CNY Golfer for & about golfers in New York State
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Te Cleland named SWDGA's Player of Yr.
Once again Teresa “Te” Cleland from Bellevue CC captured SWDGA’s Player of the Year award given to the golfer who accumulates the most points for low gross scores throughout the season.
Cleland has won this honor several times including 2015, 2016, 2018 and this year. (Samantha Bernardo won it in 2017.) Among her other accomplishments this summer was that she qualified for the 58th U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and won the SWDGA Ida Pirro tournament and the SWDGA Championship. This fall, she was also inducted into the SDGA Hall of Fame.
Wienerth wins AIM
Jack Weinerth (Highland Park Golf Club) closed with a 3-under-par 68 to win the 39th annual Apogee Investment Management Senior Champi- onship by two strokes over three-time defending champion Mike Naton(Tuscarora). Weinerth, 58, finished the tour-
nament at 1-under 142 while Nation had a total of 1-over 144.
Tim Scheemaker (Beaver Meadows Golf Club) was the first round medalist. Ray Young finished third at 4- over 147. Todd Dischinger and Scheemaker finished tied for fourth at 6-over 149.Weinerth, a 25-year Highland Park member and the club president also won the Cayuga County Men's District Golf Tournament in a playoff over Young on Aug. 4 at Dutch Hollow Country Club.
TY Jones captures SDGA Jr Match Play Championship
Promising junior player, Ty Jones of Skaneateles CC, won the SDGA Junior Match Play Championship along with the Skaneateles Men's Club Championship. Ty also was a key player for the Skaneateles High School Golf Team.
PGA Merchandise Show Roundup
You have to be a masochist to have spent all of the 36 ½ hours that the PGA Merchandise Show was open walking the more than ten miles of aisles lined by exhibits. Some of the “booths were so massive, you had to weave around them or through them. This show featured all things golf with some tennis companies thrown into the mix. Open only to those in the golf industry, CNY Golfer was there walking the walk ing checking out the latest in golf gear equipment, apparel, gifts and gadgets. See our report in the Spring issue of CNY Golfer
Soon to open in Buffalo and down the road, perhaps Syracuse or Rochest, a new Topgolf-style sports and entertainment center is being launched by OnCore golf.
(May 14) UPDATE: most courses open for walking; few allow carts
What other issues are we dealing with?
As of today, most CNY courses are open for play, but many are still not allowing carts. Those that do, are allowing but one person per cart. That limits the number of golfers that can play and puts stress on clubs who depend on the revenue of carts to survive. We hope some clarification will emerge.
Also several events including member guests and charity tournaments like the Dick's Sporting Goods Open have sadly been cancelled. And still things are simply not clear yet about who and who cannot open. Governor Cuomo said today, "There was never a law on social interaction," adding, " I hope when you do (interact) you do it smarter. but that's up to you."
Much more detailed information is needed to give us answers for questions such as:
1. Why can't those who live together share a cart? They are after all, outdoors in a safer environment that being closed in a room.
2. Why has the number of a gathering been set at 10? Convenience? If you want to socialize after golf, what's the problem if everyone maintains the 6 ft. distancing recommendation no matter what the number?
3. Why can't golfers use their own electric carts if they happen to have them?
4. If retail is allowed to open in Phase 1, shouldn't that include Pro Shops?
5. Why the masks? If you are sick you should stay home. Period. We are told the masks only protect those infected from spreading the Covid. We"re told they don't protect the healthy from getting the disease. Could it be that wearing a mask is primarily psychological ...it just looks like you are doing something and following the rules like a responsible person. You feel better, more protected. More guidance on this please.
We are hopeful this phase of 2020 will pass soon and we can once again be enjoying our golf in a normal fashion.
In the meantime, we will be publishing and distributing CNYGolfee when the pro shops reopen. We would love to include news about what you are doing and what you have discovered about dealing with Covid-19. Please email us at kdd1001@aol.com.
Thank you
(April 10) Last spring it was the rain: This spring it’s the Corona Virus
It didn’t help that some wise-guy golfers were seen crowding around the first tee box at a local club and had their pictures taken. It didn’t help that others too ignored the distancing recommendations from the CDC and continued to play and high five. These were the exceptions but it was enough to spoil it all for everyone and finally Governor Cuomo closed all the courses in the state. What was he thinking? Most experts believe that going to a grocery store is more problematical than playing golf.
Derek Sprague, GM of TPC Sawgrass reopened his course in Florida shortly before New York’s were closed, saying, “ Golf is a great outlet for people to get some normalcy in their life during stressful times.” Indeed while New York shut down golf, 75% of the facilities in the sunshine state were open.
The CDC noted that getting fresh air, sunshine and exercise is vitally important. And a professor of health science at the University of Bath said that exercise will lesson risk of infection, decrease anxiety and improve well-being.
But we know all that. Thing is, the people who are calling the shots on this appear (in our opinion) to be pushing the panic button and punishing those of us who are observing the CDC guidelines.
Brian Mahoney, the executive director of the Metropolitan Golf Association, recently said he doesn’t interpret the order as calling for people not to play golf. “Based on our collective understanding, the executive order does not forbid human beings from holding golf clubs and swinging them,’’ Mahoney said. “But it’s all about the workforce. The executive order covers the business of golf. No golf course can operate as a business.’’
OK. So where does this leave us? Is the party really over for New York golfers, at least for now? Not so fast. Has anyone actually taken a few clubs, gone to a course and played alone (or with a companion maintaining a certain distance)? Has anyone practiced their putting or short shots using their own equipment? Could we play our own tournament with friends if we kept to the rules?
Confusing? We think so. We just hope our Governor very soon realizes how important fresh air, sunshine, exercise and social interaction (if only from a distance) is to our survival and how important it is to keep those who operate courses in business and their staffs employed. We need to get up and running again. Safely.
And perhaps courses could allow people to play if they set up an honor system with a place to leave their greens fees like a drop slot as well as provide a list of things players need to observe in order to play.
For example players should:
Bring your own wipes to disinfect (clubs, strap buckles, cart framework, steering wheels etc.)
Walk and just carrying a few clubs.
No fist pumps, handshakes or hi fives
Bring your own snacks
Don’t touch flagstick (most courses are putting plastic into hole so ball does not go to bottom.)
Smile and extend virtual hugs
Easing into golf the next few months, courses could:
Modify 18 hole tournaments early in summer to 9 holes
Double up: One takes a cart, the other player uses the cart only for carrying his or her bag being careful to always put clubs back into the correct bag.
Scatter scorecards & tees on table for easy pickup at club
Prop doors open
Spread out tee times
No bunker rakes; use foot to smooth
