GAP Locker to take advantage of GAPerks, register to receive the eRevisions and sign up for a free subscription to Golf Digest . Cold weather mixed with sleet prevented a group of us from playing Pinehurst No. 2 in February, but there was plenty of talk at the USGA Annual Meeting about how to encourage playing more golf. A panel of prominent architects, agronomists and writers shared their opinions and seemed to agree that clubs can achieve cost savings with a “go brown” approach to turf maintenance. Fun and playability were key messages to course designers to encourage more play. Par 3 courses and practice areas were high on the list of ways to play more golf when time is limited. By the way, if you are a member of the USGA, and we all should be, this year’s membership package includes a simple to understand Shortcut to the USGA Handicap System booklet. My talks with club leaders confirm what you might suspect in this difficult economy: the budgeting process at our clubs is an all-hands-on-deck effort. Golf committees are revisiting calendars to try and reach all constituencies in the club to encourage playing more golf and generating revenues in the process. Club leaders are working closely with superintendents, golf professionals and club managers to identify new revenue opportunities and to challenge all expenses. The Association has responded to our Member Club needs with industry leading speakers at programs designed to assist those involved in Member Club governance. The Presidents’ Council on March 24 was a good time to learn about best practices being employed at clubs across the country. Richard Kopplin discussed model clubs and best practices in the industry. A panel discussion addressed two major issues that plague the game—cost and time. Ron Rosenbaum, Senior Vice President for Marketing and Communications of the Club Managers Association, spoke on the new We Are Golf Coalition . The Association is extremely honored to welcome Jim Remy, President of the PGA of America, as our speaker at the Pro-Pres, Golf & Green event on May 19. At the USGA Annual Meeting, Jim told me he is looking forward to sharing some of the initiatives to play more golf that the PGA is working on with the USGA to promote the game. Preservation of the Association’s history has been possible thanks to generous donations, including the 1897 Puritan Magazine issue mentioned above by past GAP president Craig Ammerman. Archive efforts uncovered that even Bobby Jones supported our Platt Caddie Scholarship Trust. An original letter dated Dec. 11, 1959 and signed in full as Robert T. Jones, Jr. shows a contribution to the scholarship fund in the memory of J. Wood Platt. Golf is a game best played walking; the Caddie Scholarship remains an Association priority. Observations from 1897 about the good exercise and camaraderie offered by golf ring true today and support why our game has endured and grown. Indeed, the most popular outdoor sport of the day is unquestionably golf. The start of the season brings hopes of sunny weather, a smooth swing and improvements to our games. I hope that you will join me in playing more golf in 2010 with family and friends. PHILADELPHIA Executive Committee President: Mr. Richard P. Meehan, Jr. Huntingdon Valley Country Club Vice-President: Mr. J. Clark O’Donoghue Riverton Country Club Treasurer: Mr. Frank E. Rutan, IV Philadelphia Cricket Club Secretary: Mr. Christopher J. Terebesi Chester Valley Golf Club General Counsel: Mr. A. Fred Ruttenberg Woodcrest Country Club Executive Committee: Mr. J. Kenneth Croney Sunnybrook Golf Club Mr. John C. Holsten Aronimink Golf Club Mr. Andy M. Karff Philmont Country Club Mr. John M. LeBoeuf Philadelphia Country Club Mr. Steven D. Lucas Concord Country Club Mr. Chip Lutz LedgeRock Golf Club Mr. Robin S. McCool Saucon Valley Country Club Mr. Robert M. Morey Merion Golf Club Mr. J. Stacey Redican Sandy Run Country Club Mr. Terrence J. Sawyer Commonwealth National Golf Club Mr. W. Garth Sprecher Lancaster Country Club Mr. W. Scott Yard Whitford Country Club Ex-Officio Mr. Jack C. Endicott Manufacturers Golf & Country Club Executive Offices: 1974 Sproul Road, Suite 400, Broomall, PA 19008 Telephone: 610-687-2340 Fax: 610-687-2082 Web site: www.gapgolf.org 2 VISIT THE GOLF ASSOCIATION OF PHILADELPHIA WEB SITE AT WWW.GAPGOLF.ORG FOR ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND NOTES
GAP Magazine 2010 Spring: Page 2
