The Weekend Release

Craig’s Weekend Release Program
For the week of April 26th thru May 1st


Ladies Team Play;
Tomorrow kicks off the home defense of our Ladies.  They will be hosting the ladies from Antelope Valley Country Club in team play at 9:00.  Our Ladies have had one match so far this year travelling to Crystalaire Country Club and beating them handily.  The tee will close at 8:30 and should clear at about 10:30 for other play. 

Japanese Tsunami Fundraiser;
As many of you know we are having a fundraiser for the Tsunami Survivors on Monday the 9th.  Erikos father’s side of the family is from one of the hardest hit areas, Sendai.  The donation to play in the event is $200 per player.  Please call us if you are interested in playing as an individual or bringing a team out here!  Thanks for your support!  All proceeds will be going to the Japanese Red Cross, Eriko and her sister will take the money directly to the Japanese Consulate to make sure that the money gets to the people that need it most!

Wednesday Match Play;
Well, it seems that Wednesday Match Play is a hit.  Our current standings are on the Member’s portion of the Valencia Country Club Website.  Currently Doc Herring’s team has a slim lead over Chris Chase’s Team and Calvin Hedman’s squad.  Captains, please get your line-ups in early so it isn’t a total goat rope trying to get everything organized right at 4:30.  Players, please check in to the Pro Shop when you get here so we aren’t trying to call all of you at 4:25 wondering where you are. 

Men’s Club Championship;
Ok, start cramming, the Club Championship is this weekend.  We will be accepting sign-ups until Wednesday at 5:00!  The Championship Flight will play 72 holes over 3 days and the Net Flight will compete over 36 holes on the weekend.  Call the Shop if you have any questions.  We will be teeing the event on Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 so you will still have the bulk of your day to spend with the family. 

Spring Member Trip;
The Robert Trent Jones Trail is in our radar.  We are inside of a month before the trip.  We have 17 people going right now and we will have to Roshambo over who will not be able to participate on the trip.  Actually it would be great if we could get 3 more people to go on our trip to get it into even 4-somes.  If you are interested in participating please call me in the Shop, or send me an email!!

Weekday Junior Programs;
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we have programs scheduled for the Valencia Country Club Juniors.  Tuesday is for the age groups 4-7, Wednesday is for age groups 8-12 and Thursday is for those children that are ready to get out on the golf course with the Pros.  All of these programs are great opportunities for the Juniors to get to know each other and build friendships for life. 

Deliquescent Demo Day;
Next weekend we are starting our first annual Deliquescent Demo Day!  This event will be open to the Public and you will see signage around town and in the paper.  Please bring your friends or just come out by yourself.  We will be having a BBQ on the back of the range just to clutter it up even more.  We will have every major brand of Golf Club visiting us that day!  Please carve out some time and check out, side by side the best product out there to take you to that next level!


Schedule of events for the week of April 26th thru May 1st:

Tuesday:  Ladies Team Play 8:30-10:30; LTAD ages 4-7 3:30-4:30
Wednesday:  Open Play; LTAD ages 8-12 3:30-4:30; Wednesday Match Play 4:30 ShotGun Front Nine
Thursday:  Open Play; Juniors Playing with the Pro 3:30
Friday:  Men’s Gross Club Championship(36 Holes); Tee Times all day
Saturday: Men’s Club Championship 8:30 Shotgun; Course will open after Play; 2:00-3:00 Saturday Swing School(Pitching Review)
Sunday: Men’s Club Championship 8:30 Shotgun; Course will open after Play


Craig Cliver

The Weekend Release

Craig’s Weekend Release Program
For the week of April 19th thru April 24th


Ladies Day;
Tommorow is Ladies Guest Day.  We have about 25 ladies signed up for expect a bit of compaction until almost 10:00.  The next match for their team will be here on April 26th against Antelope Valley Country Club where they will try to go 2-0. 

Wednesday Match Play;
We had a fantastic turnout for this past week’s Match Play.  All of the results have been posted to the website, but it looks tight at the top with Team Hedman taking a slim lead over Team Herring.     This week’s format is a Partner’s Scramble, so all of you team captains get your group together and contact the Shop with your pairings. 

Men’s Club Championship;
Today is the last week for all of you that are planning on winning the Club Championship to take lessons before the final week cram session.  The Championship Flight will play 72 holes over 3 days and the Net Flight will compete over 36 holes on the weekend.  Call the Shop if you have any questions.  We will be teeing the event on Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 so you will still have the bulk of your day to spend with the family. 

Spring Member Trip;
It is official, we have scheduled a Spring Member trip to Alabama.  We will be taking the first 14 people that sign up to go play the Robert Trent Jones Trail.  Golf will start at 9:00 on Monday the 16th of May and wrap up the 20th.  Most of us are flying into Atlanta on the 15th and out of Birmingham on the 20th.  Please contact the Shop if you are interested in participating.  I also have built a Pulitzer Prize winning Trail Guide.  Please swing by the Shop and pick one up!

Weekday Junior Programs;
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we have programs scheduled for the Valencia Country Club Juniors.  Tuesday is for the age groups 4-7, Wednesday is for age groups 8-12 and Thursday is for those children that are ready to get out on the golf course with the Pros.  All of these programs are great opportunities for the Juniors to get to know each other and build friendships for life. 

Around the Club;
Our new Superintendent, Joe Meyer starts this week.  As you see him running around the course, please say hi and make him feel welcome.  He comes from being the North Course Superintendent at Los Angeles Country Club.  Our aerification recover was slowed a bit by the frost and hail last week.  This week should be perfect weather for the recovery and we expect to have phenomenal greens by this weekend.  Pleased come on out and visit!  See you around the Club. 

Schedule of events for the week of April 19th thru April 24th:

Tuesday:  Ladies Day 8:00; LTAD ages 4-7 3:30-4:30
Wednesday:  Open Play; LTAD ages 8-12 3:30-4:30; Wednesday Match Play 4:30 ShotGun Front Nine
Thursday:  Open Play; Juniors Playing with the Pro 3:30
Friday:  Open Play; Tee Times all day
Saturday: Member’s Open Play Before 11:00; Tee Times after 11:00; 2:00-3:00 Saturday Swing School(Pitching)
Sunday: Member’s Open Play Before 11:00; Tee Times after 11:00


Craig Cliver

Ricky Fowler at Augusta

Without the game, there is no individual!

http://tinyurl.com/68wx2f3

The Weekend Release

Craig’s Weekend Release Program
For the week of April 5th thru April 10th


April Aerification;
We are into our first full week of April and it looks as if the temperature is starting to cooperate.  We live in a wind tunnel but at least we are starting to see the 70’s and 80’s and i’m not talking about the way that i dress.  This is the time of the year that we call transition.  Our cool season grass is growing and our dormant warm season grass is starting to come out of it’s hibernation.  Jesus and the gang are starting to bail hay out there.  This is also the time that we encourage our poa greens to grow their roots.  We will lose the health of the plant over the summer so now is the time that we really have to get it healthy as poa annua is a cool season grass.  We will be aerifying this week.  Tuesday we will be closed on the back nine while we aerify.  Wednesday the front nine will be closed while we aerify.  Aerification opens up the green canopy and the ground surface.  We put sand down into holes anywhere from 3 to 5 inches deep.  This sand softens the profile and encourages root grown by getting water deeper into the green profile.  All this will be in my book, “How to make your Members fall asleep at work.”

Member Junior;
Our Member Junior was held Saturday over 9 holes.  Thank you to everybody that showed up for the day and to Jill for organizing everything.  Our Net Champions are Dave and Ashley Mayhall.  Our Gross Champions are Dave and Danny DiMaria.  The future of Valencia Country Club golf sure looks promising. 

Men’s Club Championship;
Sign ups for the Men’s Club Championship are up in the locker room.  As there has been in the past, we have 2 flights.  We will have the overall Gross Champion and the Net Champion.  The Gross Championship will be competed over 3 days, Friday thru Sunday.  The Net Championship will be competed Saturday and Sunday.  The Club Championship will be April 29th, 30th and May 1st.  Please call the Shop if you want to sign up and can’t get by the Club. 

Spring Member Trip;
Matthew and I are putting together a spring trip to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Courses in Alabama.  We are looking at setting this up in mid to late May.  We are doing some final touches, but should have everything finished by the end of this week.  Please call the shop or talk to us if you are interested in joining us.  We are looking to bring 14 Members on this event.

Spring Swing School;
Marvin will be continuing his Saturday Swing School this weekend.  This weekend will be focused on chipping.  The program runs from 2:00 to 3:00.  Please call the shop if you are interested in participating or just show up.  One of the unique things that we are doing with our programs here is that we offer a free review the following week in order to reinforce the things we are working on.  Don’t miss out on the foundation of the short game, chipping.

Weekday Junior Programs;
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we have programs scheduled for the Valencia Country Club Juniors.  Tuesday is for the age groups 4-7, Wednesday is for age groups 8-12 and Thursday is for those children that are ready to get out on the golf course with the Pros.  All of these programs are great opportunities for the Juniors to get to know each other and build friendships for life. 


Schedule of events for the week of April 4th thru April 10th:

Tuesday:  Ladies Day; Back Nine Closed for Aerification; LTAD ages 4-7 3:30-4:30
Wednesday:  Open Play; Front Nine Closed for Aerification; LTAD ages 8-12 3:30-4:30
Thursday:  Open Play; Playing with the Pro 3:30
Friday:  Open Play; Tee Times all day
Saturday: Member’s Open Play Before 11:00; Tee Times after 11:00; 2:00-3:00 Saturday Swing School(Chipping)
Sunday: Member’s Open Play Before 11:00; Tee Times after 11:00

The Weekend Release

Craig’s Weekend Release Program
For the week of March 29th thru April 3rd


Spring?;
Well, as many of you experienced last week the Valencia Country Club golf course survived Santa Clarita’s 20 year storm.  The course did dry out and we actually were able to get handicap flags out this weekend.  Jesus and his staff did a phenomenal job with the conditions.  We are looking for a good week of weather this week.  It’s looking like we will have mid 70’s and 80’s this week.  That would be too normal, i am sure Mother Nature will cook up a little special something for us.  It looks to be a busy week, so please check out the stuff going on below or call the shop if you are planning on coming out to play.  Please bear with us. 

Spring Sales;
Starting April 1st Titleist will be offering buy 3 dozen personalized Pro V golf balls and get the 4th dozen free.  This program will only go from the 1st until the 18th. 

Eriko’s Weekly Sale is back!  This week, she is putting out Straight Down apparel and Cobra Equipment. Up to 60% off from the retail price.  For an example, Cobra ZL Driver will normally cost $340 member price, but the sale price is $275. Baffler Rail will normally go for $156 member price, the sale price is $130. (Inventory is limited, so be the first to take advantage to get these great prices) Please call the golf shop if you have any questions!

Tuesday;
The weather should be great and we start the week with a bang.  Tuesday is Ladies Day.  They have the tee starting at 9:00a.m.     

This week also signifies the week we start the President’s Cup Matches.  We almost filled out the field and i would imagine many of you will want to get your matches in this week.  Just know that when Regis tells you that to win your match you need to get your own cart for the match, just know that Regis hasn’t won a match since ’02, 1902.  We have over 120 Members signed up for this event, we have 75 carts...do the math.  Please get to know your opponent and share a cart...it’s about the brotherhood. 

Ladies Team Play will be starting at the end of the month, so there will be a team from Crystalaire teeing off between 11:00 and 11:30. 

We do have our Junior Long Term Athletic Development Program running from 3:30-4:30.  This program is directed towards children between the ages of 4-7 that might want to play golf.  Realistically this is one of the most impressionable time for youth to start picking up functional movement patterns.  It is like teach foreign languages.  Once a child starts learning them they are predisposed to learn others easier.  Please look at my blog for a more in depth description of this program.

Wednesday;
We are wide open on Wednesday.  We do have our Junior Long Term Athletic Development Program running from 3:30-4:30.  This program is directed towards children between the ages of 8-12 that might want to play golf, but for sure want to be active.  Please look at my blog for a more in depth description of this program. 

We have a Tournament Committee Meeting from 5:30 until 6:30 or 7:00.  If you have any interest in participating in this Committee, please send me an email.  We will be discussing “the Classic” Member Guest and are looking for some new participants.

Thursday;
Ok, i need your grace here.  In the midst of our disaster last weekend we had to postpone our Santa Clarita High School match.  We had it scheduled for the Monday after the storm but couldn’t keep it.  It is going to be this Thursday.  Competing will be Valencia, Hart, West Ranch, Golden Valley, Saugus and Canyon High Schools.  They will be sent out starting at 12:33 and going until about 2:00. 

The Weekend;
Friday should be great, call Tuesday and get your tee time.  Saturday afternoon we do have our Member Junior golf tournament.  This event is 9 holes starting at 2:00.  It is a great opportunity for you to come out and enjoy a relaxed event to share the afternoon with your child.  Please call the shop if you would like to sign up for this event.

Marvin will also be reviewing his Swing School Lesson from last week from 2:00 to 3:00.

Sunday we will be having a Bridal Show.  I will be out there telling them all not to do it, but you might see a bunch of brides and grooms looking around the Club in the afternoon.  Just though you might want to know. 



Schedule of events for the week of March 29th thru April 3rd:

Tuesday:  Ladies Day; Tee closed from 9:00 to 10:30. 
Wednesday:  Open Play
Thursday:  Santa Clarita High Schools, tee closed from 12:33 to 2:00; Open Play rest of the day.
Friday:  Open Play; Tee Times all day
Saturday: Member’s Open Play Before 11:00; Tee Times after 11:00; Member Junior 9 holes 2:00 Shotgun.
Sunday: Member’s Open Play Before 11:00; Tee Times after 11:00


Craig Cliver

The Aftermath

#2 Bunker...notice all the sand work that was done today

#3Pond...tons of silt but the shoreline is back

#4 Bunker...this job took most of the day

Well, we had some time to do some torrential clean-up today.  Sorry for the inconvenience of being closed but in all seriousness this course was more of a mud-bog than a golf course.  We have dried out a bit and look forward to play tomorrow...Mother Nature willing.  We look forward to seeing you all around the Club!  When you do come to the course, know that it will take some time for the conditions to get back to what we all expect.  The fairway bunkers on 4 and 1 have been contaminated...thank God they are already hazards.  The pond on #3 is full of silt, it looks like a bunker, you almost want to rake it.  It looks like we will be getting rain the rest of the week, so that should clean off all of our mud ridden cart paths.  It also might help wash the silt down towards the maintenance facility.  Just know that the approach shots on 1 and 10 will be soggy for some time.  That should encourage you to go for 1 in 2!  Come on SPRING!!!

#6...had pumps working most of the day

The 20 Year Storm

Debris left on the 3rd Tee

#4 Fairway Bunker...notice the No Parking Sign!

#2 Cart path and #3 Pond..overflowing

#4 Bathroom, the Mud was up to the water level this a.m.

Front of #6 Tee Box

Right Front of #10 Tee Box

Sunday left us with quite a bit of clean up.  We had 5 inches of rain in 7 hours.  The winds gusted up to 20 miles an hour.  We will be trying to make sense of this place for at least the next week.  In my career here at Valencia Country Club we will have to close the course just to clean up.  We just aren't prepared for weather like this in Southern California.  One of the fortunes that we deal with at Valencia Country Club is that we are on very fertile ground.  We are at the low part of the Santa Clarita Valley, where over 1000's of years our ground has become a giant compost heap.  The negative side of this is we are the last area to thaw during frost and every 20 years when there is a storm like this we deal with all of the storm drains emptying on our course.  There is a storm drain on the left of number 5 that goes under our course and empties below the driving range by the maintenance facility.  Well Sunday the grate that covered the drain filled and blocked the water from traveling under our course.  You will see in photos that we have a tremendous amount of silt on the fairways of 1 and 10 and also in the ponds between numbers 2 and 3.  We have ducks hanging out in the new water feature in front of number 6.  We did lose a large Eucalyptus on the 10th tee.  It is surprising that we had as little tree damage as we did.  The thing about trees growing on golf courses is we make it too easy for them to grow.  We don't challenge their roots to seek water at depth.  Due to the fact that we water the surface for grass, trees roots are shallow, so when we have wind on top of soft ground they often topple.  All this to say we have some work to do around the course and it looks like another storm is on it's way!  Welcome to spring!!