Authors
The Art of Maintenance
Art and maintenance… two things that are not normally associated with each other. For many, maintenance is a mundane task, vacuous of thought and abundant in labor. On the golf course maintenance is taken to the next level. Superintendents have learned to shed the myopic view that sometimes accompanies repetition and look deeper into the business of maintenance. Timing, precision, and calculation, are all components of a well rounded plan that have their roots based in the art of maintenance. […]
Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Planning
As a wedding planner I get a lot of feedback from brides on things they wished they had done for their wedding and some things they wished they hadn’t spent so much time on. Planning a wedding is no easy task but it is a lot of fun for most! During the planning period it is easy to get a head of yourself and out a lot on your plate because you think you will have plenty of time…that time […]
Craft Beer: The Ever Changing Tap
We all know that brands like Budweiser, Coors Light, Heineken and so many others will never be a thing of the past, but could they be competing with some local craft beers? In the past few years there has been a climb in the number of craft breweries popping up in our communities, and it has begun to spark an interest and even create a hobby with many beer drinkers. As someone who enjoys going to new local restaurants I […]
POA – A Seed Head Unlike Any Other
May is a great month; the sun is bright and shining high in the sky, the threat of frost is all but gone and flowers are in full bloom all around us. But while May is one of my favorite months, there is a down side during this time period that I must deal with every new season, Poa seed heads. For many, the term poa seed heads means nothing, but for those that do know the term you are […]
What Trends Will You Be Following This Season?
As somebody who loves attending weddings as much as I love to plan them there is nothing better than seeing what brides are doing at their weddings and what might be trending during that time. Year after year we see what trends brides are doing and what trends the wedding industry wants to see. It would take you a couple days to read through all of the trends that are arising, so I went thorough and picked out some of […]
December 7, 2016
Most of you know me as the General Manager/Director of Golf at Candia Woods and not as a golf professional and a teacher. I have actually been a golf professional since the tender age of 22 and a PGA Professional now for the past 41 years. One of the aspects of being a golf professional that I enjoyed the most was teaching the game to a wide variety of people that included men, women, and juniors of all ages. No […]
November 29, 2016
Do you set any golf goals? Have you ever wanted to improve some aspect of your golf game? If you have ever wanted to improve some part of your game, you need to have a plan. Not all goals are created equally. These goals do not have to be all about scores. Before you set your goals, you should set SMART goals, for a higher success rate. SMART goals are defined: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely goals. For example: […]
November 23, 2016
One of the main responsibilities of a golf professional is to develop and maintain a “Tee Sheet” (a.k.a. Daily Tee Time Listing). I’ve been told by my staff that I’m quite the expert in designing & managing our Tee Sheet. This is probably a result of my experiences at busy daily fee, resort and private golf clubs through the years. You’re probably thinking to yourself, what’s the big deal… it’s just a list of daily tee times…? Believe me, if […]
November 15, 2016
Those of you who have never been involved in the hospitality industry have likely never considered the stress on family that can come for those of us who have selected a career in a field which prime time literally matches traditional family time. Dinner service interrupts a time of day that is usually reserved for family. And, in the hospitality industry, weekends and holidays almost always create a conflict between work time and family time. But, my passion is food; […]
November 8, 2016
As a golf instructor for the past 9 years, I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge of the game with many golfers of varying skill. One question I get asked often by beginning golfers is, “When should we start to play the golf course?” This, in my opinion, is the barrier in golf that is quite difficult to tear down. There are many fears and anxieties that new and even experienced golfers can endure regarding playing on the […]
November 1, 2016
As Mark Twain once said….. “If you don’t like the weather in New England now… just wait 5 minutes “ Many couples dream of having the perfect outdoor wedding with spectacular weather. Sometimes Mother Nature does not receive that email and doesn’t deliver the 75 degree sunny day. Some say that rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck and fertility. Being said, the benefits of rain and snow will deliver the most gorgeous photos and […]
October 25, 2016
There are no words to describe that last-second sheer-panic that crawls up your spine in that moment when being asked by that smiling face of a barkeep “what would you like to drink?” Bourbon or whiskey? (Whisky depending on the region). It has been the poison that has brought nations together, the celebratory drink of admirable men and woman throughout history, or shared over grievances to find comfort. The simplicities of even defining the differences between whiskey and bourbon are […]
October 18, 2016
Following the theme of my previous post [Click Here to read Pace-of-Play Myths], I will continue to tackle the pace-of-play elephant on the course. There is an abundance of resources but I found some tips on USGA.org and wanted to add some comments. “Tee It Forward” unless you are consistently able to reach greens in regulation from the back tees. In other words, play from a set of tees that is comfortable for you – one where you are more […]
October 13, 2016
As the leaves turn and begin to fall from the trees our weather certainly gets colder. But, that doesn’t mean you have to stop playing golf; those who do miss an experience that is unique and fun. American golf had its beginning in the northeast, and a number of our courses are classic in their shaping, routing, and shadowing. The first American golfers got out on the courses very early in the spring, and played until the snow covered the […]
November 8, 2016
As a golf instructor for the past 9 years, I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge of the game with many golfers of varying skill. One question I get asked often by beginning golfers is, “When should we start to play the golf course?” This, in my opinion, is the barrier in golf that is quite difficult to tear down. There are many fears and anxieties that new and even experienced golfers can endure regarding playing on the […]
November 1, 2016
As Mark Twain once said….. “If you don’t like the weather in New England now… just wait 5 minutes “ Many couples dream of having the perfect outdoor wedding with spectacular weather. Sometimes Mother Nature does not receive that email and doesn’t deliver the 75 degree sunny day. Some say that rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck and fertility. Being said, the benefits of rain and snow will deliver the most gorgeous photos and […]
October 25, 2016
There are no words to describe that last-second sheer-panic that crawls up your spine in that moment when being asked by that smiling face of a barkeep “what would you like to drink?” Bourbon or whiskey? (Whisky depending on the region). It has been the poison that has brought nations together, the celebratory drink of admirable men and woman throughout history, or shared over grievances to find comfort. The simplicities of even defining the differences between whiskey and bourbon are […]
October 18, 2016
Following the theme of my previous post [Click Here to read Pace-of-Play Myths], I will continue to tackle the pace-of-play elephant on the course. There is an abundance of resources but I found some tips on USGA.org and wanted to add some comments. “Tee It Forward” unless you are consistently able to reach greens in regulation from the back tees. In other words, play from a set of tees that is comfortable for you – one where you are more […]
October 13, 2016
As the leaves turn and begin to fall from the trees our weather certainly gets colder. But, that doesn’t mean you have to stop playing golf; those who do miss an experience that is unique and fun. American golf had its beginning in the northeast, and a number of our courses are classic in their shaping, routing, and shadowing. The first American golfers got out on the courses very early in the spring, and played until the snow covered the […]
October 7, 2016
On October 6th, 2016, I played 18 holes split between two beautiful venues… life’s tough I know! I was hired for the first 9 holes for a playing lesson at The Oaks with two fabulous members of The Oaks (a couple). The second 9 holes was spent with my wife, and two sons Jackson (5 years old) & Graham (3 years old) at Candia Woods. This day may very well have been the best weather we’ve had all year! 70 […]
September 27, 2016
This past Sunday, September 25, a great golfer and a great American passed away. Arnold Palmer was 87. The BLOG post below is a reprint of a golf ezine story I wrote several years ago… I offer it now as a tribute to “Arnie”. NINE HOLES REMEMBERED FROM LONG AGO As I get older my recollection of the astounding events of a long ago winter day seem to get more and more vague. Each year, as the end of the […]
September 21, 2016
The other day on a walk through Bear Brook State Park I came across a tree with long serrated leaves that I just knew had to be an American chestnut (Castanea Dentata.) After closer inspection of the leaves, bark and structure of the tree, there was no mistaking it, it was indeed an American chestnut. Most people have probably never seen an American chestnut, and for those that have, the grandeur of this tree is nothing more than a memory. […]
September 15, 2016
This coming week my wife Dana will be competing in the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, MA. This event will mark more than 25 USGA tournaments that she has qualified as a participant. In addition Dana is 16 times NHWGA champion, a past winner of the New England Women’s Amateur and won the prestigious women’s Eastern Senior Amateur. Fantastic accomplishments that I suspect many might feel comes from her innate athletic talent, and a lot […]