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>>April Calendar

The Circle R Round-Up - April 2006

Extensive makeover of moosa begins

moosa

Now that the removal of the Arundo has been completed and the view of the riverbed and surrounding fairways has improved tremendously, we have commenced phase two of our project, which includes the planting of a variety of native grasses, plants and other vegetation. For you horticulturers, here is a review of the various plantings that will restore and improve the habitat of the Moosa Creek bed: Yerba Mansa - Mugwort - Mulefat - San Diego Sedge - California Sunflower - Toyon, Holly berry - Spiny Rush - Mexican Rush - Iris-Leaf Rush - Monkey flower - Deer Grass - Wild Rose - Blackberry - Mexican Elderberry - and California Fuschia. The total numbers of plantings exceed 2400.

Castle Creek’s Greens ON ROAD To a Speedy Recovery

Oh’s Tee Shots

After suffering a week or so of putting on sanded greens. I have had members ask me why do we have to aerate? Aerification is necessary because rainfall, artificial watering, and traffic by players and maintenance equipment all tend to compact the root zone. When the soil is compacted, water, air, and plant foods are unable to penetrate and the turf becomes shallow rooted. Shallow roots will not survive during summer heat stress. Compacted soils with shallow roots are destined for decline and death from salt accumulation and lack of oxygen. Aerification is an essential part of maintaining healthy greens and turf on golf courses. Our greens were aerified with ½ inch tines that removed approximately 3% of the turf and root zone, which is the standard set by the USGA. The holes are then filled with a soil amendment product that conditions the soil to increase water retention and improved drainage. We also add gypsum that is used to detach salt molecules from turf roots allowing them to be flushed through the root zone. We then add a bent grass mixture that is site specific based on climate and traffic conditions. Silica sand is added and all the products are worked in to the holes. Each hole will represent a new channel for water, oxygen, plant food, and roots to grow. The benefits of aerification far out way the short-term inconvenience. Some benefits include reducing thatch and creating a smoother putting surface. It also introduces ideal conditions for bent grass populations and healthy turf. Aerification extends the life of USGA greens, helps them drain and perform to professional standards.

ohtee

Tee Oh- Superintendent

Manager’s Report

As we enjoy the fruits of all our collective labor, the increase in our business has its’ downside - the potential for slow play. Accordingly, we will be instituting a pilot program where we will position clocks at various points on the course as silent recorders of your pace. For example, a player teeing off at 8:00 will see a clock on #6 tee that is set 1 hour and 5 minutes earlier. If he sees the time at 7:55 when he arrives, he will know that he is 5 minutes ahead of the proper pace to complete the round in 4 1/2 hours. The clock on #10 will be set at 2 hours and 15 minutes earlier than the 1st tee, etc. In addition, on par 3’s we ask that you waive up the following group when the tee ahead of you is occupied. Keeping play moving at a steady pace makes it enjoyable for everyone!
Daylight Savings Time is Sunday, April 2nd this year. Please note that our twilight rate time will be set forward one hour as well.

clock

Larry Taylor-General Manager

Pro’s Corner

As mentioned in Larry’s report, we will be taking steps to wipe out slow play. Part of our enforcement process will be to penalize golfers who consistently fall more than 1 hole behind. Our new policy will be to deny guilty golfers future tee times at popular times. After consulting with our Member’s Advisory Board, we will be instituting a policy where offending members will be denied advanced tee time privileges. Thank you for helping us stamp out slow play!

Rick Campbell- Head Professional

News From The View
Don’t forget to sign up for our annual Easter Brunch, which features an all you can eat buffet, with an Easter Egg Hunt to follow. The prices will be $24 for members and their guests, and $28 for non-members. We also will have special prices for children. For further details, check out the flyer insert in this months billing. Our weekly dinner specials are becoming quite popular with The View being the place for members and friends to congregate. Note the specials on your calendar this month! We hope to see you out at The View this month, particularly with the roses coming into bloom!

Harmony Lopez- Asst. GM/ Food &Beverage Manager

Rules Flash

We are currently working with our men’s and women’s club to introduce a new rule regarding play from our newly planted barrancas. Our intent is to make this a protected area, forbidding access, with water hazard procedures applicable if your ball lands within this restricted area. Not only will this protect the flora and fauna from intrusion, it will protect our frugal, ball-retrieving golfers from rattlesnakes! The rule will be not be implemented until May 1. This will give us time to repaint and move the markers. The wording, approved by both boards will be as follows:

LOCAL RULE: HABITAT PROTECTION RULE

The entire water hazard on Holes number 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 16, and 17 is also designated as Ground Under Repair from which play is prohibited. If a player’s ball lies in any such area the player must take relief under rule 26 - 1, under penalty of one stroke as provided under rule 26, or if the Ground Under Repair area interferes with the player’s stance or area of his intended swing, the player must take relief under Rule 25-1, without penalty. The margins of the hazards, either water hazards or lateral water hazards, as indicated by yellow or red stakes topped with green paint, are now also the margins of the Ground Under Repair.
PENALTY FOR BREACH OF THIS LOCAL RULE: Match play - Loss of Hole: Stroke play - Two Strokes.

Hole in One

Will Nelson, a veteran ace-maker at Castle Creek CC, made his fourth ace last month on #5, knocking a 7 iron into the cup. Unlike most golfers who would be thrilled with the shot and keeping the ball for posterity, Will continued using the same ball, eventually losing it in the creek on the back nine! Oh well, just another day “at the office” for Will.

New Members

A warm Castle Creek welcome to the following members who joined last month:
William Wadleigh Barbara Wadleigh
Derrick Farino Jim Richardson

MEN'S CLUB NEWS

As you have seen in the Roundup, there is going to be some rule changes relating to the barrancas. Read the rules carefully so we all understand what they encompass.
We have all cussed the bumpy greens but they will be back, with the rains and fertilization they should be in great shape. We have had to put up with a lot worse in the past.
Again as I have said in the past if there are problems or complaints put them in writing and give them to any board member. In turn they will see that they are submitted to management or taken up with the board.

Art Lynch, President

TOURNAMENTS

The Men’s Club held their memorial tournament on March 8 and 15. John Buerfeind and Mick Lowe blew away the field with a low score of 192. Mick said, "John shot lights out golf" netting a 62 in the low net section of the tournament. Reportedly, John Lizotte, the Handicap Chairman, has launched an investigation into this astounding feat! The team of Dave Bassett and Hideki Shimazaki came in a distant second with a score of 199 with Cleland Ward and Clay Walker close behind with a 200. Will Nelson and Dan Boessow followed in forth place with a 206. Congratulations, John and Mick!

RULES

A new local rule, “Habitat Protection”, is under consideration by the Men’s Club Board of Directors. If approved, it will negate our present local rule, “Provisional Ball”.
In simple terms, the new rule will mean that a player MUST drop out of the designated water holes and take a one-stroke penalty. Failure to follow the rule will result in a loss of hole in match play or a two-stroke penalty under stroke play. Proper procedures for dropping a ball are covered by 26-l "Relief For A Ball In Water Hazard". If the ball is not within the margin of the hazard but the player’s stance or area of intended swing is within the margin of the hazard, then rule 25-1b “Abnormal Ground Conditions” Relief, applies and there is no penalty involved.
Since this new rule will likely be approved and instituted on the first of May, it is recommended that all Men’s Club members review play under rule 25 and 26 with special attention to 26-1 and 25-1b.

Ken Smith, Rules Chairman

TRAVELING TEAM

The Traveling Team from San Luis Rey came here on March 3rd. and faced our team consisting of Holtermann, Lynch, Harbour, Williams, Albee, and Agnew. It was a hard fought match but our team managed to scrape out a 10 to 8 victory. Bruce Halgren of the San Luis Rey team threw a great 68 net score at our guys but his fine effort went unsupported by the rest of their team. Almost all of our team registered net scores in the low to middle 70’s.
The team went to San Luis Rey the following Friday, March 10th. It was a cold, windy, rainy day and SLR had a tough time getting a team put together. With only 5 men on board, they had to forfeit 3 points to our first team and both third teams agreed to split their match 3 to 3 and go in after 11 holes. Fortunately, our second team really outplayed their counterparts and came away with a 6 to 0 win that put the team in the winning column with a final score of 12 to 6.
A team consisting of Vanetsky, Williams, Steiner, Lizotte, Boessow and Betonte went down to Balboa Park on Monday, March 13th. A closely contested match resulted in a loss by the score of 11 to 7. Vanetsky and Boessow both posted nice net scores of 70, not quite eligible for any “At A Boys”.
The Balboa team came here on Friday the 24th... Our guys really ripped, posting three scores in the net 60’s range and we posted a handy win by the score of 13 to 5. At A Boys were awarded to Lizotte (64) Williams (66) and Vanetsky (67).
The Team is now in 3rd place in the League.

Ken Smith, Team Captain

SENIOR’S CLUB

The contest for the Senior’s Championship and little brown jug will take place on Monday, the third of April, finishing on Monday the 10th with luncheon and awards. Ron William’s, the present holder of the “Jug”, has proclaimed he is not about to give it up without a fight. Welcome back John Koda! John is starting to round up into his old form having won closest to the pin on two consecutive Mondays.

WOMEN'S CLUB NEWS

The big buzz for the ladies' club is the upcoming Member/Guest Day. This year's theme is "Seize the Day". Talk about starting it up! Mara Lee Ashworth and Dee Dowling are once again planning a fabulous event. Please contact either one of them to sponsor a hole, know of any one who would like to be a guest, or to volunteer your help. The invitations are being prepared for the May 9th event and information will be updated at our general meeting/lunch on April 4th.
A quick shout out to Larry Taylor and Tee Oh for the continued work on the course. Castle Creek is indeed looking first rate more and more! We would like to thank all the CC members who came out March 21st to donate blood in Marsha Coleman's behalf. Marsha, you are looking good and we love your positive outlook and energy! Sharon and Bob Coleman did a great job of organizing this drive.

Barbara Bell, President

SWEEPS

sweeps

Early morning cold temperatures, threatening rain clouds and chilling winds did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Castle Creek Women’s Golf Club players as the tee time for the much anticipated Beat the Pro game on March 21, 2006, finally arrived. The determined and competitive ladies were ready to put forth their best efforts to earn bragging rights for beating the Pro, Rick Campbell. After getting off to a rocky start on the first 4 holes, Rick, teeing from the black markers, played a great game. Each foursome played at least 3 holes with Rick. His amazingly long drives and fairway shots awed his opponents. The eleven ladies who beat Rick’s net score of 80 are, from the red tees, Joyce Brown - 70, Debi Harlow - 72, Billye Lynch - 75, Jeannie Fredenburg - 75, Jan Salisbury - 76, Lori Hurst - 77, and Barbara Bell - 79. Green tee winners are Jackie Ogrezovich - 65, Terri Petrell - 71, Thelma Koda - 72 and Kendelle Lynch - 79. A huge thank you to Rick for his good sportsmanship and support of the ladies club. We are looking forward to next year’s game!

aces

Congratulations to the first quarter’s Aces of the Month. Red tee aces are; January, Pam Estes - 71; February, Betty Wood - 71 and March Pam Estes and Debi Harlow(tie) - 69. Green tee aces are; January, Patricia Nice - 65, February, Mara Lee Ashworth - 71, and March, Jackie Ogrezovich - 65.

Jeannie Fredenburg, Sweeps Chair

HANDICAP

Most Improved for 2005: Debi Harlow and Anitra Gehrke
Jan. most improved: Lee Miller 5.4% decrease
Feb.most improved: Jeannie Fredenburg 8.0% decrease
My Congratulations to Lee and Jeannie!

Pam Estes, Handicap Chair

RULES
Recently a situation occurred when a player’s ball landed in a bunker where workers were removing the sand. This could not be termed "Ground Under Repair" because it had not been marked as such by any one in authority to do so (See Definitions - Ground Under Repair). Therefore the players only options were to play it as it lay, or if interference by the workers would impede her ability to play it there she can deem it an unplayable lie and drop in the bunker under penalty of one stroke, no nearer the hole (Rule 28) or play the ball as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played (see Rule 20-5). Penalty for breach of rule: Match play - Loss of hole; Stroke play - Two strokes.