Dear Valued SMGCC Members,

Welcome to the 2023 Golf Season!

SMGCC would like to welcome all of our new and returning members for the 2023 season, and would like to thank you for your continued support. There will be various fun events that will be shared throughout the year, so keep your eyes peeled for the monthly e-blasts!

STRONG MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS

For the fourth year in a row we are set to sell out of Anytime Memberships. We will continue to cap the Anytime Memberships at 200 in order to keep tee-times available for members. We will also continue to sell 4X7 Memberships throughout the season. Please see a breakdown of membership numbers below:

Anytime Memberships (198)

149 | With Cart

49   | Walking

4X7 Memberships (66)

42   | With Cart

24   | Walking

Junior Memberships (50)

INVESTMENT IN THE GOLF COURSE

Turf Equipment

We have purchased a few pieces of equipment for the turf team, as follows: (1) a bedknife grinder, and (2) a retrofitted Yamaha work cart. The bedknife grinder will allow the turf team to do more consistent preventative maintenance, as we would only borrow The Fox's a few times a year in the past. The Yamaha work cart is much more reliable, and will allow Arron and his team to be more efficient on the course.

Pumphouse Main Valve

At the moment, there is a large hole behind the pumphouse. This is due to a leaking main valve that was cracked in the middle of the season last year. Red Rock was able to come and excavate the main valve and surrounding lines, and we are in the midst of getting new lines, valves and fittings to run to the main line. We are also retrofitting the valve with a 4” line so that when the time comes for improving our irrigation system on the north side of the course, we will be able to get enough pressure through a larger line.

On-Course Signage

Arron, our new course superintendent, has a great eye for the finer details. You will notice new signage throughout the course that will help elevate us to the next level. The new signage includes:

1. New hole signage on each of the 18 holes. These are going to be arriving quite soon, and should be installed by the end of May.
2. New metal tee-blocks that will mimic the par 3 tee-blocks that were used over the past couple of years.
3. New yellow flagsticks on each of the 18 greens on the course to help players see the flagstick from longer distances.
4. New SMGCC logo’d flags and yellow flagsticks for the practice green.
5. New yardage markers out on the practice range.
6. New 150yd and 100yd markers in the middle of each fairway.

Hole #9 Renovation

Once the rain subsides, RC Golfworks will be here in the coming weeks putting the final touches on the newly renovated hole. Bunkers will need to be given their final shape and filled with sand, the fairway and burm needs to be given a final grade, and sod needs to be laid.

Sod farms just started selling their products at the beginning of May, so we will be receiving our sod shipment soon. After a few days of laying the sod, we just have to sit back and watch it grow.

We hope to open the hole for play in June, and just need to be patient.

*A temporary green will be cut until we are ready to open the hole*

Levelling Tee-Blocks

After receiving valued feedback from the Membership Survey that was sent out last year, one of the most popular course improvements that arose was levelling the tee-blocks.

We are going to begin this process throughout the 2023 season, beginning with the #2 blue tee-block this Spring. We will start by stripping the tee-block of the sod, levelling the tee-block with a bucket on a mini skidsteer, and sodding it once we are happy with the grade.

The Turf Team will be doing the majority of the work, so please be patient while they get to each of the tee-blocks that need to be improved. This will likely take a few seasons to complete.

Parking Lot Paving

The gravel parking lot was given it's first coat of pavement in the last week of April, and will have another coat applied in the Spring of 2024. Lines were also painted on the pavement to help organize the parking lot and provide more parking spaces for our guests. 

ADAPTING TO CHANGING TECHNOLOGY

At SMGCC we always strive to be on the forefront of golf technology, and continue to upgrade and integrate features throughout the course that will elevate the golfer's experience. 

Hole Flyovers

Hole flyovers are a great marketing tool for the course, and also help players that have never played the hole, see it before hitting their first shot. Over the course of the 2022 season, we were able to film and edit a hole flyover for all 18 holes of SMGCC.

You are able to see each of the hole flyovers on our Course Tour webpage, by scanning the QR code that is located on our NEW scorecards, and also by scanning the QR code that will be on each of the new hole signs on the course.

Chronogolf Accounts & SMSocial Rewards Program

We have started to leverage the Chronogolf Software more frequently over the past couple of years and have implemented a few more integrations that you will be able to access on your Chronogolf accounts this season.

As per usual, you will be able to book tee-times and view your house accounts, but there are a few new features to be aware of.

1. SMSocial Loyalty Points are now visible to you in real time in your chronogolf account. You will be able to see how many points you collect on each purchase that you make. If you would like to use your “SMSocial Loyalty Points”, please tell the golf shop attendant or your server at Social 31.
2. Last year we introduced the “Credit Books” function to each of our leagues, along with the Match Play events. The winnings for the Men’s League, Ladies’ League and each of the Match Play events will be placed in the players “Credit Book” for them to use on golf shop items, green fees, carts or food and beverage from Social 31. You will also be able to access your winnings from the “Credit Books” tab in your Chronogolf account. If you would like to use your “Credit Books”, please tell the golf shop attendant or your server at Social 31.

Website Revamp

Over the past two months we have been working with rTraction, our website development company, to help modernize the look of the website, while also making the website more user friendly and efficient to use.

A few new features will be a “Book-a-tee-time” widget that will follow you on each webpage, and a streamlined online store that is easier to navigate.

The NEW website is going to launch in May, so keep your eyes peeled.

MEN’S & LADIES’ GOLF LEAGUE + MATCH PLAY

The Men’s League was given a significant overhaul in 2022, and we believe that it is in a much better place compared to where it was a few years ago. That being said, the Men’s League committee heard a few concerns from the changes that were made last year, and acted on them to help improve the league in 2023. Please visit our Men’s League webpage for more details.

Furthermore, the Ladies’ League re-added the Member/Guest event to help bring more women out to the club and show them a fun time on, and more importantly, off the course.

Lastly, Golf Genius is the program that we started using in 2022 for our Men’s and Ladies’ Leagues. There were a few road bumps due to it being a new program, but we are confident that this year will run smoothly. It is a much more efficient system for the club and the user, as there is improved scoring options and a modern look to the website.

Match Play

We are excited to announce that SMGCC match play will continue this season. Registration closes on Monday, May 8th, so be sure to sign up soon.

IMPORTANT DATES (CLUB EVENTS)

We will be hosting various club events throughout the year to enhance your membership experience. Please read through the offerings below.

Men’s League Draft	Wednesday, May 3rd
Men’s League Breakfast + Scramble	Sunday, May 7th
Men’s League (1st Scoring Night)	Wednesday, May 10th
Two-Man Scramble	Saturday, May 13th
Ladies League (1st Scoring Night)	Tuesday, May 16th
Ladies’ League Scramble	Tuesday, May 30th
Sr. Men's Invitational	Wednesday, June 21st
Battle of Gowanbrae	Friday, July 14th - Saturday, July 15th
Men’s Invitational	Saturday, July 29th
Mixed Scramble	Thursday, August 17th
Club Championships	Saturday, August 19th - Sunday, August 20th
Junior Club Championship	Tuesday, August 22nd
Ladies’ Fall Scramble	Thursday, September 14th
Mixed Glow Golf	Friday, September 15th
Men's League Closing	Sunday, September 24th
Ladies' League Closing	Tuesday, September 26th
Three-Man Scramble	Sunday, October 15th

 

HOUSE ACCOUNTS

For those interested in charging to a House Account, please know that we will continue to offer this option for members (only) for the 2023 season. When purchasing items in the Golf Shop, restaurant, or bar, you have the option to charge to a personal House Account. 

In order to do this, we require a mandatory, active credit card on file. Please visit the Golf Shop to provide an updated credit card for the season, if you have not already. House Account payments are made on the 5th of the month following. We kindly ask that you wait for a receipt and that you sign off on ALL House Account purchases, before leaving the clubhouse. A mandatory 15% gratuity will be added to each purchase, to reward our staff for their service.

Thank you again for all of your continued support, and we hope to see you at the course soon!

Sincerely,

The SMGCC Golf Team