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A Sweet Time of The
Year?
By: Dave Elchin
With
the new season upon us, early summer dreams bring promising thoughts of
green grass, birdies, with long drives and short putts.
Sweet Water is no exception. We look forward to this new and
exciting 2008 with programs everyone can participate in. Get into a
league or an educational program. We
have it for you to enjoy and learn.
You get more for less at Sweet Water.
Driving
into our parking lot you can’t help but notice the construction that
is still in progress. All
the ideas to make Sweet Water an outstanding facility are starting to
come together. Where the
driving range once was is now a new parking lot for the golf course and
the “Loft At Sweet Water”.
The tentative opening date for “The Loft At Sweet Water” is
slated for October of this year.
Another
new look of Sweet Water is on the course.
We now mow the ruffs in a new way.
Your slightly miss-hit drives can now find the intermediate ruff,
which will give you a good lie and not penalize you full shot for a
slight mistake. Not only
making the course fairer to play, it also adds to the beauty of looking
down the fairways. Our
maintenance staff was busy this winter removing trees and branches
around the course making the view from the tees more eye appealing as
you gaze down the fairways. The tree removal also makes some of our holes more playable
so everyone will enjoy lower scores.
The
leagues at Sweet Water are starting to fill up quickly.
Our Ladies League started on May 27th and offers
ladies an opportunity to socialize and play different formats on Tuesday
mornings and Thursday evenings. The
Senior League has already doubled its size in entry forms received. This
league started Wednesday June 4th with members playing every
Wednesday morning at 9:00 for 16 weeks.
Last but not least is our area renowned Youth League.
The league started on Thursday June 19th with members
teeing off at 7:30 am to beat the summer heat and opening their day for
other activities. New
members attended an orientation meeting and instruction clinics at the
end of May improving their knowledge and swings empowering them to enjoy
the league in a positive frame of mind.
Our
newest program is designed to capture your imagination.
Strategic Methods of Course Management will introduce you to the
different ways better players look at the shot before them and how they
pick the shot that best fits their game.
Don’t feel left out because you score higher than anyone else
in your group. Do something about it. Join in and learn how to improve. These
classes are designed to increase you knowledge and approach to better
manage your game.
Do you play only on weekdays or weekends?
We have our “New Mini Passes” that offers a less expensive
way to play Sweet Water. They
come in 10, 25, or 50 round passes to use for a year from the purchase
date. What a great gift
idea for your favorite golfer or playing partner. This is another thoughtful gift for that special golfer.
Just another way you get more for less at Sweet Water Golf Course.
Meet The Staff - Sweet Water Golf
From time to time we will be featuring some of the staff you see on and
around the course working at Sweet Water. We’ve asked our staff to let
you know a little about themselves, where they have been, and where they
are going. Feel free to say “hello” to them as you see them on and
around the course.
Maintenance
- Russ Johnston
Russell
Johnston is a retired Electrical Engineer. Currently he is employed as a
“Fairway Specialist” (self-titled). He works two or three days a
week mowing those stripes on the fairways. He enjoys the outside work
and following the golfers around the course hoping to pick up some good
golfing tips.
When Russ is not at Sweet Water, he is home taking care of his lawn
(he does not do flower beds) and playing with his dog Emily. Wednesday
nights he will be seen at Green Lane Fire Co. playing bingo and other
times he is a bingo caller.
Russ is married for 46 years to the same woman. They have 5 children,
1 living in Collegeville, 3 in California and 1 in Colorado. There are 9
grandchildren and 1 great-grandson.
Originally from Pa, he spent 6 years traveling on various Navy ships
as a contractor for Sperry Gyroscope based in New York. In 1966 the
family moved back to Pa. Until 1969, then onto California for 33 years.
Upon retirement we longed for the peace and quiet of country life once
again and returned to Pa.
Pro
Shop -
Doug Ritter
Hello. My name is Doug Ritter. I
reside in Pennsburg and will be entering my junior year at the
Upper Perkiomen High School this fall. After high school, I plan
to further my education and attend college majoring in Golf Course
Management. My goals are to play golf competitively at a
collegiate level, and later to own a golf course of my very own.
I started working at Sweet Water this spring. I work inside the
pro shop on the weekends and I help with the Youth League on
Thursday mornings. I do many different things at Sweet Water
including washing carts, working in the pro shop, and doing things
out on the course. I enjoy working at Sweet Water Golf Course
because I really like the people who I work with, and I enjoy
being able to be part of the game. Well, that’s a little bit
about me and I hope I see all of you soon at the course!
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Course Conditions from the
President/Superintendent
July
2008
Jeff
Vietmeier, course President/Superintendent
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Summer
is here and it has been hot and dry as of
this writing.
Hot humid weather is always a challenge
when trying to keep grass and greens healthy
through the summer months.
Despite the heat the golf course is in
excellent condition!
Please note that at times the maintenance
crew may be watering greens during heat stress
conditions.
The delicate bent grass needs cooling
(syringing) at times and we will do our best to
stay out of your way.
You
may have noticed the lower bridge crossing the
creek on hole #4 is being rebuilt.
The new bridge should be much stronger
and wider than the previous.
We plan on working on the upper bridge
when the lower bridge is completed.
The maintenance crew will continue to
upgrade mulch areas around the course and we
have scheduled to stump grind old stumps that
are on the course.
The crew has done a fabulous job this
year and we thank them for their professionalism
and dedication.
The “Loft” at Sweet Water is
almost completed.
The inside is basically finished with the
exception of laying the carpet. We did get held up on the outside, permitting issues, but
that too is almost complete.
The new parking lot will be opened soon
and the old parking lot will be landscaped and
grassed in.
Completion and opening of the “Loft”
is scheduled for October of this year.
I will keep you posted as we near our
opening date!
As a reminder we do get rather busy in the
summer especially on the weekends. In order to
better serve you, I will encourage everyone to
either book on-line or call in advance for tee
times. We have a super on-line reservation
system that will benefit all of us. Please check
us out on the web at www.golfsweetwater.com.
Also as a reminder we must enforce a strict
alcohol policy. Sweet Water Golf Course does
have a liquor license and we cannot allow
any outside liquor on the golf course.
You may purchase adult beverages in the
clubhouse and may take them on the course, but
please do not bring your own alcohol onto the
course.
LAWN TIPS
Just because it is summer doesn’t mean you
should not prepare for the fall. September will
be here before you know it. If you are going to
do any renovations to you your lawn September is
the best time to re-seed and fertilize. Plan now
for all your seed and materials in order to
successfully renovate your lawn this fall. If
you have any questions in regards to fall
renovations please feel free to contact me by
e-mail at superintendent@golfsweetwater.com .
Thank you again for supporting us at Sweet
Water Golf Course. We appreciate your business
and look forward to serving you soon on the
course! Enjoy the rest of the summer and a we
extend a big THANK YOU to you from us all at
Sweet Water!
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Tips from the Pro By
David Elchin
Why
Golfers Don’t Improve!
Overlooking
the fundamentals
Most golfers try to make a swing that is beyond their
capabilities. In general, focusing on
fundamentals (grip, stance, posture, and
alignment) will help you advance much further
and faster than trying to make a fancy swing or
shot.
Use
improper grip, stance or swing for the shot at
hand
Golfers
become accustomed to making a Range Swing which
is good for a flat, level, predictable lie, but
fail to adapt their motion when in an on course
situation.
Lack
of good practice principles
Its
been said that practice makes perfect. A more
accurate metaphor would be that Practice Makes
Permanent! Only Perfect Practice makes perfect.
Work on the areas of your game that need the
most work rather than the areas that are most
fun to practice.
Are
unable to read the golf course and adapt
accordingly
Every
shot on the course requires three things:
a) The ability to interpret conditions
b) The ability to plan the appropriate shot for
the conditions.
c) The ability to execute the appropriate shot
Most
players have a stock swing or a stock shot for
every shot on the course. Unfortunately, the
condition, lie, wind, terrain, may not call for
this shot.
Too
stubborn to accept instruction
Most
golfers believe that they can do it on their
own. While this may be true to a point, there
will always be a point where expert advice may
be necessary. Go for a lesson or clinic to help
improve your swing and your game.
Happy
with the Status Quo
In
order to improve, you have to want to improve.
Without a goal or direction, practice, play, and
any program is going to be ineffective. Take
notice where you are today. Make a goal for
where you want to be at some point in the
future, and then go for it!
Insanity:
Doing
the same thing over and over again and expecting
different results.
Albert
Einstein!
If you have any
specific questions, I can be reached by email at
golflessons@golfsweetwater.com. |
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Tournament
Winners 2007 |
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Winner of the
4 Person 18 Hole Scramble held Saturday, May
12th with a score of 58—
Randy
Walck, Danny Walck, Jerry Arnaudo, D.A. Kunkle
Winner of the
Couples 9 Hole Scramble held on Saturday, June
2nd with a score of 34—
Sean
and Jeanne Remington of Collegeville, PA
Winner of the
Parent/Child—Grandparent/Grandchild 9 Hole
Scramble held on Father’s Day Weekend June
17th & 18th—(Left to Right)
Age 10 &
Under Division Craig
& Andrew Kriebel of Pennsburg, PA;
Age
13 & Under Division Fred
Watton of Collegeville, PA & Evan Spaeder of
Malvern, PA;
Age
16 & Under DivisionTom
& Scott Murray of Collegeville, PA;
&
Age 17 & Over Division Mike
& Jeff Jarrell of Quakertown, PA
Congratulations
Winners!!!
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Tell
Us Your Last Name or Last 4 Digits of your Home
Phone and you will receive AWARD $$$$$ for
Future Purchases:
· 1% of bucket
of ball purchases
· 3% of green
fee purchases
· 5% of
merchandise purchases
Our computer system will
automatically keep track of these purchases
and you can use your AWARD
$$$ at any time for %
off future purchases!
BE PART OF OUR PREFERRED
CUSTOMER SYSTEM AT SWEET WATER!
Using
Your Birthday Round—Happy Birthday to You from
Sweet Water!
For those of you who got on the list last
year, the buzz now is “When do I get my free
birthday round?” Of course, on your birthday!
Keep your eyes out on your emails to receive
your birthday email if you got on the list last
year and gave us your full birth date! Most of
you have started receiving them and thanking us
for doing it. Well, we just want to say “Thank
You” for being such loyal customers and
letting us give you a great golfing experience
for the money. We will continue to offer
something to you each year for your birthday as
long as your birthdate is in the system. Don’t
have an email? Make sure you submit a postage
paid envelope by the end of November 2007 and we
will send you your birthday round in the mail!
It pays to be on Sweet Water’s preferred
customer database!!! Thanks again to all the
loyal golfing customers—we couldn’t do it
without you! But, if you haven’t gotten on the
birthday list, be sure to fill out a customer
information card located in the pro shop. Also,
enter this card to win a free round of golf! We
do drawings each month and select one winner at
the end of each month—only 1 entry per month
per customer only please! The winners for our
drawings thus far:
March
2007: Mark Jaeger of Pennsburg, PA
April
2007: Patrick English of Lederach, PA
May
2007: Carol Slater-Kline of Red Hill, PA
June
2007: Cyndi Miller of Pennsburg, PA
Will
it be you in July?
Josh
Rehrig has his 1st Hole in One!
Congratulations to Josh Rehrig
of Pennsburg, PA.On June 13, 2007 Josh was
playing a practice round when he hit his
memorable shot to the 140 yard #9 green with a
Pitching Wedge. His first thought was how good
the shot felt as he watched the ball fly high,
with a draw, gently curve onto the green, and
then into the hole for his first Hole-In-One.
Josh still can’t believe how good the shot
felt and the memory of the flight of the ball.
Now he knows what a good swing can bring. You
can smile all you want.
Great Shot Josh !!!
Upcoming Events for 200 8:
August 200 8
Strategic Management
(FREE)
Sat., Aug.
2, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Youth League 9 Hole Tournament
Thurs.,
August
7,
2008 7:00
am (Shotgun)
Employee Dinner Sat.,
Aug 16 Course
Closed at 4 pm
One Club & a Putter 18 Hole Two Person
Scramble Tournament NEW
FORMAT!
Sat., August
23 8:00 am (Shotgun)
Ladies League Pot Luck Dinner
Thurs.,
August
28,S 6
pm
 September
200
8
9
Hole Fall Match Play Parings Posted
Mon., Sept. 1
Quakertown
Moose - B. Kline Outing (610) 282-4808
Saturday, Sept 6th
4:00 pm (Shotgun)
October
2008
Breast
Cancer 9 Hole Scramble Tournament NEW NAME!!! AKA Ladies
Only (Now open to MEN!!) Sat., October 4 - Raindate
Sat., Oct 11th 8:00 am (Ladies Groups) & 12 pm
(Mixed Groups)
Ryder
Cup 27 Hole Tournament
TBA
November
2008
18
Hole - 8 Inch Cup Tournament Sat., Nov. 1 OR Sun., Nov.
2, 10:00 am shotgun starts
Sweet
Water Golf Course
2554
Geryville Pike
Pennsburg,
PA 18073
Phone:
215-541-3111
Fax:
215-541-1893
Email:
info@golfsweetwater.com
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