s052017

ideline 30 

A Whitevale Golf Club Publication 

It's Draft Month!! WGC Leagues Start Soon!! 

LONGEST DAY OF GOLF 

JUNE 16th, 2017 

Another Opportunity for You to 

Join the Festivities and Contribute 

Towards a Terrific Cause!! 

Financial 

Plans Explained 

Our GM Describes 

How and Why we 

Choose to Take 

on Debt 

MAY/17 

VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 3

Sideline 30 

Inside This Issue... 

2 President's Report 

Your Next Thrill 

3 GM's Report 

Debt - Golf's Other Four-Letter Word 

5 Captain's Report 

Most Misunderstood 

6 Women's Report 

Now is the Time to Sign Up 

7 Turf Talk 

Q&A with Blair 

9 Longest Day of Golf 

Longest Day of Golf - Friday June 16th 

10 House Report 

Getting New Staff Up to Speed 

11 Pro Shop Report 

My Visit to the Titleist Fitting Centre 

12 Instruction 

Jerry Barber's Magic Clubs 

14 Social Report 

New Season, New Events 

15 Off The Hosel 

Moderation in All Things 

May - Breaking News 

DEMO DAY Cancelled 

TaylorMade Fitting Day 

is Friday May 12th, 1-4pm 

Women's/Men's League 

Welcome & Draft Night 

Tuesday May 23rd & 

Wednesday May 24th 

About Whitevale Golf Club 

...inside back cover 

May and June Calendar 

...back cover

Reports 

THE PRESIDENT'S 

REPORT 

CHRIS COUCH / CLUB PRESIDENT 

Your Next Thrill 

As I sat down at the table I was asked, 

"Are you here for the new member 

orientation?" I nodded yes and asked 

the friendly fellow across from me, "How 

long have you been a member?" "Just 

over three weeks, how about you?" he 

asked me back. I told him that I joined 

in 1999 but worked at Whitevale from 

1993 to 1998. "So you've been around 

for 24 years", he says. 

And there it is. A guy who has been at 

Whitevale for 24 years having a 

beverage with a guy who has been here 

for 24 days. "So are you staying for the 

presentation or just passing through?" 

he asks me after a bit of a pause. I tell 

him that I'm on the Board of Directors 

and that a few of us are there for this 

event to meet some of the new 

members. This draws a quizzical look 

that I have started to get used to (I like 

to think it is because I look so young… 

not because I look incompetent). 

At that point we get called away to view 

a presentation given by Alex that is 

meant to show new members the ins 

and outs of their brand-new Whitevale 

membership. It is a presentation that I 

have seen four times before—and I love 

it every time. As I sit there looking 

around at a handful of new faces 

concentrating on absorbing as much of 

this information as possible, I get 

instantly jealous. You can never go back 

to this moment—the excitement and 

anticipation of something new and so 

closely tied to something that you love 

—and I will remember my first year as a 

member at Whitevale fondly for the rest 

of my life. Many people spend a lot of 

time and money trying to re-create a 

feeling. As relatively affluent people, we 

are blessed with the ability to chase the 

next thrill. But membership in a club is a 

bit different; it is a long-term 

relationship that ultimately moves past 

a "honeymoon" phase into something 

more predictable and stable. This isn't 

all bad because the predictable product 

that we get year after year is pretty darn 

fantastic. But where does the next thrill 

come from? 

We certainly got one in 2007 with the 

redesign of our magnificent golf course. 

And we certainly got one in 2015 during 

the first few days that our new 

clubhouse and practice facility were 

open. And I would argue that a number 

of members have experienced another 

one recently in 2017. Why would that 

be you ask? They are VOLUNTEERS for 

the first time. 

When you have enough material things, 

there is nothing more precious to you 

than your time and your effort. Many 

Whitevale members have given both 

this spring to the new committees they 

now serve on. I have had the pleasure 

of witnessing this new energy and 

enthusiasm that these folks have 

brought to many committee meetings 

that have taken place since the 

beginning of the year. For 2017, the 

Board of Directors decided to challenge 

each committee chairperson to breathe 

new life into their committees and this 

challenge has been an overwhelming 

success so far. 

So, how do you get to ride this wave? 

How do you get to experience the same 

revitalization to your membership 

experience? Well, we are going to start 

looking for new Board members 

starting in July of this year, and we will 

be asking for committee volunteers 

again in this year's Operations Survey. 

Think of it as creating a "new member 

2.0" version of yourself. Get that thrill of 

experiencing something new and 

exciting instead of the calm and 

predictable existence you are used to. 

Give back to the club you love so much. 

Trust me. It's worth it. 

2 / WHITEVALEGOLFCLUB.COM / MAY 2017

Reports 

THE GM'S 

REPORT 

ALEX MAGGIACOMO / GENERAL MANAGER 

Debt - Golf's Other Four-Letter Word 

Even in today's low interest rate 

environment, it is important to 

understand the opportunities and 

potential perils of debt. Most of us 

assumed a large personal debt when 

we bought our first home. Generally 

speaking, this is not considered 

irresponsible and usually works out 

well. Of course, the goal in that case is 

to one day be debt free. Many 

members that I talk to make the 

reasonable assumption that our club 

should have the same long-term plan to 

one day be debt free. I'd like to take a 

moment to explain how our club 

utilizes debt responsibly to enhance 

your membership experience today, 

effectively increasing the value that you 

get for the price that you pay each year. 

It is an approach that dates back to the 

club becoming equity in 1999 and it has 

worked brilliantly on a number of 

occasions. 

When the membership purchased the 

property from the Ontario Government, 

the Club took on debt to do that. When 

we hired Tom McBroom to renovate the 

course, we took on debt to do that. 

When the clubhouse and practice 

facility were built, we took on debt. So 

you are starting to grasp our model 

now: we take on debt to do large 

capital projects, and we work to pay 

down that debt so we can then borrow 

again and do more capital projects. 

This is not a bad a thing. I mean, it's not 

the '80s when my parents tell me stories 

of paying interest of 18-22% on their 

mortgage. Today, borrowing money is 

cheaper than it has ever been, but of 

course we still need to be responsible 

with how much debt we take on. 

At the 2016 Annual General Meeting, 

our Finance Director spoke about a 

debt servicing fee. This is the fee you as 

an Equity member pay to service our 

debt. That fee sits at $600 this year. Even 

before my time at Whitevale, the 

members had been paying a debt fee in 

some form (fluctuating between $500 

and $640 per year). Over the years, the 

Club has tried various ways to make this 

payment as easy as possible for the 

members. We have tried payments in 

two installments, then six installments, 

all up-front payments, and we have 

concluded that adding the debt fee to 

your annual dues works best for the 

member and the Club. 

All the way back in 2007 when the 

course construction was nearing its 

end, the Board of Directors at that time 

made a very smart decision. Instead of 

locking the full $3M of debt into a 

traditional mortgage (as was done in 

the past), they took on a $1M mortgage 

and $1.75M line of credit (LOC). This 

meant that we had monthly payment of 

interest and principal on the $1M 

mortgage while the other debt (an 

operating line) would get paid down 

every January with the collection of our 

annual dues. As the Club spent money 

throughout the season, we then paid 

interest only on that accumulating 

amount. This concept saved the club 

over $85K during the term of this debt. 

We know this model works, so why 

change it? Fast forward to the end of 

the clubhouse construction… In 2015, 

we moved into the new clubhouse and 

converted the construction loan to a 

long-term debt facility. Using the same 

model as 2007, we negotiated a $3M 

traditional term mortgage for 60 

months to be renegotiated in 2019, and 

a $2M LOC (the most we could 

negotiate for the LOC). Although our 

total debt remained the same, having 

more debt by way of operating line 

helps to save on interest by managing 

seasonal cash flows. 

In 2016, the last of the land sale closed 

and we collected $1M for this. The 

intent is to use this money for the turf 

care facility and you will be asked to 

approve this expense via a full 

membership vote later this year. Of 

course, we have collected these funds in 

advance of spending them on the turf 

facility, so Whitevale is currently saving 

thousands of dollars in interest charges, 

as a result. 

In 2017, we will collect $600 from each 

of the 531 Equity members for a total of 

$318,600 to service our two debt 

facilities, the mortgage and the LOC. 

At the start of fiscal 2017 (which began 

last November) our total long-term 

debt was $2,855,657. We will make 

payments on this loan totaling 

$215,000 this year, reducing this longterm 

debt to $2,748,482 at the end of 

this fiscal year. 


Reports 

THE GM'S 

REPORT... CON'T 

Today our LOC available to us is $1.8M and we have not used any of this available credit to us yet. However, when approved, we 

will use $1M of this available credit for the new turf care facility. Once complete we will be into our LOC for the total cost of the 

Turf Facility and will be responsible to pay the interest charges on this amount. The LOC will automatically reduce by $100K a year 

for 15 years to pay off this LOC until it is capped at $500k. 

Our audit statements (available on the website) speak about this loan in paragraph #6 

So the quick run-down of our current debt status: 

- Collect $318,600 

- Pay $215,000 - long-term debt 

- Pay $100,000 - Operating line 

- Variance $3,600 - not including interest on operating-line payments 

Two Big Questions, One Simple Answer 

1. How much longer will we have this debt payment? 

2. As a long-time member, I've paid my share of the debt. Is it not fair to have new members pay this debt? 

My answer to both of these questions is this: Whitevale Golf Club has a long tradition of debt and will continue to have debt in 

order to fund large-scale capital projects in the future. The debt you are paying today is for what you are using and enjoying 

today. The debt of the future will be paid by future members for what they will be enjoying at that time. 

Although it may seem burdensome to always have a debt repayment figure as part of your membership cost, it is important to 

consider total cost versus our peer group. The total cost of membership here at Whitevale —including debt servicing—continues 

to be at or below comparable private clubs. Until our membership tells us otherwise, we will always strive to ensure Whitevale 

provides extraordinary value, and our club's long history of responsible debt has been an effective mechanism to do so. 


Reports 

THE CAPTAIN'S 

CORNER 

DEC DUNN / CLUB CAPTAIN 

Most Misunderstood 

At the start of every golf season, there is 

always that period of time when you 

have to work on your muscle memory, 

not just for hitting the ball, but for 

managing your game and 

remembering the rules. In my last two 

articles, I took the opportunity to 

explain a couple of the more confusing 

golf rules. Let's now review 6 of the 

most misunderstood golf rules: 

1. MYTH: It counts as a stroke if a ball is 

touched and falls from the tee after 

being addressed. 

FACT: This does not normally count as a 

stroke and the ball can simply be teed 

up again without penalty. However, if 

the ball was already in play (if you 

skimmed it on your first attempt, for 

example), this would count as a stroke. 

2. MYTH: A golfer whose ball is off the 

green should always play before 

someone on the green. 

FACT: Regardless of the lie of the balls, 

the player whose ball is farthest from 

the hole should always go first. Say, for 

instance, one player has a 10-foot chip 

and another has a 50-foot putt, the putt 

would be played first. 

3. MYTH: When your ball finds a water 

hazard, you can play a provisional 

before looking for the original. 

FACT: If you're practically certain that 

your ball is in the water, you can't hit a 

provisional. The next shot you play is 

considered the ball in play (with an 

added penalty stroke). When hitting 

your ball into a hazard, proceed 

according to Rule 26. If you think there 

is a possibility that your ball could be 

outside the hazard, you can hit a 

provisional. If it turns out that the ball is 

actually in the hazard, you have to 

abandon the provisional. 

4. MYTH: If your ball is in an unplayable 

lie, you're allowed to drop in a spot 

which makes it 'playable'. 

FACT: You have three options, each with 

a penalty of one stroke, after declaring a 

ball unplayable. 

1. Replay the previous shot. 

2. Drop another ball behind the spot 

where the ball lies, keeping it directly in 

line with the hole, with no limit as to 

how far behind that point the ball is 

dropped. 

3. Drop inside of two club-lengths from 

the spot where the ball is positioned, 

making sure to be no closer to the hole. 

5. MYTH: You can take an out-ofbounds 

stake out of the ground, or take 

relief from any marker of the course's 

boundary. 

FACT: You are not allowed to take relief 

from any marker of the course's 

boundary. Play it as it lies or take it as an 

unplayable lie, proceeding under those 

options. 

6. MYTH: You cannot ask for another 

player's ball to be marked unless it 

affects your ball, swing or stance. 

FACT: If you think that another ball may 

interfere with your ability to play a shot, 

you can ask that it is marked and lifted. 

However, the marked ball cannot be 

cleaned unless it is on a putting green. 

Opening Field Days 

The season has officially opened with 

the Men's, Women's and Weekday Field 

events behind us. Weather has been an 

issue over the last couple of weeks, but 

even with fewer attendees than 

previous years, we still managed to 

bring out 44 women and 66 men for the 

Men's and Women's opening days. 

The Women's Opening took place under 

a sun and cloud mix, with a high of 13 

degrees. The men dealt with a high of 7 

degrees with cloud, and our typical cool 

Whitevale winds. Neither day was the 

optimum golf weather forecast. The 

weekday event had the worst day, 

steady rain causing the event to be 

called after nine holes. 

Congratulations go out to Cindy 

Alexiou, Pamela Cooper, Anne Hill and 

Reg Wordtmann taking the women's 

event, and Mark Crerar, Colin Dunne and 

Brad Haley walking away with the men's 

event. As the weekday wasn't 

completed it was decided that all the 

prizes would be drawn from a hat. I 

would like to thank all those members 

that braved the elements to make these 

events both fun and successful. 

Coming up: 

" All the Match Play events, including 

Men's Single, Women's Single, Women's 

Four Ball, and Mixed Match Play have a 

sign up deadline of May 14th. 

" Women's draft night is May 23rd 

" First Men's night shotgun followed by 

their draft night is May 24th 

" Spring Derby is May 27th & 28th 

" Junior Opening is May 28th 

" Women's League opening May 30th 

" Men's League opening May 31st 

" Phantom Tournament June 3rd 


Reports 

THE CAPTAIN'S 

CORNER... CON'T 

WOMEN'S REPORT 

Men's League Changes 

This year's Men's League will see a few changes. One 

change I'm excited about will be a weekly Skins 

Game. Prize money will be divided between the Blue 

Tee and White Tee player categories, using net score. 

If no skins are won, it will carry over to the following 

week. The Pro Shop will no doubt have a few more 

exciting changes for the league. Get your names in 

for draft night, a great night. No problem if you can't 

make it on May 24th, put your name in anyway and 

you will be placed on a team. If anyone is interested 

in becoming a League Captain, please contact the 

Pro Shop. 

Thanks to Debbie and Kandice, our Women's 

convenors, who have also been working hard with 

the Pro Shop to make the Women's League better 

than ever. 

All events are great fun and tend to fill up fast, so get 

your names in soon. 

Men's Member Guest 

The Men's Member Guest Committee has had a 

number of meetings over the past few weeks to 

come up with an amazing two-day event. This event 

tends to fill up quickly, so if interested, get your name 

in now by emailing our head pro 

(ryan@whitevalegolfclub.com). Entry into the 

tournament will be based on when the emails were 

received by Ryan. The committee is also looking for 

hole sponsors. Your company will be proudly 

displayed at the sponsored hole for the two-day 

tournament as well as the weekend following. If this 

is something you would be interested in, please 

contact Alex or Ryan. 

As always, the Captain's Committee is interested in 

hearing your thoughts and or ideas. Please feel free 

to email me at any time. 

Let me leave you with this food for thought from Ben 

Hogan, "Golf is 20 percent talent and 80 percent 

management." 

K. BRACKENBURY & D. COUCH 

CO - CONVENERS 

Now is the Time to Sign Up 

There is still time to sign up for the Tuesday Women's 

League - simply go online and register to get your name 

in the draft to be put on a team. The draft takes place on 

Tuesday, May 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in the dining room at 

the Club. You do not need to be at the draft to get on a 

team (but you do need to register). However, attending 

the draft is a whole ton of fun and a chance to meet 

some of your teammates and your Captain. 

Have you signed up for any of our Women's Match Play 

events? If not, there is still time. The events available to 

participate in are Singles, Doubles (Fourball - find 

another female partner to play as a team), and Mixed 

(find a male partner and play as a team). These events are 

all handicap events and are always exciting. Sign up on 

the website. 

Want more information on either the Tuesday Women's 

League or the Match Play events? Please do not hesitate 

to reach out to Debbie or Kandice. You can also ask 

anyone in the Pro Shop. We are always happy to help! 

The Women's Opening Field Day was held on Saturday, 

April 29 with 40 women playing in the Step Aside 

Scramble. Despite the wind, a good time was had by all. 

The golf was followed up with lunch and an information 

session. Thank you to everyone who participated! 

The Magical Mystery Tour is back for 2017 and the date 

is Monday, June 19th. Mark this date in your calendar. 

Further information will follow in terms of when sign up 

is open. 


Reports 

TURF 

TALK 

RICHARD HART / GREENS COMMITTEE MEMBER 

Q&A with Blair 

The 2017 season has arrived! On behalf 

of the greens committee, I would like to 

welcome everyone back for what is 

shaping up to be another fantastic year 

at our club. For the next few months, we 

will be giving Blair a bit of a break from 

his writing career here in Sideline 30 so 

he can focus on his day job, preparing 

and maintaining one of the most 

beautiful properties in southern 

Ontario. 

The opening of the golf course is a 

huge undertaking for our greens 

department. The winter clean-up and 

preparation of our 160-acre property is 

a daunting task, which takes countless 

man hours to complete. Along with the 

annual course preparation, we have a 

few in-house projects which will also 

need to be scheduled over the coming 

weeks. We have the new cart parking on 

the driveway, the new garden by the 

flag poles, and of course the stone 

foundation from the original farm 

house just to name a few. 

We are all eager to have all projects 

completed but we need to have 

patience. The club has chosen to do 

many of these projects "in house". This 

will save money but in many cases will 

mean the work will take a little longer 

to complete. The plan is to first have our 

golf course ready for daily play before 

the focus will shift to projects. 

After the opening weekend, I had a 

chance to sit down with Blair to get his 

thoughts on the condition of the 

property, some of the maintenance 

planning, and how he feels things are 

shaping up for the 2017 season. 

Q: "As many of us are aware, the 

spring aerification was scheduled preopening 

this year. How do you feel it 

went? Any unforeseen problems?" 

Blair: "Moving the aerification earlier in 

the spring, I was concerned about poor 

weather and a lack of labour. Luckily, 

this spring the weather cooperated 

nicely with soil temperatures higher 

than normal, which helped with the 

recovery. We actually started aerifying 

one week earlier than when we 

scheduled it on the calendar because 

the weather was so good. We had 

enough labour to get through the full 

process as we were not mowing any 

turf because nothing was growing yet. 

With the course being closed, we didn't 

have to concern ourselves with a 

myriad of other jobs the way we do 

when we punch in May. It worked out 

better than I had thought it would. I 

have to give full credit to Alex as it was 

his 'what if' that suggested we try 

moving it to this early time frame." 

Q: "We read last month about your 

concerns with focusing resources on 

the aerification instead of spring 

cleanup. Did this become a problem or 

was your team able to work through 

most of your pre-opening tasks?" 

Blair: "Having staff focusing on 

aerification meant we fell behind in all 

other areas of course preparation 

compared to where we normally are at 

that time of the year. Frequent rain 

events put us further behind. There 

were many days this spring where we 

got staff in, set up and working, only to 

have to tell them to stay at home for a 

day or more. It was so wet we couldn't 

even let staff walk the course without 

causing damage at times. I felt very 

frustrated this spring because of the 

wet conditions and lack of progress 

preparing the property for opening day. 

Having said that, I think I'm the only one 

who had a concern with all the 

incomplete tasks we had during the 

first three weeks. Everyone I talked to 

did not seem concerned with all the 

work we still had to attend to such as 

raking up sticks and pine cones or 

unrepaired bunkers. I have to say a big 

thank you to all member's for their 

patience as we plugged away knocking 

jobs off the list after we opened." 

Q: Blair, as members we would all like 

to help out in any way we can to keep 

our golf course in the best condition 

possible. If you had to pick two things 

members could do to help with the 

conditioning of the golf course, what 

would they be?" 

Blair: "Wow, only two, huh? I guess I 

could actually sum it up with one 

request, that every member treat the 

club like you are still in your 

'honeymoon phase'. What I mean by 

that is we all put forward our best early 

on in any relationship. I have always 


Reports 

TURF 

TALK... CON'T 

said becoming a member at a private 

club is a lot like getting married. Early 

on everyone puts forward their best. 

After a while we get, comfortable, 

maybe complacent. We might not put 

as much energy into the relationship as 

we once did. Some members don't pick 

up broken tees, or put cigarette butts in 

the garbage. Then, I have to pay staff to 

pick them up to keep the course clean. 

Another great way to help is to always 

take a seed soil bottle and fill any scars 

you see in a fairway or on a tee. Take 60 

seconds to rake the bunker the way you 

would want it to be if your ball landed 

there. All these course-care items 

improve the experience for all other 

members and will help us focus on so 

many other jobs we are trying to 

accomplish." 

FIVE DAYS OF MICK! 

On March 31, 2017 a milestone was reached that is rarely witnessed in any turf 

department. This was the day that Mickey McCue celebrated 25 years at 

Whitevale. Mickey has been a cornerstone for the golf course's day-to-day set 

up and care for more years than anyone can comprehend. We celebrated this 

anniversary by presenting Mick with a plaque that reads: 

Mickey McCue 

In appreciation of your dedication and commitment 

to excellence during your 25 years of service. 

March 31, 2017 Whitevale Golf Club 

We followed that up with what Blair called, "Five Days of Mick" where he was 

presented with a different gift each day. Mickey has made the decision to semiretire 

this year. He will now work Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays mowing 

fairways. Thank you Mick for all you have contributed to the success of this 

property! 

The Greens Committee wishes 

everyone a great month of May at the 

club! We would like to invite members 

to email us any questions you would 

like to see answered here in Sideline 30 

from Blair or the Committee. We will do 

our best to answer as many as possible 

each month. You can send your 

questions to any committee member. 


Reports 

THE LONGEST DAY 

OF GOLF 

K. BRACKENBURY & D. COUCH / FUNDRAISING CO-ORDINATORS 

Longest Day of Golf - Friday June 16th 

Kandice and I are excited to be taking 

over the reins of coordinating this 

incredible event from Ann Griffin. We 

would first like to thank Ann for her 

involvement over the years and are 

thrilled that she will still be 

participating in the golf portion of the 

event this year. We have very big shoes 

to fill between Joan Store and Ann 

Griffin. 

This year marks the 26th Anniversary of 

this amazing fundraising event at 

Whitevale. Started by members Bob & 

Joan Store in 1991, it is what many 

consider to be the best day of the year 

at Whitevale. To date, Whitevale Golf 

Club has raised an incredible $325,000 

through the generous support of our 

members. Our goal this year is to raise 

$25,000 for the Durham Community 

Office of the Canadian Cancer Society. 

This office helps patients and their 

families through a difficult time in their 

lives. Will you help us? 

It all starts at dawn with four people 

teeing off as the sun peeks over the 

horizon, and ends at twilight with a 

candlelit celebration around the 18th 

green. You should plan to play on June 

16 and, if you do, you will almost 

certainly see Ryan La Rose, Steve 

Rodriguez, Paul Stephenson and Ann 

Griffin playing through at a 

phenomenal pace as they attempt to 

play at least 10 rounds of golf non-stop! 

And watch out for the fore caddy - Fast 

Eddie Griffin. He will let you know when 

the team is approaching and ask you to 

stand aside. 

The online pledge form will be available 

from our website starting on Monday, 

May 15th. You can donate online, in 

person with Kandice or me (or you can 

leave an envelope in the Pro Shop for 

us) and you will also see us at the first 

tee on the day of the event gathering 

pledges, selling raffles tickets and 

cheering the team on throughout the 

day. You can donate via cash, cheque or 

we will have chits available if you want 

to donate or buy raffle tickets and chit it 

to your Whitevale account. 

Get ready for the "bunker tax" program 

to come into effect through the month 

of June to help us raise money. There 

will be a drop box on the right side 

bunker at the 9th hole, as well as in the 

Pro Shop. The tax is a donation of a 

toonie each time a ball lands in the 

right bunker on #9 (We're already filling 

our golf bags with toonies!) 

There will be raffles, a silent auction and 

our own very generous member Tim 

Packer will be inside the Clubhouse 

creating a masterpiece that will be 

raffled off with all proceeds going to 

the Cancer Society. Visit Tim while he 

paints to check on his progress and 

have a chat with him. Paintings by two 

other Durham artists will also be part of 

the raffle. Lisa Brewer and Michelle 

Miles from the Social Committee will be 

selling tickets for the painting with the 

final draw being held on July 1st. 

Thank you to everyone who helps us 

prepare for the big day and to all of you 

who make a pledge and make the day 

special! 


Reports 

THE HOUSE 

REPORT 

NATALIE BUTT / CLUBHOUSE MANAGER 

Getting New Staff Up to Speed 

As I write this update we are just over a 

week into the new season. It has been 

great to see so many familiar faces back 

at the club and for the ones we haven't 

seen yet, I look forward to seeing you 

soon. The enthusiasm of everyone thus 

far speaks volumes to what a special 

place Whitevale is and how much it 

means to us all! 

WELCOME 

AND 

FAREWELL 

New Members: 

James Heath 

Lynda Vysoki 

Departing Members: 

Andy Lewis 

Sasha Mikijelj 

With it being this busy, it has been a 

tremendous opportunity for us to train 

all the new staff and get them up to 

speed quickly on our service culture. 

They are learning and getting more 

comfortable every day and I thank you 

for making them feel welcome and at 

ease as they train and get to know all of 

you. Two new employees who I wanted 

to introduce are our new Supervisors, 

Crystal and Alexandra. They have fit in 

very well with Alyssa and me, and are 

doing a great job leading the service 

team on a daily basis. 

I'm excited to announce that Brock 

Street Amber is back by demand to our 

draught line up! Wildly popular, it has a 

subtle hop aroma yet is very easy 

drinking with little bitterness and 

gentle caramel flavours on the finish. 

Our summer concert series kicks off on 

Sunday, May 21st as we welcome 

"Double the Pleasure" to our patio. This 

is an excellent opportunity to bring 

your family up for dinner and enjoy the 

entertainment! 

BUNKER TAX $$$ 

IN 

EFFECT 

FOR 

ALL 

OF 

JUNE 

2017! 

Support the Longest Day of Golf by donating 

$2 for every time your ball lands in the 

right-hand bunker on Hole #9. 

Hit the bunker - pay the tax!! 


The Game 

IN THE 

"SHOP" 

RYAN LA ROSE / CPGA HEAD PROFESSIONAL 

My Visit to the Titleist Fitting Centre 

For the last two years, I've been a brand 

ambassador for Titleist, one of the 

largest golf companies around and one 

that has been in business since 1932. 

One of the perks of working with a wellknown 

brand is access to top-rated 

product for golfers of any level. Two 

weeks ago, I was invited to the new 

Titleist Fitting Centre at Eagle's Nest Golf 

Club in Vaughan to get fitted for the 

new 917 driver. As someone who has 

been fitted before, I always jump at the 

chance to find out about new products 

and how they can help improve a 

player's game. 

For those of you who have never been 

fitted before, I do suggest you take the 

time and take part in this experience. 

Whether it's on our range at Whitevale 

using Trackman or visiting a club 

manufacture's fitting facility, you will 

leave feeling satisfied and full of useful 

knowledge. 

My experience started off by hitting 

about six to ten balls with my current 

driver and getting some of the average 

numbers that expert fitters like to see. 

Using Trackman technology, you have 

access to many numbers but for most 

players you are looking at about three 

areas when fitting for a driver: ball 

speed, launch angle and spin rate. In 

those three areas with my current driver, 

I had ball speed averaging 149 mph, 

launch angle of about 11 degrees and 

spin rate around 3200 rpm. To give you 

an idea, those numbers are acceptable 

but I was interested in lowering my spin 

rate, which was causing the ball to 

balloon and lose potential yardage. 

The first thing we tried was lowering the 

loft of my driver which helped but still 

left the ball with a spin rate that was 

beyond our target of 2000-2200 rpm's. 

Next, we tried a number of different 

shafts… heavier, stiffer, shorter; you 

name it we tried it, and all in seeing the 

different affects they have when hitting 

the ball. The stiffer shaft didn't allow me 

to get enough spin on the ball so I was 

losing yardage. Needless to say that was 

not a winner. With the shorter shaft I 

was losing clubhead speed, which 

equates to distance and if you are like 

me, distance in most cases wins. 

Finally, we tried a heavier shaft that 

found a great combination with the new 

head. My ball speed went up in average 

to about 153 mph, launch was slightly 

increased to 11.5 degrees and the spin 

rate dropped to about 2200 rpm. Taking 

into consideration the improved 

numbers, it equates to a gain of about 

ten yards, which does have something 

to do with the new head but—as most 

golfers know—the shaft is what drives 

the club. 

If you have ever wondered what your 

current driver or irons are doing for you, 

we're here to help. You can have a fitting 

session with any of the professionals on 

staff. Unfortunately, due to weather we 

had to cancel last weekend's demo day, 

but we are going to have fitting days for 

individual suppliers scheduled over the 

next month. TaylorMade Fitting Day is 

this Friday, May 12th from 1 to 4pm. 

Book your appointment through the Pro 

Shop. 


The Game 

THE LESSON 

TEE 

KEVAN GOBLE / CPGA TEACHING PROFESSIONAL 

Jerry Barber's Magic Clubs 

Jerry Barber is one of golf's long 

forgotten eccentrics. Barely five foot five 

and 135 pounds soaking wet, with 

coke-bottle glasses akin to the guy from 

Trailer Park Boys, he was perhaps the 

first advocate and practitioner of the, 

then yet-to-be-coined, "stack and tilt" 

method. 

In 1961, Jerry won the PGA 

Championship, displaying what has 

often been called the greatest putting 

round ever. That Sunday, he nailed 

consecutive putts of 20, 40, and 55 feet 

on the last 3 holes to tie Don January 

before thumping him the next day in a 

playoff. All told, the motor-mouthed 

health and fitness fanatic's unheralded 

career included seven Tour wins, two 

Ryder Cups, and 1961 Player of the Year. 

Not bad for a guy you've probably 

never of! 

Not only was Jerry Barber an 

accomplished player, he was also an 

innovative club maker. As I'm about to 

explain, this is the part of his legacy that 

particularly interests me. Hitting the 

market in the mid-'70s, the Jerry Barber 

"Golden Touches" were, to my 

knowledge, the first set of massproduced 

shankless irons. If you poke 

around sites like eBay, you can still buy 

them today. 

Playing in last year's Longest Day of 

Golf, I felt like a million bucks for the 

first four rounds before contracting a 

severe case of the shanks. For the next 

90 holes, I machine gunned balls at 

right angles over members' heads as 

Ann Griffin, Paul Stephenson, Steve 

Rodriguez, and I whipped around the 

course. It was both a humiliating and 

dangerous situation, truly my worst 

golfing experience. 

Licking my wounds the next day, I 

recalled my dad had a full set of Jerry 

Barbers in his basement. He bought 

them used for $100 during a family 

vacation in Maine back in 1979. They are 

about 45 years old, butt ugly, and must 

have the smallest sweet spot of any 

clubs in the world. After chirping him 

for decades about these monstrosities, 

it was with great contrition I asked to 

borrow them. Later, at the range, after 

subjecting them to a rigorous testing 

session, I was ecstatic discovering that, 

just as advertised, the ingeniously 

positioned hosel was completely out of 

play! 

At first, I was way too self-conscious to 

play with them. What would members 

and fellow professionals think? On a 

personal level, surely relying on them 

signified I'd given up, that instead of 

fixing my problem I was merely 

avoiding it. 

During a pro-am later in the summer, I 

arrived at my last hole poised to cash a 

decent cheque. Thus far it had been a 

shank-free day; in fact, the possibility 

hadn't even entered my mind. A good 

drive left me facing a 6-iron approach 

to the green. Bet you can guess the rest! 

A full blown hosel-rocket sailed out of 

bounds leading to a soul-crippling 

triple bogey. I finished out of the 

money by a shot. That episode was the 

final straw; from that point on, the Jerry 

Barbers were in my bag and remain 

there today. 

Do I like them? Hell no! But I can now 

stand over a shot knowing though I 

might hook, skull, slice, chunk, or top my 

ball, there will never be a shank. What a 

truly liberating feeling! You would think 

a teaching pro ought to be able to 

diagnose and fix a problem like the 

shanks. If not, he must be pretty lousy at 

his job. (Incidentally, I have no problem 

saying "shank". I'm not a wimp like all 

the Harry Potter characters so terrified 

of Voldemort they called him, "he who 

shall not be named".) Believe me, 

through my ordeal, lasting the better 

part of three years, I have become an 

expert on finding measures to cure 

them. If you ever get them, God forbid, 

come see me. On the range, when I 

have the time to think about my swing, 

they almost never occur. Indoors this 

winter, while hitting thousands of balls 

between lessons I only committed one - 

it was a beauty, right off the glove rack! 

Don't worry, no damage resulted Ryan! 

Alas, practicing and playing golf are two 

different disciplines. In a game, there is 

no opportunity to slow down and think; 

you are at the mercy of your instincts. 

On the course, my fatal shankproducing 

tendency to move my 

weight towards my toes during my 

swing - a habit grooved hitting balls in 

the schoolyard when I was a young boy 

- insidiously returns. Though I feel it 

happening, sometimes I'm powerless to 


The Game 

THE LESSON 

TEE... CON'T 

prevent it. And anyone who's been stricken 

with the shanks knows that once one occurs, 

the flood gates open. They become a selffulfilling 

prophecy: the more you obsess about 

not doing them, the more likely they are to 

occur. So what began as a swing flaw 

ultimately morphs into a psychological 

labyrinth. 

This year, my intention is to play more with you, 

the members. You can appreciate my 

reluctance to do this in the past because of my 

"issue". For someone in my profession, publicly 

displaying the shanks is not exactly good for 

business. And extremely embarrassing. They 

really are a strange disease. Mysteriously, like 

the shingles or gout, they can go away for a 

few years only to return with a vengeance. 

A while ago, Hank Haney confessed to having 

the yips with the driver, so badly he had more 

or less stopped playing golf. I love golf too 

much to let it come to that. If we play together, 

I may or may not have the Jerry Barbers in my 

bag. Try a shot with one if you like. To 

paraphrase the old Buckley's slogan: "they're 

ugly, but they work." In the meantime, I have a 

beautiful new set of Callaway irons waiting in 

the wings to go. They are easy to hit and go a 

mile. At the range I haven't shanked one yet! 

Perhaps I'll have the nerve to bring them out 

when we play. 

As for Jerry Barber, the golfer, he died in 1994 at 

age 78. At the time he was still playing on the 

Seniors' Tour, routinely shooting his age and 

espousing his unique teaching theories. There 

are lots of characters like him who now are 

barely footnotes in golf's rich history. Too bad. 

Ky Laffoon, Titanic Thompson, Lloyd Mangrum, 

J. Douglas Edgar are a few others who are 

worth looking up if you're interested. So, a big 

shout-out from me to Jerry for making golf fun 

again. Having said that, I'm still determined one 

day to return his clubs permanently to Dad's 

basement. 

Free Junior Clinic - Friday, May 26 

If you keep your ear to the ground around the golf world in the last few 

years you've heard, "grow the game" and "Drive, Chip and Putt" more often 

than not. Most of you are aware of a relatively new initiative at The Masters 

where junior golfers compete in a Drive, Chip and Putt competition right on 

site at Augusta National. How incredibly cool is that!!! The entire initiative is 

to get junior golfers to the golf course and experience for themselves how 

truly great this game is. 

With that in mind, new this year Whitevale is offering a free junior golf clinic 

to encourage more junior golfers at the club. The details are as follows: 

Date: Friday, May 26 

Time: 4:30pm sharp to 5:30pm 

Location: Driving Range 

Description: This clinic will be conducted by two professionals, Ray 

McCorquodale and Charlie Doherty. It will start with a quick introduction 

and welcome to the season. The clinic component will be an introduction to 

the basic elements of the golf swing for juniors to be as comfortable as 

possible in their attempt to hit the golf ball. The conclusion will be full 

access to the hitting stations, so they can practise what they were taught 

and have some fun hitting golf balls. 

Details: 

- For ages 6 and up, beginners welcome 

- Open to all Whitevale junior members and friends/family of Whitevale 

members 

- Parents/guardians expected to be by juniors at all times, regardless of age 

- Junior does not have to be a beginner, feel free to come just to take the 

opportunity to use the range 

- Pros will walk up and down the line during practice to help with swings 

- Bring your own clubs (we will have a few available for those without a club) 

- Based on participation volume, sharing/rotating through hitting stations 

may be necessary 

Although registration is not required, it would much appreciated if an email 

was sent to proshop@whitevalegolfclub.com so we have a general idea of 

how many plan to be there. We are looking forward to having a great 

turnout and a fun evening! 


Reports 

THE SOCIAL 

SCENE 

SANDRA MILNER-DOCKING / SOCIAL DIRECTOR 

New Season, New Events 

I am delighted to be back as your Social Director for a third 

season. After some great events last year, we have an even 

fuller slate for you to enjoy your club, and share the Whitevale 

experience with other members, family, and friends. 

Summer Music Series - Starting May 21st 

Throughout the season, join us for live music on the patio! 

Local duo "Double the Pleasure" leads our kickoff event on 

Sunday, May 21. They cover artists such as The Lumineers, 

Johnny Cash, The Proclaimers, and The Killers. Our music-onthe-patio 

series continues with more musicians on June 10th 

and August 13th. Based on demand, more nights can be 

added in August. If you know of any local musicians you'd 

like us to consider, send me an email 

(milnerdo@cibcmortgages.com). 

Movie Nights 

Saturday, July 15th and Sunday, August 27th are currently 

booked for family movie nights on the front lawn. Bring your 

chairs and blankets, we'll supply the popcorn. 

Theatre night films will likely be golf themed, but family 

focused. 

Longest Day of Golf is June 16 

Probably Whitevale's most memorable and meaningful Mix 

and Mingle night of the season, the Longest Day of Golf is a 

day like no other. Dedicated to raising funds to support the 

battle against cancer, this year marks the 26th anniversary of 

this amazing event. Started by member Joan Store in 1991, 

the day starts at dawn with four people teeing off as the sun 

peeks over the horizon, and ends at twilight with a candlelit 

celebration around the 18th green. Ann Griffin, in her final 

year leading the foursome, will be playing through at a 

phenomenal pace as they attempt to play at least ten rounds 

of golf non-stop. 

While waiting for the golfers to finish their final hole, 

members can test their wits with our mystery trivia, and test 

their willpower at our silent auction. Or, enjoy the view from 

the patio, listening to the fine musical talents of our own Tom 

Fennell. And as if that is not enough, Tim Packer and possibly 

another artist will be creating original paintings, starting in 

the morning, with a goal to complete the work of art before 

sunset. Tickets to win the paintings will be sold starting June 

16th, and the draw will be held on Canada Day. An online 

donation link will be set up shortly, and members can also 

chit donations, raffle tickets and painting draw tickets. Easy 

right? 

So…. be sure to be part of our special day - book your round, 

and plan to spend a moment or two at our first tee for social 

committee basket raffle tickets, personalize your lumiere bag, 

help cheer on our artists, and our golfers for a great cause. 

Canada Day 

Come celebrate Canada's 150th at the 'Vale. Don your red 

and white, and toast Canada's special day with family events 

such as face painting, games, and much more! Details to 

come. 

Livin' the Life - July 21st 

If you have missed this event in the past, be sure to mark your 

calendar for our "party on the lawn" craft beer and food 

tasting evening. Sample foods and fine drink from a variety 

of great vendors, while you enjoy live music on the patio. This 

casual event is a great way to enjoy a summer night. Guests, 

as always, are welcome! 

Winemaker's Dinner 

We are very excited to announce the introduction of monthly 

private wine and food pairings, designed for groups of 12. 

This event is a structured wine tasting featuring wines that 

are often not available for retail purchase, paired with 

delicious, matched foods. Our first event is scheduled for 

Friday, June 2nd, and is open to all members and their guests. 

More details will follow, but if you are interested, please 

contact Natalie or Alex. If demand is high, we can certainly 

add dates to accommodate groups. 


Fun 

OFF THE 

HOSEL 

KEVIN HUESTIS / SIDELINE 30 EDITOR 

Moderation in Golf Things 

Golf's relationship with technology is 

similar to the relationship between our 

body and a bottle of fine wine. 

According to experts, one glass is good 

for me, but when I drink the whole 

bottle—though I'm likely oblivious at 

the time—I am ruining my ability to truly 

enjoy the vintage, not to mention my 

liver. 

Similarly, too much technology on the 

golf course can impair the true joys of 

the game. On the other hand, certain 

innovations have sparked joy 

indisputably such as perimeterweighted 

irons, a driver's trampoline 

effect and the electric-powered 

beverage cart… to name a few. 

While the technology debate has been 

going on in golf since the guttie 

replaced the featherie, we can all agree 

that the pace of technology affecting 

the game today is astonishing. I'm not 

going to waste your time with old news 

like square grooves, GPS or TrackMan. 

Let's discuss more recent and absurd 

developments that may one day make 

their way to the fairways of Whitevale. 

Just last week the USGA/R&A made a 

surprise announcement about a 

pending crackdown on "green-reading 

devices". I was appalled to learn 

something like this even exists! I was 

equally appalled when I couldn't get one 

online because they were sold out. 

Two weeks ago, The USGA/R&A issued a 

new "Decision" to limit the use of video 

evidence. The new Decision 34-3/10 puts 

in place two standards to limit the use of 

video. The first standard limits evidence 

that cannot be reasonably seen by the 

naked eye. The second relies on 

reasonable judgement to "determine a 

specific location". Obviously, this new 

decision relates to the bizarre Lexi 

Thompson fiasco last month where she 

was penalized four strokes thanks to a 

television viewer who waited a day 

before calling in a rules infraction. Lexi 

went on to lose the major tournament in 

a playoff. 

While video replay seems to be a "big 

league" problem, could this someday 

lead to controversy at Whitevale? Take 

club championship for example. Today 

there is easily accessible technology for 

us to broadcast the last few holes over 

the Internet. While there is always a 

brigade of spectators (and carts) 

following championship flight, wouldn't 

it be cool to watch some live coverage 

up in the clubhouse or from the comfort 

of your own living room? What happens 

if one of those viewers spots a rules 

infraction and phones it in to our Pro 

Shop? 

Or, here's an even more likely scenario: 

I'm following a pal on his way to winning 

championship flight and decide to 

record a couple of key shots on my 

smart phone. After the round, as we 

celebrate his victory and review some of 

the highlights on my phone, we both 

notice that my pal mis-marked his ball 

on the 12th hole - a clear rules violation, 

just like Lexi. Is he now obliged to report 

himself for the infraction, and get nailed 

for signing a wrong scorecard too? Most 

of us would say yes. But what if he 

wasn't my pal? What if he was my 

opponent and I had something to gain 

by intentionally submitting the video 

evidence after he'd signed his card? It 

gets complicated fast. 

For several years, I have softly lobbied for 

"a technology committee" at Whitevale 

to assess, implement and moderate the 

tsunami of technology that is crashing 

over our club and the game. I have met 

no fierce opposition to the concept, only 

that we have more pressing issues and 

it's too soon to make tech a governance 

priority. That's probably true. But, I was 

very encouraged last week attending a 

Marketing Committee meeting, led by 

board member Brian King, which had no 

less than six first-time committee 

members. It was a great discussion 

dominated by the topic of technology. 

Just like at work and at home, tech is 

becoming a vital component of the 

private golf club experience. Here's 

hoping we find a way to swirl, sip and 

savour in moderation. 


Sideline 30 

ABOUT WHITEVALE GOLF CLUB 

Whitevale Golf Club provides a unique 

combination of high-quality golf, lasting 

friendships and the flexibility and value of a 

member-owned equity club. 

Our property is the perfect setting for avid golfers 

to enjoy the game. Players encounter a course 

designed around a natural rolling terrain with 

beautiful vistas of large mature hardwoods and tall 

whispering pines, complemented by the clear 

waters of Duffin's Creek - all nestled in the 

picturesque Hamlet of Whitevale, only 30 minutes 

from downtown Toronto. 

In 2006, renowned Canadian golf architect Thomas 

McBroom completed an extensive redesign of the 

golf course, including a total bunker and tee 

renovation, and a realignment of several holes, 

giving Whitevale a contemporary golfing challenge 

and aesthetic underpinned by 50 years of history 

and tradition. 

Whitevale has a long history of accomplished 

players, but members of all skill levels enjoy an 

exceptional golf experience whether it's a casual 

round with family or friends, or the opportunity to 

compete and develop their game. It's a 

comfortable place with a culture of mutual respect 

and inclusiveness that dates back to 1958. 

Whitevale provides quality facilities and attentive 

professional service for its members and their 

guests to enjoy golf, dining and other social 

activities. It's a family friendly environment where 

singles, couples and junior members can enjoy the 

game and all the privileges of membership. 

For more information on Whitevale Golf Club, visit 

www.whitevalegolfclub.com 

Own Your Game 

SIDELINE 30 CREDITS: 

Sideline 30 is the official newsletter of Whitevale 

Golf Club, published to inform members of Club 

news, activities, governance and member 

accomplishments, and to generally support and 

promote our Club, its members and the game of 

golf. Sideline 30 is published monthly throughout 

the golf season with special issues in the off-season. 

Editor: Kevin Huestis 

Design and Layout: Chris Couch 

Assistant Editors: Debbie Couch, Alex Maggiacomo 

Production: Diane Key, John Pullam 

Photography: Ryan La Rose, Blair Rennie, Natalie 

Butt 

Contributing Writers: Kandice Brackenbury, 

Natalie Butt, Chris Couch, Debbie Couch, Declan 

Dunn, Richard Hart, Kevin Huestis, Alex 

Maggiacomo, Sandra Milner-Docking, Blair 

Rennie 

Contributing Golf Professionals: Ryan La Rose, 

Kevan Goble 

2017 Board of Directors: Chris Couch (President), 

Howard Cooper ( VP, Long Range Plan), Tom 

Bermingham (Finance), Declan Dunn (Captain), 

Norma Columbus (Secretary), Mark Burrell 

(Greens), Sandra Milner-Docking (Social), Dennis 

Matton (Membership), Michael Woolgar (House), 

Brian King (Marketing) 

Please contact Editorial Contributors at the 

respective e-mail addresses provided on our 

website. 

You can contact Sideline 30 at: 

huestis@capitalcommunications.ca or 

alex@whitevalegolfclub.com. 

Own Your Game

Sideline 30 

May 2017 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

Weekday Men's & 

Opening 9:00 am S/G 

Private Function 

Thursday Ladies 

Demo Day 10 am - 2 pm 

8:30 am S/G Social Event 

First tee time 7:30 

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 

7:30am split tee 

9 & Dine Maintenance day 

first tee time 9:30am 

All Play off 10 tee 

7:30am split tee Range opens 10:00am 

7:00am split tee 

14 Mother's Day 15 16 17 18 19 20 

Mother's Day Buffet 

Men's, Women's & Mixed Aerify Tees/Approches Aerify Tees/Approches Aerify Tees/Approches Aerify Tees/Approches Aerify Tees/Approches 

9 & Dine 

Match Play - 

Sign-Up Deadline All Play off 10 tee 

7:00am split tee First tee time 7:00 Range opens 9:30am 

21 22 Victoria Day 23 24 25 26 27 

Women's League Draft Member S/G - 8 am 

Private Function Spring Derby - Round 1 

Summer Concert Series Maintenance day Men's Night S/G - 1 pm 


first tee time 9:30am All Play off 10 tee 

Men's League Draft Night Range opens 9:30am 

28 29 30 31 

Notes: 

Spring Derby - Round 2 

Women's League - Week Men's League - Week 1 

Junior Opening 

June 2017 

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 

1 2 3 

Wine Makers Dinner 

Phantom Tournament 

All play off 10 tee 


Range opens 9:30am 

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Private Function Weekday Men's Match Women's League - Week Men's League - Week 2 Corporate Event Summer Concert Series 

Single's & Doubles Maintenance day 

9 & Dine Sign-Up first tee time 9am 


Range opens 9:30am 

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 

8am & 1pm S/G Private Function 

Women's Tri-Club Women's League - Week Men's League - Week 3 Corporate Event Longest Day of Golf 

9 am S/G 

RANGE CLOSED 

1:00 - 4PM 

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 

8am & 1pm S/G 

Fathers Day Magical Mystery Tour Women's League - Week Men's League - Week 4 Corporate Event Mixed Haig 

9 & Dine (tentative as per Ryan) Maintenance day 

first tee time 9:30am RANGE CLOSED 

Hydroject greens 

1:00 - 4PM 

25 26 27 28 29 30 

Jr Inter-Club (hosting) Weekday Men's Yellow Women's League - Week Men's League - Week 5 

(tee times start at 12:24 8:30 am Reverse S/G 


Range opens 9:30am

s052017

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