Is it May already? It sure seems like a really short window that our course went from plugged balls and no roll out to firm, fast, and occasionally treacherous. Kudos to superintendent John and his crew for their efforts to keep Twin Lakes in the best possible condition. You’ll notice lots of upgrades all over the course in the coming months.
The spring golf schedule is well underway, with successful Master’s competitions, the kickoff of the Women’s and Men’ leagues, and by the time you see this the spring 2-man will be finished. Upcoming events include the Mother’s Day and Memorial Day Couples tournaments, along with the Seattle Women’s Golf Association Tournament event, which hasn’t been hosted here in about 20 years. GO LADIES!! Also on tap is the Women’s Invitational.
It’s obvious now; there is serious work happening around what used to be the pool. Things are on track to be open on or very near the expected completion date. The final construction pieces (re-bar, shotcrete and fencing) will all happen quickly within the next few weeks, which will affect the routing of the course again. Be prepared and please follow the directions!
Our Membership Initiative is gaining momentum as well, so keep up the good work inviting friends and acquaintances. I mentioned golf to a client of mine; next thing you know he’s coming over for a round and look-see. You never know….
I get asked a lot ‘how’s it going?’ about being your president, and my answer has changed over this past quarter from ‘not too bad’ to ‘actually, pretty good’, to where I am now, which is ‘fortunate to be honest’; in this spot where we’ve developed (with lots of help from everyone) a real teamwork mentality around all of the groups within our club. It’s my privilege to work with so many that truly care about our future. Take part and chip in when you see something that fits your interest; I’m sure you’ll feel the same way that I do.
Thank you,
Bryce Landrud
President, Board of Trustees
Hello all and happy May!
Now that the Masters is over, we can officially start the spring/summer season full of (hopefully) some great weather and the continued exciting development of the pool. As you read this, the pool should be fully framed up with rebar and almost ready for concrete pouring. When we have the pool fundraiser event on May 10th, it will finally look like a pool again! Thanks to the efforts of the House Committee, we have purchased 24 new lounge chairs for the renovated deck. We are hoping the fundraiser will allow us to furnish the deck with more items to give you the full resort feeling!
This month, I would like to highlight the incredible efforts of Daniel Molina, our head of clubhouse maintenance. In the last two months, Daniel has completed renovation work for both on-course bathrooms, the back stairs, and continuous daily maintenance for all buildings. I am deeply grateful for all his work and wonderfully positive attitude. He is a tremendous asset to our team!
In addition to Daniel, we have had many members volunteer to lend a helping hand on several projects. This has included drywalling the pool building’s equipment rooms, painting, building stairs, and even weeding the flowerbeds around the clubhouse. I am so proud and thankful to be part of a community that truly values friendship and pride of ownership. We always appreciate all of your efforts.
We had a great turnout for the swim team kick off and are excited for things to come. Thank you to all of the families who joined us in the banquet room for hotdogs, and to Laurie Bennett for her presentation outlining the new swim season. There is a lot of eager anticipation surrounding the new facility!
I have one last very important reminder! The on-course bathroom code is 3583. Before you leave the area, please help us by closing the doors and hitting “lock” on the keypad. This will help us keep unwanted community artists from decorating the building when it is unattended. Thank you in advance!
Birthdays
Anniversaries
Before I start my article, I have a “Big” thank you to mention to John Leslie and your staff, for all your hard work and dedication in getting our golf course in great shape for us. The maintenance staff did a fantastic job in getting us through this past winter and the first quarter of the year prior to John coming on board. It was cold and wet this past winter and your dedication to the golf course is greatly noticed and appreciated by all who play golf. We got through the aerification process with perfect temperatures and weather conditions, and we are now ready to “Rock N Roll” going into May. Now going forward, we just need to be mindful that we continue filling our divots with sand/seed and repairing those ball marks left on the greens during rounds. If we all do our part to help, the greens will always be nice and smooth and the fairways in great shape for our enjoyment.
We have done a great job with the practice range keeping range balls in stock as well as the continuous mowing to keep the grass height down on the hillside for ease of picking. We are still experiencing the diminishing of our range ball supply which we anticipate with the loss of the netting on the back of the range. We want to remind everyone that this is a practice range not a driving range. Please refrain from hitting clubs which will cause the balls to fly outside the back netting.
With the supply of range balls that we will be able to provide, we need your help in keeping these range balls inside the complex as well as returning your buckets after using the range. If you by chance find a bucket in your golf cart, car trunk, or garage, please bring it back. We seem to keep mentioning this bucket shortage problem, but it is an ongoing problem. Be kind and fair to the other members who would like to practice as well.
A reminder to the associate and social members using the practice range, the price per bucket is $8.
PRACTICE RANGE CLOSURES: Wednesdays at 5pm – Thursday 8am (full clean pick for mowing); Friday’s 4-5pm (short pick); Sunday’s 4-5pm (short pick)
UPCOMING MAY EVENTS:
PGA JR LEAGUE Practice starts May 1– still room to sign your junior up.
MEN’S LEAGUE – Wednesdays 5:30 Shotgun; Fri/Sat/Sun Competitions anytime
SWGA Team Play, May 9 – course will be open after 2pm
COUPLES MIXER’S – Thursday May 16th ; June 13th & 27th – 5:30 Shotgun
LADIES INVITATIONAL– May 24-25 – Friday & Saturday 9am shotguns
MEMORIAL DAY COUPLE’S May 26 – 1pm Shotgun ( couples Alternate shot format – play in 6-somes)
MEMORIAL DAY – Monday, 8am first tee time – (carts in by 6pm)
GRAMMAS EVENT – Monday and Tuesday, June 3 & 4
MEN’S INVITATIONAL – Wednesday – Saturday, June 5-8th
BATTLE OF THE SEXES – June 23rd 10 – 11am tee times
CROSS COUNTRY HORSE RACE– June 26th men & women welcome #10 tee 5:30pm
We want to remind all members to please make sure to call the golf shop and/or look online for the availability of tee times, especially during these dates. If you need help scheduling a tee time with one of our reciprocal courses during any of these days, please call the golf shop and we will do our best to help you set up your neighboring visit.
MEMORIAL DAY COUPLES EVENT: We will have the Memorial Day couples’ tournament on Sunday the 26th with a 1:00 shotgun start. The first tee will be blocked from 11:00-1:00 with tee times available before 11:00. The format for the event is an Alternate Shot Scramble. The teams are made up of three couples. You can sign up as a team or if you want to play but don’t have a full team we will help you find other couples to make a team. For those of us who have been here, let’s ask some of the newer members to join in on the fun. This is a very fun event. The format calls for the ladies to tee off on odd numbered holes and then you select the best drive of the ladies and the men then hit the second shot and repeat this sequence until the golf ball is holed. The men will tee off on the even numbered holes repeating the process of always alternating between men and women. Call the pro shop and sign yourselves up for a fun afternoon.
MEN’S INVITATIONAL JUNE 5-8: There are still a few spots available. If you are interested in signing up for this event or need more information, please contact the pro shop or the club’s office for an entry form. It is four days of golfing, fun events, and lots of great food.
PGA JUNIOR LEAGUE: Started April 30. Starting Tuesday, May 1 we will have two practices per week that will include on-course practice. We are then off to the first match starting in June. We are in the process of finalizing our roster and team names. There is still time to sign up – if interested, please contact Ben or in the golf shop. Price is $450 which includes uniforms, matches, practices, lessons, and most of all a lot of fun.
SENIOR EXCHANGES: We had our first senior exchange with Plateau Club this past month. It was a great time for all. We had 12 players come here to visit and we went there for a fun team event. For those members 50+ that would like to participate in the Senior Exchanges (that are not already signed up), we have three more dates coming up with Alderbrook, and Kitsap. We are working on the Fairwood date replacement and should know more about that date/time shortly. Please contact Kathy in the golf shop for information. Our next exchange will be in June.
ONLINE TEE TIME RESERVATIONS: We want to remind everyone that if you haven’t set up your tee time profile to please take the time to go online and register. This way the staff knows exactly who is playing in your group. This will help facilitate the staging of golf bags, push carts, and golf cart rentals as we get into the season. If you need us to send you a reset password link, let us know. It only takes a push of a button to get this started.
DEMO DAY/FITTING EXPERIENCES: We were fortunate to have Cobra, PXG, and TaylorMade here last month with their 2024 line of equipment. We would like to thank those that came out to take advance of these opportunities and for supporting your club with these purchases. We will be sending out May & June dates soon so those members not able to make previous dates can take advantage of the next go around.
With a lot of great events this month – Here’s to hoping the sun continues to stay out after this week so we can break out the sunscreen and start golfing in shorts. It is supposed to be close to 80 degrees next weekend. Great weather just in time for Mother’s Day.
Lastly, Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. Enjoy your special weekend. If you want to hit the ball around on your special day, please come out and use the putting green, practice green, practice range, and/or the golf course after you have brunch with us.
Greetings everyone, we are into golf season! League play has started and tournament season is near.
The golf course is in really good shape. John Leslie and his crew are doing a tremendous job. As you play the course, you may have noticed John has implemented new mowing patterns that look really sharp. You also will notice a number of trees that have been removed or trimmed.
The course is starting to firm up. Balls are getting more roll in the fairway and the greens are rolling very nicely. Although the greens are firm, a ball will still leave a pitch mark, let’s remember to repair your ball marks and any others that you see. Also, utilize the sand bottles and fill your divots.
Now that power carts are allowed back on the course, it is essential to remember power cart etiquette. Always follow the cart path rules for the day posted at the first tee. Do not drive over any repaired areas of the course and make sure to get back to the cart path 30 yards before the green. Do not drive around the back side of any greens and you should never drive off the path on any par 3’s.
These small actions add up in a big way. Thank you for doing your part to assist in keeping our golf course in the best possible shape.
Other items we are working on: railroad tie replacement/removal, tee box clean up, and continuing our tree maintenance list.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please email me at tpac14@gmail.com and I will review with the committee.
Cheers,
Tyler Pac
Committee Chair
April has come and gone in a flash. We had competition on 5 tuesdays.
April 2nd the competition for the 18 Hole Ladies was WSWGA and ACE Day/Low Net.
April 2nd the competition for the 9 Hole Ladies was Low Net.
April 9th the competition for the 18 Hole Ladies was Blind 9.
April 9th the competition for the 9 Hole Ladies was Blind 7.
April 16th the competition for the 18 Hole Ladies was 15-24-33.
April 16th the competition for the 9 Hole Ladies was 13-34-15.
April 23rd the competition for the 18 Hole Ladies was Best 15.
April 23rd the competition for the 9 Hole Ladies was Best 7.
April 30th the competition for the 18 Hole Ladies was The Waltz. The Team of Hisayo Masada, Minhee Chung, Janet Sage, and Sue Hebert came in 1st. The Team of Frankie Stephens, Kim Crahan, Se Sook Sung, and Sue Stevens came in 2nd. The Team of Diane Meyers, Sung Chang, Hui Suk So, Kathy Ouellet came in 3rd. Congratulations to Sally Irvine and Sue Hebert who tied for Low Net of the Month with nets of 70. Way to go Ladies.
April 30th the competition for the 9 Hole Ladies was The Waltz. The Team of Kim C, Linda E, Erika S. And Karey W came in 1st. The Team of Kelley B, Gayla D, Cherie H, and blind draw Erika S came in 3rd.
Coming up events for the 18 Hole Ladies. May 24th and 25th the Ladies Invitational. May 30th Team at Fairwood.
By Tom Coburn
One of the keys to consistent putting is relaxing your forearm and shoulder muscles. Stress creates unwanted tension, which will keep you from making a smooth putting stroke. Obviously, there is added stress when we face an eight-foot putt to win a match. Why then are we stressed over that same eight-foot putt when we are out with our friends playing for fun?
We hold ourselves to unrealistic standards when we are on the golf course. It is most apparent on the greens. I mean, it is an eight-foot putt, how hard is that? We not only expect to make everything inside ten feet, we are very angry with ourselves when we don’t. That is a lot of pressure! It is tough to uphold the standards we set for ourselves, and it is even worse to be angry at our own playing.
Let’s say we are on the putting green and I throw down ten balls eight feet from the hole. If I offered you $100 to make nine out of ten putts, the tension in your forearms and shoulders would be quite high. Now take that same scenario except you only need to make four out of ten to win the $100. I can already hear the sigh of relief! Tension gone! And your chances of making a smooth stroke with relaxed muscles just went way up.
Now, put this in perspective. The average percentage of putts made from eight feet on the PGA Tour is 52.86%. That means someone on tour is making four out of ten putts from eight feet and still making a lot of money. The goal in our playing is to think positively. Have confidence knowing you can make every putt from eight feet. But relax knowing that if you miss it half the time, you may still have a spot on the Tour!
Twin Lakes Women’s Invitational 2024
It’s time to start signing up for this year’s Women’s Invitational Golf Tournament. This Invitational is open to all women golfers who meet the handicap requirements below. Entry forms are now available in the women’s locker room.
The entry fee is $210 per person. The dates of this years Invitational are May 24-25. The field is limited to 48 teams of two, so get your team together and sign up ASAP. This is a member/guest, guest/guest or member/member Tournament. We are permitting two members to play together, although we highly encourage members to invite guests if possible. This is such a fun tournament and high participation makes it all the more successful.
Maximum Handicap index allowed is 38.5 (40 Twin Lakes), with a maximum 10 stroke difference between partners.
Entry fee includes practice round, range balls, 2 tournament rounds, daily payouts, horserace, 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, entry into raffle, snacks, appetizers and a fun evening of music. Carts are separate, and the charge is $40 per person for both days.
Questions? Ask any of our committee members:
Frankie Stephens
Denise Harrell
Sally Irvine
Thank you to everyone that attended our 2024 Kentucky Derby party! We had an amazing turnout, great raffle prize donations, and an exciting Derby Race!
Chicken poop contest winners:
Meeting: Second Thursday – 5:30pm
Meeting: When Needed
Meeting: Third Wednesday – 5:30pm
Meeting: Every Other Month
Meeting: Third Thursday
Meeting: Second Wednesday – 6:00 pm
Meeting: Third Tuesday—6:00 pm
Meeting: Wednesday – 6:00 pm
To help promote the game of golf by offering a challenging and beautiful course and other complementary facilities that are affordable, inclusive, and inviting. Provide a thriving comprehensive recreational and social venue offering its members, guests, and community partners exceptional experiences to play, relax and socialize in a tranquil and peaceful environment.