For those celebrating, what a great day Easter turned out to be! To see all the families present and enjoying what I am sure was an amazing brunch was exciting. The festivities certainly gave life to a club that was craving a 70-degree day. I was fortunate enough to spend the morning at home and see the sheer joy on my four-year-old daughter Emerson’s face when she walked down to see her Easter basket. I think she was just as excited to explore the contents of my five-month-old daughter Libby’s basket. My wife Nessa had fun snapping photos of the girls while I was at work.
As the spring weather continues to improve, never mind the occasional setbacks, the upcoming weeks at Conway are going to be exciting! The season will kick off in full swing with the Demo Day on May 17. We look forward to helping you find which new clubs will help you achieve the most success on the golf course this season. Taylor Made, Adidas, Titleist, FootJoy, Nike, Cobra, Cleveland, Mizuno and Callaway have all committed to Demo Day, and with the help of these vendors we plan on the event being a great success. The outdoor grill will be up and running that day too, so bring the whole family out to enjoy the day!
Following the Demo Day there are a couple of team events the following week. May 18 is the Men’s Two-Man Match Play Qualifier. Find a partner and come out to try and qualify for the bracket and get the chance to take down the 2013 Champions, Mr. Trent Anderson and Mr. Sam Ankin. Also that week is the Opening Golf and Luncheon for the ladies as well as the David L. Amory Invitational. We look forward to seeing you out for these events! We want to make your experience on the course and participation in these events a memorable one! Please let us know how we can help, always.
Completing this busy week in May is the Foundation Cup which works with the efforts of the Conway Farms Golf Club Foundation. In my short time here, I know it is an event the staff appreciates more than I can express. The Conway Farms Golf Club Foundation was established in 2003 and thanks to the generous donations from the membership it has touched over 80 qualified club employees in its ten years of existence. The Foundation Cup was started to work in conjunction with the fundraising efforts while offering a competitive event. Pick a partner and come out on either May 24 or 25 to participate in this event. Things like this are what set Conway apart from other clubs and make it such a special place to work!
Speaking of Conway being a great place to work, I continue to find this to be the case day in and day out. On Easter alone I had numerous families go out of their way to introduce themselves and talk with me. As I am meeting the members for the first time, it is also great to meet all of your families and get to know a little bit about them as well. I look forward to continued opportunities to do so and also share more stories about myself and my family.
Golf is the infallible test. The man who can go into a patch of rough alone, with the knowledge that no one is watching him, and play his ball where it lies, is the man who will live life faithfully and well. P.G. Wodehouse
I have to admit I was never a huge believer in the phrase “cooler by the lake” until this weekend. Once the wind shifted and the clouds came in on Sunday, it was like a completely different day. That and hearing from my wife that it was still 72 degrees in Glen Ellyn as I was outside with Tony freezing, quickly made me a believer. I won’t even touch on the snow, as we have all heard enough about snow for a long, long time!!
Moving on to better things, it was nice to finally start meeting people and seeing more activity around the club. I will do my best with names, but if I introduce myself to you again, it is not intentional! We had 67 “Hardy Souls” on Saturday, and I have to imagine it was the first time Hardy Souls was cancelled due to hail. Following the cancellation, about half of the players stuck around and finished their rounds, and even 9 additional holes in a few cases.
I was invited to play on Friday, and it was my first experience playing at Conway. I had always heard great things, but to see them in person: what a great course! I will just say I am glad the heather on the front nine still hasn’t grown in. Not only did it save me a few tough shots, but saved my group from looking for my ball a few times. Thanks to Mr. Pope, Dr. McClellan and Dr. Rosen for making my inaugural round a special one (they even autographed the scorecard for me so I will always have it).
I am sure nobody really wants to hear about my golf game, but what about the golf we witnessed on Sunday afternoon. I have to admit I was rooting for Jordan Spieth, but to see little Caleb Watson walk out onto 18 green to greet his dad after winning was pretty special. It was a good battle between the two all day, and if a few more putts had dropped for Jordan, it might have been a little closer in the end. What really stuck out to me was the composure that Bubba had throughout the day. Watching your playing partner hole out from a bunker for birdie on 3, then stick it close on 6 and make birdie, then birdie 7 to gain a two shot lead—most might start to believe it’s just not their day. Bubba stayed the course, kept playing and ended up with another green jacket. It proves that no matter how a round starts, there is always a lot of golf left and you just have to keep playing against the course and not worry about what those around you are doing. I hope everyone was able to enjoy Masters Sunday, and, now that it’s over, hopefully we can start to enjoy our own beautiful course a little more often!
On a different note, many enjoyed the Rules Corner that was included in the ForeThought in previous years. While this won’t be brought back in the same manner, I am planning on my blog posts including something similar. Please, if you have any questions about rules or anything for that matter, just email me at mslowinski@conwayfarmsgc.com. I would be happy to address them in the next blog entry. There are often too many rules and interpretations to keep straight. I would love to offer my insight.
As the blog is new for both me and the membership, I am always open to topic suggestions. I look forward to sharing experiences, both yours and mine, throughout the year.
Cheers to a great 2014 golf season!
