Remembering The Old Big G
The Turnesa Brothers, Jim, Joe and Mike
In singing Mary Hopkin's lyrics in the
song "Those Were The Days, My Friend We Thought They'd Never End" brings back
great memories of my early teens as a caddie at Grossinger's Golf Course when
it was often referred to as The Big G.
I always loved golf courses and did some caddying before going to Grossinger's at both the Sullivan County Golf & Country Club in Liberty and the Youngs Gap Hotel located on old Route 17 near Parksville.
My brother-in-law was going to college and did caddying at the Big G and I have to credit him for introducing me to Caddy Master Frank Kerns.
In those days there were no golf carts and the caddy carried the golf bags and if he knew the game and the course he could club (giving the golfer the correct club for playing that shot) and you always had to be alert as to where the shot went.
I remember well what my brother-in-law taught me about taking care of the caddy master at the end of each week and by that I mean making sure I gave him a good $20 tip which always assured me of caddying for good golfers who gave big tips after 18-holes of golf and that was both in the morning and afternoon.
Got to meet several professional caddies at Grossingers, these men worked Grossingers in the summer and Florida resorts in the winter but many of them were heavy drinkers and gamblers.
Will never forget one professional caddy named "Irish" who arrived each morning in his expensive sharp looking Cadillac, wore top of the line golf slacks, shirts, sweaters and golf shoes, did not drink, smoke or gamble and was a pure gentleman who of course got what we called the best rounds of golfers and made an exceptionally good income which I can attest to when I say him put a $50 bill in the church collection box.
It was interesting work for a high school or college student and if you were good at what you were doing it provided an above average income and always gave you the opportunity to play golf for free when the course was available.
The Professional Golfer and instructor at Grossinger's when I caddied there was Joe Turnesa, one of seven famous golfing brothers who turned professional in 1925 and who had 18 professional wins, 14 on the PGA Tour and ended up second in the U.S. Open in 1926 and second in the PGA Championship in 1927.
Joe was a great guy to be around and I frequently caddied for him in special events at the Big G.....also enjoyed caddying for entertainers like Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin and baseball greats like Jackie Robinson.
The antics that went on when caddying in a foursome with Lewis and Martin were something that I could write a book about.
Of course at that time the golf course only consisted of the front nine and the back nine which is now called the Vista and much redesigning has taken place since the late 40's and early 50's with the addition of another nine holes of golf.
Great memories of "Those Were The Days."
Ed's Outlook
Recovery from injuries or surgery presents various scenarios particularly from top named golfers and such is the case with Tiger Woods.
Woods turns 39 in December and he has been out of action for almost two months now and there are strong indications he will be missing the U.S. Open.....which will be his sixth major missed due to injury since turning pro....and the British Open looks none too promising either.
Indications from Wood are that the recovery from back surgery is going well but that the process is "slow."
There should be no rush to his recovery process and he should take his time even if he is fully cleared and hitting shots it will take him some time to be competitive after so much time off.
The cautious approach is not really Wood's nature, but for his future it may well be the prudent path.
Ed Townsend, a PR Consultant to the sport of Golf, writes and compiles the information for this column. If you have league information, standings or tournament information, shoot a hole-in-one or even shoot your age, call Ed at 845-439-8177, 845-866-0333, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com, or fax at 845-205-4474. View this column at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter.
Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
A good practice routine is important to your game and with this tip we hope to provide you with information on how to practice efficiently.
If you want to improve your game, it is important to set some goals for the season and map out a practice schedule.
You must first realize there are different areas of the game where you can focus on becoming a better player.
Most golfers consider hitting a bucket of balls before their round as practice.
Obviously, you want to work on your full swing, but you need to look at what is considered the scoring area of the game......the short game.
Putting, chipping, pitching and bunker shots are just as important as a 300-yard drive. Most golfers ignore this part of the game when they practice. I feel you should spend at least twice the amount of time practicing your short game as you do your full swing.
Try to put aside a minimum of one hour a week to devote to your short game practice. If you have a chance to go to the range after work you can spend a half hour on the range working on your full swing, and then take another night and spend one hour on the practice green working on your short game.
I bet you will find if you improve your short game you will see an improvement in your overall score. Also it is a good idea to make an appointment for a lesson with your local Golf Professional.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club on Mt. Hope Road in Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 845-292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net
Putting Tip
By Joe Bermel Jr.
Get your mind into "The Library."
When putting, for the entire Pre-Putt Routine (PPR), get your mind into "The Library" and keep it there for the entire round.
Remember, in "The Library", it is calm, peaceful, quiet and serene all the time.
Nothing bothers you in "The Library" and this is where you accelerate on the forward stroke and finish the putting stroke with a delicate paint brush stroke.
If golfers want to score well...they must learn to putt well.
Joe is available for private lessons, group, corporate, organizations and golf shows/tournaments. His special edition DVD "How To Putt Well" and his Putting Tip Of The Month Calendar are available by calling 631-589-1384, at his Web site www.ThePuttingDoctor.com or by email at joe@theputtingdoctor.com
I always loved golf courses and did some caddying before going to Grossinger's at both the Sullivan County Golf & Country Club in Liberty and the Youngs Gap Hotel located on old Route 17 near Parksville.
My brother-in-law was going to college and did caddying at the Big G and I have to credit him for introducing me to Caddy Master Frank Kerns.
In those days there were no golf carts and the caddy carried the golf bags and if he knew the game and the course he could club (giving the golfer the correct club for playing that shot) and you always had to be alert as to where the shot went.
I remember well what my brother-in-law taught me about taking care of the caddy master at the end of each week and by that I mean making sure I gave him a good $20 tip which always assured me of caddying for good golfers who gave big tips after 18-holes of golf and that was both in the morning and afternoon.
Got to meet several professional caddies at Grossingers, these men worked Grossingers in the summer and Florida resorts in the winter but many of them were heavy drinkers and gamblers.
Will never forget one professional caddy named "Irish" who arrived each morning in his expensive sharp looking Cadillac, wore top of the line golf slacks, shirts, sweaters and golf shoes, did not drink, smoke or gamble and was a pure gentleman who of course got what we called the best rounds of golfers and made an exceptionally good income which I can attest to when I say him put a $50 bill in the church collection box.
It was interesting work for a high school or college student and if you were good at what you were doing it provided an above average income and always gave you the opportunity to play golf for free when the course was available.
The Professional Golfer and instructor at Grossinger's when I caddied there was Joe Turnesa, one of seven famous golfing brothers who turned professional in 1925 and who had 18 professional wins, 14 on the PGA Tour and ended up second in the U.S. Open in 1926 and second in the PGA Championship in 1927.
Joe was a great guy to be around and I frequently caddied for him in special events at the Big G.....also enjoyed caddying for entertainers like Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin and baseball greats like Jackie Robinson.
The antics that went on when caddying in a foursome with Lewis and Martin were something that I could write a book about.
Of course at that time the golf course only consisted of the front nine and the back nine which is now called the Vista and much redesigning has taken place since the late 40's and early 50's with the addition of another nine holes of golf.
Great memories of "Those Were The Days."
Ed's Outlook
Recovery from injuries or surgery presents various scenarios particularly from top named golfers and such is the case with Tiger Woods.
Woods turns 39 in December and he has been out of action for almost two months now and there are strong indications he will be missing the U.S. Open.....which will be his sixth major missed due to injury since turning pro....and the British Open looks none too promising either.
Indications from Wood are that the recovery from back surgery is going well but that the process is "slow."
There should be no rush to his recovery process and he should take his time even if he is fully cleared and hitting shots it will take him some time to be competitive after so much time off.
The cautious approach is not really Wood's nature, but for his future it may well be the prudent path.
Ed Townsend, a PR Consultant to the sport of Golf, writes and compiles the information for this column. If you have league information, standings or tournament information, shoot a hole-in-one or even shoot your age, call Ed at 845-439-8177, 845-866-0333, email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com, or fax at 845-205-4474. View this column at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook and Twitter.
Golf Tip
By Robert Menges
A good practice routine is important to your game and with this tip we hope to provide you with information on how to practice efficiently.
If you want to improve your game, it is important to set some goals for the season and map out a practice schedule.
You must first realize there are different areas of the game where you can focus on becoming a better player.
Most golfers consider hitting a bucket of balls before their round as practice.
Obviously, you want to work on your full swing, but you need to look at what is considered the scoring area of the game......the short game.
Putting, chipping, pitching and bunker shots are just as important as a 300-yard drive. Most golfers ignore this part of the game when they practice. I feel you should spend at least twice the amount of time practicing your short game as you do your full swing.
Try to put aside a minimum of one hour a week to devote to your short game practice. If you have a chance to go to the range after work you can spend a half hour on the range working on your full swing, and then take another night and spend one hour on the practice green working on your short game.
I bet you will find if you improve your short game you will see an improvement in your overall score. Also it is a good idea to make an appointment for a lesson with your local Golf Professional.
Robert Menges is the head golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club on Mt. Hope Road in Swan Lake. He is available for private lessons and if you have a question or subject you would like covered, he can be reached at 845-292-0323 or via email at menges@hughes.net
Putting Tip
By Joe Bermel Jr.
Get your mind into "The Library."
When putting, for the entire Pre-Putt Routine (PPR), get your mind into "The Library" and keep it there for the entire round.
Remember, in "The Library", it is calm, peaceful, quiet and serene all the time.
Nothing bothers you in "The Library" and this is where you accelerate on the forward stroke and finish the putting stroke with a delicate paint brush stroke.
If golfers want to score well...they must learn to putt well.
Joe is available for private lessons, group, corporate, organizations and golf shows/tournaments. His special edition DVD "How To Putt Well" and his Putting Tip Of The Month Calendar are available by calling 631-589-1384, at his Web site www.ThePuttingDoctor.com or by email at joe@theputtingdoctor.com
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