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Club Manager Report
by Kent Instefjord
What a difference a (new) year makes! As the high season comes to a close, I find myself taking a few moments to reflect on the state of our club today compared to this time a year ago. In April of 2011, La Paloma Country Club was caught in the grips of property bankruptcy with no clear vision of what lay ahead. This situation certainly created a sense of helplessness and a fear of the unknown. Operationally, management struggled negotiating with vendors to try and keep products and supplies in stock. This meant parting ways with previous vendors, working with new vendors, and prepaying for many of these products, causing accounting nightmares. In spring 2011, The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa was without a General Manager, while LPCC was soon to lose their General Manager. The future looked somewhat bleak and membership resignations reflected this. With that in mind, the club was fortunate to have such a solid group of friends who still cherished their relationships and still took pride in La Paloma Country Club. Our members stayed true, committed, and optimistic that a better day was around the corner and La Paloma Country Club would regain its place as the finest club in Tucson.
At the same time and on a positive note, David Stout and his staff rolled up their sleeves to tackle a huge project with Ridge greens resurfacing. Hill greens had been outsourced and completed in 2008, but David successfully challenged his crew to complete this project in house, on time and under budget.
While it may have seemed like a long time coming, seven months later rumors were heard of a potential new ownership group coming to the table. These rumors were realized on January 18, 2012, when Southwest Value Partners assumed control and pulled The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa and La Paloma Country Club out of bankruptcy. Even prior to this great news, the club had seen some nice new additions. During this time, the practice area was enhanced with new equipment and the courses with new water cooler stations. The new range equipment, along with the dedication to keep the practice areas clean and organized, has become a positive first impression for our members and guests.
While you are playing the new Ridge greens, don’t forget to flag down the new beverage cart once in a while. Or better yet, ask for and fill your new soft sided coolers available at the halfway house and take advantage of the new La Paloma Six Pack Special. Also, remember that you can book your tee time on-line, 24/7, through our new “Members Only” section of the upgraded website. We have not even begun to utilize the new website features, such as on-line event registration, event reminders, organized group communications (such as WGA members), Facebook features, and Craigslist features.
Once you have booked your tee time on-line, be pleased to know that you won’t have to navigate around potholes when you arrive as you smoothly roll onto our new parking surfaces. When you head towards the cart staging area, make note of the new Greeter’s Station. If you need a quick tune-up before your round, make sure to ask your instructor to capture your swing on our new JC1 Video analysis system. This will ensure more efficient use of your time and the dollars you spend to improve your golf game.
If tennis is your game and you are feeling a bit sluggish, book an appointment with one of our certified fitness instructors and learn how to properly use all of our new equipment in the newly renovated and refreshed Westin Workout Facility. To further shape up while sharpening your backhand, ask to use our new automatic tennis volley machine and surprise your opponents the next time you take the court!
Make no question, we understand that there are still many opportunities to be realized. On the golf course, bunkers, irrigation, and a detailed and well thought out landscape plan needs to take priority. Operationally, we need to ensure the golf shop staff doesn’t have to handle the bulk of incoming phone calls, but rather be allowed to more personally service our members and guests. We need to continue to encourage participation in events with new and exciting formats. The success of our Couples Golf this season should serve as a model to accomplish this.
As we move forward, the near future holds promise as well. The Tennis and Health building will receive a new roof, while the main clubhouse roof will get extensive repairs and maintenance. There is an indication that the five hard tennis courts will be resurfaced with a new True Bounce system, similar to the main court. We also expect the lap pool to be refreshed with new decking, possibly as early as this coming winter. Our golf car lease expires this summer and we are currently making plans to replace these vehicles with a new fleet. As Golf Course Maintenance equipment leases expire this summer, we will be receiving a more comprehensive mix of new equipment. We will also be working on new membership program offerings to roll-out this fall. We have seen resurgence in new memberships and have had more inquiries in recent months than in the past two years. Lastly, you will be playing on new Canyon green surfaces when we re-open this course in September!
Our staff remains dedicated and proud to be able to work for the wonderful members and guests of La Paloma Country Club. It is an exciting time for the staff as we are in a much better position to ensure they have proper tools needed to run the operation at a high level. This is well evidenced with the new radios we recently received, which allows us to easily communicate amongst ourselves, and directly with Golf Course Maintenance, Westin Engineering, and Security. I cannot tell you how important this is to ensure we can properly address situations that are sure to arise. Please continue to know that our office doors are always open and we are glad to receive your feedback. It is only with your input that we are able to make intelligent decisions to properly move La Paloma Country Club to its rightful place as one of Arizona’s finest golf and country clubs. Back to top
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Sunday Night Dinner Specials for May
"Country Picnic" Dinner Specials every Sunday evening presented by Chef Matt
Choice of Soup or Salad
Entrees include Dessert
Slow Roasted Baby Back Ribs
with corn on the cob, buttermilk biscuit, chipotle baked beans and creamy cole slaw $22
Grilled Rainbow Trout
with brown rice pilaf, seasonal vegetables and a lemon buerre blanc $26
Strawberry Shortcake
Brandied strawberries, housemade pound cake, and chantilly cream $6
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Mother's Day Brunch at The Westin La Paloma Resort
Sunday, May 13, 2012 with seatings at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
at the Westin La Paloma Resort with a 15% discount for members
Special phone number for Mother's Day Brunch Reservations: 577-5868
Treat Mom to the Westin La Paloma brunch featuring a fabulous array of culinary delights! Plus a great buffet for the kids, a complimentary glass of champagne for the adults and decorate a cupcake for Mom as a take-away gift! For the full menu please click here.
Price for members: $41.65++ for Adults, $16.15++ for Children 6 - 12 years old, Complimentary for children 5 and under
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Club Open Regular Hours on Mother's Day
Bring Mom and the family to the Club on Sunday, May 13th for Mother's Day!
Club open regular hours 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner menus featured.
Reservations strongly suggested, please call 577-5885. Back to top
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Clubhouse Dining Open Memorial Day
The Members Grill and Patio will be open for breakfast and lunch, 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 28th. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast or lunch after a round of golf on Memorial Day at the Club! Back to top
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SuperViews
by David Stout, Director of Agronomy
As we approach our summer project season, I felt a timeline and a brief description of tasks would help answer a few of the questions that have popped up over the past few days.
· The Canyon course will close on Monday April 30th for greens renovation.
· We will begin stripping the putting surfaces on Monday April 30th, and hope to have all nine greens stripped in seven days.
· Once all of the sod is removed we will address drainage issues on Canyon 2,3,4, and 6 greens.
· We will be applying fumigant once the surfaces are prepared to accept that product. We will then have a two week waiting period for the fumigant to activate, work as intended, and de-activate.
· During the two week waiting period we will aerify tees and fairways.
· Once the fumigant has fully de-activated, we will begin shaping, adding sand, and working on the edges of the greens, I would anticipate that to be on or around June 1st.
· Hydro sprigging on the greens should occur right around July 1st.
· We anticipate the Canyon course to open shortly after the Labor day holiday.
We look forward to this summer’s opportunity to make a great and positive impact on our course, during various stages of the project we will conduct tours for those who are interested, we will have those dates posted in future newsletters and other information sources around the club. Back to top
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Golf Hours & Upcoming Golf Events
May Hours
First Tee Time: 7:00 am
Golf Shop Open: 6:00 am - 5:00 pm Dailyl
Practice Facilities Open:
Tuesday - Sunday 6:30 am - 6:00 pm
Monday 6:30 - 10:00 am and 2:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Men's Golf Association
Saturday, May 5, 8:00 am shotgun - Individual Stableford
Wednesday, May 16, 12:30 pm tee times -Mini MGA, Two Man Scramble
Women's Golf Association
Tuesday, May 1 - Closing Day
Open play every Tuesday after May 1
Lady Nine Holers
Open play every Wednesday
Couples Golf
Sunday, May 13 - Closing Days Back to top
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New Golf Training Aids
By Corey Baehman, Head Golf Professional
You have probably noticed a few new items out on the practice range. Like we talked about last month most golfers learn best by seeing or feeling, and the training aids will help you do just that. I would like to explain each one, and tell you how they can help your game.
 Impact Bag
Every player attempts to get the club on line and square at impact. A breakdown of the left wrist and collapse of the leading arm at that moment are two of the most common golf swing impact problems faced by players of all skill levels. There is only one moment of truth in the golf swing-Impact! This device teaches the correct position and feel for that moment. There are many different facets and theories to the golf swing, but the one common thing all good players do is get to the correct impact position, Unlike hitting an old tire or other hard object, the impact bag is safe and has been designed specifically for golfers. Developing a strong left side while turning into the ball will help eliminate many of the inconsistencies brought on by left wrist collapse & will help bring you into a solid, assertive impact.
Momentus Weighted Club
The Momentus weighted club is a revolutionary swing trainer that incorporates a patented technology, whereby the clubshaft embodies most of the weight which is evenly distributed throughout the length of the shaft. The reason this is so beneficial in a practice club is because as a golfer swings the club the evenly weighted shaft generates momentum. The momentum causes the club to swing along a balanced and proper swing plane. Through repetitions with the club, a golfer ingrains the feel for swinging the club on-plane. This leads to a drastic improvement in consistency and clubhead speed. The momentum of the shaft swings the club, so a golfer's muscles are stretched by swinging the trainer. Additional flexibility and strength are benefits also gained from swinging the Momentus. It is an excellent club to use for warming up prior to playing a round of golf.
Momentus Grip
The Momentus Golf Training Grip addresses the many issues that have plagued earlier training grips: too short in the butt end, too small for medium to extra large hands, awkward finger locations, and too rigid of a left thumb placement. The Momentus Golf Training Grip is designed for golfers with medium to XL Glove sizes and features texturized locations for a quality feel, ridges for proper finger placement, a molded right hand V placement, and a left hand thumb placement for either a short or long thumb. The Momentus Golf Training Grip is ideal for Overlap or Interlock gripping styles.
PSPPSP golf’s first game improvement golf club aptly named “The Little One” is a revolutionary new golf training aid that will not only improve your ball striking, increase your distance, elevate your concentration and improve your confidence but you will receive instant feedback on your swing that will result in more rapid improvement and lower your scores. Our brain is focused on the task at hand even with a different sized club head! Hitting the ball with the center of the club is a constant priority regardless of the club you have in your hand. By having a more specific (smaller) target our awareness becomes more focused on achieving our goal. The “transition” is the moment you are emotional aware of the simplicity behind “the Little One” and the freedom it gives you to hit every shot without fear. The result is more consistent, solid, repetitive shots no matter what club.
 Chip N Pitch is a teaching apparatus made specially to improve the accuracy of your short game. In a round of golf, the average golfer 10-30 handicap only hits 3-5 greens in regulation. The score for every hole in every round is determined by golfer's ability to use the pitch or chip. Chip N Pitch makes available to all golfers a tool which has been used by teaching professional for years. This training apparatus is an improvement of one of the most widely used teaching techniques for the chip or pitch shot. Teaching professionals have retrofitted wedges for years, making them longer in order to teach their students the proper form for chipping and pitching. Unfortunately, none of these tools are portable nor do they allow the student to use their own club. Chip N Pitch's portability allows the golfer to practice the correct form for the chip and pitch shot at any time or any place. Chip N Pitch attaches the end of the grip and provides immediate feedback during practice Back to top
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What is the MGA and What benefits do I receive as an MGA Member?
by Brian Roluffs, Assistant Golf Professional
I am so excited as I write this letter to inform our members about the many benefits of the Men's Golf Association (MGA) program.
At the beginning of each year we charge each MGA member a fee of $100. Upon joining you will receive twelve MGA guest green fee passes which are redeemable for one year. In addition, once every three months there is an MGA Guest Day where each MGA member can bring up to three guests for cart fee each, without the use of any of the twelve guest passes. The total number of guests allowede per year is 24. I am pleased to say that no other club in town comes close to offering such an incredible benefit!
As for golf tournaments, the MGA schedules one on the first Saturday of each month. For a mere $35 entry fee this includes golf cart, buffet style lunch, entry into a drawing for $25 door prizes and a $125 grand prize. These tournaments are a great way to get out and enjoy our incredible golf course and club and meet other members. Additionally, there is a Mini MGA tournament that falls on either the second or third Wednesday afternoon of each month. This event also has an entry fee of $35. The fee includes golf cart, a $15 food voucher and fun with your friends!
Every year we try to schedule one or two road trips. The MGA rents a bus or van, fills it with food & drinks and cruises no further than one and a half hours to another golf course, such as Ocotillo Golf Club in Chandler, Tubac Country Club or Poston Butte in Florence. The bus trip begins and ends at La Paloma. These trips are unbelievable and SO MUCH FUN!
In closing, if you have any questions, or want to sign up, please talk to Brian Roluffs in the Golf Shop (after he returns from his honeymoon!). We look forward to more active participation for all of these events this year and next! Back to top
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WGA News
by Barb Cecrle
Happy May Day to all. Our Season is winding down for this year, but we still have some winners to report for Club Championship. In the 2nd Flight..1st, 2nd and 3rd..Pam Phippin, Pat Eaton and Cammie Watson. In the 1st Flight..1st, 2nd and 3rd..Maureen Hake, Linda Raezer and Erica Langford. In the Championship Flight..1st, 2nd and 3rd..Jodi Walters, Nancy Switzer and Cathy Lyders. Way to go girls!! Closing Day is May 1st. It will be a fun day and not to be missed will be the Hula Hula Boys!! Hope to have a great turnout on May Day as we say Good Bye to many Good Friends. Back to top
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WGA 9-Hole News
by Theresa Carravetta
With the exception of a few April showers, the beautiful May flowers have certainly arrived! So before many of us leave for the summer, we can’t help but congratulate all the members of the ladies 9 hole league for another spectacular golf season!
By the time you read this we will have celebrated another fantastic La Paloma Invitational with 15 clubs attending and enjoying all the fun “Seregentee” activities. Thank you to all the ladies who played and hosted our guests and to Jodi Rice, Susan Wimberly, Nina Neal and their hard working committee’s endless hours of hard work to make this event such a success!
It was nice to see so many ladies playing this season and we were fortunate to welcome several new players. Let’s hope we can convince even more to join us next year! Next year’s schedule is available on the ladies 9 hole bulletin board. Beginning in May, please call the golf shop for Open Play tee times on Wednesdays! Till then, have a great summer everyone and stay well! Back to top
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Couples Golf News
by Brian Roluffs
The April 15 Couples Guest Day was a huge hit with 100 participants! The event was the same fun format and all had a wonderful day enjoying friends, the beautiful weather and “hit & grin” golf. Everyone especially enjoyed the after-golf party with Chef Matt showcasing his skill and creativity with a Sonoran Dog buffet.
Be sure and sign up for the final event of the season on May 13th, this will be the perfect venue to spend time with your fellow members before heading off for the summer. We will be grouping into six-somes and playing 12 holes...it is sure to be hit!
The Couples Club Championship scheduled for April 14th was cancelled due to rain and will be rescheduled in the fall. Back to top
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Infant Survival Resources Swim Instruction
It's not just about swimming...it's about surviving
Infant Survival Resources (ISR) classes return to La Paloma Country Club by Krista Westmoreland, ISR Certified Instructor. Lessons will be offered at the club pool 8:00 - 9:00 am starting the week of May 29th. For further information please go to their website www.infantswim.com or www.swimisr.com or contact Krista at 520-572-8865.
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Red Door Spa
Mother's Day is right around the corner and the Red Door Spa is ready to spoil the special women in your lives! Now through Mother's Day, May 13th, with every $200 gift card purchase, receive a $30 spa card complimentary. The Red Door Spa is also raffling off a dinner for two at AZUL with every $100 or more gift certificate purchase! Find new ways to pamper your mother with a wide arrange of gifts. Prevage gift sets, skincare, hair care, makeup and fragrance - the possibilities are endless. While supplies last, receive a gorgeous large travel bag with any Elizabeth Arden fragrance purchase of $39.50 or more.
Have you been in for our new Seasonal White Tea Harmony Manicure and Pedicure yet? Come in to get pampered with one of our great nail technicians today for this limited time service. If you love the new White Tea Harmony products, now you can take it home with you or on-the-go with the new travel size body cream.
Remember, as country club members you receive 20% off all products, services and gift cards (not valid for dollar amounts, only on specific services).
Please contact the Red Door Spa at 520-742-7866 to book an appointment or order your gift cards.
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Junior Tennis Camps
Junior Summer Tennis Camps
For all children ages 4 to 16. Camps are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. There is a swim break each day so be sure to bring a bathing suit! Camps run every week starting May 28th though August 3rd. Cost is $130 per session per member child. To sign up stop in the Tennis Shop or call them at 577-5888. Back to top
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Junior Golf Camps
Junior Golf Summer Programs
Open to everyone ages 6 to 16 years old. All skill levels welcome!
Session 1 dates: June 4,5,6
Session 2 dates: June 11,12,13
7:30 - 8:45 am each day
Each session will develop all aspects of the golf game for juniors. $130 per session for members or $30 per day for individual days. Please call the Golf Shop at 299-1500 to sign up! Back to top
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