Castle Creek #4 Ranked Course In San Diego County

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The Circle R Round-Up - December 2006

CASTLE CREEK EARNS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Castle Creek Country Club is proud to announce that it has been selected as one of Golf Digest’s “Best Places To Play” for the years 2006 and 2007. In a letter from Publisher Jerry Tarde, Castle Creek was chosen from a list of more than 4,000 courses and rated on “overall golf experience, value for money, standard of service, conditioning of the course, and normal pace of play for 18 holes”. When informed of this prestigious award, General manager Larry Taylor stated, “This is a result of hard work and dedication of our entire staff. Our goal is to maintain this rating for many years to come.” The club has received a special plaque commemorating its’ rating, and it is prominently displayed at the front entrance for all to see.

MEN'S CLUB GATHERS FOR TURKEY SHOOT TOURNAMENT AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Almost fifty Men's Club members gathered for their annual turkey shoot golf tournament followed by lunch and election of officers and board of Directors for 2007. Most of those attending can be seen in the photograph at left taken just before the 8:00 a.m. shotgun start. The winner of the Turkey shoot was Tim Giermann with a net of 64. Dan Albee came in second with a 66 followed by Carl Mullen, Ray Ekstrom and Will Nelson, each with a net 68. Only six other members broke par (net) that day. The Officers and Directors for 2007 are:

President: John Lizotte
Vice President and Tournament Chairman: Gale Harlow
Secretary: Myron Vanetsky
Treasurer: Will Nelson
Board of Directors
Jim Brown, Dan Albee, Dan Boessow, Harry Carter, Lee Estes, Art Lynch, Dave Bassett, Ken Smith, Fred Holtermann

New Year’s Eve Party

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our “New York” New Year’s Eve Party. The cost is only $40 per couple, and includes a sumptuous buffet, favors, music, and a 12:00 EST (9:00) toast! The hours are 6:00-10:00. Reservations are required. Call Cookie at extension 203 to make yours today.

Hole In One

Congratulations are in order for Edward Sierra and Karl Mullen. Both members aced hole #17, Ed with his trusty 4 iron and Karl with his ancient 5 wood. Ed made his first hole in one in 36 years of golf; this was Karl’s first also! Way to go, Ed and Karl!

Manager’s Report

As we approach the holidays, I’d like to take a moment and thank all of our members for a great year. Your support has created a great club that is very active and dynamic. I am very proud to be associated with Castle Creek. On another note, numerous members have approached me wishing to give a small monetary gift to our employees, and are not quite sure on how to go about it. If you are interested in contributing to our employees’ Christmas fund, you can simply send or give me a check (or cash) made payable to Castle Creek, and I will distribute the monies equitably among the maintenance, pro shop, and restaurant employees. On behalf of the entire Castle Creek crew, I want to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season.

Larry Taylor- General Manager

Tips from the Pro

First and foremost I would like to extend out a big thank you to the golfing community at Castle Creek for the warm welcome I received in my return as Head Golf Professional.
That being said let’s get down to this month’s tip; Golfing in Cold Weather: Cold air is heavy; therefore it creates more resistance to the flight of the ball, naturally encouraging golfers to swing harder, which will create more errors. Let’s say that you generally hit a 7-iron 150 yards, don’t get caught up in that number. If the air is cold and heavy; it will take a 6-iron to cover that 150 yard distance, if it is long, majority of the time it will be on the back of the green; you’re still putting. Also, when you're out there playing in this colder weather, protect your head, feet, and hands and be sure to stretch out and warm up properly. Try to keep your golf balls warm as well (however be aware that under Rule 5-2 you are not allowed to use an artificial device to warm your ball with penalty of disqualification.) Taking care of your equipment and yourself will make playing the game more enjoyable during this brief period of colder weather. Aaron Kelsey, Head Golf Professional

Oh’s Tee Shots

As you all are have been aware of, the Valley Center Water District has restricted outside usage of water through the first part of December. Part of this limitation includes outside watering. During this time, you may see our sprinklers going and wondering why we can still water. We are still able to because we use well water, and we are exempt from the restriction.
The arrival of winter comes the inevitable frost, making life difficult here at Castle Creek. Players either driving or walking on frosted areas will immediately kill the turf, causing black dead marks on the exposed areas. We try to mitigate the problem by watering the grass. The warmer 50 - degree or so water helps speed up the process. I have consulted with Aaron in the pro shop, and we will make every attempt to get you out on the course as early as possible - even going as far as to create a modified “shotgun” format. On a final note, I hope all of our tree trimming will make your CC experience less frustrating, resulting in fewer tempers and lower scores. We will be continuing our program next month with a new round of trimming!

Tee Oh- Superintendent

Fivesomes

Effective January 1, we will no longer allow Fivesomes on the course in an effort to speed up play and make all of our rounds 4 hours or less to play.

News From The View

We will be having a special Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve luncheon that will feature such culinary delights as Prime Rib, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Cherry Crusted Salmon, etc. among other wonderful selections. The hours will be between 11:00 and 3:00, with reservations a must. Please contact Cookie at extension 203 for reservations.

Christmas Day

We will be open for golf on Christmas Day, with extremely limited service in the clubhouse.

IN MEMORIAM

Our dear friend and fellow golfer, Margaret Mary New passed away a few weeks ago. She was a very lovely lady and a very fine golfer and contributed in many ways over the years to the Castle Creek Women's Golf Club. She will be missed by all those who knew her on and off the golf course.

Member By-Law Changes

Due to excessive use, we will be changing our inactive portion of our by-laws to a one time only allowance for each member (in bold):
Transfers, Inactive and Upgrades
Single, Family, and Corporate Golf Memberships are lifetime, and can be sold anytime with a 25% transfer fee (Based upon the current fee offered by the club). Members may elect to upgrade to a higher level by paying the difference of the two at the prevailing rate. Members may downgrade to a lower membership at no transfer fee, but cannot upgrade back without paying the difference between the two. In case of illness, extended vacations, or temporary transfers, members may, at one time only, downgrade their status to an inactive one for no more than 12 months. A nominal fee will be charged each month of inactive status. Special consideration for out of state members may be given at the sole discretion of management. Please note: All members will be billed for the full amount of their membership each month, with adjustments made for inactive status at the end of that month’s billing cycle. This will be effective January 1, 2007.

Through the auspices of Palomar Pomerado Health, an influenza clinic was held for members and staff of the Castle Creek Country Club. Nancy reports that, for next year, she hopes the clinic will include the entire surrounding Castle Creek community. Our thanks to Nancy for arranging this valuable service.

MEN'S CLUB NEWS

Two years have flown by and the years seem to go by faster each year. In the past two years I have had the honor of being the men’s club president. I have also had the pleasure of having a great board of directors and committeemen.
Sometimes I feel we forget that golf is only a game, and we should thank the lord we are still here to enjoy it. There are some that think that because we did something thirty years ago it should still be the same today. The one thing that I have learned in life is that the only thing constant is change. That is not to say that the old and new cannot survive together.
All of the above being said, thank you all again for your support and help.

Art Lynch, President

TRAVELING TEAM

A trio of team members (Ken Smith - Will Nelson - and Myron Vanetsky) drove down to Miramar for the fall sweeps on Monday November 13th. Turnout for this annual event was down considerably from what is normal. (Spring sweeps - San Vicente and the summer sweeps - El Camino average a full field of 144.). Attendance was estimated to be about 92 participants. Ken’s foursome finished in first place with a better ball score of 120 (24 under par). Since the Miramar golf shop was closed for remodeling, all prizes were awarded in cash and so each of the winning foursome was awarded $80.00 in cash. The day was beautiful, warm, and sunny. The golf course was in excellent shape and the lunch (served in the officers club) was outstanding. Teams finishing from first through sixth were awarded prize money running from the $320.00 for first to $120.00 for the 6th place group.
The team captain’s golf tournament was held on November 20th at Sycuan resort. Following golf, lunch was served in the country club and then a board meeting and election of officers was conducted. Many items of interest were discussed but most significant was the election of a handicap chairman who will monitor scores posted in the matches and compare those with the SCGA index for each player. Any “exceptional scores” will result in a reduction to the players index. Also significant was the decision to allow a player to have an SCGA index of a maximum of 25. This is different from the old rule, which restricted each player to a maximum handicap of 25.
At this writing, the traveling team has 21 members, most of whom are carry-overs from last year, but we have added John Buerfeind, Gayle Harlow, and Warren Tankersley. The 2007 schedule is out and match assignments will be finished sometime in early December. A team meeting will be scheduled for the middle of December to discuss such things as uniforms, pace of play and the match assignments. The 2007 schedule begins in January with a match against Twin Oaks (a new participant this year) on January 5th. It is very important to note that all of our home games this year will be held on a Thursday.
Ken Smith, Team Captain.

WOMEN'S CLUB NEWS

The year 2006 has been a year filled with a mixture of sadness and joy. The sadness comes from the loss of our dear friends Shirley Richard, Marsha Coleman, and Margaret Mary New. We know each had a generous spirit and each lady would wish that we continue enjoying the golf and related activities of this club. We will always remember these fine ladies fondly.
As we near the end of the year we are reminded of all the various activities that have taken place. Most recently there was the annual Turkey Shoot. A big success that included the collection of canned goods for the Food Bank. Thanks to all who gave to the Food Bank. Also contributing to a noble cause was Mary O’Brien. She participated in the Susan G. Komen’s 3-day Walk for a Cure that began on Nov. 10th. We applaud Mary for the time and energy she gave for this charitable event. The Nov. 16th Viejas day trip was our club’s fundraiser. It appears all had a good time. We will be gifting a part of the earnings to Elizabeth Hospice. I would like to express much thanks to Nancy Bassett who collected the names and money for the trip. Also, a big thanks to Sue Ellen Tankersley. Upon arrival at the casino, she ensured that we would get our deposit returned, as well as make a profit of $950.00. I marvel at how Sue Ellen always goes that extra mile for our club.

Much kudos to all the ladies who are always there behind the scenes making things happen. Naming names isn’t needed, as we all know who these “usual suspects” are. A special personal thanks to Dorothy Berger for making my job easier. Also, an added bonus is Cookie Johnson. She helps make our special events successful. She is a pleasure to work with (golf with too!) and we are impressed with how she is a hands on person during the events. We thank Larry Taylor and his staff for making the golf and activities fun throughout the year. One recent example is the donated hams and turkeys for our Turkey Shoot raffle. Thank you! We wish Mr. And Mrs. Han a new year filled with good health and success.

Next is the Christmas Party on Dec. 5th. Dee Dowling is in charge of this event, so no surprise that we are in for a very enjoyable day. Slated for Jan. 16th & 23rd is the Red & Blue Tournament. Monita Patry and Dawn Jessee are the co-captains. Please plan to be a part of this competition. Also, for those who qualify, look for the Ace of the Year Tournament to be scheduled in early next year. I extend to all warm wishes for a great holiday season and a bright 2007. Barbara Bell, President

CASTLE CREEK WOMEN'S GOLF CLUB ENJOY THEIR 2007 TURKEY SHOOT

On a cool Tuesday, 31 happy golfers gathered for their annual Turkey Shoot. November 14 marked the culmination of many days and hours of preparation by Marion Smith and her committee. Starting well before the 8 AM start time, they gathered for coffee, mulligans, and cookies. The ladies of CCWGC set off on a day filled with fun, golf, prizes, and a Thanksgiving feast. The banquet room was decorated with pumpkins, scarecrows, turkeys, and raffle prizes. The theme for the day was "A Swinging Thanksgiving", and table centerpieces reflected that with a scarecrow on a swing at each table. The game of the day was "Pumpkin Pie with a Twist", a foursome best two-ball shamble, rotating an orange ball. The winners of Flight 1 with a 115 were Barbara Bell, Joyce Brown, Karen Georgens, and Anne Schwartz. The winners of Flight 2 with a 118 were Mary Allen, Dorothy Berger, Thelma Koda, and Marion Smith. Everyone was a winner and a good time was had by all.