Category — Men’s Golf Association

Well, as we head into the month of April, the trees are turning green, the flowers are blooming and the golf course is as green as I can ever remember. The golf season has also gotten into full swing, no pun intended, as our tournaments have finally begun.

The Icebreaker Tournament was on Saturday, March 20th. The weather was great and so was the participation. We had a total of 61 people come out and play. This is the kind of support we need for every event that is held. Everyone had a good time and the Club served cold cuts for lunch before we got going and had a nice spread of snacks for everyone afterwards. Thanks to everyone for coming out and congratulations to the team of Troy Lester, Shane Lester, Tom Curling and Norris Perry who took first place overall honors.

Billy and Bill had the factory guys over on Thursday, March 25th for our annual “Demo Day”. The weather was great and a lot of folks made it out to check out the new equipment. This is a great venue to check out all of the latest and greatest golf gear and is something that the guy’s in the Pro Shop have been doing for a number of years now. It is always a fun afternoon and if you have never checked it out, you should try and do so next year. You might find that special club you’ve been looking for to change your golf game.

The grounds crew started aerifcation of the greens on Monday, April 5th and wrapped things up on Tuesday. This process is an arduous one that doesn’t make the putting surface to much fun for a few days afterwards, but it is a necessary evil so we can continue to have some of the better greens in the area for the rest of the year. And if you got out and played this past weekend, you probably noticed that they were already starting to fill in rather nicely. They will be as good as new very soon!

The Master’s Pick-a-Pro Tournament was Saturday, April 10th. This is a great little tourney that we do every year that allows each participant to pick a playing partner from The Master’s tournament field. I am happy to report that I once again picked a playing partner that played as poorly as I did. Congratulations to Ron Taylor who took home First Place honors this year. Ron paired up with Lee Westwood to shoot a combined score132. 

Last but not least, the Member-Member will be the weekend of April 24th & 25th.  This is a two day event that is a lot of fun year in and year out. The band that played last year, “Solrevolt”, will be on hand again this year. And rumor has it that a certain WMGA Board Member will be a guest stand in on harmonica once again. Giddyup!

That is all I have for this month. Remember, you can contact me anytime if you have questions or concerns. Until next month, Hit’em straight!

Tim Wheeler
The Westlake Men’s Golf Association

By: Tim Wheeler, The Westlake Men’s Golf Association

Well it is mid March and the weather has finally taken a change for the better. The snow has been off of the course for a couple of weeks now and we have all finally been afforded the opportunity to get out and play some golf. There is nothing like Spring and the prospect of some great golf just around the corner.

As the grass begins to green up and you start spending more time out on the course, take the time to really appreciate how well kept our golf course is. HT, Dan and the rest of the gang on the grounds crew really put a lot of hard work into the maintenance of our course. And in addition to their already very demanding schedule, they somehow manage to fit in course improvements, like cutting trees, sod repair, etc. You will notice another tree gone at Hole #9 the next time you play. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Melanie Hosch, who you will find hard at work on the course just about any day of the year. Her tireless work combined with that of the Greens Keepers makes the Westlake arguably one of the most beautiful golf courses in Southwest Virginia. Remember to say thanks the next time you run into one of them.

Not much more to report on at this time. The “Icebreaker” will be played later in March and Billy and Bill will once again be hosting a “Demo Day” towards the end of the month. I will have more to report on these two events in next month’s article. Until then, Hit’em Straight!

By: Tim Wheeler, The Westlake Men’s Golf Association

I guess I jinxed us last month by touting the warm weather we had for golf during the Thanksgiving and the weeks thereafter. We have not been that fortunate as of late. I mean what can I say, it is cold outside! Bitter cold!! The course has been covered with snow since the week before Christmas and as I write this article the weather forecast is finally showing some signs of warmer days on the way. I can’t ever remember the course being covered with snow and unplayable for such a long period of time. And even if there were no snow, it has been absolutely frigid with temperatures in the teens at night and barely into the thirty’s during the day. There is good news on the horizon however as it looks like the upcoming weekend may bring some warmer temps and a chance to get out on the course.  If the weather does break, get out and golf. I know I plan too.

I hope everyone had a good holiday season and a great start to the New Year. As I mentioned last month, the Men’s Golf Association is going to be looking at new ways to spice up our tournament schedule for 2010. We hope to make this our most exciting year ever and remember that we need players of all skill levels to come out and help us make our outings the best they can be. So be on the lookout for upcoming news and make this the year that you take that leap of faith and join the WMGA. You won’t regret it!

There are still some great buys in the club house so stop in if you have not already. Be on the lookout for the year’s newest equipment and remember to speak with Billy before making any purchases. Not only can he and Bill help you make the best informed decision on what you plan to purchase, they can help you with anything golf related that you are in the market for.

There will be lots more news to share with you in the months to come as plans are made and dates are set. Until next time, take care and see you on the course.

Tim Wheeler, Westlake Men’s Golf Association

As I write this article I can’t help but reflect on what a wonderful and blessed year it has been, on the course and off the course. Sure, life gets a little rocky at times, but there are always good friends and good times to help us remember just how enjoyable life can be. Focus on the positive aspects of life and enjoy each and every day as you head into the New Year.

If you didn’t get out and play golf over the last few weeks you missed a golden opportunity. The weather, although a little wet at times, has been very nice and the course remains in excellent condition. I honestly think that I could have played in shorts the weekend after Thanksgiving as it was borderline hot outside. Take advantage of the warm days through the winter and get out on the course whenever you can. It is good for the spirit and it will help you keep your game on track.

The Men’s Golf Association has begun to discuss the schedule for the upcoming year and hopefully we can spice things up a little bit. We will be looking at different formats and the possibility of maybe adding some tournaments to the schedule. We are always looking for suggestions, so if you have an idea please share it with us.

By: Tim Wheeler, Westlake Men’s Golf Association

The 2009 golf season is drawing to a close and it has been a great year. Thanks to everyone for supporting the Men’s Golf Association and for participating in our tournaments. I hope everyone enjoyed their year and made some lasting memories. I can assure you that I did. I play as much during the fall and winter as I can, but I must admit that I really look forward to Spring and the start of a new golf season each year.

All of us on the golf committee begin planning early every year to try and make each and every outing as enjoyable as possible. We brainstorm about different formats and we try our hardest to come up with new ideas to keep our tournaments fun, interesting and affordable. This is not an easy feat and it is hard at times to think of ways to spice things up. We are very fortunate to have a great Head Pro like Billy McBride to help us in this area. Billy’s work behind the scenes is invaluable and we could not do what we do without him. With this being said, please remember that we are always open to new ideas and suggestions. We are also always looking for new members. The Men’s Golf Association grew slightly in membership this year, but more members are always welcome. I know that there are those of you out there who play regularly, but have not yet taken that leap of faith and joined up with us. Please reconsider this year. I promise you that it will be a decision that you will not regret. I urge all of you to get on board this year and give our Association a chance. We have good times and good fellowship.

The golf season’s final tournament, “The Westlake Cup Shootout”, was held on Sunday, November 1st. We had great weather and a really good time together on the course and at dinner afterwards. The last outing of the season always concludes with a great steak dinner for all of the members of the Men’s Golf Association. Thanks to Mickey and his staff for the wonderful meal they put together for us this year. It was really good! This final tournament of the year is for those golfers that close out the “regular season” by finishing in the top ten in the points standings, which are kept for every tournament held during the year. All ten golfers tee it off on the 1st hole and a player is eliminated on each hole thereafter. The tournament champion is decided on the 9th hole. This years champion was Wayne Pyrtle. Wayne defeated Don Wilson in a hard fought match that saw them all square after finishing play on number 9 and the winner had to be decided in a chip off. From behind the green, Wayne hit a great chip to within a few feet of the hole. Don gave it a great effort but his chip came up just a little short.  Congratulations to you both for some great golf!

In closing, two new committee members were elected before dinner at our last outing. Frank Davis and Jim Perry were elected by a draw of ballots cast. They will be replacing Troy Lester, President, and Rick Carroll, Secretary. Thanks to both Troy and Rick for all your hard work and for your commitment to the Men’s Golf Association.