Valley Oaks Golf Club Meeting of April 5, 2017 Minutes

CALL TO ORDER: 5:33 p.m. Valley Oaks GC clubhouse.

ROLL: Woody Hogan, Larry Hugie, Paul Hurley, Darrel Bridges, Bill Rybold, Perry Jacobsma, Randy Pickens, Bruce Chastain, Erik Newlin, John Mendes. Guests: Troy Thompson, Aaron Hensley

MINUTES: [Hurley]: Approved as submitted, [Bridges, Hugie]

BUDGET [Larry Hugie]: [PIckens, Jacobsma] Attached. Our finances with the golf course are even.

COURSE: MAINTENANCE [Troy Thompson] Why do we top-dress greens? No. 1, it helps to protect the crown of the plant, so we don't get scalping. We will do that some time next week. We are trying to get ready for summer, for drainage, uniformity, turf health, root growth. Everything is great right now. The guys did a great job, especially after last Thursday's windstorm to have this place as clean as it was was great. All weekend the The scores on the weekend [from the Tulare County Amateur] were what we wanted, very tough on Saturday and left it wide open for players to either lay back or push it on Sunday. We are still a little behind on pre-emergent for weed control. Some areas of rough we still have to spray. Still have to spray Roundup around the tree basins so we don't have to weed eat, which is a labor sucker. We do have a new aerifier coming the next couple of weeks, and we'll see how that works, possibly fairways, maybe some of the greens. We'll have to see how it works We purchased it, for $1,500. It's a used piece of equipment that's still in great shape. We can adjust the tines up to 14 inches deep. Does a phenomenal job, but it is slow. We are battling the poa. Doing some decent work with the seedheads. The bentgrass has been competitive. Working that, but can't change that overnight, but we're working on it. COURSE: MANAGEMENT [Aaron Hensley]: I am meeting next week with president of our company for timing for the bunker project. I will have more to report on that next month, about when we will start that project. We were ready to start and had a six-week window for that project. We missed it. So we will revisit that. Tulare County Amateur went well. The golf course was in great shape thanks to Troy and his crew. BTW, if you see these guys, please compliment the staff on their work when you see them. They are doing a great job. Congratulate them, too. This weekend for the first time we are doing the Masters tournament. It's a day and a half event, $50, with a par-three tournament on Saturday for monthly ticket- holders. time a Masters tournament $50, with a par-three tournament. Giving away awards for par three contest. Plaque for the winner, etc. Gift cards for the tournament. Saturday night we will have a pairings drawing, where we will take the top 20 players in the Masters, throw the names in a hat and draw them as partners for the players here for a two-player, best ball event on Sunday. Sunday's play will be an 8 o'clock shotgun, play golf until about 12:30 or so. We'll have a taco buffet and nachos bar the rest of the day with drink specials. It will turn into a viewing party where we will live score the Masters. Your score with a pro's score, and that's for those who want to waste an entire Sunday at the golf course. And there will be a green jacket for the winner. The par-three contest will be a nine- holes, on our course. In answer to your question about why the parking lot is so packed. We are up to140 members for the Club 198 program. It's going great. We have a lot of interest. Rounds have been great. March was good, but we were stung by a couple of horrendous storms. We lost revenue to budget on some days, but on days this like, we make it up. Credit it to golf course conditions, No. 1, and follow that up with ridiculously low rates on the Internet which got people out here, and now it has just snowballed. So now we have Lemoore trying to compete by offering deals for their course. But we're way ahead. The rates here with a coupon is an incredible bargain. We will be raising rates in July. We did not raise rates last year. Daily rates will go up 50 cents. Monthly pass rates will go up $5. MEMBERSHIP [Bruce Chastain] Mike McCarthy new member. [Rybold, Hugie, approved] Application from Jill Capson to be a member of the club. [Chastain, Mendes, not approved].

HANDICAP [Darrell Bridges] 253 members, [2016: 289] up by three over last month. Most improved golfer Art Aldape. Reduced golfers, Jim Maza, Frank Murphy, Ron Scholta, Josh Westcott.

TOURNAMENT [Erik Newlin] Two-player one best ball April 22-23. One team signed up. Club championship coming up in May. Consider doing something special for the club championship: nacho bar one day, tacos the next. Two-day tournament. Flights: Scratch [championship], first, second, senior, and ladies. The ladies flight will depend on entries. There must be more than one entry. $35 entry fee. May 20-21. We will discuss other features for that tournament at the meeting next month. Bill Rybold will look into the cost of a nacho bar. [see below]

GREENS [Perry Jacobsma] Wonderful.

HOUSE: [Bill Rybold] Nothing to report. Will set up for May 20-21 and consider a nacho bar.

RULES [Randy Pickens] USGA rules. Playoff in case of tie.

OLD BUSINESS: ● Ken Officer Memorial tournament: Put it off until next year so we can do it right and talk about it with the people he played with. Ken's birthday is in August. Everybody wants to do it. Open event to all golfers. Keep the cost low. Preference is a blind draw scramble. Hold the tournament during the week, with an entry fee of $10 or $20. Randy: Take the prize fund and donate it to the scholarship fund in Ken's name at Redwood High School.

● Banner behind clubhouse. Bruce Chastain is exploring it. Looking at about two and a half fee by four feet. Cost is about $10. NEW BUSINESS: None.

ADJOURN 6:40 p.m.

Next meeting May 3, 5:30 p.m.