No Freeways ~ No Homes ~ No Noise

Sugarloaf truly does offer a “back to nature” golf experience.  You’ll enjoy your round surrounded by the sounds, smells and sights of our magnificent Sugarloaf Valley.  The beautiful vistas allow ample opportunity to snap some wonderful photos.  You’ll have the chance to take pictures of one of the most breathtaking views of the Sugarloaf Mountain as well as some close up shots of our bluebirds and local wildlife.  We aren’t located in a golf community which allows for wide fairways & roughs instead of narrow fairways and back yards.  Our course was designed as a stand alone golf course by world renowned architect Geoffrey Cornish….not as a part of a housing development.  Don’t let the openness fool you.  Well placed bunkers, two pristine ponds, a rambling creek and “just enough” woods & hazards reward a well placed shot!

We are conveniently located just 8 miles from I80 or I81, but you won’t hear the sound of a highway…..just the call of a Mockingbird here and there.

But there is one more thing that sets us apart.  Sugarloaf has been a family owned and operated business for over 47 years.  We live here, work here and shop here.  When you call the Pro Shop for reservations, most likely Wayne or Judy will answer your call.  We are here every day during the golf season overseeing our operation and doing our best to make your experience enjoyable.  We are a part of your community and we like it that way!  We hope you’ll be visiting with us in the near future.

Interesting discussion on the post round 2 stroke penalty assested to Tiger Woods today at the Masters……

By Patrick S. Knelly

Golf Course Superintendent

Well, the season is upon us.  The 10 day forcast is looking much more promising, and the Masters is right around the corner!  So, since it’s likely you will be kicking off your 2013 golf season soon, I thought it would be a good idea to post a quick update on some of the things you may (or may not) notice that are new around the course.  Despite the unbearably late Spring, we have been hard at work full time around the course since late February.  One major change you will most certainly notice will be the removal of some trees.  We removed over 50 trees from the property this spring for a variety of reasons.  Some trees were dead or dying, some were causing damage to the underlying turf, and some were just plain ugly ducklings!  You will notice that we have cleared the woods to the right of #10 fairway.  We removed over a dozen large mature trees from this area, and will be clearing stumps and adding turf to the woodline between 10 green and 11 tee.  This will help open up 10 Fairway to more airflow and should improve drying of the soil, and it will also allow some much needed morning sun to reach 11 tee.  This area will remain penal, but it should be a much easier area to find an errant tee shot on 10, and may help to improve pace of play.  We have also cleared the wooded groves on 10 (left) and 15 to help with aesthetics and increase the likelyhood of finding wayward shots.  Another large project we have been working on is the expansion of a number of fairways and the addition of some well placed run-off/collection areas around greens.  We have made expansions to the 4th, 5th, 8th, 11th, 13, and 16th fairways.  We chose these areas to better accentuate the natural flow of the land at Sugarloaf Golf Club.  For example, you will notice the fairway on 11 and 13 now reaches all the way to the crest of the natural swales, which really makes for a striking look!  The other Fairways were widened and expanded in areas that were originally intended to be fairway turf, but were lost over the years to poor drainage and poor irrigation coverage.  It’s my opinion that large fairways speed play, improve scoring, and make golf more FUN, so expect this practice to continue!  We have also added larger approaches on 1, 2, 6, and between 12 & 15 greens.  Some of these areas are on the original drawings done by Mr. Cornish, and we strive to keep Sugarloaf as close to his plans as possible.  As always, we hope you enjoy the changes, and we look forward to seeing you at “the loaf” soon!

By Patrick S. Knelly

Golf Course Superintendent

Sugarloaf Golf Club

I’m sitting comfortably on my deck right now, in a light T-shirt writing a blog about closing the golf course for the 2012 season!  It’s sunny and just a hair below 60 degrees, what the heck is going on here???   If the winter of 2011/12 is any indicator, we may be in store for some more mild weather before Santa heads South and 2012 leaves us for good.  We just wanted to take a few minutes to let our readers know that we will NOT be permanently closing the course until the weather takes a permanent turn for the worst.  So, get out your clubs back out and come on down and enjoy a few more December rounds while you can.

Carts will still be available for use as long as we are still open and pins and tees will remain out until we determine that the golf course is no longer playable.  While the carts are available, signage and ropes have been brought in for the season, we ask that you please use good judgement and stay out of wet or soggy areas and respect the course by following the 90* rule where possible to distribute traffic.  We will be making some preventative fungicide applications to the greens and tees this week along with some fertilizer applications to help heal the greens from the late season core aeration process.  While the golf course is playable, and the weather is nice, we are operating  with only a skeleton crew so other than blowing leaves and moving pins occasionally most routine maintenance is done for the season.  Please do your part to keep the course in the same condition you found it by repairing ball marks and replacing divots.  It’s more important than ever, the turf is no longer actively growing and needs your help to heal itself!  I hope you can find the time to come down and enjoy a few more days of nice weather before the snow flies again.  If we don’t see you, please have a happy and safe holiday season, and I look forward to Spring of 2013!

It’s hard to believe it’s time to gear up for our 2012 Club Championship, but it will be here before we know it!  Last year’s tournament was (literally) dampened by the September hurricanes that pounded us with day after day of rain, postponed play, more rain and further delays.  We are optimistic that this year all participants will stay dry.  The rain delays we faced last year brought the challenge of when to have our annual awards dinner and presentation.  Because of the rain dates, we were forced to schedule the member’s dinner at a later date.  Traditionally, the dinner has been held on the same day as the final round of the Club Championship; however, the postponements made that impossible last year.  It actually worked out good to have the dinner on a different day.  It allows us to plan for the possibility of a rained out round that has to be played at a later date and we don’t have to worry about the dinner being moved at the last minute.  Keeping that in mind, we have decided to RESCHEDULE this year’s Member’s Awards Dinner to Saturday, October 6th at 6:00 pm.  We are looking forward to this change and hope you can join us for the Club Championship AND dinner…if not both, hopefully we’ll see you for dinner on the 6th!

Video of the week

This is a short, cute video by Bridgestone that delivers a great message for early in the season…take a few minutes to visit Bridgestone’s online ball fitting center.  Here is the link:

http://www.bridgestonegolf.com/product/ball-selection-guide

It’s hard to believe it, but we are officially open for the season!  Thanks to the mild winter weather, this is our earliest opening ever.  Starting times are available, but not required….hope to see you soon!

Wayne & Judy

Dust off your clubs and head to Sugarloaf!  Due to the mild forecast, we will be opening Tuesday January 31 at 8:00am.  We will also be open Wednesday February 1st.   Unfortunately, the forecast past Wednesday doesn’t look promising, but we will let you know when we will re-open.  If you’d like to be among the first to know about open days this winter, just text “SGC” to 570-956-0671 and we will add you to our text notifications.  See you soon!

Keeping Your Volunteers Motivated

Article #5 in a series on Golf Tournament Planning

By: Judy Knelly, Special Events Coordinator, Sugarloaf Golf Club Inc

Positive feedback Weekly emails are a great way to keep your volunteers informed.  Let them know how many sponsorships have been secured and how many golfers have signed up.   Recognize individual or group accomplishments.  Stay positive and motivated yourself!  Share your enthusiasm.  Emails are so easy to send in bulk and only take a moment of your time.   Set a specific day of the week and time to send your group email….your volunteers will look forward to your updates.

Rewards/Recognition A simple “thank you” note is a great way to let a volunteer know you recognize their efforts to make your event successful.  Getting  to know them personally is good on two levels….it keeps your communication open and, as you get to know your volunteers on a personal level, you can better determine if their talents are being used in the best possible manner.  When you schedule press release photos, include several volunteers in the photo and accompanying news article.

Be available to your volunteers/Communicate If a volunteer calls or emails you with questions or concerns, respond quickly!  Making your volunteer’s issues your priority is a great way to keep them motivated.

Food!?! I know, this sounds crazy, but have food at your meetings!  Every major motivational speaker will tell you food is a huge motivator!  It can be simple…chips & dip, a veggie tray or light snacks or a volunteer breakfast the morning of the event.   A few years ago we had a very big fundraiser with about a dozen very active volunteers who all came from out of town.  The entire tournament was put together long distance.  The night before the tournament the volunteers filtered into the clubhouse to prepare for the big day.  The tournament director had made arrangements for a light dinner for the volunteers and when we finished our work, we all took an hour or so to relax, talk out some last-minute details and take a deep breath.  As I looked at the relaxed smiles and light conversation around that table, I remember thinking it was such a nice way to reward the people who collectively were responsible for a very successful event.

Post-Tournament Recognition Even though you are probably exhausted after pulling off an incredibly successful event, DON’T forget to give your volunteers the recognition they deserve!  Why not send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and publicly thank your volunteers.  Let your community know what the results of your efforts were.  Were there direct benefits to your community?  This is also a great way to get volunteers for next year!  Do you have room in your budget for a post-tournament barbeque, picnic or banquet?  If so, thank each volunteer personally and try to mention how important their individual contribution was.   You don’t have to present a thank you gift to everyone, but sometimes something as simple as a certificate of appreciation for each volunteer means a lot.

What NOT to do….NEVER treat your volunteers in a condescending manner.  Remember, they are volunteering their time and energy for a cause they feel good about.  Keeping your volunteers happy is the key to keeping them motivated.

Ms. JoAnne Skelly of the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension penned one of the best articles I’ve read regarding motivating volunteers.   Below is a link to her article.  It is worth your time to read it!

http://www.unce.unr.edu/publications/files/cd/2000/FS0030.pdf

2011 Fall Aearation is Underway

We have begun our fall greens aeration.  While it’s nearly November, we are aware that this can be a difficult time of the season.  We will be doing things slightly slower this season, and will make every effort to put the holes that we have aerated back into play on the same day as they were started.  Therefore, we should never have less than 14 holes open and playable.  Please bear with us while we complete this project, and keep in mind that it is absolutely neccesary to acheive the conditions you demand!  Thanks for your patience.  I have embedded some videos of this process from other golf course’s if you are curious about what we are up to!