Golf Season Nearly Over

This is all that most of us have to look forward to in the next 6 months as we look forward to next spring. Some of the lucky ones will be heading south soon for the other half of the golf year.

Here is another reminder that golf carts and clubs have to be out of the club by this Sunday, the 12th. Please help us out and make sure everything is picked up.

I'd also like to thank everyone for another great golf season and I look forward to seeing everyone next spring.

Club Wind Up scheduled for October4th

This years club wind up is scheduled for next Saturday, October 4th. It will be a 12 noon shotgun and a non competitive scramble format. Players can enter as a team or individually. Entry fee is $20 and that includes supper after the golf. Please call the Pro Shop if you would like to play.

In other season ending business, the restaurant will be closed on October 10th. All carts must be out of the compound by October 12th. For those of you who have purchased the winter storage program, we will be moving the carts into storage on the 12th as well. The curling rink will be cleaned on October 13th, Thanksgiving Day.

Fall Rates begin next Monday

Starting this Monday, September 22, we will be implementing fall rates until the end of the season.

Regular green fees will be $23 for walkers and for those who choose to ride the fee will be $30 per player.

The course is still in great shape, so make plans to come out. Please call us at the Pro Shop for tee times or book online elsewhere on the website.

Bill North doing well at Canadian Seniors

Our own Bill North is doing very well at the Canadian Senior Golf Championships this week. Bill fired a fine 74 today to sit in a tie for 25th after 3 rounds. He is the low Manitoban sitting one stroke ahead of Manitoba Senior Champion Don Jackson of Portage.

You can see all the scores at the link below:

http://rcga.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/rcga8/event/rcga821/contest/4/leaderboard.htm

Home Team wins Provincial Handicap Championship

Here is Terry Dyck celebrating the win with a kiss to the trophy.

Carman's own Wayne Giesbrecht, Norm Allen, Ken Buchanan, and Terry Dyck combined to win the provincial Golf Manitoba Team Handicap championship Monday here at Carman Golf Club. Wayne led the way with a one under par 70, but it was the entire teams effort that helped pave the way for the victory.

Each player received 75% of their handicap and played against other clubs from accross the province and Nprthern Ontario.

Congratulations to the boys on their victory.

Busy Week Coming up

We have a busy week coming up at the club. Monday we have the Golf Manitoba Team Handicap Championship, Tuesday we have the Ladies and Seniors wind ups, Wednesday the Wing Commanders from 9:00 to 10:30, Thursday a modified shotgun with Aviva Insurance and Friday with 144 ladies with the Annual Women in the Rough tournament. That tournament has an 11:00 shotgun, not the 12:00 shotgun that was in the calendar. On Saturday, Garrett Veldman has a large group starting at 11:00 and on Sunday is the Ladies Last Chance.

Please have patience with us at the club next week as these tournaments really help the club in the long run.  

Aeration almost complete

Rob and the greens crew took advantage of a nice day on Wednesday and were able to complete the aerating save for one or two holes. The lack of wind was the only problem as the sand couldn't dry quite fast enough.

Weather Delays Aerating

The rain on Monday afternoon and Tuesday has thrown a wrench into the clubs plans to aerate the greens. With the forecast slightly better for Wednesday, we are going to attempt to finish it then. Please stayed tuned here or call the Pro Shop to see how things are going.

Men's Night donates 60/40 proceeds to cancer care

Romeo and Wes Labosierre accepted a cheque for $1000 on behalf of their daughter and sister Stacey who passed away 2 years ago from cancer. Stacey worked here at the club a few years ago before getting married and moving on to a position with Elite Communications.

The money will go to the chemotherapy unit at Boundary Trails Hospital. That is where Carman residents go for their treatments. Romeo and Wes have worked hard to raise money for the unit and Men's Night Golf is honored to be able to help such a worthy cause.

Domestic Elk Feast

Andre will be offering a Domestic Elk dinner next Friday at the club. The price will $25 including all the taxes and will include salad, roasted potatoes, veggies, dessert and coffee. Reservations are requested, so please call the restaurant at 745-3611 to make them. This looks like a great chance to have an exotic meal at the club.

Season seems to be drawing to a close

It seems hard to believe, but the 2008 season is starting to draw to a close. Both of our evening leagues held their wind-ups this week with both groups reporting good years with excellent turnouts.

Both of our day leagues have completed their regular matches with their respective wind-ups scheduled for September 9th. The Ladies will be playing a 9 hole round with a shot gun at 12:00. They will follow that with prizes, lunch and their annual meeting. While that is happening, the senior men will be on the course with their 18 hole round. A steak dinner and prizes will follow their round.

Along with Labour Day this weekend comes our semi-annual aeration of the greens. We will be starting Monday afternoon around 2:30 and will go throuh the front 9. We hope to have all the hole done by Tuesday. Please understand that this process is an inconvenience, but is essential to keep the greens in great shape the rest of the season.

With any luck we will have another month of nice golfing weather and everone will get a chance to get their share of golf in.

Junior Junior Golf

We will be offering beginner golf lessons at the club again this year. Lessons will be on Friday, August 22 and Thursday, August 28 from 4 till 5 each day. We will try and cover basic fundamentals, rules and etiquette each day.

Lessons are available to member's children, grandchildren or friends. There will be no charge for the lessons. For more information or to register, please call the Pro Shop at 745-2366.

Don Jackson wins Manitoba Senior Golf Championship

Don Jackson of Portage won the Manitoba Seniors Golf Championship this week at Carman Golf Club. He shot rounds of 71, 73 and 74 for a 3 round total of 5 over par 218. Three players tied for second including our own Bill North, Grant Foster and Dennis Burns. Bill shot a final round 71 to pass a bunch of players to get a position on the 4 man Manitoba team. Bill will be travelling with the team to Sault St Marie for the Canadian Seniors Championship in September. Good luck Bill and play well.

The course was in great shape all week and all the participants enjoyed the course and the hospitality they received while they were here.

Kevin Giesbrecht is in Trinidad this week representing Canada in the Steven Ames Cup. It will be a great trip for Kevin and we hope he has a great time. Here is a link to the tournament there:
http://www.trinidadandtobagogolfassociation.com/www.amescup.com/amescup2008.htm

After he gets back from there, he will be on his way to Paris, Texas to begin his college golf career at Paris Junior College.

This week the Manitoba Summer Games is coming to Carman with the golf being played on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Come on out and see some some of Manitoba's future great golfers. Carman golfers playing include Regan Bell, Matthew Bell, and Brock Vanderveen.

Carman Golf Club to host Manitoba Senior Golf Championship

Here is a competitor lining up a putt at last years championship.

Carman Golf Club will be hosting the Manitoba Senior Golf Championships this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings. Reigning Champion Don Jackson from Portage will be back to defend his title. It will not be easy as he will be challenged by many great players including previous winners Gavin Speirs and Larry Hayden. The Carman contingent includes Bill North, Glen Sinclair and Don Revel.

There should be some exciting golf here at the club, so come out and watch and cheer on our boys.

The Club Championships were held this weekend this some great golf played by the participants. Wayne Giesbrecht won the men's division with a score of 144. Kathy Adams won the ladies division with a 198. Bill North scorched the senior men's with a total of 138 and Carole Withers handled the ladies with a 181 total. Net flight winners were Darren Thorgillson, Russ Patterson, Paul Deschenes, John Penner, Bernice Patterson and Doris Allen.

Carman Golf Club would like to thank all the sponsors who made the prizes possible. Thanks to:

Syl's Drive Inn
Klos Realty
Nakonechny and Power Accountants
Mike Gottfred Golf Services

You can see the rest of the winners below. (You might need a magnifying glass)

Cart Rules

As we get to the middle of the season, sometimes we tend to relax a little bit with how we drive our power carts. Both members and green fee players are expected to follow the 90 degree rule at all times while driving on the course. That means staying on the cart paths until you are even with your ball on the fairway. At that point you can cut accross to the ball. After hitting the ball, please return directly back to the path. We understand that with 2 players on a cart that it is not an exact science, but please do your best to stay on the path as much as possible. As well carts should stay on the path at all times around tees and greens. On particular trouble spot is to the right of the 11th green. Please keep your carts on the left side of the green and on the path. That area to the right of that green becomes very worn if the carts keep going there.

The golf course is in great shape and we would like to keep it that way. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Club Championships

Next weekend we will be playing the Club Championships at Carman Golf Club. There are 4 divisions. Men's and senior men's, ladies and senior ladies. The age for the senior division in the men's is 55 and for the ladies is 50.

There will be both net and gross divisions in each category.

Entry is free and there will be $800 in gift certificates available to be won.

Participants in the net divisions must have a current RCGA handicap in the club computer.

Tee times will be between 8:00 and 10:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. Players may make up their own groups for Saturday, but Sunday's draw will be done by score.

Please let us know at the Pro Shop if you are interested in playing.

Kevin Giesbrecht wins 3rd Manitoba Junior!!

Congratulations to Kevin Giesbrecht who won his 3rd consecutive Manitoba Junior Championship at The Meadows Golf Course in Winnipeg. Kevin shot a 1 over 73 to win by a single shot over Aaron Cockerill (who is a nephew of Elaine Cockerill, one of our members). Kevin won in dramatic fashion by making an eagle on the 18th hole.
Kevin becomes the first person to win 3 junior titles since Rob McMillan won 4 in a row in the 1990's. Matt Dodds had a tough last 2 days, but still had a respectable finish in 45th place.

Carman Area Foundation and Carman EMS Tournaments

We have a couple of very important local tournaments coming up at the Club on successive Thursdays.

First of all, next Thursday July 24th, the Carman Area Foundation has their tournament. It goes at 12:00 noon with a shotgun start. Entry fee is $100 per player or $500 for a team of 5 players. Groups go in 5-somes and the entry fee includes golf, dinner, and prizes. A tax receipt will be issued for a portion of the entry fee. Entry deadline is July 21st with entry forms available at the Pro Shop.

The Carman Area Foundation is a non profit organization that supports many needy groups around the local area.

The Carman EMS Tournament is being held this year on July 31st instead of the normal date of the second Thursday in August. This is due to the Manitoba Summer Games being held that week in Carman. The EMS tournament, formally known as the RCMP Tournament, has an entry fee of $60 per player or $240 per team. Entry forms are available in the Pro Shop. Entry fee includes golf, dinner and prizes.

This tournament also raises money for local charities and this is the 35th year in a row that this tournament has been held.

Lots of Stuff

Congratulations to 3 of our members who made the cut at the recent Manitoba Amateur Championships held in Gimli. Kevin Giesbrecht, Josh McFadden, and Brett Claggett-Woods all made the cut. New member Matt Dodds just missed by a couple of strokes. You can see all the scores by clicking on the following link:

http://mtba.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/manitobaga8/event/manitobaga811/contest/1/leaderboard.htm

We are having our annual His and Hers tournament next Sunday on July 20. The entry is not full yet, so if any couples would like to play, please call the Pro Shop at 745-2366 to enter a team. Entry fee is $90 per couple and includes golf, dinner and prizes. It is a 1:30 shotgun start.

Due to the great weather this spring, I have a surplus of golf sandals. They are now on sale for $74.95. I have a fair selection of both Men's and Ladies sizes. This price only applies to in stock shoes.

Happy Canada Day!!!

Happy Canada Day to all our members and guests. The forecast looks great for the next few days so try and make the time to come out. The mosquitoes aren't too bad out here, so your round should be enjoyable.

Our leagues that usually play on Tuesdays will play on Monday this week due to the Holiday. We still have a few tee times available for Holiday Tuesday if any one is still looking for a place to play.

I promised to let you know how Kevin Giesbrecht played when he went to Calgary to play in the Glencoe Invitational last week and he did fairly well. He shot rounds of 82, 78 and 75 on a very difficult golf course. He improved every day and should be in good shape for the Manitoba Amateur which starts next week.

It's June 20th and Summer officially arrives later today. On the down side the days are starting to get shorter.

Actually, the weather is starting to look up and the course is starting to get busier. Please remember to call ahead for a tee time to avoid disappointment.

Wayne Giebrecht wins Men's Open

Wayne Giesbrecht fired a spectacular 5 under par 66 on Sunday to win the 2008 Carman Men's Open. He was 4 strokes ahead of perenial favorite Bruce North, local greensman Brett Claggett-Woods and Sheldon Fleury who each shot a 1 under par 70. Russ Slobodian was 2 strokes further back at 72. Reigning Manitoba Junior Champiom Kevin Giesbrecht was 73 and reigning Manitoba Seniors Champion Don Jackson was 74.

We had 212 golfers which was up from 199 last year.

Wayne also prevailed in the member's flight with a net 63. Former Manitoba Senior's Curling Champ Lionel Walz was next at 66, followed by Larry Steinsvik at 68.

After the round I sat down with Wayne and we talked about his round. "There was a lot of pressure playing with my son Kevin, but since it was Father's Day, I made sure he knew who the better golfer was. I wasn't hitting it great, but with some good chips, good putts, and a few breaks, I was able to make it around with a good score."

Speaking of Kevin, he is in Calgary this week playing in the Glencoe Invitational, which is a prestigious junior tournament. I will report on how he does later this week.

Our Ladies Open managed to get in between the rain this morning and the Ladies were treated to a lovely day. Bal Mustapha shot a fine 89 and won by 7 shots over Lauren Chornomydz and Gloria Penner.

Bal is pictured here with Associate Professional Sherri Moorhouse accepting her prize.

Marg Zach won the second flight and is pictured below with Sherri Moorhouse.

Bertha Risbey won the 3rd flight and is pictured below.

Thanks to all the Ladies who came out and all the volunteers who helped make this a great day.

Weather Outlook

We are monitoring the weather for Men's Night tonight and the Ladies Open tomorrow. The forecast is not very good for both days, but we will wait and see.

For Men's Night we will make a call this afternoon and wait until tomorrow morning for the Ladies. I will be in the Pro Shop by 6:30 so players can call to see what is happening. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the forecasters are wrong.

Men's and Ladies Opens coming this week

The Carman Ladies Openis scheduled for this Thursday at 9:00 with a shotgun start. Entry fee is $40 with a light lunch following play. We still have room for a few players, so please call the Pro Shop at 745-2366 for your entry.

The Men's Open is this Saturday and Sunday. Entry is $40 and includes golf and a chance at some great prizes. Tee times are from 8:00 til noon on Saturday and from 8:00 until 1:00 on Sunday. Please call the Pro Shop for entries. There will be a members net flight as well as the regular flights.

Rain, Rain, Rain

After a full day of rain yesterday, things are looking much better Saturday morning. Reports say that we got between 2 and a half to 3 inches. However, the course soaked it up really well and carts are still allowed on the grass.

Summer is Here??

Finally the weather seems to be cooperating and the course is starting to come around. Its funny what a little rain and heat can do to make the course look great.

June is just around the corner and that brings more company tournaments. Please check the calender to make sure you are not disappointed when you come out.

The Pro Shop would appreciate if all golfers would check in before they head down to the first tee. The tee may seem open, but there might be a group just coming out of the shop and heading down. Also, in case of emergencies, we need to know who is out there. Thank you for your cooperation.

Another sad Note

It's been a tough time lately at the Club with a few members passing away. Donna Mutcher passed away recently and we were sad to hear that. She was unable to play this year due to health reasons, but had been hoping to get back out to the course. Our prayers and thoughts go out to all her family.

Club Stuff

The work on the deck has been completed and the results look fabulous. It will increase the capacity out there and with the glass will make for a great view whether you are sitting or standing. We look forward to some nice warm evenings to enjoy an adult beverage or two out there.

The greens have been aerated and came through fine. Rob and his staff didn't get started until Tuesday due to the wet weather on Monday. We had some favourable weather on that day and the guys were able to do all 18 holes then. In a few days you won't even be able to tell that they had been punched.

Another sad note

Mickey Fey, a relatively new member here at Carman Golf Club, passed away suddenly last Saturday. Mick and his wife Margaret moved to Carman from Snow Lake about 3 years ago and have been members here at the club since then. Mick loved his golf and we will all miss him here. Our thoughts and prayers are with Margaret and the rest of his family.

Warm weather and Long Weekends and aeration

We finally have some nice weather!! We had a great rain on Monday and are finally getting some heat. We have the May long weekend coming up with some great weather being forecast.

However with every May long weekend, come the aeration of our greens on the Holiday Monday afternoon. They greens crew will get started about 3:00 on that day and try and get done by sometime Tuesday, weather permitting. We always have some grumbling about the aeration process, but it is an essential program for keeping the greens in great shape.

Below is a question and answer from the USGA website concerning the need for aeration. It provides a nice concise answer to the question about the need to do it.

Our greens were in great shape and now our golf course superintendent ruined them by punching holes all over them. I think she is being overprotective of them and just too stubborn to change her ways. Is this aeration all that important?

top
Aeration is an extremely important maintenance practice. Although it results in a temporary disruption of the green, aeration improves water penetration into the soil, reduces soil compaction, stimulates turf grass root growth for a healthier plant, helps control thatch build-up, and improves overall growing conditions. Aeration generally is done once or twice per year, and sometimes more often if certain problems exist.
Think of it like going to the dentist for your twice-yearly check-up. The same holds true for aeration. You can skip a visit to the dentist, but you will contribute to problems over the long term. You can skip one of the semi-annual aerations, but this can result in a faster turf loss. Your superintendent isn’t being overprotective. She is doing exactly what should be done to ensure long-term turf health.

SkyCaddie now in the shop

I have received my first shipment of SkyCaddie units and they are almost sold out. If anyone is interested in getting a unit please let me know and I can order them. If you want to see how they work, come by the shop and we will give a demonstration. They are really cool!!

Another Sad Note

2 members recently passed away, although neither had been able to play much golf in recent years.

Fred Eby was an Honorary Life member who contributed very much to the Carman Golf Club over the years. Although he hadn't golfed for quite a while, he still came by for lunch quite often and graced us with his presence.

Earle Garnett also hadn't golfed much recently, but he also came by the club every Sunday morning for breakfast. Earle put quite a bit of work into the club when we expanded from 9 to 18 holes and it was appreciated. Both gentlemen will be missed.

SkyCaddie update

Our course has now been uploaded to the SkyCaddie site. For those of you who already have the unit, you will be able to use them here. I expect my shipment of the units to be here any day. I have had to increase my order as my initial order had already been spoken for. Keep checking back.

The unit below is the color one and has a few more features than the black and white model, but they both will do the job.

Will it ever warm up??

Another weekend is approaching and it seems like it will never warm up. We had a nice day on Tuesday for the leagues and it was a pleasant surprise. Wednesday night was cool for the men, the the brave players managed to make it around.

I have a new employee in the shop. Lisa Bartley is from Roland and is excited to be joining the Carman Golf Club team. Please show patience as she learns all the members names and nuances. As well, Ryan Sayer will be joining us to work on weekends when he is not teaching at the Laureate Academy in Winnipeg.

Sky Caddie!!!

We had the course set up for the SkyCaddie GPS yardage system today and the yardages should be available in a week or two. For those of you not familiar with the SkyCaddie system it gives you the yardage to the green on every hole from where you are standing as well as yardages to various hazards on the course. It is a real cool item and should help with play on the course.

I will be selling the units in the Pro Shop. There is a black and white screen that will sell for $299 and a color unit that will be around $479. They should be here in a week or two as well. If you want to see more information you can link to their website here: http://www.skygolfgps.com/

Joke's Over

As I sit in my office this Friday morning and look out the window, I hope that I am dreaming and all this snow is a joke. However, a quick pinch proves that dream wrong. Actually most of the snow melted yesterday and there isn't more than a few inches on the course. With a warm sun and maybe temperatures above zero, the rest may go this afternoon.

We are closed for today and we will have to wait and see for the weekend. The temperatures are forecast to go in the double digits by Monday or Tuesday, so lets hope that will get the season started for real. Remember the league sign ups are next week.

Season Over?

Is the season going to be over before it even begins? With the forecast blizzard it seems like the season might be over before it gets started, but rest assured, we will still have a nice season. With the nice warm sun, the snow should be gone in no time.

On another topic, I am still looking for some help in the Pro Shop. If anyone knows of a hard worker looking for a fun summer job, contact me at the Pro Shop. Some computer knowledge would be an asset as well the ability to deal with the public. Call Mike at the Pro Shop at 745-2366 for more information.

Opening Tomorrow!!!

We are finally opening the course and clubhouse tomorrow, Monday April 21. The clubhouse looks nice in its new color and the course looks nice in its new color. (green)

Of course the weather doesn't look good for the next few days, but I am sure that we will get nice weather soon enough.

Rob has the automatic watering system up and running on the back nine and should have the front nine working later this afternoon. The river has come up in the last few days which has made everyone a little more optimistic. The course is very dry, but with our homemade rainfall, things should green up very quickly.  

Returning members please remember that the fees go up after May 1st, so make sure that you pay them on time. You can call the Pro Shop and put them on your credit cards if you are not able to make it down in person by then.

Here is a beautiful picture Terry Ross took about a week ago of the creek in front of the 9th green and a couple of geese in it. The picture was even featured on the evening CKY News when Sylvia showed it.

However, people who know Terry well are all surprised that he shot the geese with only his camera.

Golf Course Opening?

It's Masters weekend and I am hunkered down waiting to watch the weekend action and see who will be coming out on top.

As for our golf course, we are planning on opening Monday, April 21st. The Clubhouse will be opening that day as well. The painters are working feverishly this week to repaint the restaurant area, giving a fresh hue with some nice new colors.

The Pro Shop will be open starting this Tuesday from 9:00-4:00 during the week and from 10:00-3:00 next weekend. We will be there to take membership fees and answer any questions.

I hope to have the compound ready for carts by Thursday if you want to bring them down, but call to make sure.

Have fun Masters watching because I know I will.

April is Here!!!

April starts tomorrow and not a minute too soon. The long winter appears to be over and golfing should start in a few weeks.

I will be in the Pro Shop until April 15th in the morning, from 9:00 til noon, unless I am running an errand or two. I will be there to take membership applications and answer any questions that anybody has. After April 15th we will have the Pro Shop open regular business hours until the course opens. Andre will have the restaurant open on April 21.

I don't have a firm date for cart storage yet, but will know more as we get closer to the 15th. They have turned off the ice plant, so the curling ice should be out in plenty of time.

I am switching much of my shoe inventory from Foot-Joy to Callaway this year as I feel they have just as nice or nicer a shoe for a better price. Because of this I am clearing all of last years Foot-Joy shoes out at 40% off. As well I have a few pairs of Adidas and Bite shoes still around for $40 a pair. Come check them out and get a great deal on a pair of shoes. This sale does not include the sandals as I will still be carrying the Foot-Joy sandal.

Most of last years items will also be on sale, so come down and check it out.

New Season around the Corner

It is now late March and two thing are just around the corner. The Masters and golf in Manitoba. Tiger just lost at Doral and should be good and mad and ready to win at Augusta. The snow is melting and temperatures appear to be warming, so we should be golfing sometime in April here in Manitoba

The newsletter should be coming out soon, but I have made the application forms available on the front page of the website. If you have trouble downloading them, you will need the adobe acrobat reader. If you go to this page http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
you will be able to download the reader. You should uncheck the photoshop add on and go through the download processs. It is a perfectly safe program that helps you read many documents on the internet.

The club lost another longtime member recently. Gordon Murray, who wasn't able to play much in the last few years, passed away recently. He always enjoyed his time at the golf course and will be missed by everyone. Our sympathies are with his wife Helen and son Bob, who are also members.