Fall Banquet – 2 Man Scramble
The Fall Banquet will be held on Friday, November 8th, at 6:00 p.m. in the downstairs banquet hall at Topstone. Click here to R.S.V.P. for the banquet. Prior to the banquet there is a 2-Man, 9-hole Scramble. The Scramble starts at 2:15 p.m. The entry fee is $40 for the 2-Man team (in addition to your greens fees). Cash prizes for best gross/net scores and skins will be awarded at the banquet. Loyalty points can be used for your greens fees. Click here to sign-up for the 2-man scramble.
GKR Postponed to November 10th
The Greenskeeper’s Revenge has been rescheduled for Sunday, November 10th. It will still be an 11:00 a.m. shotgun start. Please let the Golf Shop know if your group is able to make the new date, and/or if there are any player adjustments.
Remember that the Golf Shop and the Men’s Club Board have opened the Greenskeeper’s Revenge to guests. If you have friends that would like to play, extend the invitation. If you already have a full foursome, guests can bring their own foursome.
The sign-up is locked. To make changes to your group, or if friends wish to sign up, call the Golf Shop at 860-648-4653.
A few pics from last year’s event to remind everyone of the fun.
2020 Executive Committee
The Topstone Men’s Golf Club Executive Committee welcomes Kurt LaFlamme, Steve Migneault, and Kyle Niver to the team. Brian Lathrop is stepping down from the board after many years of service as membership chairman. John Feehan and Rick Labruna are also stepping down as directors at large. We offer our sincere thanks to Brian, John, and Rick, and look forward to seeing them out on the course.
Kurt is taking over for Brian as membership chairman. Steve Migneault will join the board as communications chairman, taking over for Simon Muska as he moves into the tournament director position. Kyle will join the board as a director at large.
In addition, Phil Richards has decided to step down as club president. We thank Phil for his service and leadership of the board. Phil will remain on the board in the position of past president. Per the club bylaws, the president is solely voted upon by the board of directors. The board has unanimously voted for Brent Colby to serve as president. Brent has long served as tournament chairman, as has many years of experience with club operation. We thank Brent and Phil for the service to the club, and look forward to a successful year with Brent at the helm.
As there were three vacancies and three nominations, the ballot is not contested. There will be a vote to ratify the ballot at the Fall Banquet, and formalize Kurt’s, Steve’s, and Kyle’s appointment to the Executive Committee, and Brent’s appointment as club president. Click here to see the ballot for the 2020 Topstone Men’s Golf Club Executive Committee.
Match Play Champions
Congratulations to Rick Kanyar for winning the season long Individual Match Play Championship, and Bruce Filingeri and Jeff Swan for winning the Team Match Play Championship. Great accomplishment for winning against tough fields. Rick earns an automatic #1 qualifying position for next year’s Individual Match Play Tournament. Bruce and Jeff earn an automatic #1 qualifying position for next year’s Team Match Play Championship. Well done guys!
Club Championship
Congratulations to Mike Ekstrom in his successful defense of the Club Champion title! Mike carded a 217 (71 71 75) to take the title going away. Great playing Mike!
Congratulations also goes out to the flight club champions Keith O’Brien, Simon Muska, Kurt “The Flame” LaFlamme, Ron Brower, and James Willard. Great playing all!
We also thank Jeff and Erik in the Golf Shop, and Dave and Chris from the Superintendent Staff for all that they do to make our premier tournament a great success. Thanks to all!
USGA Rules – Approved Local Rules
We are pleased to welcome so many new members to the club this year. For new members who may not have previously played in a club with a USGA handicap, carding a USGA handicap requires that all competition be conducted in compliance with the rules of golf. Among many other rules, this means that all putts must be holed (unless playing in a match play event only, and the score is also not being recorded for Men’s Club Tournament play).
One change that has been the topic of a lot of discussion is the local rule that offers an alternative to the stroke and distance penalty for a lost or out of bounds ball. The USGA made this local rule for casual play only and made clear that it is not suited for tournament play. They recommend this alternative local rule to help speed up play during recreational rounds when prizes are not involved. We will continue to monitor usage of this alternative local rule and revisit it’s merit in the future.
I think if you ask many of your fellow club members, you will find that while many enjoy the game, their knowledge of the rules may be a little lacking. If you find yourself in the same position, consider attending the Rules of Golf seminar to be held on May 9th.
Club Operation
The website has been expanded with a new page that describes club operation. New and existing members will find this page a great resource. The page provides information regarding the Tournament Schedule and Tee Times, Men’s Club tournaments, Pro Shop Tee games, weekly Results and Payouts, Special Events, and much more. If you have a question not addressed on this page, please send an email to mensclub@topstonegc.com, and we will reply to you and add it to the page.
The Topstone Men’s Club Board of Directors welcomes any comments or questions. If you have a comment or question that you would like to address to the board, please send an email to mensclub@topstonegc.com, or send us a message via our Contact the Board page, and we will respond promptly.