THE FIRST TEE - Gouverneur Country Club
Newsletter - January 2007
New
Director Elected– Bonnie
Porter is a new director joining Chuck Audet, Ralph Brungard,
Ray Fournier, Bob Garofalo, Nelson Lawrence, Roger LaPierre,
Jeff Stowell and Ted Totten. The officers remain the
same with Janice Lutz – President; Dan Caruso
– Vice President; Heather MacKinnon – Secretary
and Jim Girard – Treasurer. The chair of each committee
is the first name listed in the accompanying brochure.
(referring to the mailing) In addition, the brochure
outlines all dues and fees for the coming year.
Prompt
Payment Perks– For
those members paying their dues in full by May 1, 2007
you will have your choice of two free guest passes, a
$20 gift certificate redeemable in the Pro Shop or Restaurant,
or a Driving Range Coupon (10 bags of balls). This
Driving Range Coupon will also be available in the Pro
Shop for $20. Please indicate your preference on
your dues statement.
Time
Payment Plan -
For those who wish to pay their Membership
Dues over a three-month
period, we offer the following time payment plan. Pay
50% of your dues by May 1st.
Make a 25% payment with a $5 service charge
on June 1st and
make your final 25% payment with a $5 service charge
by July 1.
Introductory
Memberships – We
are once again offering Introductory Memberships for
the 2007season (Family
- $350; Husband/Wife - $325; Single - $225). This
is an excellent opportunity to introduce friends or neighbors
to the great golf, great food and great friends here
at Gouverneur Country Club.
Private
Carts are Grandfathered – We
will not approve any new requests for private cart privileges. Members
who were cart owners as of 10-1-06 retain the private
cart privilege as long as they maintain their membership.
This follows the direction of most other courses in the
area that have either eliminated private carts or are
in the process of doing so. As a reminder, private cart
use is restricted to the owner(s) of the cart or family
members of their immediate household who are members
in good standing.
Unlimited
Cart Usage – For
the yearly fee of $425 (Family – one cart in use
by family at one time) or $350 (Single) you can use one
of the Club’s carts anytime you play golf. It
has proven a popular option and five carts were added
to the rental fleet last year to accommodate the increased
usage.
Super
Senior Discount – For
any current or new member who has reached the young age
of 80, your dues will be 50% of the regular dues. If
we missed that on your dues statement, please call Dan
(287-3997) or Heather (287-4241) and we will give you
the correct amount.
Course & Building
Improvements – Throughout
the off-season, the Board has weighed the many projects
that are necessary to improve the course and update our
buildings. Keeping in mind our expenses that increase
6% a year versus revenue, some of the projects targeted
are the continued rehabilitation of our rest rooms including
improved ventilation, the replacement of our antiquated
dishwasher and utility vehicle, bridge replacements and
tee enhancements. Course drainage is a major concern
and we will continue to address the most critical areas
first.
Discounts
at 11 other courses – Your
membership entitles you to a discount on greens fee/cart
at several courses. We encourage you to take advantage
of these reciprocals where prices range from $20 to $30. The
courses require that you call ahead for tee times and
show your membership card when you sign in. The participating
courses are Carlowden, Highland Greens, Highland Meadows,
Malone, Massena, Partridge Run, Potsdam, Prescott, St.
Lawrence, Tupper Lake and Watertown.
Opening
Party – “Cinco De Mayo” – Saturday
May 5 – Connie
and Janice invite you to join us and bring your friends
as we gather to celebrate this Mexican feast. There
is no admission fee but people are encouraged to bring
their favorite hors d’ oeuvre to share. The
club will provide the DJ. Ole!!
Ole!!
Work
Day – Saturday May 5th –
8:30 – 12:30 – Many
hands make light work! We have been able to complete
a great number of projects on the course and in the clubhouse
and had fun (?) doing it. Ray Fournier and Ralph
Brungard will be handing out the projects. We are open
to suggestions.
League
Starting Dates – Tuesday
morning women May1st; Harrisville men – May 1;
Wednesday women – May 9;
Thursday men – May 3;
Friday night coed – May 25. The leagues
always have openings for golfers and or substitutes. Contact
the Pro Shop at 287-2130 to sign up.
Major
Golf Tournaments – This
year our club will be the site of three of Northern New
York’s most prestigious tournaments. We look forward
to hosting the NNY Senior Men’s Association on
June 11,
the Women’s Foothills on July 10 and
the NNY Six Man on August 3-4.
This will be a great opportunity for us to
proudly showcase our facility.
Volunteers will be needed and appreciated.
Pro
Shop – Our
prices will meet or beat the competition. Look for a
wide selection of men and women’s clothing. In
addition, we will be offering a full line of popular
golf balls. For
your special needs we can arrange special orders with
a wide range of manufacturers including Titleist and
FootJoy. We have also upgraded the computer to better
handle the handicap system. Part of your membership
benefit is the establishment of a handicap that is acceptable
at other courses and tournaments.
Junior
Golf – A
clinic is tentatively scheduled for April 9, 10, 11 – weather
permitting. This occurs during the spring break
and should be a great time for young people to learn
not only good technique but also proper golf etiquette.
The clinic is open to all juniors (high school age or
younger) - $20 for members and $30 for non-members. Contact
the Pro Shop for more information.
Qualifying
for 6 Person Teams – Saturday and Sunday
- July 7, 8 - The
men and women will qualify on the same weekend. In addition
to qualifying, there will be many other events taking
place.
Sustaining
Memberships – Looking
for a 20% discount on your dues? Join 52 others
and become a sustaining member. Invest $2,000 in a fully
refundable certificate – may be paid in four one-year
installments.
You then become a voting member with an active
voice in the direction of the club. You can be a part
of it today. Contact Dan Caruso or Jim Girard for
details on becoming a sustaining member.
Buy
Your Booster Club Tickets Now -
This popular fundraiser is one of our chief revenue sources
for financing club improvements. At $20 each, they
are also great gifts. For your convenience, payment can
be sent along with your dues payment. Tickets will
be returned to you along with your membership cards.
The drawings take place on Friday evenings following
Co-Ed golf. There are ten drawings with 3 winners ($75,
$50, $25) each drawing.
The
Web Site – Open For Business – Last
season, we leapt into the 21st century
by introducing our website – www.gouverneurcountryclub.com.
We have received many favorable comments about the website
and many thanks to Shari Barnhart for her excellent work
and patience. In addition to posting information at the
clubhouse the website will be updated on a regular basis.
Looking
forward to good friends, good times and GREAT golf – keep
it in the short grass!
The
Board of Directors