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Rancho Sierra Golf Course
In this Issue ...
- Welcome to Sam Victor
- Shirley's Corner - what's going on around the clubhouse
- Fee Golf Equipment Swap Meet - come buy and sell golf stuff
- Rancho Sierra Glowball Tournament set for August 16
- Junior Clinics Going Great - 2 more clinics left
- Junior Golf Program starts July 12
- Juniors play for $1 during the week after 1 PM with adult - 1/2 off cart fee
- Adult/Junior golf tournament set for August 23
- Superintendent's Corner
- Tips from the Pro
- Rules Corner
Hi Everyone,
This month at Rancho Sierra Golf Course, a lot has been happening and a lot more is planned. From our Juniors clinics to our Golf Equipment Swap Meet, there's something for every golf enthusiast at Rancho Sierra.
For those of you who visited Rancho Sierra to play golf or buy gifts during the Father's Day weekend, thanks for coming out. I know it was a little busy, especially Saturday morning. I like the business, but some people don't like to wait. Shirley and the starters do everything they can to make your experience at Rancho Sierra a pleasant one. If the first tee is busy, we'll give you a complementary bucket of balls to warm up with on the range, send you off to start on a different tee if you prefer that to waiting, or provide you with a complimentary soft drink or cup of coffee while you relax in the clubhouse.
Those days are rare, but when it is busy and the play is a little slower, I ask that you please be careful out there. Sometimes we have guys out there that hit the ball far, and no one likes to see a golf ball flying towards them. Please use patience and restraint. Take it easy and enjoy yourself. After all, what could be better than playing golf on a beautiful Saturday or Sunday!
Since it's now pretty warm in the late mornings through mid-afternoon, the best time to play is about 6 AM. It's nice and cool. The course is still moist from the night watering. Most days there is little or no wind and the sun is low in the sky. So if you're an early bird like me, set your alarm and I'll see you at Rancho Sierra at about 6 AM.
We are having a new event at Rancho Sierra this month that I'm really excited about. The 1st Annual Rancho Sierra Golf Equipment Swap Meet will be held on Saturday, June 28 from 8 AM until Noon in the driving range parking lot. This should be a lot of fun for everyone. For no charge, anyone can come out, set up shop (tables, chairs, shade awnings, etc.) and show off or sell their used golf equipment. All I ask is that you show and sell ONLY golf related merchandise - this is not meant to be a yard sale or general swap meet. Rancho Sierra is hosting the event, but since we are inviting all our customers out to participate, we will not compete with you by selling our used clubs. Sellers, if you clean your merchandise and price it right, you could do a brisk business.
Of course, you don't have to sell your old golf stuff. You can come and buy, or just browse. I'm looking forward to seeing some cool stuff and to purchase some myself. And since the swap meet area is right next to the driving range, if you're interested in a golf club somebody is selling, you can just go over to the range and hit a few balls with it (subject to the seller's approval of course). We'll even have some range balls for you to hit, again for free. You just can't beat that for convenience.
I've been trying to get the word out about the swap meet, and an interesting thing happened the other day. Whenever we have an event such as a tournament, we contact the local golf courses to ask permission to bring over a stack of fliers to put in their clubhouse. All the golf courses in the AV do the same thing, and for the past five years, without exception, I have never been denied such a request by another course. Golf is a tough business and we all try to help each other out whenever we can. However, for the first time, when Shirley contacted a neighboring golf course about putting fliers for the golf equipment swap meet in their clubhouse, they refused to allow it. Rumor has it that this golf course (I can't name it but it starts with letter that represents a below average grade) is a little rundown, but I really can't say firsthand since I haven't been there is a long time. Maybe the aire over there isn't clear. I know I was very shocked when they said "no." But don't worry. I'll get over it. And if they ask us to display fliers for their next event, I'll be happy to do so.
 A funny thing happened when I was playing golf at Rancho Sierra last weekend with my son. He scored his first hole in one. Or was it a hole in one? He hit a ball from the #4 tee box. It landed on the green, but on the other side, away the pin. Since no one was right behind us, he teed up a second ball and hit it. It went toward the hole. One bounce. Two bounces. And in the hole!!!!!
* Should we really count that as a hole-in-one ... ?
Don't forget to check out our web site. I have been adding quite a bit of content and working hard to make it interesting and informative. We now have past newsletters online under the "Newsletters" menu item. I also have updated the "Events" section and added a lot of items to the Events Calendar.
I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I enjoy putting it together. I get a lot of help from Steve, Shirley and John, so much of what follows was written by them.
Thanks for reading.
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 Rancho Sierra Golf Course has a new starter. Our new employee is Sam Victor, who is fresh to the Antelope Valley, having previously attended college in Akron, Ohio. Sam is an avid golfer and, along with Lloyd Barrett, he is assisting John Chopp with the Junior's Clinics and the upcoming Juniors Program. We are lucky to have such a knowledgable golfer and affable guy join Rancho Sierra.
When you see Sam in the clubhouse or out on the course, please stop and say hello.
Shirley's Corner - News From the Clubhouse
Hi Everyone,
Summer is here! I imagine there are a few of us wishing winter was here, what with the last few days of 90 to 100 degrees. A few tips for those who golf during the hottest part of the day which is between 12:00 to 4:00, “WATER, WATER AND MORE WATER.” You need to drink plenty of water so you won’t become dehydrated or end up with heat stoke. Feel free to also ask the starter for a cold, wet towel. We want everyone to enjoy their time out here golfing.
Well, our Father’s Day and Grad Gift Packages went over great! We sold every package that we made up and ended up making more on request. We hope all those dads and grads that received one enjoyed it. We hope to see you at the course soon.
The 4th of July is right around the corner and with the high gas prices and undesirable airline situation, many of us will be staying home for this holiday, wondering what to do. Instead of sitting in an airport or on a plane that is not moving; instead of sitting in a car on a crowded road and burning gas, bring your family and friends to Rancho Sierra and enjoy a nice outing at the golf course. Play the course, hit a bucket of balls or practice your short game on the practice putting green. We also have a relaxing, shaded pavilion where you can bring your lunch.
For those who don’t like to or can’t play in the heat, we have a great twilight special which starts at 3:30 PM, changing to 4:00 PM starting July 1st. It’s a little bit cooler at that time of day and we always get some kind of breeze to cool you off by late afternoon. See our rates web page for all our prices.
Glowball Tournament: One last item: Our 5th Annual Glowball Tournament is right around the corner - August 16th - and for those who have never golfed at night, take my word for it, it is a hoot!! There will be a full moon this year and the weather should be great! Ask the starters about this tournament or pick up a flier while you're there, or check out the web site. Sign up soon as it fills up fast. If you have questions about this or anything else, call the course at 661-946-1080 or email me at shirley@ranchosierragolf.com.
This is Shirley, hoping you enjoy your golf outing!!
Shirley
In the newsletter introduction, I talked a lot about our upcoming Golf Equipment Swap Meet. Here are the logistics:
| What: |
1st Annual Rancho Sierra Golf Equipment Swap Meet |
| Where: |
Rancho Sierra Golf Course Driving Range Parking Lot |
| When: |
Saturday, June 28th from 8 AM until Noon |
| Who: |
Anyone who want to buy, sell, or just see used golf equipment |
| Cost: |
Absolutely FREE to attend, buy, and sell golf equipment |
| Bring: |
If you are selling, bring a table, chair, and shade awning if you have it. You may also want to bring change for the sales you are going to have. If you are buying, bring some cash. I doubt too many sellers will accept credit cards or checks. |
| More info: |
Contact the course (info below) or see the Rancho Sierra Golf Course Swap Meet Web Page.
|
| Contact: |
Call the course at 661-946-1080 or email taiken@ranchosierragolf.com |
Come out and enjoy the fun, and buy or sell something.
Course Improvements
Although the weather is now pretty hot, we continue to make improvements to the course. The first order of business is to get the greens and tee boxes in shape and looking good. Steve Whitson, our superintendent, has done a great job, and I try to fill in the divots whenever I get a chance. Several tee boxes, including those for holes #4, #6, and #7, take quite a beating. If you want to help us keep the tee boxes looking good, after taking a divot, either find and replace your divot or use a sand and seed bottle to fill the divot hole. Sand and seed bottles are located in all the carts, and there are also large bottles next to the tee rocks on some tees. It helps keep the course in great shape.
 We have also just completed repainting the tee signs. They get weathered pretty fast here in the Antelope Valley, and to keep them nice we try to repaint them every two or three years.
Steve, Pedro, and Rick have been working on the green on #6 since last summer. We have had some problems with roots growing up through the green. The original course builder planted cottonwood trees on the course, and these trees have roots that spread out horizontally in search of water. Since we put a lot of water on the greens to keep them looking good and playing true, cottonwood roots sometimes find that moisture and come up through the service of the greens. Last year this time, #6 green was particularly bad. The outside crew worked diligently through the fall, winter and spring, and it really paid off. The results are amazing. Although course maintenance work is never done, the green is 90% "back" and it is very playable with only a couple of roots left to deal with. Great job guys!
Hello everyone. This is John Chopp. Many of you know me as one of the starters at Rancho Sierra, where I have been working for the past five years, while finishing high school and attending college, first at AV Community College and then at Cal State Bakersfield, where I just finished my degree in Psychology (Hooray!!!). However, one of my passions is golf, and I am a certified instructor through the United States Golf Teaching Federation (USGTF).
 We began the first of four free Junior Golf Clinics on Saturday, May 31st. For our very first clinic, we were pleasantly surprised to have over 20 juniors come out. It really was a fantastic sight to see the entire driving range filled with eager junior golfers.
For the first meeting, we covered some basic safety issues, such as checking your surroundings before swinging the golf club. We also went over the basic stance and the interlock grip. For our second meeting, this past Saturday, June 14th, we started off with some stretching followed by a quick review of the grip and stance. We followed up with proper ball position for mid to low irons. After the instructions, we had all the golfers line up and swing away. For this clinic we had three very qualified instructors – myself, Lloyd Barrett, another certified instructor, and Sam Victor, an accomplished golfer who has worked with the First Tee Foundation. Utilizing three instructors as well as getting help from the parents, we were able to work with each junior individually a good amount of time.
 To conclude the morning’s activities, we had all the juniors compete in a golf contest. If the junior hit a small red trailer we put on the range, roughly 50 yards away, he or she won a free ice cream. It’s no surprise to say that this was a huge "hit" and many kids were up to the task. Congratulations!
Thanks to all the parents for bringing out your juniors for our clinics. And special thanks to each parent out there who was gracious enough to help us out at the first two clinics. We hope to see you all at future clinics.
Our next clinic is Saturday, June 21st at 9 AM. We will be meeting at the practice putting green and will learn the keys to putting. This is a facet of golf that many adults take for granted, but it is an area where a little instruction and some practice can improve your score dramatically. We invite you to bring your junior golfer out to enjoy the clinic. We’ll have a putting contest at the end of Saturday’s clinic, with prizes!
All clinics are free and there is no requirement to attend previous clinics to come to future ones. Just bring the kids out and we will do our best to make sure that they learn the techniques of playing golf and have fun in the process.
On Saturday, July 12 at 8:30 AM, we will be starting a Junior Program. This program is eligible for all juniors between the ages of 8 and 17. It will focus greatly on basic golf fundamentals. The program will meet for six consecutive Saturdays and last 90 minutes each session. On the 7th Saturday, we'll have an optional Adult/Junior Golf Tournament (described below).
Due to the content of the program, we encourage beginning and novice golfers attend. Intermediate and advanced golfers may find the content review. However, if your junior player feels they need a good review of basic golf fundamentals, then by all means, sign them up. They are certainly welcome and will benefit from the instruction and practice. This will be a great program for any junior looking to learn or review the basic fundamentals of golf to create a strong, consistent golf swing.
In the classes, we will cover stance, posture, grip, ball position, putting, chipping, and course etiquette. Each session will last roughly 90 minutes with a break halfway through. The price for the Juniors Program is $99, which includes:
- Six 90 minute classes, with a student to instructor ratio of no more than 7 to 1
- Free course play (with paid adult) during the duration of the seven week program
- Free driving range balls during the duration of the seven week program
- Free entry into the Rancho Sierra Adult/Junior Golf Tournament
More information with an attached schedule is available in the clubhouse and on the web site, www.ranchosierragolf.com (click "Events" and select "Juniors Program").
On August 23rd, we will hold the 1st Annual Rancho Sierra Adult/Junior Golf Tournament. The tournament will be open to any adult/junior team, regardless of Rancho Sierra Juniors Clinic or Rancho Sierra Juniors Program attendance. However, if your junior was enrolled in the Rancho Sierra Juniors Program, he or she will be given a free pass into the tournament. The respective adult(s) will be charged a nominal fee of $19.95 which includes the nine holes of tournament golf, electric cart rental, golf gift pack, BBQ and prizes. Tee off begins at 4 PM and check-in will be at 3:30 PM. We want you and your junior to come out and experience golf in a tournament setting, where the kids are the stars, have some fun, and enjoy a beautiful afternoon and evening on the course.
More information on the Rancho Sierra Adult/Junior Golf tournament will soon be posted on the Rancho Sierra Web Site (under "Adult-Junior Tournament). Also please feel free to email me at john@ranchosierragolf.com with questions, comments, or suggestions about anything related to our junior golf development events. Thanks.
John
Even if your young golfer can't take advantage of the Saturday golf programs, bring them out any afternoon during the week. From now until the end of August, we have our Juniors Sizzler Special. Any junior up to 17 years of age can come play golf anytime after 1 PM with a paid adult and pay just One Dollar. With a paid adult, electric cart rental for the junior is 1/2 price.
Hi everyone,
 Just a quick note concerning the condition of the course. We receive compliments on the course all the time. However, we do have some problem areas that we are addressing. We had the main water pump out of operation for 4 days. That, along with the winds and warmer temperatures, provide a challenge to keeping the course green. We are continuing to work hard on these areas and conditions will improve as we go through the summer season.
Thank you for your patience.
Steve Whitson
You've just hit a beautiful shot to the green, it lands on the green just where you want it, but as it rolls towards the hole, it contacts another ball. What is the ruling?
Since your ball (the player) came from off the green, your ball is played where it comes to rest. The ball that your ball contacted must be replaced as close to where it was before your ball struck it. And since your ball came from off of the green, there is no penalty.
Thanks, and play by the rules or it just isn't golf.
Steve Whitson
Let's talk about our stance, or "address position". I see a lot of golfers with their feet too far apart in their stance. If your feet are separated too far there is a tendency to "slide" sideways in our back swing rather than "rotate." Place your feet shoulder width apart, slightly wider for the driver. This allows the upper torso to rotate with the target side shoulder coming under the chin and 90 percent of the body weight going onto the foot farthest from the target.
A more narrow stance allows for proper rotation.
Steve
Steve Whitson
U.S.G.T.F. Certified Teaching Professional
Great Tournament Dates Still Available
Want to have your own tournament? You choose the date and we'll work with you to put on a legendary event. Great tournament dates are still available throughout summer and fall. No group is too small. If you're interested in holding your own event, call Shirley at 661-946-1080 or email shirley@ranchosierragolf.com.
Gift Cards Available 
Gift Cards are now available online and at the course. Gift Cards may be purchased for any amount and are redeemable for golf, merchandise, lessons & dining. Simply stop by the clubhouse to purchase your gift card or shop online.
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