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!

I found this to captivating.  Check it out!!!

Hole-In-One News

DAVE HERRING of Mountaintop carded his first career Hole-In-One on Sunday, April 3rd here at Sugarloaf.  Dave aced the par 3 third hole which was playing at approximately 170 yards.  He used a 6 iron.  Witnessing the event was Joe Janc of Bear Creek.

Congratulations, Dave!

For your viewing pleasure, here are some highlights from the PGA Tour past…

What a great weather forecast for the upcoming weekend!

The course is in great shape!  The greens have been mowed and are rolling great and we are continuing to dry out after last week’s storm.  Cart path rules are:  90 degrees with the exception of #8 & #16 which are still “cart path only”.  Call toll free (1-888-DIAL-SUG) for tee times.

Proudly hosted by:

Wayne & Judy Knelly

SUGARLOAF GOLF CLUB

18 Golf Course Road

Sugarloaf PA  18249

Why do we do this?  House Concert FAQs here:     http://jrp-graphics.com/houseconcerts/ourfaq.html

Here’s how we connect with our performers:    www.concertsinyourhome.com

Jerry Hludzik (Of Dakota)

Saturday, April 2nd, 2011

at Sugarloaf Golf Club

Pot Luck at 6:30 pm ~ Concert begins at 7:15 pm ~  Desserts & Coffee following concert

Donation $20.00 per person      ( 100% of your donation goes to the artist!)

We are so lucky to welcome Jerry Hludzik to our concert series for 2011.  You won’t want to miss this event.  Check out Jerry’s website below for his extensive bio and listen to some of his work.  What luck that he still lives & performs close by in the Philadelphia area and still has local ties to our area.

Wayne & Judy will provide non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, plates, cups & utensils.  Our concerts are BYOB; however, beverages are always available at the bar.   If you’d like, please bring a covered dish to share before the concert or a desserts for after the concert.  To reserve your seat, please send a check to our address listed above made payable to: Jerry Hludzik and dated April1^st, 2011

***Please don’t ask for exceptions to advance payment, as we want to guarantee a good crowd!

Live in Concert!

To hold a spot, email Judy ASAP at jknelly@sugarloafgolfclub.com

It’s not just a song, or a CD title – it’s a statement. Jerry G. Hludzik is a survivor in a business where it isn’t easy to keep your dreams alive, let alone actually live them.   Read more at www.jerryhludzik.com

Why a house concert?

From a host’s perspective: We have decided to do this purely for a love of music!   House concerts have been around for a while, but unfortunately haven’t quite caught on here in NE PA.   About two years ago one of my friends (thanks, Debbie!) attended her first house concert in New Jersey and I was intrigued.  So, the wheels have been turning for a while.  About a month ago I attended an acoustic concert by Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer), Art Alexakis (Everclear) & Eddie Kowalczyk (Live).  Hearing them play in a small venue was wonderful, but the best part of the experience was the “up-close-and-personal” feeling.  They told us why they wrote some of their material…they were funny…they were serious…they were emotional.  Most of all they all talked about how much they loved that type of performance ~ small venue & a real connection with the fans.  The idea of hosting up and coming musicians & songwriters in our own home seemed like a perfect idea and I began researching the internet to find out more.  There are a few websites that connect hosts and artists and I encourage you to take a look.  I decided on www.concertsinyourhome.com as they have built a relationship with over 600 artists from around the world who are willing to come to my living room, deck or the golf course and perform for my friends for a very reasonable donation that goes directly to the artist.  The host’s reward is not monetary….it’s the experience.  We offer a venue, snacks & a room for the night to our musicians…and most important an enthusiastic crowd.

From the artist’s perspective: Playing small clubs, bars & coffee shops isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, but it helps pay the bills.   Many times the artist works for tips or a few hundred dollars.  Probably the worst part is sometimes feeling like a “cover band” who plays in the background for people who are there to socialize and have a few drinks.  A house concert offers an attentive audience willing to offer a very reasonable donation to have the experience I described above.  Costs are kept to a minimum, as the host provides the venue, advertising, food and a place to stay and the artist has an opportunity to gain some new fans and maybe sell a few CDs to concertgoers.

From a guest’s perspective: For an extremely reasonable donation (and sometimes a dessert or casserole for a pot luck), you have a wonderful opportunity to relax with friends and enjoy an amazing venue to hear some “crazy good” singer/songwriters/musicians perform just for us!  I hope you will join us and see the caliber of performers we invite.  Remember, we choose the artists we invite…I get many requests from artists to perform for us, but I get to pick “the best of the best”!  Still don’t know what to expect?  Take a look at this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=try-z4-4h04

House Concert Decorum

• Please don’t arrive late
• Concert is reserved seating ~ confirmed when payment is received
• Directions will be emailed to you upon payment
• Please refrain from talking during the performance
• The concert is at the golf course & our bar will be open & available except during the actual concert; however, you may still BYOB!  We provide soda & mixers as well as wine glasses.
• If we are having a pot luck before the concert and/or dessert afterwards, we’ll provide plates, silverware, napkins and coffee & tea.
• Tables may be reserved for groups from 4 -12 when concerts are held at the Golf Course on a first-come basis ~ please reserve early!!!  Please note: not all seating is table seating .
• It’s fine to email me to ask me to count you in, but please pay in advance.  We are limited to a specific number depending on where the concert is held and cannot guarantee you a reservation until you have paid.  Our concerts will fill and we will maintain a waiting list in the event of a last-minute emergency cancellation.
• When concerts are in our home, please note: our home is non-smoking & we have a house cat.  The lounge at the golf course is also non-smoking.
• Questions?  Call Judy 570-956-0671 or email jknelly@sugarloafgolfclub.com

It’s fianally here, the 2011 golf season is about to kick off this weekend!  We plan to open for play with power carts available for use this Saturday (March 5th).  The Grounds Staff has been hard at work for the past few days, and the course weathered the winter months very well.  We expect to have all 18 greens and tees open for play by early Saturday.  The forcast is calling for mid 50′s this weekend, so call 1-888-DIAL-SUG now to reserve your tee times!

Looking to improve your game for 2011?  Check back here often!  Over the next few weeks we will post some of the best video instruction segments that we have found.  This is some great advice on bunker play!  See you in 2011

Ready for some golf?  We are!