Don’t shoot the messenger! Nostradamus surely isn’t the most popular guy in the BMGA rightnow but what can I say! I have a second sense about this stuff. That and the bunion on my right big toe!!! It looks like Old Man Winter is going to take his sweet-ass time letting go so we can get on with our long awaited golf season. My check of the extended weather forecast seems to indicate that we might be rolling Easter eggs before golf putts. Yikes!!!
The 2017 Tournament Schedule has been finalized and posted it to our website for your reference (http://bmga.braintreegolf.com/champions.html). For the 2017 season, we will again use the website for tournament announcements, sign ups and results. Be sure to get familiar with the website. If you need help, please ask Casey Gresh, our Tournament Directory and IT Guru for help!
The maintenance guys are on the job trying to deal with the weather setbacks to get our course ready for the start of the 2017 season. The expansion of the Café deck is in full swing. This building upgrade will be a welcome addition to the facility. It will increase the seating capacity and give more room for other functions. Very exciting!
My hard drive crash had the worst possible outcome. I lost everything and had to start from the beginning. I had a backup from several months earlier and used it to get back as much stuff as I could. I’m almost fully recovered but there are some items that are lost forever. That really sucks!!!
Thanks to everyone who responded with email updates. I made the requested changes and will continue to update the listing as necessary. Don’t hesitate to let me know of any changes that need to be made and I will respond ASAP.
The Executive Board is planning for the first General Membership meeting of the year and a notice will be sent out in advance.
That’s about all for now. I look forward to seeing everyone at the course. I hope you are as excited about the upcoming season as I am. Now all we need is some good weather!!! Come on Mother Nature. Get with it!!
TThe word from Mac Chase is that the goats came through the Winter in good shape. That’s great news!
God Bless America and the red, white and blue!
April showers bring May showers!! When will we finally get out of this terrible weather pattern? It’s killing my already lousy golf game. I think everyone would agree that enough is enough! Someone better tell Al Gore that global warming is just a fairy tale.
The month of May starts our official tournament season. We just finished up the Kickoff Classic on May 6th and I think it was a success in spite of the terrible weather. You can go to the BMGA website to view the results for this tournament and all successive events.
Our first hole in one has been recorded at the Golf Course. Congratulations to Gerry Sheehan who recorded a 1 on hole #3!
A quick check of the tournament schedule shows that we have three events coming up. They are The BMGA Four ball tournament, The Showdown, and the BWGA/BMGA Memorial Day Florida Scramble. You can go to the BMGA website and fill out the on line entry form or sign up in the Pro Shop.
The golf course is doing it’s very best to absorb the torrents of rain that has fallen over the past weeks. The grounds crew is doing a great job and they deserve our thanks for all of their hard work. The new sprinkler system pump house is in full operation and is working great. The new fairways on holes 7 and 17 are filling in nicely. There are 10 additional golf carts added to the fleet and more improvements coming.
The biggest change at the course is the addition to the building. The new space will accommodate a larger dining area as well as golf simulators, new flat screen TV’s and a wraparound deck. The projected opening date is Memorial Day weekend. Stay tuned for more info.
Don’t forget to keep play moving, play ready golf. Your target time for a round should be 4:15. Remember to fix your ball marks on the greens and replace your divots in the fairways and fill your divots on the tee boxes. It’s this type of basic maintenance that helps to keep our course in great playing condition.
That’s it for now. I hope to see you around the course. Stay upwind of the goats. God Bless America and the red, white, and blue!
The May showers have given way to the June showers! Give us a break Al Gore! No more global cooling!
Our 2017 season is well under way. The Kickoff Classic was a huge success in spite of the murky day. You can look at the final results on the BMGA website.
The BWGA/BMGA Memorial Day Mixed Florida was another great day of golf! The bad weather held off again and everyone enjoyed the day. The lunch in the Café was great. Thanks to Peter for his famous pastrami sandwich and potato salad. I had a couple of Hard Grape Sodas to wash it down. Yum Yum!!
The BMGA Four ball Tournament starts this month. The first round should be completed by the 11th. I will keep you posted as the tournament progresses. Best of luck to all of the entrants.
The Showdown Tournament is scheduled for Saturday, June 17th. Sign up to measure your game against the course. Go on line to the BMGA site and sign up today! Signups close soon so don’t be left out. This is a very popular tournament.
The Showdown will be followed closely by the Braintree Open. Our version of a member guest tournament. Grab a partner and get in the game. As always, go to the BMGA website to sign up.
Wow, we are really into our tournament season! As the weather gets better so does the golf.
The golf course is in great shape right now. We have more than enough water in the ponds and streams so we should have green grass for the summer. The new pumping system is working as expected and that coupled with our top notch maintenance team, means we can enjoy the best course conditions. Please take a moment to stop and tell the guys how good the course looks. I know they will appreciate it. I am still blown away at how great the 7th and 17th fairways look. The extended sprinkler heads on the 7th fairway are achieving their desired results. The rough along the left side of the hole is coming in very thick now that it gets enough water and it helps to speed up play by keeping shots in play that might have otherwise ended up in the pond. It’s great when a plan comes together!
I want to remind everyone that it’s our responsibility to fix our ball marks on the green and repair and replace your divots in the fairways and on the tee boxes.
The tees and fairways are being patrolled by our intrepid Divot Dawn Patrol! The group is made up of Mike King, Gary Rhoden, Gene Nowell, Paul Deady, and Larry Larson. They volunteer their time to make sure the par 3 tee boxes have enough divot mix and they also fix the divots in select fairways during the week. Say thanks to these guys when you see them. Their hard work helps to keep our course in the great shape we have now.
The new addition to the Café is coming along nicely. It should be ready by the time this goes to press. This new space will go a long way towards making our club a more inviting space to sit after a round and have a cold drink and something to eat with friends. I’m looking forward to the grand opening.
That’s all I have for now. Enjoy the warmer days and sunny skies.
Stay up wind from the goats! Hey Mac, try feeding those goats a salad once in a while! Their getting huge and they smell big too!
God Bless America and the Red, White, and Blue!!
Sam Abraham
Well just like that we are into the month of July! It’s all golf all the time now as the season really heats up. We’ve had a very successful season so far. The Kickoff Classic, The Showdown, The Memorial Day Florida, The Braintree Open, and The Four Ball, are all in the books and we still have more great golf to come.
The July 4th Mixed Florida is the next fun event on our schedule. I hope you sign up for what we named “The Party on the Patio”. Everyone is encouraged to bring a dessert or an appetizer to enjoy after the round. It gives everyone a chance to sit together and relax after a great day of golf on our spectacular course. I hope to see you there.
The BMGA four ball is still going on and you can find the updates and results on our website. Congratulations to everyone who signed up and especially to those who are still competing. As always, you can go to http://bmga.braintreegolf.com/champions.html to see all of the tournament results.
The golf course is in spectacular condition! Daryn Brown gave a report to the BMGA members at our last general meeting. The unusually rainy Spring has given him fits but he has managed to work around the heavy rains and still give us the gorgeous conditions that we enjoy. He hasn’t had to water the fairways because of all the rain we’ve had. He is sanding and rolling the greens every two weeks to firm and smooth them. He says that it will help keep them in good condition as we head into the dog days of August when the heat can cause problems. Thanks to Daryn and his crew for all of their hard work to give us the best possible playing conditions. Take a moment to thank the guys out on the course when you see them. I also want to give a shout out to the Dawn Divot Patrol! Larry Larson, Mike King, Gene Nowell, Paul Deady, and Gary Rhoden. These guys volunteer their time to repair the tee boxes and fairways during the week. Thanks guys. Take another buck out of the tip jar!!You deserve it! You are reminded to fix your divots and repair your ball marks.
The new Café addition opened to rave reviews. The new room adds much needed space and a spectacular view of the course. It’s a great place to sit and enjoy a cold drink and a sandwich after your round. That project could not happen without the backing of Mayor Sullivan who has been one of our biggest supporters throughout his administration. Thanks again to him and everyone who made it possible.
This is an election year for the BMGA. The membership assembled a Nominating Committee at our last meeting and they will work during the rest of the season to create a list of candidates for nomination. The committee members are Kevin Foley, Tom Meaney, and Kevin Gerry. Let them know if you are interested in running for office or if you have someone that you would like to see on the ballot. The election will be held at the last BMGA meeting of the year in October.
That’s all I have for now. July is a time for family vacations and fun in the sun! You should go out and have fun but please be safe while you enjoy the time off with family and friends. We want to see you all back at the course playing golf!
The golf course is in great shape right now. We have more than enough water in the ponds and streams so we should have green grass for the summer. The new pumping system is working as expected and that coupled with our top notch maintenance team, means we can enjoy the best course conditions. Please take a moment to stop and tell the guys how good the course looks. I know they will appreciate it. I am still blown away at how great the 7th and 17th fairways look. The extended sprinkler heads on the 7th fairway are achieving their desired results. The rough along the left side of the hole is coming in very thick now that it gets enough water and it helps to speed up play by keeping shots in play that might have otherwise ended up in the pond. It’s great when a plan comes together!
Happy Birthday to America this month! 241 years old and still going strong. Thank you to all that have served our great country. We appreciate your service and your sacrifice.
Stay up wind from the goats!
God Bless America and the Red, White, and Blue!!
Sam Abraham
The long hot summer is upon us. The next few weeks will feature hot dry weather and our golf course will be struggling to stay in the kind of shape that we’ve enjoyed for the past few months. I’ve noticed that the fairways, tees, and greens are getting beaten up because of neglect by golfers out playing the course. I realize that we are a public facility and as such, get a lot of play. I play most of my golf on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. My observation is that our own BMGA people are some of the biggest offenders! The situation has become so bad that I’ve heard some discussion about playing the ball up! That doesn’t reflect well on our members. I know we can’t control the general public but we can do a better job ourselves, and we are not. I want to call attention again to the dawn divot patrol led by Larry Larson, Mike King, Paul Deady, Gary Rhoden, and Gene Nowell. These guys are waging what seems to me to be an uphill battle to try and keep our course in good shape. Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.
The 2017 Club Championship is in the books. Casey Gresh sank a long difficult birdie putt on the last hole to win his second consecutive title. Congratulations to him and the other flight winners for their participation. You can go to our BMGA website and see all of the results.
The BMGA/BWGA mixed Florida, “Party on the Patio” was a great success. The appetizers and desserts were delicious and we would like to thank everyone who played. The winning team was made up of Sam Abraham, Heather Zaporetsky, Linda Murphy, and Dana Olson. Congrats to the winners! The next mixed Florida event will be on Monday, September 4th. Look for the sign-up sheet on the scoreboard in the hallway at the pro shop. We are looking forward to another large field and a great day of golf.
We were all very sad to hear the news that John Moreland suffered a heart attack on Sunday, July 30th. I played a lot of golf with John this year on Wednesday mornings. He always had a smile on his face and a joke to tell. He loved to play golf, especially with the guys on Wednesday. The last time I played with John our foursome won the tournament and he was an integral part of our win. John’s smile and his love for the game will be sorely missed.
The new indoor Café room is being enjoyed by all of the patrons at the golf course. It’s become the place to be after a round of golf to enjoy something to eat and a cold drink. Daryn Brown sent me a note last week to let me know that the first outdoor warm up net has been ordered and may be installed before the end of the season. Progress continues to be made at the course!
That’s all for now. Please remember to replace your divots in the fairways and repair your ball marks on the greens. The general rule is to replace your ball mark and at least one more. This all goes towards keeping our course in the best possible playing condition.
Stay upwind from the goats. Enjoy the rest of your summer and be safe. We want to see you out on the course.
God Bless America and the Red, White, and Blue!!
Sam Abraham
What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time our area was going through one of the worst droughts in our states history. The lack of water put our course under tremendous stress. The golf course maintenance staff did a tremendous job to save the course from irreversible damage.
The Braintree South Golf Tournament is fast approaching. This our major golf/fundraiser of the year. The tournament is in memory of two of our members, Larry Cedrone and Jim Burley. They established this event specifically to give something back to our local charities and celebrate our members. The tournament flyer and the application form have been email blasted to our members via email. There are printed copies available in the Pro Shop. You should fill out the application and submit it to the Pro Shop with a check made out to the BMGA before September 10 th . Applications received after that date will be placed on a waiting list.
Our tournament season is winding down but you can look at all completed tournament results on the BMGA web site. Thanks to everyone who participated in the tournaments so far. We appreciate your participation and support of the BMGA. We are only as strong as our members.
The golf course is showing a lot of wear and tear on both the fairways and greens. We just don’t seem to be able to educate our members well enough about replacing their divots in the fairways and fixing their ball marks on the greens. The results of this neglect can be seen as you play the course. The BMGA rules committee voted to go back to the lift, clean, and place local rule for all BMGA play.
The Dawn Divot Patrol seems to be losing the battle but they continue to fight the good fight to try and stem the tide of wear and tear from player neglect. We appreciate their hard work and dedication. Thanks guys!
That’s all for now. Keep your eyes on your email for more notices about upcoming events. We want to see you out on the course during the Fall season. Stay upwind from the goats.
God Bless America and the Red, White, and Blue!!
Sam Abraham
(17) Leblanc/Lyons 2&1 v. (16) Emase/Harrington
Leblanc/Lyons both birdie the first hole and manage to fight the demon to ding and dong their way to best Emase/Harrington 2&1. Leblanc/Lyons advance to face (1) Rymeski/Devin in Round 2.
(9) King/Gerry 2&1 v. (24) Cicerone/Fournier
King shoots 75 with birdies on 1/6/17/18 as King/Gerry ding and dong their way to best Cicerone/Fournier 2&1. King/Gerry advance to face the winner of (8) Keefe/Tully v. (25) Donohue E. /Donovan D. in Round 2.
(8) Keefe/Tully v. (25) Donohue E. /Donovan D.
(25) Donohue/Donovan v. (8) Keefe/Tully was a back and forth battle with Donohue sealing the victory on 18 with a 5 net 4 to best Keefe/Tully 1 Up. Donohue/Donovan advance to face (9) King/Gerry in Round 2.
(13) Beliveau/St. Peter 2&1 v. (20) South/Kusser
St. Peter shoots 83, Beliveau 87 as they ding and dong their way to best South/Kusser 2&1. St. Peter/Beliveau advance to face (4) Cevolani/Hasenfuss in Round 2.
(12) Bryan/Conway 1 up v. (21) Ebersole/Franchi
Bryan shoots 76, Conway makes par on 18 to best Ebersole/Franchi 1 up. Bryan/Conway advance to face (5) Flynn/Fraizer in Round 2.
(18) Lucchesi/Cuscianna 5&4 (14) Allman/Chase
Cuscianna rides Lucchesi’s 77 as Lucchesi/Cuscianna best Allman/Chase 5&4. Lucchesi/Cuscianna advance to face (2) Sheehan/Marple in Round 2.
(10) Chambers/Strungis 1 up (19 holes) v. (23) Allen/Ramirez
Strungis shoots 76 and birdies 18 to force a playoff, Chambers clutch putting saves par on the first playoff hole to best Allen/Ramirez 1 up – 19 holes. Chambers/Strungis advance to play (7) Smith/Sullivan in Round 2.
(14) Gardiner/Farrand 1 up (21 holes) v. (19) Denicola/Moody
Farrand birdies 17, Gardiner birdies 18 to force a playoff. Gardiner/Farrand hold off Denicola/Moody to finish 1 up after 21 holes. Gardiner/Farrand advance to play (3) Gresh/Abraham in Round 2.
(22) Almeida/Murphy v. (11) Barrett/Struzziero
Almeida/Murphy ding and dong to hold off a sizzling front nine from Barrett to best Barrett/Struzziero 4 up. Almeida/Murphy advance to face (6) Le/Brandon in Round 2.
(17) Leblanc/Lyons v. (1) Rymeski/Devin
TBD
(9) King/Gerry v. (25) Donohue E. /Donovan D.
TBD
(13) Beliveau/St. Peter v. (4) Cevolani/Hasenfuss
(13) Beliveau/St. Peter got off to a quick start winning the first two holes to go 2 up. Cevolani’s birdie on 4 and Hasenfuss’ birdie on 5 put the match all square. The teams traded blows on 7/8 and Beliveau drained a birdie on 9 to put his team 1 up heading to the back side. Cevolani/Hasenfuss posted par on 10 and Cevolani birdie on 12 to go 1 up. Beliveau/St. Peter dinged and donged their way through wins on 14/15/17 to best Cevolani/Hasenfuss 3 up. (13) Beliveau/St. Peter advance to play the reigning Four Ball Champs Bryan/Conway in Round 3.
(12) Bryan/Conway v. (5) Flynn/Fraizer
Conway’s par on hole 2 and Bryan’s par on hole 3 quickly put the champs in their comfort zone at 2 up. Bryan added a birdie on hole 7 but the team quickly gave back the hole to Flynn’s birdie on hole 8. Bryan/Flynn pared 9 leaving Bryan/Conway 2 up heading to the back side. Frazier’s par on 10 and bogey on 11 brought the match all square. But the feisty Bryan quickly quieted the crowd with back to back birdies on 12/13 to go 2 up. Frazier threw one last punch with bogey on 14 to bring his team to 1 down. But the reigning champs finished like a team fit for another championship run with Bryan’s birdies on 17/18 to best Flynn/Frazier 2 up. (12) Bryan/Conway advance to play (13) Beliveau/St. Peter in Round 3.
(18) Lucchesi/Cuscianna v. (2) Sheehan/Marple
TBD
(10) Chambers/Strungis v. (7) Smith/Sullivan
(7) Smith/Sullivan v. (1) Chambers/Strungis as expected was a match for the highlight reel. Sully put his team 1 up on the first hole with a birdie but Chambers quickly countered with a par on hole 3 and Strungis par on 4 to put their team 1 up. Sully ended the front 9 with a birdie on 8 to even the match heading into the back side. Smith caught a hot streak paring 10/11 to put his team 2 up. Strungis/Smith traded blows with pars on 12/14 keeping Smith/Sullivan in the drivers seat at 2 up. Chambers made his best swings coming down the stretch to par 15/18 to send the match into a sudden death playoff. Smith made a smooth par on hole 1 to best Chambers/Strungis 1 up – 19 Holes. (7) Smith/Sullivan advance to play the winner of (2) Sheehan/Marple v. (18) Lucchesi/Cuscianna in Round 3.
(14) Gardiner/Farrand v. (3) Gresh/Abraham
(3) Gresh/Abraham threw every punch in their bags with a combined total of 6 team birdies, but it wasn’t enough to take down the dynamic duo (14) Gardiner/Farrand. After a see-saw battle on the front 9 ending all square. Gresh caught fire with 3 consecutive birdies (13/14/15) to put his team 3 up. Gresh’s putter quickly cooled off missing makeable birdies on 16/17 while Farrand took the opportunity to level the match paring 16/17 to bring his team back to 1 down. Abraham/Gresh both squandered par on 18 while Farrand drained a 3 footer for bogey to send the match into a sudden death playoff. Play resumed on the 18th hole where all players had a shot at making birdie. Farrand drained a 6 footer for par to best Gresh/Abraham 1 up – 19 Holes. (14) Gardiner/Farrand advance to play the winner of (6) Le/Brandon v. (22) Almeida/Murphy in Round 3.
(22) Almeida/Murphy v. (6) Le/Brandon
TBD
Day 1: Scotch Chapman holes 1-9 & a Florida holes 10-18
Day 2: Best ball of the twosome
It was a great weekend of golf with 14 teams competing.
Our 2017 Champions are:
1st Gross: Pam Ruprecht & Casey Gresh
1st Net: Dianne Tricomi & Kevin Gerry
2nd Net: Celeste & Tobey Johnson
3rd Net: Donna & Dennis Sullivan
4th Net: Sue & John Ebersole
Thank you to all the players for making the 1st year the success that it was & Congratulations to all the winners!!!!
All rights reserved 2019, Braintree Mens Golf Association