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This is a compilation of Hooks and Slices from 2017

Hooks and Slices - January 26, 2017 Well it’s January and the Laguna Woods Men’s Golf Club is back in business. If you didn’t get to the General Meeting on Tuesday, there’s still time to sign up for the Major Tournament next month. Just go to our website and click on Major Tournaments and follow instructions to sign up. Chairman Fred Yune has a fun event lined up with Monster Day pin positions and a Stableford competition.

A lot of you enjoyed the President’s Ball on January 16th. It was the largest crowd in a long while. The food was great, the band was outstanding and the people were beautiful. Chairmen Dave Schmidli and Ken Reinach and their helpers did a great job. The evening was capped off with the presentation of the annual President’s Award to Tom Sirkel.

Congratulations to the winners of the Allen Hyundai Cup for 2016: Paul Santoro, Blue Flight; Joe Choi, White Flight and Don Stewart, Bogey Flight. To win this award you have to play a lot of good golf as it lasts a whole year.

The course should be looking beautiful soon with all the rain we’ve had recently. So do your part and remember to fix your ball marks, fill your divots and rake the bunkers. It’s the only course we have so let’s keep it in good shape.

Happy golfing, Don Fleming

Hooks and Slices - February 2, 2017

By now a lot of you have played in the Monster Day Tournament and are convinced that Chairman Fred Yune is the meanest man alive. But it’s fun trying to make impossible putts.

If you missed last week’s General Meeting or left early you didn’t learn how to warm up for golf. Peter Quan, Director of Fitness, led the assembled members in a series of stretches designed to make one ready to play a round of golf. This is good for the Geezer crowd.

This year’s Memorial Tournament will be on May 14th. Mark it on your calendar. It will be bigger and better than ever, so plan to play. By participating you will be helping some needy neighbors through the Laguna Woods Foundation.

With all the rain we have spent a lot of time playing in “cart-path only” conditions. Here’s a reminder: when a hole or course is under cart-path only restriction the Men’s Club local rule allows you to lift, clean and place the ball through the green (see p.55 of our manual). Also, under these conditions take a sand bottle with you when you walk out to your ball.

Congratulations to Dave Schmidli and his committee on another beautiful club manual. These folks really work hard to present a great tool for the rest of us. If you did not get a new manual, see Dave.

Remember to fix your ball marks, fill your divots and rake the bunkers. Happy golfing, Don Fleming


Remember, starting March 1st you will no longer be allowed to play in blue jeans and you must have a collared shirt. Please observe these new rules so you don’t have to buy something new when you arrive at the course. Or if you need some new clothing come buy at the pro shop, their prices are excellent.

A club member known to many, Rod Harrison, has retire from the cart servicing business. A lot of us have used Rod’s services for many years. He sold his business to a Mr. Chan of Monster Carts. They have been in the cart business for many years. Their phone number is (949) 588-6048, Rod’s old business number.

Another Men’s Club Local Rule concerns sprinkler heads near the greens. If a sprinkler head is within two club lengths of a green and a player’s ball lies within two feet of the sprinkler hear and the sprinkler head interferes with the player’s line of play the player may lift, clean and DROP the ball at the nearest point of relief, no nearer the hole, without penalty. See page 54 of our manual.

Gentlemen our pace of play has been criticized extensively recently. The Wednesday games are taking longer and longer. Five-hour rounds are becoming more the standard than a rarity. We must improve. Each of you should spend some time reading the manual starting on page 57. Let’s get quicker!

Enjoy your game, but don’t dally. Don Fleming


I played golf on Wednesday after another storm, what a mess. Walking in from the cart paths for 18 holes is hard on Geezer Golfers. I know it’s a pain to remember the sand bottle each time you trudge across the fairway, but we need to try harder. The divots are larger and deeper in this weather. However, there is no excuse for not fixing ball marks on the greens. In this wet weather the greens have become very soft. Even a 20-yard pitch shot leaves a small dent or worse. We have to become more diligent in finding and fixing these marks. Otherwise the greens will become bumpy. Putting is hard enough without having bumps and scars in your line. On Wednesday we must have fixed close to 100 marks in 18 holes. And Guys that was all Men’s Club players in front of us – it was a Wednesday! So let’s get with it and spend time repairing instead of resting.

Our next General Meeting will be February 28. If you haven’t been coming to these meetings you are missing some great information. In response to the survey answers we are trying to shorten the meetings. Come see how we do.

“If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork as poorly as they do a golf club, they'd starve to death.” Sam Snead

Remember to try to speed up play by being ready to play and not worrying about honors. Happy golfing, Don Fleming


Well I’m sitting here listening to the wind howl and watching rain fall intermittingly while waiting for the storm of the week to arrive, if I am to believe our local weather forecasters. It’s just another Friday with no golf due to the weather. The pros are trying to play at Riviera. When you read this you’ll know whether they did, but as of now I have my doubts.

Did you know Riviera Country Club is one of two courses called Hogan’s Alley? It is referred to this way because Ben Hogan won three tournaments there in a twelve-month period from 1947 to 1948. He won the LA Open in both years and the US Open in between. The other Hogan’s Alley is the Colonial Country Club in Texas, where he won five times.

Don’t forget to come to our General Meeting on February 28. There are lots of good presentations and many awards to be handed out. There’s more than free donuts and coffee and sign-ups. Stay until the end, you might enjoy it.

Once again, since the rain continues, please take care of our course. Be diligent in filling divots and fixing ball marks. When walking in from the cart paths take your sand bottle. Remember to leave the course in the condition you had hoped to find it.


Hooks and Slices - March 2, 2017

Well, we finally got a Flight Competition in last week. I’m sure Peter Kim, who oversees the events, was overjoyed. Finding enough decent weather to play our tournaments has been a problem so far in 2017. I was reviewing the scores and noticed only two players in the entire field broke 80 - Ken Reinach and Kay Mun. The courses must have been playing hard.

As I have mentioned before, this year’s Memorial Tournament is coming up on May 13th. VMS, our managing company, has graciously agreed to become involved with the organizing and presentation of the tournament this year. As a result, we are planning for a full field. So when the sign-up sheets are out or the website is updated, please get your reservations in early. Otherwise, you might miss out. Be on the lookout for the sign-up information.

There’s still time to sign up for the Eclectic Tournament. If you missed the General Meeting last Tuesday you can sign up on-line at our website, LWMGC.org. This is a fun two-week event that lets you improve your scores on each hole on the second week. Let’s hope the weather holds up for two weeks in a row.

The stages of golf are Sudden Collapse, Radical, Change, Complete Frustration, Slow Improvement, Brief Mastery, and Sudden Collapse.

Remember to fix your ball marks, fill your divots and rake the bunkers. Happy golfing. Don Fleming

Hooks and Slices - March 16, 2017

If you haven't seen it elsewhere, signup is now available for this year's Memorial Tournament. You can enter through our website, LWMGC.org. Look for the banner directing you to the link. Paper applications are also available in the pro shop and near the posting computer. Early signup is recommended as the committee expects to sell out this year. The help from VMS, our community management company, will assist us in making this the biggest turnout ever, which should result in the largest donation to the Foundation we have ever had. Don't delay, enter now!

There is a major revision to the Rules of Golf being proposed by the USGA and the R&A. These changes are scheduled to be put into effect starting in 2019. If you haven't read about the changes take the time to visit the USGA 's website, USGA.org, and review them. There's a very informative outline on the site. The USGA is requesting feedback about the changes. If you disagree or wonder about any of the revisions send them a note. They tell you how on their site. When reading about the proposed changes remember the theme behind these proposals is two-fold. First, to make the rules easier to understand; and second, to help speed up play. Worthy goals, for sure.

Remember to fix your ball marks, fill your divots and rake the bunkers. Happy golfing, Don Fleming

March 30, 2017 - Hooks and Slices

Today the 60-plus League is holding their annual visit to Laguna Woods. This league consists of players age 60 or higher from a large number of clubs around the Southland. They play a competition using a par-points format. There will be 72 players going off in an 8-o’clock shotgun. Laguna Woods enters two teams in this competition. A team consists of 8 players. The captains of each team, Bob Off and John Thacker, choose their players from a list of players who responded to a request of interest and were approved by the Competition Committee. The event is followed by a lunch. Laguna Woods has competed in this league for many years and has been competitive.

Did you know the first section of The Rules of Golf is about etiquette, before any of the rules are listed! It probably would be helpful to us all to review this section from time to time. In this section is a paragraph on the Spirit of the Game. Quoting from that paragraph: “The game relies on the integrity of the individual to show consideration for other players and to abide by the Rules. All players should conduct themselves in a disciplined manner, demonstrating courtesy and sportsmanship at all times, irrespective of how competitive they may be.” Stay cool and friendly, guys, it is just a game.

Remember to fill your divots, fix your ball marks and rake the bunkers. Happy golfing, Don Fleming

April 6, 2017 Hooks and Slices

Have you signed up for this year’s Memorial Tournament? It’s only a little over a month away. We are expecting a full field this year so don’t wait until the last minute or you might not get in.

With Roger Teel having retired at the end of March Joel Walker is the interim director of golf operations. A permanent replacement will be named later. We all wish Roger a happy retirement.

http://USGA.org/

http://LWMGC.org/

Here’s a quick rules situation that occurred in my group last Wednesday. A player’s ball had stopped about an inch or two off the green. As he walked toward his ball it rolled several inches on to the green. We all saw it move and there was no way the player had caused it to move. The group was divided in their opinion as to whether he should replace the ball. The answer? Play it as it lies. If he had caused it to move then he would replace it and take a one-stroke penalty, but since a ground swell or something else had caused the movement there is no penalty and he plays it from where it lies.

Now here are a couple of golf adages:Never try to keep more than 300 separate thoughts in your mind during your swing.

The less skilled the player, the more likely he is to share his ideas about your golf swing.

It’s surprisingly easy to hole a 50-foot putt when you lie 10.


April 13, 2017 - Hooks and Slices

Remember to hold May 13th open and send in your entries for the Memorial Tournament. In addition to golf there will be wonderful food, lunch and dinner, a putting contest, long hitters on display, and afterwards dancing and prizes, raffles, silent auctions and maybe even a live auction or two. Where else could you have this much fun for $100, plus all net proceeds go to the Laguna Woods Foundation to help needy neighbors.

As we enter into our annual “aeration schedule” remember you have to make arrangements with the pro shop for tee times on Wednesdays for the next few weeks. Our normal Wednesday activities are suspended until May due to the aeration.

Quoting from our club manual, the following is our local rule concerning aeration holes: “Through the green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be lifted, without penalty, cleaned and dropped, as near as possible to the spot where it lay but not nearer the hole. The ball when dropped must first strike a part of the course through the green. On the putting green, a ball that comes to rest in or on an aeration hole may be placed at the nearest spot not nearer the hole that avoids the situation.”

Tomorrow a team from our club will play against the golf team fro Irvine Community College. If you want to see some young men hit a golf ball far, far away, come watch.


April 20, 2017- Hooks and Slices

May 13th is coming! That’s the day of the Annual Memorial Tournament. Sign-ups are available on line at our website, LWMGC.org, on paper – forms are available in the pro shop and at all club houses. We take checks, cash and credit cards. Join in and help a needy neighbor.

Next Tuesday, April 25th, is our monthly General Meeting. Come early and enjoy the refreshments, collect your winnings and sign up for future events. Next month’s Major Tournament is our annual skins game, often

referred to as the day of the two-dollar bill. Chairman Fred Yune is scouring the banks far and wide to locate enough 2$ bills to satisfy the need.

Now that we are back on an aerated course please take extra care of the greens. Look for ball marks carefully as even the shortest chip will leave a dent. At this time the greens are very fragile and need TLC.

Don’t forget to fill your divots, fix all your ball marks and a couple of others and rake the bunkers.

Happy golfing. Don Fleming

May 4, 2017 - Hooks and Slices

It’s almost time for our Annual Memorial Tournament. You can still try to sign up on our web page, LWMGC.org. The event is on Saturday, May 13th. The committee has a great day planned for you. We are hoping to provide The Foundation with another record donation.

May’s Major Tournament is the Player’s Skins Game, taking place on May 10. If you missed the April General Meeting you can still sign up on the website. Go to Major Tournaments, 2017 tournaments, May, signup. Don’t miss your chance to win some $2.00 bills.

Here are some instructions from the Rules of Golf concerning etiquette on the course:

Players should always show consideration for other players on the course and should not disturb their play by moving, talking or making unnecessary noise.

Players should ensure that any electronic device taken onto the course does not distract other players. On the teeing ground, a player should not tee his ball until it is his turn to play. Players should not stand close to or directly behind the ball, or directly behind the hole, when a player

is about to play. Don’t forget to fix your ball marks and one other, fill your divots and rake the bunkers.



Our annual Memorial Tournament is in two days. With the help of the Laguna Woods Village staff we expect this to be our biggest and best yet. I hope you are participating. A lot of people have to do a lot of work to make an event like this successful. Next time you see Dave Schmidli give him a big thank you. He marshaled all the folks to make this work.

Don’t forget Mother’s Day on Sunday, the 14th. Do something extra nice for your mom, wife, significant other or just any mom, they deserve it.

As I write this the weather people are predicting rain for next Wednesday when we are supposed to have our annual Players Skins Game. Given the history of rain predictions, I have my doubts. If we do get the tourney

in I hope you won some $2.00 bills. If you didn’t or we didn’t play remember what my good friend Dan Davis says: “Behind every rainbow there’s a black cloud”.

Last week I scored the regular Wednesday Tournament. I know we were off for a month but guys nearly 50% of the cards came in with no starting time listed. This makes it much harder for the scorers. Please remember to list your starting time on your score card, it really helps.

Remember to fix your ball mark and one other, fill your divots and rake the bunker.Happy golfing, Don Fleming


Next Tuesday, the 23rd, is our May General Meeting. Come early, enjoy the free coffee and donuts, pick up any winnings you might have and learn what’s going on in the club. It’s also the only chance you’ll have to sign up for the 2017 President’s Cup for only $10.00. After that it will be $15.00. The tournament consists of a qualifying round at Stroke Play and then up to six more rounds at match play. See the tournament Sheet for dates and times. This is a good time to brush up on match play rules, which differ somewhat from Stroke Play. For instance, if you play from outside the tee box for the tees you are playing, in stroke play it’s a 2-shot penalty. In match play your opponent can make you hit the tee shot over or make you play it as it lies. In match play some infractions result in loss of hole rather than a penalty stroke. It’s a good idea to review Rule 2 in the Rules of Golf.

Another thing about Match Play is that if a match is over before 18 holes are completed, for posting purposes, the players record their scores on the remaining holes as par plus any handicap strokes they would have (net Par).

Sign up – it’s a lot of fun. If you don’t qualify for the Match Play the other Wednesdays are regular Wednesday play.



If you missed this year’s Memorial Tournament you missed the best event the Men’s Club has put on, maybe forever. It was a beautiful day made better by an efficient, well-run event. With 217 golfers we filled the golf course and provided each with lots of swag and good lunches. The tournament was played in a scramble format with two flights: one for teams with handicaps and one for non-handicap teams using the Callaway system of scoring. The handicap flight was won by the team of Sam Murad, Bill Allison, Tammy Limon and Chris Berra. The Callaway flight was won by the team of Donn Johnson, Drew Downey, Brian Campbell and Greg Veneman. Congratulations to each.

Following golf the folks enjoyed refreshments and a wonderful meal at Clubhouse 2. We also were entertained by the music of Doug Houston. After the meal there were raffles, auctions, silent auctions and awards. The evening finished with dancing to Doug’s music.

Many thanks are due to the volunteers from the Men’s Club, Ladies Club and others. We were especially lucky to have great participation from VMS staff. Lori Moss and her crew, Joel Walker and his folks all did great work on our behalf.

This year we had many great sponsors whose donations helped make this a fabulous event. When all was said and done the tournament was able to raise over $43,500 to donate to the Foundation of Laguna Woods Village, a very worthy cause.

Happy Golfing, Don Fleming

June 1, 2017 - Hooks and Slices

June is here and your club's activities are humming. If you didn't sign up for the President's Cup at the General Meeting last week there's still time. This is a fun tournament with the qualifying round on June 7. If you are in the top 16 in your flight you get to continue at match play. Check out the rules on our website, LWMGC.org. You can also sign up on the website.

Next we will have the Family Pride Tournament on June 17. This is a two-person event. Any member can play with a member of his family - son, daughter, spouse, sibling, significant other and so on. The format is better ball of the twosome. Golf is followed by a social hour and dinner. Signup forms are available in the pro shop or you can sign up on our website. This event draws a big crowd so sign up early.

Don't forget to fix your ball marks and two others, fill your divots and rake the bunkers.



Recently Sam Murad gave me an article from the Wall Street Journal that discussed golfers and their tendency to under-club approach shots to the green. According to the article 40% of all approach shots land short of the green while only 5% go over. The data showed 37% finished on the green. “You end up making decisions based on your best shots,” said the author. He went on to say “results include variables such as wind and elevation changes. Mostly, though, the disappointing result is due to the inability of most players to hit their best shot consistently.” The data, which comes from the Arccos System, “isn’t merely an indication of golfers’ collective ability. It reveals a persistent – and tough to overcome – cognitive bias that causes players to regularly choose the wrong club.” So the next time you start to pull an 8-iron for that 160 yd. shot because you hit it that far once five years ago, put it back and hit your 4-hybrid.

If you haven’t signed up for the Family Pride Tournament on June 17 there’s still time. Find a golfing relative and enter. You can sign up on our website, LWMGC.org. This is a fun day with dinner and prizes afterward.

Don’t forget to fill your divots, fix your ball marks and rake the bunkers.



Congratulations to the 16 players in each flight who qualified for Match Play in the President’s Cup Tournament. Since by the time you read this the first round of Match Play will be over, also congratulations to the 8 players in each flight who advanced. Keep track of your tee times and dates for each round since play is not just on Wednesdays.

As Match Play has started its time to remind the players that if your match went at least 13 holes you must post a score. For posting purposes, any scores after the match is completed must be recorded as par plus. In the unlikely event that a match was over before the 13th hole, you should post a 9-hole score. If you have any questions about this procedure, contact me or Chairman Jeff Stetler.

Here are a few disturbingly accurate “Golfisms”:

The only sure way to get a par is to leave a four-foot birdie putt two inches from the hole. Don’t play with anyone who would question a 7. It’s as easy to lower your handicap as it is to lower your hat size.

Don’t forget to fix your ball marks, fill your divots and rake the bunkers.

Happy Golfing, Don Fleming

June 22, 2017 - Hooks & Slices

Today I’m going to explain some of the things you can do on our website, LWMGC.org. Most of you know you can get your t-times on the site. And probably most of you know you can sign up for major tournaments on the site if you missed the General Meeting. You also can enter Special Events using the “click hire” link that’s listed with the explanations of the event. But did you know you can look up your handicap or current index using the Handicap Information link? You can also search our local rules using the Rules link.

Did you miss a General Meeting? Look under Club Information and you’ll find the minutes, which will tell you what went on. Under that link you can also see the entire year’s schedule, including when the course will be aerated.

Are you wondering who won the Club Championship 5 years ago? Look under the Club Historical Information link. Everything of importance in our history is there. By the way, it was Jon Buchman.

So this site can provide you with just about any information you might need while playing or planning to play golf in the Village. A lot of people put in a lot of time to keep it current and meaningful. Use it to your advantage.

Don’t forget to fix your ball marks, fill your divots and rake the bunkers.



If you missed the General Meeting last Tuesday, there’s still time to sign up for the Club Championship. Go to our website, LWMGC.org, click on Major Tournaments, click on 2017 Major Tournaments, scroll down to July and over to the sign-up link. It’s as easy as that.

As I write this column the President’s Cup tournament is still going on. It is down to the last four competitors, who are the flight winners. So congratulations to Mike Walo, A-flight; Sam Murad, B-flight; David Cho, C-flight and Joe Santini, D-flight. Good luck to all. You have to play some good golf to win your flight.

Here are a few more golfisms: No matter how badly you are playing, it’s always possible to play worse. Whatever you think you’re doing wrong is the one thing you’re doing right. Any change works for three holes. Patience is a virtue; slow play is not. In life both success and failure are temporary; in golf success is a lot more temporary.

Remember to fix your ball marks, fill your divots and rake the bunkers.


July 06, 2017 – Hooks and Slices

On Tuesday night, June 27th, 2017, Bill Blaine passed away.

Our Golf World has lost an Icon. Since 2013, Bill has served as President of the Men’s Golf Club. He has left a legacy that will be well remembered. Bill was a unique personality. Who else served for almost five years as the Men’s Club President? Who else has a drink, a salad at the 19 Restaurant and a Golf Shot named after him? Every time we “Blaine the ball”, we will remember Bill.

One of Bill’s goals as Club President was to make the Laguna Woods Golf Community a bigger part of the general Laguna Woods Community. To accomplish this, and what will be among his many achievements, he chose the Annual Memorial Charity Tournament. Bill will be remembered for transforming the Annual Memorial Tournament into a major fund raising source for the Foundation of Laguna Woods. As result, Bill raised the stature of our Golf Community.

But, best of all, Bill was a Friend. For all of his buddies, he will always have a special place in our hearts and we are a much better people because we knew Bill Blaine.

We offer our sympathy to his beloved Lorraine and to his family.

Goodbye Bill, we will miss you.

Don FlemingDan Davis

August 3, 2017 – Hooks and Slices

The REAL Rules of Golf!! Dean Martin’s Rule; if you drink, don’t drive, don’t even putt. Harry Vardon’s Rule; don’t play too much golf, two rounds a day are plenty; and, the No. 1 Rule of Golf, take your wallet and keys out of you bag before you toss it into the creek. And remember, “it’s not a gimmee if you are still away.”

The Derby was played last week and for those of you that missed it, the winners were Don Stewart and Gary Whittaker. Nobody cared who came in second and third. It is amazing that only 26 Men Club members showed up for the most fun event of each month.

The Member-Guest is coming up on Saturday August 19th. Sign up with your guest as soon as possible as space is limited. The Member–Guest tournament is a two-person per team Better-Ball tournament. There will be two flights – Handicap and Non-handicap. The tournament Includes Goody Bag, Towel and Golf Balls, Bag Tag, Green Fees, Range Balls, Box Lunch, Team Photo and Putting contest.

Hosted-Open Bar and Dinner – including additional guests

Cash awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each Flight, and for the Putting Contest.Hole-in-One Prize and Cash Drawing. For further information, contact: David Schmidli at 949-583-9979.

Remember that summer is here. Keep yourself well hydrated at all times and when on the golf course remember to rake the traps, fill your divots and please, please repair ball marks on the green.

Dan Davis

August 10. 2017 – Hooks and Slices

On Wednesday, August 2, members of the Men’s Club played in the Shamble Tournament. Each Team’s score was the two best net scores for each hole. The basis of the Shamble is that everyone hits a drive at each hole and then everyone gets to play their ball from the position of the best drive. Due to the format, teams have a good chance of posting a really low score, and, in fact, some of them did. Look at the winners. The lowest score of 100 (43 under par) was recorded by the A-Flight Team of John Suh, Iisung Kwak, Jae Sun Lee, and Jim Cembrano. The B-Flight was won by the Team of Warkentine, Park, Choi, and Gordon (107). The C-Flight was won by the Team of Mun, Kim, Shin, Stewart (104).

A score of 43 UNDER Par requires a team to record, something like, 28 birdies, 12 eagles and one double eagle. Since the only difference between the Shamble format and regular best-ball format is the use of the best drive, the results help put to rest the old saying, “Drive for show, putt for Dough.” Congratulations to these winners.

The Member-Guest is on Saturday August 19th. Sign up as soon as possible since space is limited.

Remember that summer is here. Keep yourself well hydrated at all times and when on the golf course remember to rake the traps, fill divots and please, please repair ball marks on the green.

Dan Davis


If you are shopping for Golf supplies or equipment we all know the that the PGA Tour Superstore and Roger Dunn Golf Shops are good places to find what you need. However, before you make any final decisions on what to buy, and for how much, you should check with one more outlet. This outlet is our own Laguna Woods Golf Club Pro Shop.

To test the Pro Shop prices, I purchased a “Golf Buddy” Range Finder. The price from the Pro Shop was $170. I checked the same price on Amazon and found the Item for $199.

Along with range finders, the Pro Shop stocks clothing, shoes, hats, visors, sunglasses, and a host of other articles for both men and women. As far as golf equipment, they carry individual and sets of clubs, a variety of golf balls, putters, laser range finders, bags, felt tip pins, ball markers (including hat mounted), and gloves. What else could you ask for?

Take notice, also, that the prices on the marked items INCLUDE TAX!

So, do yourself a favor; stop by and shop at the Pro Shop. The staff is extremely helpful and you can probably save yourself a little money.

And last, but certainly not least, do everyone a favor when you play by repairing your divots and ball marks and raking the traps.

Dan Davis


I have always believed that a $40 lesson from a Golf Pro will make you a better Golfer than any new club. A good place to arrange for a golf lesson in at the Laguna Woods Golf Pro Shop. However, giving golf lessons is only one of the myriad of activities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Pro Shop.

The Golf Professionals (Joel Walker, Kris Callan and Doug Stodgel) give lessons to residents, manage the Pro Shop, regrip clubs, schedule all golfing events, order and sell merchandise, assist members in golf club and equipment selection, and organize and present golf product and demonstration days. Just one of the special events that they sponsor is the Sunday Twilight Games. These professionals also, with the help of “Player Assistants,” oversee the daily play on the course.

The non-professional staff, comprised of part-time residents, handle all the ongoing activities in the Pro Shop, Cart Barn, and on the course. The Player Assistants monitor activities on the course and handle emergencies, problems and any disputes that may occur. The Cart Barn Assistants maintain the fleet of golf carts and keeps them ready for use during play. In the Pro Shop, the staff handles check-in, payments, scheduling, purchases and a variety of other activities. As a whole they do a wonderful job taking care of all of us golfers and, periodically, we all should take our time to thank them.

Remember the Derby at 1:30 P.M.

Dan Davis

September 7, 2017 – Hooks and Slices

Golf in some ways is a reflection on life. The Rules of Golf, much like the rules of life require us to play the game with chivalry and honesty. However, when life does not unfold in the precise manner that we anticipate, we account for these variations by invoking Murphy’s Law. Murphy states that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong;” and, according to McGillicuddy’s Corollary, “and at the worst possible time.” We in the Golf World totally agree with Murphy and McGillicuddy, to the extent that we have created our own “Ralph’s Rules of Golf”. A typical rule, for example, is “No matter how badly you are playing, it’s always possible to play worse.” Another rule states “one good shank deserves another.”

I introduce Ralph at this time because in future articles we will employ many of Ralph’s Rules as the only adequate explanation of some events. Remember, Ralph says that the only way to guarantee a par is to leave a birdie putt one inch short.

September is the month that Sean Cincotta choses to “punch the greens.” Starting the second week of September each 9-hole course will be taken out of play and punched and groomed. This maintenance activity takes three weeks, and afterward, the greens take a little time to get back too normal. It is a month where our patience and understanding is required.

In the meantime, keep yourself hydrated, rake the traps, and FILL a DIVOT for SEAN .

Dan Davis


The following has been abstracted from PGA Web Articles. “The word aeration stimulates negative emotions for many golfers. It may come as a surprise, but golf course superintendents also dislike aeration. After all, the last person who wants to disrupt the smoothness of the putting greens they work so hard to maintain is the superintendent.

Aeration primarily is performed to control organic matter – i.e., decaying roots and grass stems – relieve soil compaction, stimulate root growth and improve drainage. If organic matter becomes too thick, it acts like a sponge and holds water at the surface after rain or irrigation. Excessive organic matter also inhibits root growth, reduces oxygen levels in the soil, encourages disease and eventually can lead to turf failure.

Core aeration involves physically removing small soil cores – e.g., 0.5-inch diameter cores – from the turf and is the most common type of aeration. Aeration holes allow excess moisture to evaporate and promote gas exchange in the soil, resulting in stronger root systems and turf that is better able to tolerate golfer traffic.

There are many types of aeration that superintendents use throughout the season; some are more labor-intensive and disruptive to playing surfaces than others. Less-disruptive forms of aeration, including venting aeration with small-diameter, solid tines, also are beneficial because they can alleviate turf stress by promoting oxygen levels in the soil.”

In the meantime, enjoy the bumpy greens, rake the traps, fix your ball MARKS, and FILL a DIVOT for SEAN.

Dan Davis


Next Tuesday, the 26th, is the September General Meeting. Come early, enjoy the free coffee and donuts, pick up your past winnings and learn what’s going on in the club. If you are lucky, you might win a free round of golf, maybe even a hotdog, and if real lucky, the raffle prize. The Men’s Club always presents interesting guest speakers and the monthly updates from Sean Cincotta (Course Superintendent) and the Professional Staff are always timely and interesting.

It’s also your chance to sign up for the 4-man Scramble Major Tournament, for only $10.00. After the meeting the entry fee is $15.00. The Scramble Tournament is one where Teams are determined by the computer based on equalizing total handicaps between all Teams. The game is played such that, for every shot or putt, each player hits his ball and then the Team picks the best of the four balls to continue play. Each members of the Team then hits or putts from that selected ball position.

After the meeting hang around and compete in the putting contest and/or play in the Skins Game. All of these events are good ways to see or meet friends and further enjoy the game of golf.

In the meantime, remember what Sam Snead said, “if people gripped a knife and fork as poorly as they do a golf club, they'd starve to death.”

Enjoy the bumpy greens, rake the traps, fix your ball marks, and FILL a DIVOT for SEAN .

Dan Davis


It’s Derby Day. If you are reading this article Thursday morning, you have time to get to the Golf Course by 1:30 P.M. and play in the monthly Derby. Take a break and come and see what the Derby is all about.

As Robert Lynd said “It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place the world is when one is playing golf.”

If you golf at Laguna Woods and are having trouble finding golf related activities to join, you are not looking very hard. Almost every Tuesday the Men’s Club holds the “Skins” game and almost every Wednesday the Men’s Club puts on some kind of tournament. In addition, the Men’s Club holds a number of “Special Tournaments” throughout the year. The tournaments include the Memorial, Korean - American, Family Pride, President’s Cup, Member Guest, Member/Member, Village Cup and Volunteer Appreciation. Also, in addition, the Men’s Club sponsors outside events such as 60+ Team play, the Navy Match, and the Scotch Cup Match. Again, in addition, the Pro shop sponsors the Skills Challenge and a periodic Sunday Couples Tournament. There are also a variety of non-men’s Club events. I know of the Monday Skins, Friday Skins, Saturday Skins and a myriad of other competitions held by different groups throughout the week.

The best way to get involved is to attend the monthly Men’s Club meeting.

Enjoy the still somewhat bumpy greens, rake the traps, fix your ball marks, and FILL a DIVOT for SEAN.

Dan Davis

October 12, 2017 – Hooks and Slices

I always find it amazing, when looking back at recent Men’s Club activities, how many events have recently been completed. You may not know that on August 27, the Men’s Club conducted the Korean-American away tournament – a great event. Each team has two Korean and two American players. The format is best ball. For each hole the two best net balls are used for the team’s score. On October 4, the Men’s Club held the monthly major tournament. This month it was a four-person scramble. The winners of this tournament and most of the Men’s Club sponsored events can be found on the Web Site (lwmgc.org).

On Saturday, October 7th, the Men’s Club sponsored the “Volunteer Appreciation Day Tournament.” This tournament is held to honor all of the Men’s Club Members and especially the lady volunteers that provide help for all of the yearly events. This tribute is our best opportunity to honor people like Lorraine Tagliaferri and all of her wonderful volunteers who successfully help manage these events.

On October 12th, the Pro Shop Sponsors the “Skills Challenge.” This contest pits ten (10) of our best players against one another to display their ability to make great golf shots in a wide variety of situations.

Coming up on October 21st is the Annual Skins Game. The Tuesday Skins Game is one of the best ways for new Laguna Woods members to meet fellow members of the Men’s Club.

AND, fix a divot for Sean!

Dan Davis

October 19, 2017 – Hooks and Slices

Next Tuesday (10/24/17) the Men’s Club will hold their annual elections. As announced at last month’s General Meeting the following members have volunteered to join the board or continue for a three-year period: Ron Gordon (incumbent); Ron Kula; Peter Kuhn Kim and Paul Santoro (incumbent). John Soule has volunteered to be the Club President for 2018. Additionally, we will have a speaker from the SCGA to explain the new membership system. Everyone should plan to attend this meeting.

On September 27, 2017, the club held the annual Korean/American tournament at Coyote Hills Golf Club in Fullerton. Forty-four hardy souls (22 Korean and 22 American) braved an early morning drive to participate in an 8AM shotgun start. The course was in good shape, the greens and water hazards were receptive and Coyote Hills was organized and efficient.

Eleven foursomes, each comprised of two Koreans and two Americans, competed in a two-best balls format, with a designated player’s score counting on each hole. There were some very high scores in the designated player’s slots, but such is the nature of golf. Ralph had his fun.

At the end the following teams walked away with the huge prizes: 1st – Dick Infield, Bob Myung, Frank Irving and Ed Kim; 2nd – Manny Seo, Peter K. Kim, Sam Soogoff and Ron Gordon; 3rd – Ken Reinach, Ki Hong So, Dennis Boudreau and Tae Seun Kim. Everyone enjoyed lunch and refreshments afterward.

Don FlemingDan Davis

October 26, 2017 - Hooks & Slices

The Golf Handicap Index (GHIN) system is a service established by the United States Golf Association to provide handicaps for players at certain golf clubs and associations. A golf handicap is a numerical measurement of a golfer's ability. For any given golf course, the GHIN number is converted by a series of rules into a “Handicap.” Used properly, the GHIN or Handicap is an attempt to bring equity between golfers of different ability in order to allow them to compete against each other on a somewhat equal basis.

However, I have found that golfers do not necessarily view their own individual Handicap with the same logic that the PGA used to develop the system. In fact, most golfers can be categorized as one of the following. They have a “true handicap,” a “handicap for show” or, a “handicap for dough.” Those golfers with “true” handicaps are those that regularly try to play the best they can, at all times, in accordance with the rules of golf. Those golfers with a “handicap for show” want a lower handicap for bragging purposes and to get that lower handicap they shave points, give putts or forget shots in order to be able to post lower scores.

The worst type of handicap is the one for dough. This golfer intentionally raises their handicap when playing in non-important games and use that higher handicap to insure their chances of winning during “important” or “money” games. Where do you fit?

Dan Davis

November 2, 2017 - Hooks & Slices

The management of Golf Operations is in new hands. Tom McCray has been named as the head of Golf Course Operations. Unfortunately, we cannot write Hooks and Slices articles about a specific person, but we can write about what Tom plans to achieve in his new position.

Fortunately, Tom has made this task easy by providing all of the input for the following.

Tom is currently spending his time learning the needs of the facility and where best to make improvements. His goal is to create the best golf experience for all levels of golfers and to offer new programs to give our residents a different outlook on the game. These new offerings will not only be related to the golf instruction, but also geared toward golf product education and great buying opportunities. Plans are underway to produce a calendar of a few events to start to get an idea of what our residents are interested in. If there is anything in particular you would like to see offered, please feel free to stop by and meet Tom and let him and his staff know. He wants everyone to know that he and his staff is here for you and anytime the golf staff can help just stop by and let us know.

We wish Tom success and look forward to the changes he plans to bring to Golf Operations. He will help us in our campaign to fill divots and fix ball marks for SEAN.

Dan DavisDon Fleming


I enjoy the “truisms” that noted people have spouted about golf. Following are some of my favorites;

“It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. It took one afternoon on the golf course.” – Hank Aaron

“Golf tips are like aspirin. One may do you good, but if you swallow the whole bottle, you will be lucky to survive.” --Harvey Penick

“Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game.” -- Jack Nicklaus

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is, without doubt, the greatest game mankind ever invented.” -Arnold Palmer

“Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course – the distance between your ears.” -Bobby Jones

“Keep your sense of humor. There's enough stress in the rest of your life to let bad shots ruin a game you're supposed to enjoy.” --Amy Alcott

“Elderly gentlemen, gentle in all respects, beloved by children, and fond of music, are found in lonely corners of the downs, hacking at sandpits and muttering ungovernable elaborate maledictions which could not be extracted from them by robbery or murder. Men who would face torture without a word become blasphemous at the short fourteenth. It is clear that the game of golf may well be included in that category of intolerable provocations which may legally excuse or mitigate behavior not otherwise excusable.” --Auberon Herbert

Dan Davis


Excuses

Bishop Sheen once stated, “Man blames fate for all other accidents, but feels personally responsible when he makes a hole-in-one.” “Ralph” says that every bad shot can be blamed on something other than yourself. Former Golf Pro Roger Teel, after careful study, has generated what is to be the “List of Official Golf Excuses.” To make it easier, he lists these excuses by hole.

1. I’m not warmed up!2. The mower is too loud!3. My back hurts!4. I had a bad lie!5. I hit the wrong club!6. Someone was talking in the next fairway!7. A horn blew in my backswing!8. I really need to go!

9. I never play good when it’s hot!10. It’s the Kikuyu!11. This course is in awful shape!12. It's too wet!13. The rough is too thick!14. The bunker has no sand!15. Hit my 9 iron, thought it was my 6 iron!16. I'm in between clubs!

17. My ball was in a divot!

18. I really need a beer!

Of course there are a lot more really good excuses for less than perfect play. And, it sure is easier to sip on a drink at the 19th and find a new excuse than go hit a bucket of balls. However, there is no good excuse for not taking care of our Golf Course, so go and fix a divot for Sean.

Dan Davis


Robert Lynd said “It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place the world is when one is playing golf.” The 2017 Village Cup was held on Wednesday, November 22nd. The competition was conducted in foursomes comprised of two American born players (American Team) and two Foreign born players (International Team). Each Team had an A and B player based on each player’s Index. Both Teams had a total of 20 players plus one alternate. Doug Stodgel joined the final group to represent Tom McCray and the Pro Staff.

Each foursome played three different formats. The first nine (9) holes were an alternate shot format. Each team played one ball and the players took turns hitting the next stroke. The second nine (9) holes were a best-ball format where each player played his own ball and the score for each hole was the lowest net score of the partners. The third nine (9) holes were a match play format where one American contestant played a match play contest with the International players. For the second straight year, the International Team, led by Fred Yune, was able to overcome the American Team led by Dan Davis. The International Team ended with a total score of 21 points compared to the American Team total of 19. Many thanks to Tom McCray and his staff for organizing and coordinating the event. And, many thanks to Sean Cincottal for the excellent condition of the Golf Course.

Dan Davis

December 14, 2017 – Hooks and Slices

http://brofessionalgolfer.com/water-golfs-great-enemy/

My first impression of golf was that the players took the game too seriously. Why, I wondered did everything have to come to a halt just because somebody is trying to hit a little ball. To me, a big mistake that the golf world has foisted upon itself is the attempt to control all that surrounds them just because they want to swing a club at a little ball on the ground. In the golf world, when a player is ready to hit the ball, the surrounding area must stop all activity. Lawn mowers cannot mow, tree trimmers cannot trim, conversation must cease, and nobody can move. I find it interesting that golfers have been able to achieve this level of control. Just think about how much time is wasted on the golf course. Not by the golfers, but by the people who maintaining the course. A worker cutting grass must stop, turn off his mower and wait idly by while some golfer attempts to hit his ball. Can you imagine how much money is wasted? One would think that, with the cost of golf, that the time of workers would be a bit more important than the time of a golfer playing a game of leisure. But, even with our rules of etiquette and the need to be constantly vigilant that we do not interfere with someone’s swing, we still seem to think that we are having fun.

Dan Davis

December 21, 2017 - Hooks and Slices

December golf events included the Annual Derby, Annual Putting Contest and the Member Guest Tournament. The team of Sam Murad and Dennis Boudreau won the Derby and Ralph Belitz won the Putting Contest. The Member Guest Flight A top spot was shared by the Teams of Bian Bie Liem/Steve Heit and Bob Off/Dean Stafford with a two-day score of 124. The B Flight winners were Kim Kwak and Yoonseong Kim with a score of 121. The C Flight winners were David Cho and Chang S. Kim with a score of 117. Detailed results can be found at the Men’s Club Web site.

As the year 1917 closes out, I reflect back on those who have left us this year. We were fortunate to have been part of the life’s of these wonderful people. These loved ones were vital forces to us and because they were able to share some time with us have enhanced our lifes. We can rejoice that we knew them and we will carry their memory, influence and impact into the next year. Goodbye Bill, Leo, Ron, Hank, Dave, (fill in your name) and all who left this year. And to all those who have departed, as Bob Hope said, “Thanks for the Memories.”

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happiest of New Year’s.

Dan Davis

December 28, 2017 – Hooks and Slices

It is the end of another year and we now look forward to another new year. As is tradition, I have made my New Year Resolutions that even I might be able to achieve. It is a little therapeutic to reflect upon what you would like to see happen next year. Playing golf as part of the Laguna Woods Men’s Club continues to be a great way of spending one’s retirement time. My resolution is to continue to be active in this world and continue to enjoy all of the friends, events and games we play.

The outgoing Men’s Club President, Don Fleming, is thankful for all of the support he has received during his tenure and his resolution is to help the incoming President in his efforts to continue to provide an excellent golfing experience for all the Men’s Club Members.

The Incoming President, John Soule, looks forward to the next year and will strive to maintain the high standards set by his predecessors and work to make any enhancement or improvements needed to ensure that the Laguna Woods Golf activities carry on better than ever.

For those of us who enjoy golf, we are blessed to be part of the Laguna Woods Golf World. We all need to show our appreciation by helping when we can, supporting Men’s Club activities and, OF COURSE, raking traps, repairing divots and fixing ball marks.

Dan Davis

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