2010
We are growing and with growth come new challenges and experiences. Some of the changes that accompany this growth which you may or may not have noticed are:
Expansion into the Palm Springs Area (Palm Springs, Palm Desert, LaQuinta, Indian Wells, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Indio, and Desert Hot Springs);
Continuing "SAGA California Mission Golf Trail Events"
and finally, last, but certainly, not least,
The ongoing schedule of "SAGA Golf Experiences"
Please peruse these new offerings and participate in all of our SAGA activities.
Please Welcome Our New Lifetime Members:
Michael and Sarah Sullivan, Marilyn Post & Bruce Gordon
Jay Cook, Robert Evert, Nargis Lengacher, Marissa Rousso
Graeme Baxter, Marcel Ford, Paul Ventura, Mo & Toni Moulaison
Sylvia & Tom Mullen, Meredith & Lou Grenier
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
CHEERS AND FORE
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2009
FALL
With all the excitement in the golf industry this year including our "Tenth Anniversary" the things I noticed the most were a prolific presence of golf articles in publications where I least expected to see them. The most glaring examples were golf articles in publications of painters/contractors, financial services, technology alerts, national/international news and many others! Everywhere you look golf is making its mark despite the economic downturn of the past year and post 9/11 effect. We can all draw enthusiasm from the industry bouncing back and most recently the positive vote by the International Olympic Committee to include golf in the 2016 & 2020 Olympic games! The vote is one of the most important in all of sport with billions being affected!! Obviously, this will not only grow the sport in countries where millions and collectively possibly billions of present and future youngsters await the opportunity to pursue the novel yet appealing concept of putting a little white ball into a hole in the ground. Sounds quite contrite, doesn't it? Yet it's implications extend to new courses being designed and constructed, more equipment being manufactured and purchased, more lessons being taught, more members being signed (SAGA definitely included), more rounds being played and more excitement being generated! This economic boost will furnish a needed shot in the arm (pardon the pun), leg and most importantly the brain of golfers everywhere. Obviously, golfers will fade, quit the sport or pass, but, youth and overall interest in the sport from people of all ages will more than sustain this passion we all share to be the best we can be and more importantly have tons of fun while doing it. All this not to mention the intangible of hopefully bringing us all closer together on the international stage!
SUMMER
SAGA was conceived between June and October of 1999! Our tenth anniversary season is underway and it is very appropriate that we have just signed up our 250th member! This new member, Larry Schelhorse, is from the Palm Springs area where we will be concentrating our recruiting activities to grow the society! We will also try to grow the many chapters in California and the Southwest in order to become a force in golf and in the process give something back to the game. The most important event in "SAGA History" will be held in one month
"THIS TENTH ANNIVERSARY EVENT IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 6TH"
It will also be our 2nd Annual concours de SAGA! The Celebration will begin on Sunday at 9 AM in the Carmel Valley Community Park. Golf will commence at Quail Lodge Resort with tee times between Noon and 1 PM. Please check the event out on the schedule link and the concours link. You may show an automobile, golf or do both. Anyone who would like to golf as well as show an automobile will get the automobile registration for free. Automobile registration by itself will only cost $10/automobile! Breakfast, provided by The Wild Goose Cafe', is separate and will cost $10 per person for a breakfast sandwich and beverage. These two items may be purchased in advance with a credit card on the concours link. Golf, including cart and range balls, will cost $89 per player which can also be purchased in advance with a credit card on the schedule link. The golf activity will be a "Scramble", the first of its kind during a SAGA Golf Experience, with Team Prizes for five teams plus individual prizes for Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin and Longest Putt! Each team will represent and bear the name of an automobile! Please sign up, as soon as possible, for any or all of the above items as we need accurate participation numbers within a reasonable time. We do have the Park until 9 PM and intend on returning there after golf for the awards ceremony. Our regular schedule is continuing this summer! Please contact us to reserve your spot in any of the upcoming events. The venues will include The Presidio and two outstanding courses at Half Moon Bay.
We have had a total of 90 events thus far including four "California Mission Golf Trail Events". We're hoping to reach "100 Total Events" by the end of the year! Please help us by signing up and playing in the events! Thank you all for such great participation and support over the past four years.
Without you we would not have made it to 10 years!
Please Welcome Our New Annual Members
Toni Moulaison
Nathan Medrano, Craig Avila
Randy Rogers, Bruce Gordon
Rich Simpson, Andre Lengacher
Our New Lifetime Members
Annie Yant, David Harvey
John Hayworth, Larry Schelhorse
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
CHEERS AND FORE
SPRING
Please Welcome Our Newest Annual Member
Mo Moulaison
Our New Lifetime Members
Tony Quintong, Renee Marvin-Quintong
Jim Fairbank, Jon Lardinois!
NEWS
Thanks to all those who attended "The First Official SAGA Golf Experience" of 2009 at Del Monte Golf Course on Wednesday, March 18th! We are off to a rousing start and have at least three events scheduled for the month of April starting with "The Inaugural SAGA California Mission Golf Trail Event" at the Carmel Mission and Rancho Canada Golf Course, Friday, April 3rd. There will be one of these events every month through November from here on the Monterey Peninsula up to the Missions of San Francisco. Please plan to attend one or more "SAGA" events this year as we need your continued participation in our fifth season of golf in California. This event is followed by one at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, Saturday, April 11th and another at Blackhorse Golf Course, Friday, April 17th. Check out the new section of our ARCHITECTURE link titled "RECOMMENDED READING". It is a listing of significant articles and books on golf course architecture by noteworthy authors! Enjoy!!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
CHEERS AND FORE
WINTER
Please Welcome Our New Lifetime Members
Kevin McCallum, Loni McCallum
John Rife, Chris Currie, Mike Phillips
NEWS
Plans are being made for:
"The First Official SAGA Golf Experience of 2009"
"The 10th Anniversary of SAGA Event"
The Inaugural Set of "SAGA California Mission Golf Trail Events"
"The 2nd Annual Concours De SAGA De Carmel Valley Event"
(Carmel Valley Community Park and Quail Lodge, Sunday, September 6th)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT
CHEERS AND FORE
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2008
FALL
Please welcome our newest lifetime members Kenneth Sheaffer and Heidi Sullivan! Ken played with us at the recent SAGA Golf Experience at Half Moon Bay where we played the Arthur Hills Ocean Course. They had recently played an LPGA tournament there about a week earlier and the course was in wonderful condition and greens were fast. It was a breathtaking experience with warm winds blowing and plenty of sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. SAGA will hold another golf experience there again on Wednesday, November 12th when we will play the Arnold Palmer Old Course. Please consider joining us by signing up on the webpage for this event as soon as possible. In addition, we will also play several Wednesdays in November and December: November 5th at Bodega Harbour in Bodega Bay, November 19th at Poppy Ridge in Livermore, December 10th at DeLeVeaga in Santa Cruz and December 17th at Callippe Preserve in Pleasanton. Again, please sign up asap for any or all of these golf experiences as we need your participation! We hope to be playing some events in the Palm Springs Area December through February. Watch the webpage for details and more importantly sign-ups. Some of the possibilities being considered are The Westin at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, the Player and Dye courses, LaQuinta Resort, the Mountain and the Dunes courses as well as PGA West, the Norman, Nicklaus and Stadium courses. Starting Sunday, October 26th, our membership categories and pricing will change. We now have over 225 total members and have reached a turning point in our development as a viable organization. Based upon sound financial and business advice from qualified individuals including our C.P.A and small business consultant the following changes will be implemented: the individual membership will be now be annual at $169 for the first year and renewable at $149/per year thereafter, the individual membership may be purchased for lifetime at a flat rate of $1000 and the corporate sponsorships will now be called partnerships and negotiated upon appointment based upon mutual interests. SUMMER
Please welcome our newest lifetime members, Les Lockrem, from Sacramento and Martin Allard, from Redlands! Expansion continues at a brisk pace!
Our next event, at Quail Lodge, will be the official "Ninth Anniversary Celebration" (75th overall golf experience) and, in addition, the inaugural "Concours De SAGA". The Concours will feature 15-20 classic and modern automobiles and be held from 9 AM till Noon! The "Golf Experience" which is a member guest function will begin at 12:04 PM! There will be a tournament for all who have a current handicap and wish to compete for awesome prizes! Four more events are scheduled for September, two at Half Moon Bay, one at The Links at Bodega Harbour and one at Callippe Preserve in Pleasanton.
WINTER
"CONGRATULATIONS TO MATT RICE", son of one our best members, Scott Rice, for being one of the five finalists in the U.S. Open Amateur Challenge!!
Please read or reread the forward by Tom Watson and the introduction by RTJ,Jr in "Golf By Design" to start or continue this golf season to refresh yourself on the fundamentals of SAGA. As referred to in the Winter Newsletter our society is turning a corner (no pun intended to Amen Corner coming up at the Masters next week). After the first two events of 2008 in March at Baynonet (arguably the windiest event ever) and Corral de Tierra (thanks to David Waite for sponsoring us) the schedule has been shuffled a bit with three events in April at Cinnabar Hills in San Jose on the 5th, Del Monte on the 12th and Pacific Grove on the 19th!! The Pacific Grove event will feature one of our new sponsors, Pat Finch Insurance in Monterey. Our 3rd Anniversary California Gala will feature four events: Carmel Valley Ranch twice, Pacific Grove and Poppy Hills. The architecture link also has information on a new idea, "The California Mission Golf Trail" We need much more participation so sign up for future events early. You will only be allowed to pay online or in advance and "not last-minute the day of play". Thanks for your understanding and patience.
Please join me in welcoming more new lifetime members for 2008: Tom Wolf, Keith Krueger, Vince DiRocco, Jesse Valdez, John Mason, and Tom Peters.
SAGA is in the midst of a major transformation, which should benefit members in the long term. Several corporate sponsors have signed up since the last newsletter: The Spa on the Plaza, Grove Market and Carmel Valley Market! Our thanks to Roy and Camille Malcolm and Charlie Higuera for their trust and support in putting us on a real positive note starting 2008. This brings the total number of sponsors to nine which should increase our total number by more than one hundred. Every new corporate sponsor receives 12 lifetime memberships.
The regular action will begin on March 1st at Bayonet with our first golf experience! The cost of golf and a shared cart is $80 so sign up as soon as possible at least one week prior to provide for planning etc. See the schedule link on the web page for details on events and our whole schedule for 2008. Remember, the events will only be as successful as you make them, so please sign up at least a week prior to each event. I have exact dates down which should make planning easier for you all. We need your participation to ensure solid tee times and discounts when available.
Please join me in welcoming new members for 2008: Ione and Jack Miller, Tina Britton, Wayne Dalton, Joe Rousso, Joe Riekena, David Brinton, Charles Carroll, Pat Kosta, Barbara Hart, Lindy Marrington, Michael Cate, Jack Cate, Camille Malcolm, Roy Malcolm, Charlie Higuera, Brian Pflieger and Tom McCartney.
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2007
DECEMBER
GOLF NEWS
In case you missed it, Jason Wisenor, one of our newest members, wrote a wonderful first edition of a new item on the "Architecture" link! I'm sure he spent considerable time and effort on this wonderful write-up on the 17th Hole at Saint Andrews, Scotland, the notorious Road Hole we all know and love from television. I've never been to Scotland, but now that I've read what Jason has to say about it, I'm looking forward and hoping to travel there someday, possibly for a Special SAGA Overseas Trip. Thanks, Jason, for volunteering this great new addition to our web page. If you would like to suggest a "Hole of the Month" feel free and call or message us. Look for the next edition of "Hole of the Month" on the Architecture link", soon, in December.
To date, we have conducted a total of 59 events, most of which have taken place here on the Monterey Peninsula. That will change in 2008 as our projected schedule shows. Our key activities, however, will still take place here. The latest golf experience, just completed at Pacific Grove Golf Links was shrouded in fog, but, enjoyable nonetheless with Rich Cosand, Head PGA Pro at Spanish Bay joining us for architectural playing advice par excellence'. Thanks, Rich! Eight prizes were awarded with first place going to George Wren with a net 67. Congratulations, George! The hospitality from Joe and his wonderful staff at the golf links was excellent as usual. Thank you, Joe! Afterwards, we retired to the Red House Cafe for a scrumptious meal.
Considerable sign-ups have been logged for upcoming 2008 events as a copy of the current 2008 projected schedule with exact dates through July was circulated. Please check it out on the link and sign up as soon as possible. Thanks!! This will make planning and expediting golf experiences much easier and solidify our activities for the coming year. A $50 deposit is required for most of the events and those can be transferred to other events if necessary. An exact record is kept on the PayPal SAGA account so you can be assured your $$$ is safe. We need your cooperation, but, more importantly, your participation to keep rockin' and rollin' into 2008!!!
The next SAGA golf experience, our 60th, will be held at the Lake Course of the prestigious Olympic Club in San Franciso, site of three U.S. Opens. We are fortunate to have two new SAGA members sponsor us; Jerry Langer, brother of Dieter Langer, and Joe Sheehey. With this scenario, we will have six openings. Call if you are interested? As Rich told us and I will reiterate, the Olympic experience is unique and one to remember. It will include lunch at the turn and may also include a round on the par 3 on the premises.
Katherine Marren, Teaching PGA Pro at The Pebble Beach Golf Academy and SAGA member, will host two golf clinics, one for Women and another for Juniors at the Peter Hay Par 3 Golf Course on December 14th and 22nd. Look for details on the current schedule link. These are great deals from a fantastic teacher!!
We have also placed Pacific Grove Golf Links on our schedule once a month for those wishing to have regular golf at a great venue for a reasonable price. This feature has been placed on the schedule Saturday
the middle of every month until July, 2008. The tee time will be ~10 AM on each of these events. With the Lighthouse Lodge and Suites so close it will be perfect for out of state SAGA members who have never had the Pacific Grove Golf Links experience.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS As 2007 winds down, SAGA is making significant progress on many fronts. We are looking toward 2008 as a pivotal year of expansion and customer satisfaction. The Lifetime Membership will be increasing to $250 this month so encourage your fellow golfers, friends and family to join in November. A SAGA Lifetime Membership will make a wonderful Christmas/Holiday Gift. Please consider it and purchase one or more this month to avoid the increase. The Corporate Membership will increase from $1000 to $1500.
A Christmas/Holiday Dinner Party is being planned for the the Red House Cafe', Saturday, December 15th at 7:30 PM. Golf tee times will be available at ~10 AM on Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday at Pacific Grove Golf Links for those hearty souls who wish to brave the elements on the Monterey Peninsula. Sign up on the schedule link for the variety of activities. The first ten reservations for lodging at Lighthouse Lodge and Suites will receive a considerable discount courtesy of SAGA. If you wish you may stay an extra night, Friday or Sunday, at the same discounted rate. Check it out!!
Please welcome new lifetime members: Stacy Loving, Jill Judd, Patrick L. Finch, Jacci Pflieger, Christopher D'Amelio, Mark DiOrio, George Zarate, Deen Rowe, Joann Westerling, Jerry Langer, Kim Kinzie and Joe Sheehey. Finally, we are proud to announce four new corporate sponsors: Lighthouse Lodge and Suites in Pacific Grove, Red House Cafe' in Pacific Grove and Point Pinos Grill at the Pacific Grove Golf Links, Finch Insurance and Financial Services in Monterey and Valley Process Inc. in Santa Clara!
OUR HEARTFELT THANKS! YOUR SPONSORSHIPS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
Needless to say, we will be retiring to one of the two restaurants after playing golf here on the Monterey Peninsula during 2008. I would like to encourage all of our out-of-district members to reside at the Lighthouse Lodge and Suites for wonderful accomodations during any stay on the Monterey Peninsula before or after our events. The facilities are exquisite and service excellent. Check the Schedule link for details.
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NOVEMBER
GOLF NEWS
With 2007 winding down quickly we have some quality events coming up. We need commitments for our "Eighth Anniversary Life Member Celebration Dinner" the evening of Saturday, October 27th. Yes, it is SAGA's eighth anniversary and we're proud of it and hope you are too. Go to the schedule link and pay the nominal $10 reservation fee and attend. It will be a special night at the Stillwater Bar and Grill at the Lodge at Pebble Beach!! You will pay your own bar tab and dinner check so you can make it inexpensive or expensive. Please feel free to bring prospective members, guests, family and friends.
We also need more golfers to sign up for The Course at Wente Vineyards Sunday, November 4th at Noon and Pacific Grove Golf Links Saturday, November 17th at 10 AM. Please join us at two unique, fun and different venues.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Please welcome our newest life member, Cruz Garcia, from Seaside, California!
Note that SAGA's NCGA Associate Club (#63-767-1) is a separate entity and is not covered by our life membership fee! The NCGA dues are $30 for current members and $40 for new members. SAGA charges either a $3 or $4 fee to cover the credit card transaction fee. At the present time there are 33 members. Some of the current members do not use the services. If you are one of those members contact us asap concerning your desire to either continue or discontinue the service. It is important for us to know one way or the other. If you are either a new member or a renewing member, go to the membership link, scroll to the bottom of the page and pay your dues by credit card no later than December 1. These fees must be paid to the NCGA in January by SAGA. They will not permit you to pay on your own. A minimum of 20 members are required to continue the service and justify our existence as an associate club. If 20 responses are not received the club will have to be discontinued. It is eventually up to you. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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OCTOBER
GOLF NEWS
We wrapped up September with two outstanding events. One took place at Monarch Dunes in the Moro Bay Area featuring grass similar to Saint Andrews, Scotland. Mike Spiller, PGA Apprentice from Twin Creeks, and his lovely wife joined us for an unprecedented day of golf at an absolutely wonderful "Trilogy" real estate development. They plan on adding another 18 hole golf course as well as a unique 12 hole executive par 3 course along with a huge members' facility and beautiful shopping center across the street . The other event was held at Carmel Valley Ranch, the site of our first California event back on July 3, 2005! This is the third year we have played there and it continues to be extra special. The course was in excellent shape after a major renovation project. Seeding with new T-1 bentgrass was carried out on all tee boxes, fairways and putting surfaces. This is significantly different from nearly every other course on the Monterey Peninsula . Dieter Langer won first prize in the tournament with Jamie Treinen, a new member from San Ramon, taking second and Tom Rogotzke third. Congratulations!
We have some significant events coming up for the rest of the year. Look on the schedule link for the "deadlines" and click "Buy Now" to utilize the new system. To have this streamlined system in place and not use it would be a waste. It takes only minutes and is user friendly. Plan ahead and sign-up today for:
Eighth Anniversary Golf on the Beautiful Monterey Peninsula, Sunday, October 27th
The Eighth Anniversary Dinner at The Stillwater Bar and Grill that same evening
A recently added event at The Course at Wente Vineyards, Sunday, November 4th
Our perennial event at The Pacific Grove Golf Links, Saturday, November 17th
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
We have three new members from up north: Jamie Treinen and Jason Wisenor from San Ramon and Daniel Bettencourt from San Jose. Join me in welcoming them. If you would like to meet them sign up for the Wente event which they will all be playing in.
There are changes on the membership page which we are hoping will make joining SAGA more attractive. One is the $150 Life Membership. Another is the Corporate Chapter! A number of people may join SAGA as a corporation and thereby use the $$ in a flexible way. An example would be 11 golfers getting together and joining as a $1000 Corporate Chapter allowing them to obtain Life Memberships for ~$91 each. This is allowed on a multiple basis increasing in $1000 increments. Call 831-917-9512 if you have specific questions. You may want to take advantage of it yourself or suggest it to others. We are hoping to increase membership in this way, offering more services to our current and future members. This will also encourage golfers to sign up in groups that will play together at our Golf Experiences.
We will also categorize our current Life Members into Chapters. Currently we have enough members to justify four Chapters: Monterey, PGA, San Jose and Paso Robles. Members within a reasonable distance from these Chapters will be included in them. Obviously most of our members are in Monterey. However, we have at least a dozen in the San Jose and Paso Robles Chapters. We're growing and hoping to add more Chapters throughout California and the West.
Jason Wisenor, our newest member from San Ramon, will be contributing "Architecture and Features" selections for our web page very soon! Thanks for volunteering them, Jason, we look forward to your interesting architectural insights. They sound fascinating and I'm sure will be welcome.
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SEPTEMBER
GOLF NEWS
We have three events remaining toward the end of this month: Sea Pines Junior/Beginner Event, Saturday, September 22nd; Monarch Dunes, Sunday, September 23rd and "drum-roll please" Carmel Valley Ranch, Sunday, September 30th. Please sign-up as soon as possible so we can plan and implement the activities for these golf experiences to better serve you.
The Fall Pebble Beach Academy Golf Clinic on Sunday, October27th is quickly approaching. Please sign up so we can get the required minimum of 12 golfers. Cost is $299/SAGA Member and $399/Guest!
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Based upon members comments, the following membership fee changes are effective immediately:
Members who have renewed for a second or third year automatically become lifetime members and are exempt from dues in the future. "Current First-Year Members" may upgrade their membership to a lifetime membership by simply paying a one-time $25 upgrade fee making them exempt from future dues. Social, golf industry and senior categories have been eliminated to make the system more streamlined and equitable. Junior memberships are not included in these changes and will remain at a set $15 per year. "NEW" members pay a one-time, lifetime fee of $125! The current system of renewals will be eventually be eliminated with the exception of junior memberships which will continue on a yearly basis.
If you are a member of the "SAGA/NCGA Associate Club" please contact me as soon as possible by phone or e-mail to let me know if you wish to continue? NCGA dues are required to be paid by January 1st! At present we have over the minimum of "20 members" required to have the club. However, many members do not use the membership at all and may not want to pay the required $30 yearly dues. I would like to know if you wish to continue as soon as possible so that a decision can be made by December 1st as to whether we will continue to be an "NCGA Associate Club." I will send out an e-mail to all current "SAGA/NCGA" members to ensure that the issue is addressed and resolved in a timely fashion.
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AUGUST
GOLF NEWS
We want to thank all those who made our July Golf Experience at Quail Lodge a success. Many remained for dinner at Edgar's after the golf. Special thanks go to Terry Vander Woude, Head Professional, Mike Spiller, PGA Apprentice/Site Director of the First Tee of Monterey at Twin Creeks and Rich Cosand, Head Professional at The Links at Spanish Bay. Quail Lodge was in perfect shape and the weather was outstanding once again! Linda Sabo won the tournament, with George Wren taking second and Sally Wren and Tom Rogotzke tying for third. This venue has been on our rooster three times now and continues to be one of our favorites. Thanks to everyone at Quail Lodge for such wonderful service making us feel right at home. Kent Schisler, our new marketing director, will be in Acapulco, Mexico for the planned November trip/golf experience. Please consider joining us. Two other trips are planned, one to the Moro Bay area September 22-23rd and another to the Palm Spring area December 7-9th.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS We are happy to announce a new corporate sponsor from Atascadero, Glen R. Lewis, A Professional Law Corporation. Thanks to Karen and Glen Lewis our two newest life members. There will be ten additional "Lifetime" members as part of their corporate membership, including Greg Harrison, along with one sponsored golf experience! This will bring our total Paso Robles area membership to 22. If you are interested in a corporate membership please check our membership page and sign-up for one or if you know someone who may be interested please encourage them.
Our membership policies will be changed for the future. Any member who has renewed in the past is automatically considered a "Lifetime" member. Please check the member link to see if you are one of those members. "Lifetime" members will not be required to pay any future dues except for SAGA/NCGA dues which remain in effect. SAGA dues and NCGA dues have always and will always be considered separate. Currently, not all SAGA members are members of the SAGA/NCGA Associate Club. All three levels of Corporate membership carry "Lifetime" memberships. This is a great opportunity for any SAGA members who have not renewed. Please consider taking advantage of this offer by renewing today with a credit card on the membership page. Thanks. We look forward to your "Lifetime " membership and many great golf times together.
For some time now, for the benefit of our members, we have been hoping to expand SAGA interests into golf history and golf collectibles. It is possible that in the very near future we will have access to some rather exclusive golf items. We hope to offer a wide variety of memorabilia of the highest quality. Watch for this opportunity in the next few weeks on the toolbar under "Collectibles." Our source is an extremely respected, reputable person from Pebble Beach who has been in the business quite a while and maintains a large assortment of outstanding, meaningful, interesting bits and pieces of golf history possibly found only here on the Monterey Peninsula.
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JULY
GOLF NEWS
We celebrated the "Second Anniversary of SAGA Golf in California" Sunday, July 1st, at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach with four foursomes and sixteen golfers. The weather was excellent as always. Two guests, Matt from Santa Monica and Chris from Paso Robles, also attended. Karen Lewis, our Pebble Beach-Paso Robles recruiter, and Bailey Torrey, a new junior member, joined in the festivities as non-golfers. This was our second most attended event and we wish to thank all who came.
A tournament was conducted for nine of the golfers. Brad Creacey won first place! There was a tie for second place between Sally Wren, Tom Rogotzke and Dieter Langer!! Congratulations!!!
This marks our 52nd overall event and the first time we have had 100% compliance on deposits. Our new system of accepting credit card payment a week in advance definitely made it possible. This system will continue for the next SAGA Golf Experience, Sunday, July 29th at Quail Lodge Resort in Carmel Valley. The deadline is July 22nd so register as soon as possible to secure your spot. Five tee times have been reserved for twenty golfers with a possibility for more if we need them. Mike Spiller, PGA Apprentice and Site Director for the First Tee of Monterey at the Twin Creeks Golf Campus has graciously agreed to attend again and play golf with us. Help make this our biggest and best event yet! Lunch will start ~11:30 AM in Edgar's Restaurant with golf to follow at 1:00 PM. Cost is $111 for golf and cart! Thanks to Terry Vander Woude, Head PGA Golf Professional at Quail Lodge for making these arrangements.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Please join me in welcoming our newest members: Fernando Elizondo from Salinas, Donnie Beavers from Atascadero, Sean O'Callaghan from Magic 63 and four juniors from Templeton; Bailey Torrey, Luke Torrey, Bella Torrey and Mariah Avery.
Our new treasurer is Butch Francis. Dennis Dolley will now become the new handicap chair. The NCGA required us to attend a handicap seminar at the insistence of the USGA. I attended the function at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento on June 16th. To comply with the new guidelines a handicap committee was formed. It is comprised of Dennis Dolley, Thomas Rodella, David Waite, Sally Wren and George Wren. Thanks to all for volunteering for these important assignments.
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JUNE
GOLF NEWS We wrapped up May with a wonderful event at Del Monte Golf Course on Thursday, May 31! June events began with the "SAGA Spring Golf Clinic" at the Pebble Beach Academy hosted by Laird Small, Rich Cosand and Brant Wilson. Thanks to everyone, especially Laird, Rich and Brant, who attended and made this event one of our most successful and most attended events. The next SAGA Golf Experience will be held on Wednesday, June 6 at the Coyote Creek Jack Nicklaus Tournament Golf Course in San Jose starting at 1:30 PM! Space may be limited so call and let us know whether you are interested? We will then return to Del Monte Golf Course for our first "Ladies" event, Wednesday, June 20th at Del Monte Golf Course starting at 11:10 AM. The "Second Anniversary in California SAGA Golf Experience" to honor all members who have renewed their memberships will be held Sunday, July 1 at Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach. There will be a luncheon at noon followed by golf at 1:30 PM.
Here are some interesting facts for those of you who like keeping track of top threes:
Total events - 6 at Del Monte, 4 at Eagle Ridge and 4 at San Juan Oaks;
Total golfers - 44 total at Laguna Seca, 43 at Poppy Hills and 41 at Del Monte;
Average golfers per event - 15 at Laguna Seca, 14 at Poppy Hills and 13 at Quail Lodge;
Golfers/event - 22 at Laguna Seca, 17 at Poppy Hills Clinic, 17 at Pebble Beach Clinic and 17 at Del Monte;
Member participation (out of 50 total events) - 31 for Tom Rogotzke, 23 for Brad Creacey and 20 for Linda Sabo.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Please join me in welcoming our newest members: C.W. Pat Lease from Pacific Grove and Scott Beaver from Paso Robles.
NEW NCGA EVENTS
Check out our Current Schedule which lists several new NCGA Member Outings for the rest of the year . They are tournaments which include golf, cart, prizes and lunch at considerable savings. Several are at private clubs. Please sign-up for these events online. I have sent out an e-mail that lists them along with the link to their respective pages. I'm especially looking forward to the one at Pasatiempo on November 5!
Official Entry Information and applications are available for the 14th Annual Associate Club Net Amateur Championship at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach. Entry deadline is July 25th with Sectional Qualifying on August 30th and Championship Proper on September 24-25. Qualifying cost is $55 per player with Championship cost $110 per player. Call or e-mail us if you are interested.
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MAY
GOLF NEWS We ended April by supporting the CSUMB Women's Golf Team at their Fundraiser in Pebble Beach at the Peter Hay Par 3 Golf Course. Please welcome Teri Greene, one of the coaches, who has decided to join SAGA! We look forward to having her join us at future events. "GO LOW OTTERS"
We have started May with a bang at Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach on Tuesday, May 1st and Eagle Ridge in Gilroy on Tuesday, May 8th. Our next event is scheduled for Del Monte in Monterey on Wednesday, May 16th at 11 AM as we are going to continue the weekday events as previously described. If you have any questions consult the current events link on the web page or call us. A special May event is Hunter Ranch on Sunday, May20th. Cost will be only $62 for the green fee and cart.
Please let us know by March 27th if you wish to attend the upcoming golf clinic at Pebble Beach Golf Academy on Saturday, June 2nd. It starts at 9 AM and ends around 1 PM. Send your check for $150 by June 1st if you are a current SAGA member. If you are new and join SAGA by June 1st your cost is $100. Golf at Pebble Beach golf courses following the clinic is optional and reservations must be made in advance. Let us know if you would like to play and where.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
In addition to Teri Greene we have many new members: Sal Tedesco from Monterey, Scott Rice from San Jose, Mike Jung from Santa Clara, Tony Wells from Pismo Beach and Kent Schisler from Pebble Beach.
Our new e-mail address is appropriately named membership@sagagolf.net. Please use it instead of the old address and send us an e-mail confirming use of it and letting us know which e-mail address you wish us to use when contacting you.
We are in the preparation stage of producing a SAGA-Membership Bag Tag for all members who have two or more years in the society. This will be done in stages, starting with the earliest members first. It will have the SAGA Logo on one side and membership information including anniversary date on the other. There will be no charge for this item as it will be automatically sent or given to each member upon their first renewal.
There are new junior membership fees. Instead of the previous $50, juniors can now join SAGA for $15, which includes a mandatory $6 fee to the NCGA. Given the drop in price, a copy of a book, Golf By Design, cannot be included. We will try to secure an appropriate book for all juniors!
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It is looking very good for our next golf experience Wednesday, April 18th at Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey. There is still room available as we have tee times reserved at 11 AM. Mike Spiller, PGA Apprentice at Twin Creeks Golf Campus, The First Tee of Monterey County, will be joining us. It will be our 39th overall event. There will be more weekday events in April and May. Check the current schedule for details. The same three-course rotation will continue into May on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. We will then evaluate as to whether to continue this strategy for the rest of the year. In late April or early May we are planning a "road trip" to Paso Robles to play Hunter Ranch Golf Course!
SAGA will be supporting the First Tee of Monterey County Saturday, April 14 at the Twin Creeks Golf Campus for their "Spring Into Golf" fundraiser by donating $50. There is a $5 Closest to the Pin Contest so join us for the fun! We are proud to have Nick Nelson, British PGA Pro and Head of the program, Colleen Henry, Head PGA Pro at Twin Creeks and Mike Spiller, PGA Apprentice as members of SAGA.
We are close to finalizing plans for the Second Annual SAGA Golf Clinic to be held this year at Pebble Beach Golf Academy. It will be on Saturday, June 2nd and open to all SAGA members.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Congratulations to Beth and Tom Rodella for signing up for a two-year renewal making them our first three year members. They received a copy of "Golf Architecture" Volume 1. All SAGA members renewing for the third year will receive this wonderful edition which exemplifies the benefits of golf course architecture and design for the everyday golfer. It is broad in scope and features a worldwide perspective.
Dick Casas will also receive this volume for being our first three-year corporate sponsor. Dick is the owner of Wiley Transfer, Wheaton Van Lines of Castroville. Thanks for your loyal and continuing support!
Members of SAGA renewing for a fifth year will receive Volume 2 of this book.
NEW MEMBERS Please welcome our newest members: Karen and Glen Lewis of Pebble Beach, Lila and Kevin Fuson of Paso Robles and Butch Francis of Salinas. Please recommend us to your fellow golfers and friends as we would love to have them join SAGA!! Just tell them to look us up on our web page at www.sagagolf.net!
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Weather has been absolutely great for the first three events in February and our first event in March at Quail Lodge. It is looking very good for this Saturday (March 10) at San Juan Oaks as the forecast is for sunshine and the high in the 70's. There is plenty of room as we have five tee times reserved. The best part is that it will be the second event using the new format and Bill Dodson, PGA Pro at Seascape, will again join us. Rich Cosand, Head PGA Pro at Spanish Bay, along with Bill Dodson joined us at Quail for the kick-off of the new format featuring Pros playing with multiple groups. Thanks to everyone for coming and making the first event of the new era a big success. All the comments were positive and conditions were near perfect with an incredible moon-rise as the final group finished on the beautiful eighteenth green. We held the third Social Gathering of the year at 7 PM at Edgar's at Quail Lodge. Unfortunately, there is not sufficient support for these gatherings and thus, we are going to discontinue them. Any future Social Gatherings will be announced in advance. Just look for them in the newsletter or on the webpage which is still under construction. I'm going to revert to the deposit system which worked so well last year with our two most-attended events. Please send a deposit in the form of a check for your reservation/participation with or without cart for future events. Please contact me or send your deposits asap as March is moving along.
NEW WEEKLY WEEKDAY EVENTS
In April and May we will begin a rotation of three courses, San Juan Oaks, Eagle Ridge and Del Monte to be played on weekdays. The schedule will have a certain course being played on a certain day of the week every month, i.e Eagle Ridge will be played every second Tuesday of every month, Del Monte every third Wednesday of every month and San Juan Oaks every fourth Thursday. This should allow our non-weekend golfers more opportunity and ease of scheduling. We will also offer lower rates like the Duke's Del Monte approximate rate of $41.
THANKS
We would like to extend our gratitude to Neil Allen at Del Monte, Rich Cosand at Spanish Bay, Mark Darby at Laguna Seca, Terry Vander Woude at Quail Lodge, Steve Janisch at San Juan Oaks, Rick Smith at Eagle Ridge and Gerry Greenfield at Corral De Tierra for their gracious accommodation of our events so far in 2007. Special Thanks to Tom McKinney and David Waite for sponsoring us at Corral De Tierra!
NEW MEMBERS Please welcome our newest members: Rich Cosand, Head PGA Pro at Spanish Bay, Bill Dodson, PGA Teaching Pro at Seascape and Laird Small, PGA Pro and Director of the Pebble Beach Golf Academy (watch for our future golf clinic there in June). Also, welcome Butch Francis and Stephen Pessagno from the vineyards in the valley! Please recommend us to your fellow golfers and friends as we would love to have them join SAGA!! Just tell them to look us up on our webpage at www.sagagolf.net!
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FEBRUARY
GOLF NEWS
Our luck with the weather continued as our events on Feb 3rd at Del Monte, Feb 4th at Spanish Bay, Super Bowl Sunday and Feb 17th at Laguna Seca were blessed with ideal conditions. It was probably over 80 degrees at Laguna Seca and almost hot! Thanks to everyone who participated! It was our 32nd Golf Experience and the last of its kind , as we will enter a new era with our event format.
The SAGA golf experience is now going to be even better! Now the format will involve golf professionals speaking to us shortly before we tee off and playing with us and advising us of architectural features which will help us improve right on site every hole! Previously, due to our members limited schedules, the attendance of the pre-golf breakfasts and lunches was very low, which consequently left our members without the benefit of hearing this helpful information that would assist you, the golfer, lower your score and enjoy the features of the course more. Members who did attend the pre-golf activities were very impressed and did note improvements in their game. We are very excited about this new approach and want to thank you for your input contributing to the evolution of this new approach. Every effort will be made to carry out this kind of activity with golf professionals. However, it is difficult since they are usually working at their respective clubs on the days of our events.
EVENTS
Our next event on the Monterey Peninsula will be held at Quail Lodge Resort on March 3rd and will feature this unique approach; each foursome will be composed of three SAGA members and a SAGA PGA pro or apprentice. We will routinely attempt to have the/a PGA pro advise us and hopefully play with us in the every event. The upcoming golf experience on March 22nd is a good example. Our plan is to have the pro speak to us and then play the first three holes with the first threesome, join up with the second threesome for the next three holes and continue until each group has experienced his architectural advice for three golf holes. This is ideal for events with six groups, usually threesomes. We will adjust to the numbers of golfers we have at each event as well as the availability of golf professionals.
Thanks to Tom and Beth Rodella for hosting our February Palm Springs Area golf experience at Rancho Mirage Country Club on the February 25th. We hope to have several new SAGA members from Canada as this was a special event for Tom and Beth's Canadian friends on their vacation there.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Please welcome two new Head PGA Golf Professionals in the area who have accepted SAGA memberships: Joe Riekena - Pacific Grove and Raymond Briggs - Carmel Valley Ranch . We are very pleased to announce that Rick Smith, General Manager of Eagle Ridge Golf Course in Gilroy, has also joined SAGA. Our newest golf member is Paul Goss, who has previously caddied at some of the nicest courses on Monterey Peninsula. Paul brings a wealth of golf acumen to our group and has already played in three events. Welcome Paul, thanks for joining. We also welcome our new Social Member, Jack Wood! We look forward to seeing Jack at our social gatherings the first Saturday of each month.
(Check this out)...... If you didn't see the recent news article in the sports section of the Monterey Herald about the improvements being made at Bayonet/Blackhorse Golf Courses, try to pick up the Wednesday, February 21st edition and read it. Joe Priddy is featured and gives insight into the changes. The reason I am mentioning this is because during our third event at Bayonet Golf Course back in September of 2005, Joe gave us a wonderful talk on the courses, their history and architecture. This same information is included in the article highlighting just how important our society is in terms of current content and focus. Newspapers, golf magazines, TV, radio and books are constantly dedicating their activities on the very same things that SAGA is all about. We fully intend to continually stay at the forefront of what we consider to be one of the most fundamental of all golf activit ies, awareness and appreciation of golf course architecture and design! It is for golfers of all levels and abilities and the universal language of golfers everywhere. For March events, check the website: www.sagagolf.net!
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JANUARY
"THE SOCIETY FOR AUTHENTIC GOLF ARCHITECTURE (SAGA)" is basically comprised of people who are passionate about their golf. Simply put, they believe in the wonder and esthetics of the great game of golf. Our signature activity is "an architectural review of the golf course." By taking a positive look at the design of each golf hole in particular and looking forward to the next crucial shot we maximize our chances of success. Sounds remarkably like what all golf professionals do to become successful and it is! Remember your first significant round of golf? Was it at Pebble Beach, Pinehurst, Oakmont or the muni down the street. Doesn't matter, because that spark ignited something inside of you that now cannot be denied. Sure, we can sit in front of the television and watch experts perform near-flawless golf. But isn't it really "YOU" scoring that career round rather than just being a spectator?
JOIN SAGA AND LIVE YOUR GOLF DREAM NOW
Surf our website, www.sagagolf.net, and enjoy the variety of what we have to offer golfers of all levels and abilities. We are dedicated to enhancing your golf experience and helping you become a better golfer! You'll be amazed at how your game will improve when you pay a little attention to golf course architecture. Appreciation and awareness of traditional as well as modern architects' design characteristics will give you a whole new perspective on the game and here's the best part, "LOWER YOUR SCORE."
NEWS
SAGA membership currently stands at approximately 160 with members in nine states, Canada, England, Thailand and Hong Kong. We hope to expand to every state in the United States as well as Mexico and many other countries. The next golf event will be our 30th and a milestone. Please check out our projected schedule of golf experiences which can be accessed from the webpage. It is ambitious and includes national, regional and local events. Our intent is to expand and diversify our activities to maximize customer satisfaction. This webpage is a big step and hopefully will give us greater recognition and attention across the nation. Eventually, with more chapters and membership we will provide the support necessary to reach those concerned passionate golfers looking for something more than a good walk spoiled. We aim to please and with you participation we will!
SOCIAL EVENTS
After a year of successful social events on the second Tuesday of each month last year we have decided to shift to the first Saturday of each month. Our first social event this year was held at the Stillwater Bar and Grill and the Taproom in the Lodge at Pebble Beach overlooking the famed 18th green. The February social event is planned for Saturday, the 3rd at Traps at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach at 7 PM. Following that, we will alternate the social events between Traps (April, June, August and October) and Jack's Restaurant private dining room in the Portola Plaza Hotel (March, May, July, September and November) in Monterey. Our Christmas Party will be held in early December on the Monterey Peninsula!
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