BGHT: Golfing Highlights Column 8-17-12

Jean Knickerbocker Plays Golf 7 Days A Week

Jean Knickerbocker will celebrate her 90th birthday October 13 and since she plays golf seven days a week that celebration might very well come on the golf course.

When asked how many times a week she plays golf Jean commented " I play golf every day that ends with a Y."

Considered one of the top woman golfers in the tri-town areas of Rockland, Neversink and Fremont in New York and in the Summertree area of New Port Riche in Florida Jean has won at least 10 club championships at the Roscoe Twin Village Golf Club and 13 club championships at the Summertree Golf Course in Florida.

Added to her club championships are 5 hole-in-ones, three at Summertree and two at Twin Village on the 4th and 6th holes. Jean has also won several Invitational Tournaments.

Her Tuesday Night Ladies league partner is Mary Austin and this duo won the league championship last year.

Playing presently to a 10 handicap at Roscoe and a 6 handicap at Summertree Jean said that at the present time she usually plays just nine holes a day but on the Thursday Ladies day at Twin Village she will play nine holes before noon and then add another nine in the afternoon.

Born on October 13, 1922 (Friday the 13th) at Bliss, NY, south of the Buffalo area, Jean said that she was raised on a farm and graduated from Bliss High School in 1938, graduated from Houghton College in 1943 and later received her Master of Library Science degree from SUNY Geneseo. In college Jean lettered in three sports, basketball, tennis and track. One of the great professional honors Jean enjoys is her selection as a member of MENSA (for IQ and intelligence level).

She taught at Henderson High School in the Town of Henderson, Jefferson County, for one year and taught 7-12 math, 4-12 physical education, accompanied the chorus on the piano, coached the cheerleaders, coached boys basketball and drove the boys basketball players home after practice.

Jean French (her maiden name) moved to the Roscoe area in 1944 to begin a 28-year teaching career at Roscoe Central where she taught math before taking seven years off to raise her family. She returned to the school district as school librarian.

In 1944 Jean took up the game of golf for the first time in her life after being urged to play with school physical education teacher Dure' Seitel. "We rode to the golf course on our bicycles," she noted.

In 1946 Jean married LaVerne Knickerbocker who she met after he returned from military service. LaVerne was an outstanding athlete, was a good golfer and they joined the Twin Village Golf Club for $35 which Jean noted was the family club fee at that time.

It wasn't until 1979 that Jean started to play everyday and at that time in her life she pointed out that "we walked the course."

The Knickerbocker's raised three children, Terry, 65, former Jeff-Youngsville teacher and track coach who now lives in New Bern, North Carolina, Tom, 65, who lives in Poughkeepsie and The Villages in Florida during the winter months, and Kim 57 who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. All three have become excellent golfers and the Knickerbocker family for many years played a lot of "family golf."

LaVerne and Jean were married 55 years when he passed away in 2001. The Knickerbocker's family has been extended to 4 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren with Tom's son, Erin, 17, being the No. 1 golfer on the Spackenkill High School boys team.

While golfing at the Roscoe Twin Village Golf Club it's easy to spot Jean driving her Yamaha golf cart (the best looking golf cart on the course) and sporting attractive golf attire.

Ed's Outlook

The Roscoe Kiwanis Club will host their annual Golf Tournament at the Tennanah Lake Golf Course on September 16 with a shotgun start time of 1 p.m.

Registration will take place at noon.

The $70 per golfer entry fee for this scramble best ball event includes golf, cart, one-hour open bar at the Rockland House followed by a buffet dinner.

Additional information is available from Tournament Chairman Jim Tempel at 607-498-9929.

Par 3 Fun Event

Sept. 9 At TVGC

The 4th annual Roscoe Twin Village Golf Club's 18-hole Par 3 fun event with mulligans will take place Sunday, Sept. 9 at 1:15 p.m.

The event is a Captain & Mate (2 men/2 women/one of each) format which also includes contests in putting, bunker shots, inside the square, hole-in-one, betting special and special 50/50 drawings.

Ten foursomes are needed by August 31. Cost is $18 per player plus cart fees and golfers are urged to bring extra coins for the fun events with all proceeds going to the golf club.

Signup at the clubhouse or call Ralph Kirchner at 607-498-5555 or 570-296-4681.

Ralph promises a fun afternoon of golf activities as the 9-hole Twin Village course is transformed into an 18-hole course.

Ed Townsend is a consultant to the sport of golf. If you have league scores, tournament info, a hole-in-one, scoring your age or any topic that you feel would make good reading, Ed can be reached at 845-439-8177, by email at edwardctownsend@hotmail.com or by fax at 845-205-4474. Visit his column at http://bght.blogspot.com We are also on Facebook.

Golf Tip

By Robert Menges

In the 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 aabout 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. Her 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 email at menges@hughes.net

Putting Tip

By Joe Bermel

Confidence in your putting ability is a huge key to success on the green.

To achieve this I strongly recommend the 4-step process.

1. Motivation to improve.

2. Practicing the correct elements of putting including 4 putting drills.

3. Use quality, diligent practice sessions and these will bring good results.

4. These good results will give the golfer the CONFIDENCE to continue the practice and building of putting skills over time.

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