French Creek Golf Club Newsletter August Edition 2015, Volume 8

GOLF EVENTS IN AUGUST

Sunday, August 2nd - Back Yard Brawl

(French Creek Members hosting Whitford Members)

10:00am - 11:00am Tee Times

Wednesday, August 5th - Women's Chester County Match

(French Creek, Radley Run, Penn Oaks, Chester Valley & Kennett Square)

9:00am Shotgun Start (1st tee open after the completion of match, approx. 1:30pm)

Saturday, August 8th - Couple's Championship 1:00pm Shotgun Start

(1st tee open until approximately 11:00am, then open soon after the 1:00pm start)

Saturday & Sunday, August 15th & 16th - Men's & Women's Senior Club Championship

10:00am Starting Times

Saturday, August 15th - Men's & Women's Super-Senior Club Championship

10:00am Starting Times

Friday, August 21st - Nine, Wine & Dine 5:30pm Shotgun

The ‘Shed on the Inward Nine’ is officially

open! Please stop by during the week for

non-alcoholic beverages and grab & go

food. Alcoholic beverages & grilled hot

dogs will be served to you by our friendly

staff on the weekends.

THOUGHTS FROM THE OUTSIDE GUY

So we’re going to talk greens and only greens in this month’s column. As I’m a well know pain in

the A_ _ I must admit that unrepaired ball marks on greens drive me CRAZY!! Everyone tells me

they most certainly fix their ball mark plus one more so how come on many evenings when I’m out

changing cups I’m also repairing many, many ball marks? As a player the single most important

thing you can do for those on the Grounds Staff and for yourself is to take a moment and certainly

repair your own and one or two other pitch marks. Not only will it improve the appearance of the

greens, but you may also make one or two additional putts during your round which may help you

win a buck or two from your opponent. A win-win for all. Please do help us out. Thanks.

I don’t believe there is enough paper in the world to print all that has been discussed about green

speeds. It’s a source of never ending debate and maybe even an argument or two. Gil Hanse,

architect of French Creek told me in our initial meeting seven plus years ago that our greens, with

their contours, were designed to putt at between 8.5 and 9.5 feet as measured by the stimpmeter.

We both agreed that was slow in today’s world so Gil suggested that keeping the greens at 10 to 10.5

feet is as fast as we should go. We strive on a daily basis to be between 10.25 and 10.5 feet. For the

recently concluded Club Championships we were rolling at 11 feet and many noticed. Once we hit

eleven feet cupping space begins to get compromised on many greens. (greens three, four and four-

teen come immediately to mind) Our goal is to make your experience at French Creek fun, exciting

and somewhat challenging knowing that many levels of golfers play on a daily basis. When setting

cups we do keep three criteria in mind when selecting that pin location. The first is that the new cup

be on the green. (batting 100% on that one) We then want three feet of level space around the new

cup so hopefully the ball is slowing down as it nears the hole and not gaining speed. Finally we look

for variety in locations; front, back middle and left, right and center. At times we draw a box with

nine squares in it and for each nine try to “fill” a square with a cup location. As many of you know

we look for new and exciting locations all the time when selecting where the next pin will go. I hear

about that as well from time to time, and thankfully it’s in a friendly, good natured way.

Since the Championship weekend we have taken off a half foot of green speed. Still mowing at the

same height and rolling four to five times per week but on Monday past we gave all our greens a light

fertilization. Greens were hungry and off color which was a clear indication they needed food. Our

goal is to provide a healthy putting surface, which can stand up to both the environmental stresses of

summer and the stress imposed by both our maintenance practices and golfer wear and tear. I’m

generally pleased with our mostly poa free greens and look to keep them that way.

Now you know a bit about how we look at greens and how we approach our day to day maintenance

obligations. Have not discussed weather, which we cannot control, but which does add a whole other

set of variables to the question of green speed. Thanks for reading this piece and as always I look to

see you around the property.

Bruce Cadenelli

Head Greenkeeper

It was a picture perfect weekend for the Men's & Women's Club

Championships. Thank you to all of the contestants and

congratulations to our champions!

Women's Club Championship

Championship Bracket - Tina Thatcher-Zolfaghari

1st Flight - Peggy O'Reilly

Men's Club Championship

Championship Bracket - Michael DiGiandomenico

Championship Flight 1 - Mark McEvoy

Flight #1 Champion - Rock Emery

Flight #2 Champion - Ron Monson

Flight #3 Champion - Craig Sheetz

GRILL ROOM HOURS OF

OPERATION Monday

Closed

Tuesday - Thursday

Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm

Pub Fare 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Dinner 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Friday and Saturday

Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm

Pub Fare 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Dinner 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Sunday

Lunch 11:30 am - 3:00 pm

Pub Fare 3:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Dinner 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Reservations recommended for Thursday,

Friday and Saturday evenings.

610.913.6330 EXT 112

French Creek Appetizer Cheese Board

French Creek Dessert Cheese Board

The Creek’s French Dip

Caprese Salad

Main Phone Number

610-913-6330

610-913-6334 fax

Member Services and Billing

Katie Sangerman - ext 100

Sales and Catering

Sharon Hegney ext 101

Clubhouse Manager

Patrick Marshalek - ext 102

Golf Shop

Derek/Mike/Vickie-ext 103/104

Golf Professional

Jeff Haas - ext 106

Horticulturist

Colleen Sundholm ext 108

Assistant Greenkeeper

Steve Cippollone - ext 109

Head Greenkeeper

Bruce Cadenelli - ext 110

General Manager

Mark Gama - ext 111

Grill Room/Bar

Reservations - ext 112

Banquet Manager

Mina Boules - ext 113

Executive Chef

Joe Herner - ext 114

STEARCLEAR TO MAKE A SAFE

NIGHT OF IT!

STEARCLEAR is changing the way people

think about getting home. They are an app

based service that drives customers AND

their car.

Members may find the STEARCLEAR

services useful for trips to and from the

airport, medical appointments, private

events and corporate parties.

Members of French Creek Golf Club have

access to their services at a discounted

rate - every time they use it, from any

location. On top of that, event hosts who

use our facilities are able to utilize our

STEARCLEAR partnership to offer guests

a safe ride home at a discounted rate.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION

ON STEARCLEAR SERVICES

GOLF SHOP HOURS OF

OPERATION

Monday

Closed

Tuesday - Friday

7:30 am - 7:00 pm

Saturday - Sunday

7:00 am - 7:00 pm

Range will close 1/2 hour early on

Wednesday and Sunday nights.

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

Family Golf

Saturday 3pm :

Range Social

2

Back Yard Brawl

3

CLOSED

4 5

Women’s Golf

Morning

Chester County

Women’s Golf

6 7 8

Couples’

Championship

9 10

CLOSED

11 12

Women’s Golf

Morning

13

14

Women’s Inter-Club

@ Lehigh CC

15

Senior Club

Championship

Super-Senior

Championship

16

Senior Club

Championship

17

CLOSED

18 19

Women’s Golf

Morning

20 21

9, Wine and Dine

22

23 24

CLOSED

25 26

Women’s Golf

Morning

27

Board of Advisors /

Club Management

Meeting 7pm

28

Twilight Golf

(Members Only)

29

30

31

CLOSED

August 2015

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

CCWGA @ Chester

Valley

2

Women’s Golf

Morning

3 4

Member Twilight

Golf 9 Holes

5

Labor Day

Weekend : Golf Shop

Organized Game

Family Golf

Saturday 3pm

6

Labor Day

Weekend : Golf Shop

Organized Game

7

Labor Day - Open w/

Tuesday Hours

Golf Shop Organized

Game

8

CLOSED

9

Women’s Golf

Morning

10

11 12

13

14

CLOSED

15

Club Closed

Bishop Shanahan

Annual Outing

16

Women’s Golf

Morning

17 18

Men’s & Women’s

Member/Member

Day 1

19

Men’s & Women’s

Member/Member

Day 2

20

21

CLOSED

22 23

Women’s Golf

Morning

24

Women’s Inter-Club

@ Moselem Springs

B.O.D Meeting 7pm

25

26

27

28

CLOSED

29 30

Women’s Golf

Morning

September 2015