Saturday, May 26, 2012

Golfing Highlights Column 5-25-12


New Management At Tennanah Lake Golf & Tennis Club
  
   Golfers making their first trip to the Tennanah Lake Golf & Tennis Club will be greeted by new general manager Fran Muller and new Pro-Shop Manager Bret Reimer along with a popular outside dining deck which offers golfers a 60-mile panoramic view of the magnificent Catskill Mountains.
  Fran  has been associated with Tennanah Lake Golf & Tennis Club since 2008 when she worked part-time one day a week preparing the payroll. 
  Originally from Long Island Fran moved here to get out of the everyday Long Island grind and also to be home more with the children which would offer them a better quality of life. 
  After  moving into the local community Ms. Muller became involved with community service serving as local Chamber of  Commerce treasurer for the past five years, worked with Renaissance and is a church volunteer. 
  She is well liked and posses a great personality and when the opportunity came she stepped up and took the position of general manager which she prefers the title to be called  team leader.
  "We have a great team that has moved mountains with big and small changes to the course and property," Fran noted.
  "Our employees have really taken ownership and care about their jobs and the property as a whole, always looking beyond their scope of responsibility," Ms. Muller said. 
  Noting that the Thursday Men's league has almost doubled in size Fran added, "we continue to enjoy the support of our local businesses, organizations and residents," Fran said. 
  Twenty-three year-old Bret Reimer is the new Pro-Shop Manager and is starting his 5th summer of work at this facility. At the age of 12 Bret came up Tennanah Lake to play in the Youth Tournaments then started working as a cart boy and progressed up to working at the front desk.
  A resident of Hortonville Bret is a graduate of Sullivan West Central High School where he was a member of the school golf team. He is also a graduate of SUNY Oswego  with a BS degree in Political Science and Public Justice.
  Bret will teach youth leagues this season and he pointed out that the pro shop is fully equipped with leading brand clubs and custom-made clubs are now available.
  The course this year features new tee signs with sponsors, new cart paths on the back nine and a new signature hole at the 12th green. 
  The Grill restaurant is being managed by Food & Beverage Manager Casey Tallman with the restaurant serving lunch, breakfast and dinner. Call the club for restaurant hours.  
   Jimmy Bowers Jr. is the golf course superintendent.
   The golf facilities also offers a putting green and driving range.
  The facilities also include two tennis courts, a heated pool, stay and play packages and catering facilities at Wolf's Catering.
  Tennanah Lake is the oldest golf course operating in Sullivan County.
  Tee times reservations and information can be obtained by calling 607-498-5000 or at their web site, www.tennanah.com or by email at tennanahlake@aol.com 
  This week we will outline the front nine 1-9 and offer suggestions on how these holes should be played.   
  Hole No. 1 is a 355-yard par 4 with a slight dogleg to the left. Take your tee shot to the left center. A trap is on the right front section of this green. 
    Hole No. 2 is a 547-yard par 5 featuring a narrow opening in front of the tee but the fairway then opens up some 75 to 100 yards from the tee. A straight tee shot is a must here or a lot of trouble will greet you on the left and right. A sand trap is on the left side of the green. A long-straight tee shot and a solid second shot slightly down hill makes this green reachable in two and a good par or birdie possibility.
    Hole No. 3 is a 379-yard par 4 slightly uphill with a dogleg left. Best tee shot is right center on top of the hill. From here there is still a slight uphill shot. From 50 to 60 yards from the green there is a small deep ditch and it runs all the way across the fairway.
    Hole No. 4 is a 192-yard par 3. Drive it left center and there is a trap on the left side of this new green. Takes a long iron or 3 to 5 wood to reach the green. 
    Hole No. 5 is a 358-yard par 4 with a dogleg left. Some trees will come into play if you hit left. 
     Hole No. 6 is a 413-yard par 4 which presents to every golfer one of the smallest openings from the tee to the fairway we have ever seen. After a real straight tee shot the fairway does open up to the left but there are trees to the right. Best tee shot is left center. Some 100 yards from the tee there is another ditch which runs across the  fairway. A trap on the left and right side of the green also is a challenge. 
    Hole No. 7 is a 435-yard par 5 and the fairway runs straight uphill. This is where you let it all out with a long tee shot and a long iron or three wood from the fairway. A trap is on the right side of the green. Long ball hitters can go for the birdie on this hole.
   Hole No. 8 is a 312-yard par 4. Sand traps are on the left and right side of the green and a large tree stands almost in front of the green which makes for an interesting approach shot to the green.  
   Hole No. 9 is a 190-yard par 3 and is slightly uphill and seems to play longer than 190 yards. A tough par 3 with a new green but a good tee shot to the green almost results in a par. Sand traps are at the front and back of this green.
   We will outline  holes 10-18 in next week's column.

The Golf Tip
By Robert Menges  

    In today's ever-changing golf game, most players are under the influence that if they hit the ball longer they will play better.
    Even though technology has increased how far the ball will travel, the scores are about the same. There is no doubt that if you hit the ball longer you should have less club to the green and be able to get the ball closer to the hole and make more putts.
    I believe this to be true, but you better be able to hit the shots on the green close to the pin.
    To do this it's important to carry three wedges in your golf bag. Most golfers have a pitching wedge with 47-49 degrees of loft.
    You have a choice to make for the other two wedges. A gap wedge comes with about 50 to 53 degrees of loft and a lob wedge is about 60-64 degrees of loft. I would choose between these two clubs depending on how far you hit the ball.
    A lob wedge will save you shots around the green and a gap wedge will help you with the in between yardages in the fairway.
    You should always carry a sand wedge that has 54-57 degrees of loft.
    The next time you play a round of golf, count how many shots you take from 100 yards to the hole. I think you will find that this will total about 60 percent of your score.
    When you are trying to improve your score, it is important to lower the number of shots you take close to the green. I think having three wedges in your bag will help you accomplish a lower score.
     Robert Menges is the golf professional at the Swan Lake Golf & Country Club, Mt. Hope Road, 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 by e-mail at menges@hughes.net   

The Putting Tip
By Joe Bermel

  A special key  to good consistent putting is FINISHING THE PUTTING STROKE.
  Most golfers do not finish and then they wondwer why they are short of the hole.
  You start  the strike, you must finish and hold the finish.
  Finishing means the putter head is a minimum 2 feet past the ball. This helps the momentum, the ball will roll end over end and reach the hole.
  Joe Bermel is available for private lessons, group, corporate, organization and golf shows-tournaments. His special edition DVD "How To Putt Well" is available by calling 631-589-1384, at his Web Site www.ThePuttingDoctor.com or by email at joe@theputtingdoctor.com 

 Ed's Outlook

  We totally endorse fellow columnist Ken Cohen's remarks that poor decisions were made in the playing of the OCIAA boys golf tournament May 15 at Grossinger's.
  The weather that day wasn't fit for anyone but despite heavy rain some of the area's best local high school golfers were forced to play in terrible conditions.
  The weather and course conditions finally prevailed and play was suspended after 8-10 holes of play
  Is this what championship tournament golf is all about? 
  The OCIAA golf chairman and the coaches with the weather they were facing should have cancelled Tuesday's match and rescheduled the event later on that same week.
  We are sure that golf scores for this event would have been greatly improved under better playing conditions.

   Occasionally, tight space requirements results in items being edited out of columns. For full coverage of this column go to http://bght.blogspot.com This column is written by Ed Townsend,  a consultant to the amateur and professional sport of golf and to several golf writers associations. If you have a topic that you believe would make good reading or have league standings and tournament information, please call Ed at 845-439-8177, by e-mail at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com and by fax at 845-205-4474. This column is also available on Facebook. 


                                                          
Identification of above photos from top to bottom

Tennanah Lake Golf & Tennis Club's new Pro Shop Manager Bret Reimer, left, with the Club's new General Manager Fran Muller. 
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A new attractive addition at the Tennanah Lake Golf Course includes the installations of small pond like structures and a water fountain where the steam crosses the fairway on Hole No. 3. 
                                                                      
Tennanah Lake Golf & Tennis Club Golf Course Superintendent James Bowers, left, with Food Service Manager Casey Tallman. 

                                                                                  

               

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