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From The President
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving celebrating with your families (it certainly appeared that families came to visit this year with all the new faces in Tonto and at the club). Even with all the guest play over the last week, it is apparent that we are starting to do more to help maintain our most valuable assets-our two golf courses! Congratulations to all those that are repairing pitch marks, filling divots in fairways with divot mix, not replacing the divot sod back into the divot, raking the bunkers, and using the entrance and exit gates. You are making a difference, and your efforts are noticed and really appreciated. Try to encourage others you are playing with that might not be doing the same, to join in the effort to keep our courses in great shape and beautiful.
At last month’s Board of Directors meeting the Board in conjunction with the various committee chairs completed developing the critical issues for the club both in the short and long terms. Responsibility assignments for investigating and developing solutions for these issues have been assigned. These issues, results of investigations, and future directions will be developed over the next several months and presented at the annual meeting in April. In the interim, these can be reviewed by pulling up last month’s meeting minutes.
Let me know of any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.
Don “Doc” Holliday
TVGC President
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From The Head Professional
Greetings Golf Members,
As we embark on this holiday stretch of 2023 this is always a great time to reflect on how fortunate we are to call Tonto Verde home.
When I arrived at Tonto 6 seasons ago I was touched by the way our golf staff operated more like a family. Unfortunately, we recently lost one of our family members, Jon Trasamar, to a battle with Melanoma at the age of 33. Jon worked on the outside service team at Tonto from 2016 to 2021 while chasing his dream of playing on the PGA Tour. His down-to-earth personality and infectious smile made him a beloved member of our crew. Please click here for an article that tells the story of a wonderful man. Rest easy, my friend!
A group that includes a few of our members are working to set up a memorial scholarship at the University of Minnesota in Jon’s name. If you’re interested in more information and/or would like to participate please reach out to Jay Simons.
Important Notes and Updates:
- Although we will utilize the Golf Genius app to assist with scoring in many events, please be mindful that your paper scorecard will always be the official scoring mechanism. Please take a minute to review scorecards with your playing partners to ensure accuracy before turning them in. As a professional staff, we are trying our best to avoid disqualifying participants, but we’re left with no choice when a group signs for a lower score on a hole than what they actually made.
- Titleist will be on the range for a fitting event on Thursday, December 14th from 10 AM-2 PM. If you’re interested in an appointment for a complimentary fitting please sign up in the Golf Shop.
- I hate to report that frost-delay season is right around the corner, but that’s just part of life during the wintertime in the desert. Stay tuned to the banner above our ForeTees tee sheets and/or the scrolling announcement bar on TontoVerde.org for frost delay updates. We should know by 7:15 am if there is a delay. That said, it may take up to an additional hour for Travis and his crew to determine the duration of the delay as they need the sun to come up before making an informed decision. Please be on-site and ready to go at least 20 minutes prior to any updated tee time projections that we provide. We do make an effort to get caught up on both courses as expeditiously as possible.
- The 5-Guy Scramble is a fun event coming up on January 12th involving members, employees, and a handful of professionals from the Scottsdale area. Being that the Club is allowing this event to be played with a shotgun start for the first time a limited number of spots will be made available for registration on ForeTees starting December 1st. All players in the field will be categorized into A/B/C/D/E pools based on the handicap index. The “E” players will be Captains responsible for attending a draft party on Thursday, January 11th at which they will select 1 player from each handicap pool to create their 5-person team. The format for golf is a 5-person scramble with 3 drives being required from each player. A buffet dinner and awards will follow the play on Friday evening. Don’t hesitate to sign up if you’re interested as this event will fill up quickly.
Thank you,
Brandon Munso
Head Golf Professional
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From The Golf Shop
Please keep in mind that all Golf Shop Credit Book earned last season (7/1/2022 - 6/30/2023) will expire on January 1st, 2024. Spend your credits today before they expire! If you don't see something in the shop we can help you place a special order for items from most golf vendors. Reach out, we are here to help you!
Donnielle Ostlund
Golf Shop Manager & Buyer
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Please congratulate Don on his hole-in-one.
October
Don Paquette
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From The Handicap Committee
Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the first few golf events have been played without a hitch and great weather! The Handicap Review has shown more and more people doing a superb job of posting scores timely! We still find a couple of “red flags” in our review, and it is easy for you to make sure you are not flagged. PEER REVIEW REPORT! Please be in the habit of checking your own Peer Review Report. Group Leaders, you can also use this as a tool to assure players in your group are posting scores timely and accurately.
To look at your Peer Review Report Click Here type in the last name, and tap on select. Your peer review report should have all green lines on it. If you see yellow lines, that means you missed a score posting for that day. You can post your score for that day – BUT make sure to put the correct date in for that round. If not, it will appear as an unmatched posting and that line will still be yellow.
The USGA/WHS (World Handicap System) is making some changes in January 2024.
A new treatment of 9-hole scores
Today, 9-hole scores are combined in the order posted to create an 18-hole Score Differential™. This means that a 9-hole score shot today could be combined with a 9-hole score from days, weeks, or even months before – which can lead to volatile results.
Beginning in 2024, when a player posts a 9-hole score, it will be combined with their expected Score Differential over 9 holes to create an 18-hole Score Differential for immediate use – with an expected score based on the player’s Handicap Index at the time the round is played as well as a course of standard difficulty.
An updated approach for holes not played
At present when a hole isn’t played (due to darkness, for example), the score recorded is a net par. When the 2024 revision goes into effect, when 10-17 holes are played, an 18-hole Score Differential will be determined by adding the player’s Score Differential from the holes played to an expected Score Differential for the number of holes not played. Since a player’s expected score is not specific to a course or reliant upon the course’s stroke index allocation (as net par is today), this will lead to more consistency.
For direct resource go to the USGA website, and click on this link for more information - 2024-WHS-Change-Summaries-USGA.pdf
Your Handicap Committee
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MGA News & Reminders November 28th
The MGA 6/6/6 Member/Member event is in the books. The results are posted as usual on our Tonto Verde Member website: tontoverde.org/Leagues/MGA/Results. Bill Reimer and Terry Palmer were the overall winners of the 184 participants of the 6/6/6 golf event, most of which attended the terrific dinner following golf. Recent feedback on food quality, quantity, cost and service has been very good. Plan to attend future meal offerings after MGA events whenever possible. You will not be disappointed.
Unfortunately, sign up for the MGA Fall Member/Member Eclectic Series which starts tomorrow is closed, but if you would like to attend the dinner following the second round on December 6th , which will all serve as our December monthly meeting, sign up under the Lifestyle tab/Event Registration/Food only Eclectic Dinner. Sign up for dinner closes on December 3rd.
Our final MGA event in December is on December 13th with a tee time game. Sign up as an individual and Golf Shop will make the pairings. The event is BB 2 of 4++ and will be on the Peaks Course.
Sign up for our January monthly golf and dinner meeting starts on December 3rd. Sign up as an individual and the Golf Shop will make the ABCD pairings for the Progressive Net Best Ball event. Shot gun at 12:30 with dinner immediately following golf.
Remember to start planning now for the Tonto Verde Desert Classic Invitational on March 22nd – March 25th. This is our premier event of the season. The field is limited to 72 teams and will fill up quickly. Sign up opens on December 1st @ 7:00 AM for some great fun, fellowship and golf. Don’t wait and be shut out. Be prepared with your guest’s GHIN#, Home Club, State and email address when signing up!
If you are not currently an MGA member and would like to join and participate in our events, please contact me at jjlynch4@cox.net.
Jon Jay Lynch
Membership/Communication Liaison
jjlynch4@cox.net
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The Member-Member Event was changed this year to accommodate more players and what a success it was with 146 members playing in the event! Barb Smith and Linda McEneany (pictured below holding the trophy) were the Low Net Overall Champions, winning with a two-day, net eclectic score of 57. The winners of each flight are posted on ForeTees—congratulations to all! | |
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INTERCLUB NEWS: The Cactus Team played their second match of the season against Rio Verde and were victorious, winning both the gross and net points. While the team of Evelyn Donnelly and Nancy Sewell scored the highest number of points- 27 out of a possible 36, followed by Lori McCormick and Vicki Wolken with 24.5/36 points, all five Tonto teams won their matches and defeated Rio 110.5 points to Rio’s 69.5. The ladies are off to a great start with a 2-0 record.
UPCOMING DECEMBER SIGN-UP EVENTS AND DATES:
- WGA GENERAL MEETING/DINNER AND GAME, December 5Sign-up is underway! There’s still time to register for both the dinner meeting and game or you can elect to sign up for one or the other. The game format is a match play event designed to be fun and to educate/familiarize players with match play. To make it stress-free, each foursome will include a player who is experienced with the format. Players will be assigned in advance to either the Blue or Red Team and are asked to wear their team color on the day of the event. Half the field will be declared winners so relax and enjoy learning/playing the game knowing your score will be combined with others on the Red or Blue Team. (Please reference the November 26 email message sent to you by the Golf Shop for more details.)
- ONE DAY GUEST EVENT, January 23 Sign-ups begin December 1
- COME TOGETHER RIO TONTO EXCHANGE AT RVCC, January 16 Sign-ups begin December 16 Rio will host this annual mixer event with a 12:00PM shotgun start followed by dinner. Two Tonto players will be paired with two Rio players to play a step-aside scramble. Cost for the event is $62 (inclusive of game, dining, drink ticket, tax, and service charge.)
The WGA roster continues to grow with the addition of new member Melanie Smith. Melanie is from Wayzata, MN, and will join us in January.
Glenda O’Neal
Secretary, WGA
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The sunny, warm weather continued in November with 52 participants on Nov. 14. Congratulations to the ladies who got 29 pars and Sheryl Coup on her birdie!
Winners were:
1st Place: Janis Bunchman, Mary Dougherty & Diane Plennert
2nd Place: Jackie Singler, Dianne Ruegg, Beth Keiffer & Tasha Leete
3rd Place: Laddie Lindahl, Carol Noonan, Terry Uffelman & Sally Newhall
Don’t forget to sign up for our holiday happy hour event on December 12 immediately following our game at 2:30 pm.
Our LNGA Academies on Nov. 29 are full, but feel free to sign up for the waitlist. We will be having another academy on December 6, and you can sign up for that on November 28.
Our first Interclub is scheduled for December 6 at Ancala, and we have 9 ladies registered for this event. Feel free to sign up for the waitlist in case we have a cancellation!
Be sure to check out our updated Pictorial Directory on the TV Golf website under “Golf Club Members”, then “Leagues”, then “LNGA”.
Last call for our Senior Santa project donations! Our sincere thanks to the very generous Niners ladies who have donated blankets, neck pillows, and Christmas plants. Please drop off your unwrapped gift by November 30, as Verde Cares will be picking up the gifts on December 1.
Diane Link
LNGA President
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Hoping all of you had a wonderful Holiday with family and friends! We will have our Christmas celebration for Lady Putters on Wednesday, December 13. It will be an evening event with putting sign in starting at 3:00 pm, announcements at 3:15 pm, and putting at 3:30 pm. A festive event of dinner and cash bar to follow. We will be collecting unwrapped toys for the Rio Verde Fire Department Toys for Tots. If you wish to participate, bring your toy and put under the Christmas Tree in the Cimarron Dining Room. The Fire Department will be making an appearance to pick them up.
Come dressed in your festive Holiday Gear. Hope to see you all there!
Julie Maas, Lady Putters President
651-278-4471
Tropicaljulie2000@hotmail.com
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Men’s Putters resumes on Thursday December 7th at 3:00pm. Arrive ahead of time to ensure a timely 3:00pm start. Participation has been robust with several new community residents joining the weekly challenge.
First place team finish the past session went to Kirk Flury & Steve Baker
Second and third place went to Jerry Jorgens & Troy Krumenecker along with Gary Baker & Bob Buhler.
There were 6 hole in one achievements which received a part of the prize rewards.
Come out on Thursday December 7th to meet your Tonto community members, challenge yourself to the putting course, and enjoy the experience. Questions, contact Jim Crego.
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