Dear Members,
Spring in Iowa is certainly here!!! In a span of 7 days we have had temperatures at or near 80 degrees and accumulated snowfall with temps in the 20’s. I sure wish Mother Nature would make up her mind one way or another, but I digress. It has been wonderful to see so many of you out here enjoying your club on our nice days. Hopefully, we can provide some relief, comfort, and be a healthy distraction to all that is going on in the country these days. Please know that we are here for you, and will continue to be, throughout the pandemic.
In looking through our tournament schedule we would like to open registration for our Season Long Match Play Events. Our Men’s Match Play will be a single-elimination better ball of partners event. We will randomly draw for seeding and send out the brackets. The deadline dates for matches will be posted as soon as the field size is determined. Deadline dates will not be extended so please make sure you get your matches done in a timely fashion.
Our Ladies’ Match Play will be a round-robin better ball of partners played over 9-hole matches. Every team will play each other, and a winner will be determined based on which team won the most points throughout the season. With every hole being worth one point, there are nine points available in each match.
New for this year will be a season-long Couples Match Play event. This will be a double-elimination tournament played over 9-hole matches. Seeding will be randomly drawn once the field is set and deadline dates will be posted. Deadline dates will not be extended so please make sure you get your matches done in a timely fashion.
The deadline to sign up for all three match play events will be Sunday, May 3rd at 5:00 pm. We will send brackets out on Monday, May 4th that will include your first-round match up and deadline dates for the entire year. Please e-mail me directly (andrew.kinney@echovalleycc.com) to register your team for any of the Match Play events.
We will be offering two sessions of Operation 36 starting Monday, May 4th. This is an 8-week program with an hour clinic each week and 6 events. The program focuses on developing beginners into full-blown golfers. It’s a simple concept…learn the game from the green backwards. All players will start from 25 yards away and play nine holes. Shoot 36 or better in one of our events and you will graduate back to 50 yards. This allows the student to chip away at all the areas of the game without giving them too much, too soon. From 25 yards the skills learned are chipping and putting. Graduating back to 50 yards will introduce some bunker play, pitching, and maybe some full swing. As you progress back the goal is always the same…shoot 36 or better for 9 holes. The event at the end of each session is a parent-child event in the Operation 36 format that both parents and children will truly enjoy. For more information pleas e see the attachment or contact me directly. Class sizes are limited to 6 students so please sign up quickly.
The weather for the upcoming week looks to be spectacular and we look forward to seeing many of you out here this week. Please continue to practice safe social distancing while at the club. Do not gather in groups before, during, or after your rounds. Remember to practice social distancing while at the Driving Range or on the Putting Green, leave the flagsticks in the cups, limit the carts to one rider unless riding with a fellow member of your household, etc. We are thrilled to see you all having so much fun at your club!
Regards, Andrew Kinney | 
