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ROME CC ADDS TWO MORE RECIPROCALS
Inspired by college athletic conference
realignment, Rome CC has just added reciprocals number sixteen and seventeen to
the list. Stonebridge Golf and Country Club in New Hartford as well as
Kingswood Golf Club in Hudson Falls have been added to the family. To see
our complete list, click
here.
FINAL POOL PARTY EVENT OF THE YEAR ENDS WITH AN
EXCLAMATION POINT!
Just six days after the dramatic ending to the
2011 Cupp Cup, the final Golf Pool Party event of the year provided an even more
improbable finish at RCC. Two teams tied for first at 64 after battling
all day through the cold and rain. The team of Dave Fay, Mike Smith, Larry
Kalk, and Judy Smith was the first to post eight under par. Eddie "Bad
Bounce" Evans, John Canerelli, Rick Castro, and John Brockway also carded a 64
and the stage was set for the memorable playoff.
The playoff "hole" started at the upper putting
green and finished at the ninth green. The little par three measured
approximately eight-five yards in length. After seven reasonable shots
were hit, Golf Pool Party newcomer John Canerelli stepped up to the makeshift
tee box. With a crowd of thirty looking on, John hit a perfect wedge
toward the tucked pin. The ball landed softly, took one small hop, and
rolled into the cup! In just three seconds the playoff was over! The
amazing shot heard 'round the putting green earned Canerelli and his team the
first place prize of $260. What a crazy week at the Rome CC!
2011 CUPP CUP TEAMS COMPLETED
John Haberer and Ed Graziano received the final
two picks this week to fill out both squads for the 2011 Cupp Cup. This
will be Haberer's second year as a Team Wes member. He made his debut last
year and scratched out one point for Team Wes. He looks to improve on that
mark during this year's version.
Ed Graziano is new blood for the Cupp Cup.
Team Josh captain Jake Smith has selected this rookie to complete his B Pool.
Maybe Jake is hoping that some new faces and a lack of bad memories from last
year will help the cause this time around.
CUPP CUP FORMAT CHANGE!!!
Captains Wes Cupp and Jake Smith have
announced a slight change for the 2011 Cupp Cup. Because of a very small
group of eligible Pool A free agents, Captains Wes and Jake have decided to add
a second captain's pick to Pool B and move a current Pool B player up to the
Pool A slot. The one player from each team that will be given the
"September call-up" will be announced Friday evening at the Cupp Cup social.
Both captains have agreed to not give any tips or tweets to the press about the
identity of the players. Remember, the players being called up will now
have to play the blue tees all weekend. Stay tuned!
TEAM WES SELECTS FIRST CAPTAIN'S PICK
Joe Vescio has been selected as Team Wes's
first captain's pick for the 2011 Cupp Cup. Joe battled hard all year to
earn an automatic birth for his first ever Cupp Cup. He finished just
twenty-five points out of the last qualifying spot. So, Captain Wes
rewarded Joe's season long efforts with his first of two captains picks.
Although it is just speculation, one would imagine Wes might pair Joe with his
good buddy Wayne for the best ball matches. We will see in just a few
weeks if this Pool B Dream Team will be put together.
JEFF POTTER
ACCEPTS FIRST 2011 CUPP CUP CAPTAIN'S PICK
Just as soon as the dust had settled on the
qualifying for the 2011 Cupp Cup, Team Josh has wasted no time in assembling its
squad for this year's matches. Shortly after Jake Smith was named captain,
the team has already chosen its first captain's pick. Jeff Potter was
given the nod as Team Josh's one and only pick for Pool B. Jeff returns
after his Cupp Cup debut last year. Team Josh hopes he can use that
experience to better his 1-2 record from 2010. Stay tuned for more
captain's pick updates as they become available.
2011 CUPP CUP AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS
ANNOUNCED
The 2011 Rome Country Club Championship marks
the end of the official points race for the 2011 Cupp Cup teams. Two free
agents earned themselves spots in the event, Wayne Cacciatori and Dennis Bird.
To see the official line-ups, click here for
the official Cupp Cup page.
CLOSINSKI, SMITH, AND DAROIS CLAIM
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
Another Rome Country Club Championship is in
the books. Jerry Closinski separated himself from the field today with a
tournament low 74 for a 151 total. His tap in birdie on the difficult
second hole was the highlight of his front nine 35. Finishing three shots
back and in second place once again was Tom M. Peters. Tom had a nice
weekend posting a 154 total from the difficult blue tees. Rounding out the
top three was a tie between Eamon Dempsey and Dave Fay. Both players
fired 159s.
Mike Smith crushed his competition in the
handicap division of the 2011 Rome Country Club championship. Mike posted
a first round net score of 74, which placed him in the final group but four
shots back of day one leader Dennis Bird. However, a blistering 69 in the
final round vaulted Mike to the top of the leaderboard. Mike's two day net
total of 143 was very impressive! Finishing in second place was Dennis
Bird with a 149 total. Third place went to Wayne Cacciatori with a 151.
John Pollex came home strong with a net 32 on the back nine in the final round
to claim fourth place. Jake Smith finished fifth with a solid 155 effort.
Nic Darois won her first Rome Country Club
championship this Labor Day weekend. Nic now becomes the youngest women's
champion in club history. Winning low net for the ladies was Nancy
Roberts. Congrats, ladies!
JAKE SMITH NOW CAPTAIN OF TEAM JOSH FOR
2011 CUPP CUP!
Rumors had been swirling for months as to who
would take over the captaincy of Team Josh in this year's playing of the Cupp
Cup. Team Josh lost their leader in August as Josh Cupp took the head
coaching position for the Skidmore men's golf team. Would Ted Cupp come
back to lead his son's team? How about Big Don, a retired Team Josh
player? Would he come back to steer the ship? Or maybe a
playing manager in Dave Fay?
All of the speculation must rest now as Jake
Smith, one of Josh's assistant captains last year, has officially been named
captain for the 2011 competition. Jake has a very good feel for the event
as he was in the trenches during last year's defeat. He looks to even the
overall series up with Team Wes in just a few weeks. Stay tuned for more
breaking Cupp Cup news as it becomes available.
KALK AND POTTER WIN THEIR FIRST
MEMBER-MEMBER
Larry Kalk and Jeff Potter finished strong as
they stole the Member-Member on June 25th. Recording six threes and a two
in their final seven holes, Kalk and Potter put it into fifth gear as they fired
the day's best round of 60. Nancy Roberts and Karen Potter won a match of
cards for second place at 61. The event was Nancy and Karen's until the
fateful seventeen hole. Team Kalk/Potter scored a net two while
Roberts/Potter struggled with a bogey five. This three shot swing on the
second to last hole vaulted Larry and Jeff to victory. Mark Lloyd and Tom
M. Peters also carded a 61.
Purrington, Tayls, and Kalk Clean Up in
the First Golf Pool Party of 2011
JR Purrington, Bobby Taylor, and Larry Kalk
rewrote the record book with a jaw dropping 57 in the first pool party of 2011.
Their fifteen under score earned them the first place prize of $255 along with
three skins worth $42 each. However, their total haul of $381 just wasn't
enough for them to quench the thirst of their fellow golfers. Wait until
they see the shitty teams they each are on for the July pool party after that
social miscue!
By the way, Frank Aston "no showed" for the
event - and that ain't no joke.
JEFF GIFFORD - Undeniably Rome CC's
Longest Driver
It was a sad day for the rest of the Rome
Country Club membership. Jeff Gifford entered the REMAX Long Drive
Qualifier and recorded the longest drive by any member. Jeff hit it an
amazing 279 yards on the afternoon of May15th. There are rumors
circling that Giff may just be the longest golfer inch for inch in the world.
To show off his new status, Giff is now adorning a new headcover for his driver.
You'll have to see it to believe it. Nice job, Giff!
THOUGHTS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAR...
Episode #5
by Josh Cupp
Unfortunately, the weather has stolen
the show in the first month or so of the 2011 season. For those who didn't
research it, your statistical ace of a golf professional looked it up. We
destroyed 1976 in a battle for most precipitation in the month of April. 1976.
Hmmmmm....what was happening in 1976?
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Apple Computer is
founded. Assuming none of our members bought a lot of stock in
that company or they'd be quicker to buy a round. Wait, maybe
Don did!? He is smarter than he looks.
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Nadia Comaneci scores
the first ever perfect score in women's gymnastics.
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Herbie Clark celebrates his 70th
birthday at Fort Newport in Rome, NY. Fort Newport once stood on
the very ground that is now occupied by Legends Sports Bar and
Grill.
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Riots in Soweto, South
Africa trigger a social movement that eventually ends apartheid.
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Golf in Central New York takes a turn for the worst as the Cupp
family moves to Whitesboro, NY and assumes control of Hidden
Valley Golf Club. The situation worsens the following year when
the Cupps hopped on Route 69 West and invaded what would become
Rome Country Club.
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A gallon of gas was a
mere 59 cents.
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Ronnie Artigiani hit a golf ball over 190 yards. It was an
elevated tee at elevation in Carefree, Wyoming. He was subbing
in the nine hole ladies league at Carefree Country Club.
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Son of Sam terrorizes
NYC
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A first grader at L.V. Denti school in Rome, NY named Gerald
Closinski is sent to principal's office for dipping tobacco
after his spittoon spills on the floor.
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Noteworthy items:
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New #14 is coming along.
The green came through the winter nicely. Two small erosion
areas will be addressed when monsoons let up. Tee boxes are
under a slow construction process dictated by weather
conditions.
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Maite won her first CNY PGA event of the year on Friday April,
29th.
She tuned up Elm Tree GC to the tune of a sweet 72 amidst
aforementioned miserable weather conditions.
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Congrats on a strong showing by Team RCC at the 1st
MVCTGA event. No, I am not going to mention all your names. I
will say that Ed Graziano (I think that's a German name) went
really low with an obnoxiously low 77 and claimed the event's
only skin. He bought the entire bar a drink, except the
bartender (me), but I charged him for a CC and ginger-ale
without his knowledge. It was delicious.
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RGA is May 13. Do the math boys and girls. It makes sense. It’s
essentially gambling in a quota-like manner but for 20 bones and
not ten. Live a little! Like Bad Hair Whimberly says in the best
golf novel ever written, Dead Solid Perfect, “I thought we were
going to play for some real money, if I had known we were playin’
for 10 bucks I would have stayed home and played with my d%$#.”
And there is booze involved. Sign up is currently anemic. Most
of our membership is unemployable or retired so no excuses.
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Pool Party #1 is May 21.
Well done clones! 42 human beings thus far.
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We are checking our
files to see what the record is. Not really, but it sounded
engaging and thoughtful.
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See you all
next time. Rome CC blogmaster out.
ROME CC GOES INTERNATIONAL WITH NEW
RECIPROCAL
Rome Country Club is happy to announce its
latest reciprocal for the 2011 season. Aldeamayor Club de Golf, in
Valladolid, Spain, is Rome Country Club's first international reciprocal and
fifteenth overall. Check out their website
aldeamayorclub.com or on Facebook.
This is the home course of famed Spanish amateur, Jose Maria Ortiz de Pinedo,
who finished tied for third in the 2010 Rome City Men's Amateur.
BLOCKBUSTER TRADE IN THE CUPP CUP
After their tenth drink on a blustery
Wednesday night on the 20th of October, captains Josh and Wes agreed to the
first ever trade in Cupp Cup history. Josh, sitting in the same fateful
chair his assistant captain Caitlin Henry fell out of just a month ago at
Legends, offered up Eric Maya and a drink for Robert Taylor. After careful
consideration (and more likely because he was thirsty) Wes agreed. The
stunned crowd quickly began making phone calls and sending texts. Upon
hearing the news, Maya stated, "I'm taking my talents to Team Wes." Ron
Artigiani, at the bar when the trade became official, leaned back and yelled a
the top of his lungs.
Eric Maya has played in all three of the Cupp
Cups and maintains a 3-6 career record. In all three editions of the late
fall classic Eric has gone 1-2. Tayls, playing in his first Cupp Cup this
year, went 2-1.
THOUGHTS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAR...
Episode #4
by Josh Cupp
Cupp Cup Wrap Not Rap (Therefore not a Song on a Jeff Gifford Mix
CD)
Since this blog is written
by the losing Captain of the Cupp Cup, for the first time history will be
written by the losers.
OK, the Cupp Cup sucks, the teams
were unfair, and Team Wes is full of assholes.
All kidding aside, the Cupp Cup
went off without a hitch in 2010. Plenty has been written about it already in
the Cupp Cup section of the website, but I will pile on as I cannot resist. Here
are some observations, in no particular order of importance as none of these
items are remotely important.
Don Cieslewitz should have
played. Don is a key figure at RCC. Bar
totals for the year are 37% higher because of Don’s existence and generosity. To
date in all his years of patronage at RCC, I have calculated that Don has spent
the equivalent of 250 straight days (24 full hours) at the bar. Yep, Don, we
know you are a lousy golfer at this point, but we don’t care. I don’t care if
you lose 4 out of 3 matches, I want you on the team. Everyone else wants you to
play as well. Besides, all you have to do is be competitive with Artigiani. No
great shakes there.
Artigiani a sparkling 3-0.
Well played Artie. Talk about lying in the weeds. Artie never touched a club for
two months and we ALL expected him to play to a 40 handicap when he returned,
including Artie himself. He never talked any trash all week as he strongly
dislikes getting his chops busted when the match doesn’t go his way. However,
when Kenny mercifully finished his efforts on the 18th,
Ronnie let out a yelp and violent fist pumps that had some believe that he was
suffering an epileptic seizure. Some didn’t know whether to move sharp objects
out of his immediate reach or give Ronnie a high five. Ronnie, good playing,
baby! However, pick a persona…be Mike Smith and be even keel the whole way, or
go the Giff route and have diarrhea of the mouth 24/7. Next time we are
identifying Artie as a 16, not a 40 and per Giff’s request, Artie will receive
Team Wes colored muzzles and not golf shirts. Ronnie also wanted me to mention
that he is doing an autograph signing along side Leroy Barnes and Don Alvarez at
the Rome Sports Hall of Fame next Friday night at 8 pm. There will also be
complimentary canal boat rides and tours of the cheese factory to round out the
event.
The Aaron Fiorini effect.
Perhaps one of the biggest influences on
the Cupp Cup since its inception was the first Cupp Cup draft. Twenty six months
ago Wes and I shared a six-pack (we were hammered) and sat down to draft the
players. A flip of a shiny 1999 quarter determined first overall pick. Although
I won’t tell you who won that fateful coin flip, we did draft right through that
A Pool and we assumed that all those drafted would actually accept the
invitation to play. Similar to the MLB Amateur Draft, one runs the risk of
wasting a draft selection on someone that won’t or cannot play. I must have been
3 beers in when I selected Mr. Fiorini. Aaron hasn’t won the City Am twelve
times nor has he broken any course records, BUT HE CERTAINLY IS A HELL OF A LOT
BETTER THAN GOD DAMN PARRY! I knew Aaron was a risky pick as he coaches football
for Camden and he isn’t the most social of members (I only saw him in the
clubhouse once this year and it was to use the restroom) but I know he can get
the ball in the air and doesn’t have to lay up from the blues on #12. So, Aaron,
if you are out there, turn the pigskin over to your assistant coach for one game
next autumn against Adirondack and have some fun with us. Help Team Josh bring
down the evil empire that is……Team Wes. Don will be playing next year and he
will buy you a beer and I won’t pair you against Artie, I promise. See how I
tied all the entries in there at the end. That’s why I am writing this high brow
shit and you boobs are just reading it.
THOUGHTS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAR...
Episode #3
by Josh Cupp
The Green
Number 14 at Rome Country Club. A
modest little par 3 with a slash line of 105/125/190 (that’s red/white/blue tee
yardage for the layman) with a few well placed bunkers to guard the nearly
circular green. Twenty eight yards deep and twenty five across provides an ample
target for a short iron. Why on earth would we then build a new green complex on
this fun little hole with a moderate amount of personality?
Well, funny you should ask, as I
have compiled a Top 10 list of why we’ve decided to give the affable little hole
an extreme makeover.
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After 147 attempts, Wes
failed to record a hole in one on the current 14th
hole during his courageous hole in one contest attempt last
fall. Therefore, the current hole, as is, obviously sucks.
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The seven yard
false front on the front left and the last 3 yards that slope
away from the tee create an actual landing area that is
exceedingly smaller than the 28 yards reported as the green
depth.
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Ted Cupp once scored an
ace on the current 14th
hole in the late 1980s. Therefore, it must be a miserable test
of golf.
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More RCC members
hit the neighboring cart path in regulation (43%) than the
actual green (39%).
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The cart path also has proven, at
times, far too perilous a road to maneuver especially when
ominous bunkers seem to dart out at you and hinder your course.
Ask Mr. Gerald Closinski, our 3x club champ.
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It is incredibly
difficult to hit a ball into the pond that resides too far left
of the current green. Making a splash with and subsequently
losing your golf ball that you paid $4+ for is a real hoot.
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The best snow scramble player
(honor is self-anointed) that ever lived, yet one of the worst
green grass golfers ever, Don Cieslewitz, once scored a par
three on the current hole, obviously it is too easy.
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We have stockpiled
sand and seed mix since the mid 90s and the expiration date is
April 2011.
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Wes wants to raise
the price of “experienced” golf balls from $1 to $1.50 (You
might have to think about that one for a minute).
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The #1 reason we are changing #14 at Rome
Country Club is because in April of this year, 2010, Ronald
Artigiani recorded an ace. Surveying equipment was
purchased the very next day.
THOUGHTS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAR...
Episode #2
by Josh Cupp
PUTING the FEAT to BED
As we all know by now…he did it. John David Fay not only
shot his age, he bested it. Furthermore, he did it twice in five days. A 68 on
Wednesday, September 8th
and a 69 on the following Sunday had Mr. Fay smiling, buying drinks, and finally
able to sleep more than two and a half hours per night since the spring. John
Domagal owned the winning square and cashed in nicely as did the Cupp Cup fund.
All of us here at RCC share the
same sentiment. WELL DONE, DAVE!
Now,
being the statistical dork I am, I decided to try and break down the feat of
shooting one’s age. Sooooo, here we go. Stay focused, folks.
OK.
Of all golfers with an established handicap, the average handicap is 16.1, only
half of one percent are scratch, and only 24% sport a handicap under 10. Let’s
go deeper here. “Of all golfers with an established handicap,” what the hell
does that mean exactly? What about all the weekend warriors and fire a buck oh
five (105) in the last early bird tee time and prohibit Fay and JClo from
getting around in under 3 hours and 7 minutes. Those dudes are golfers by
definition and don’t have handicaps. The fact is only a quarter of all golfers
have an established handicap. My guess is those that don’t aren’t exactly high
caliber dart throwers. Let’s bump our numbers then. If all golfers kept a
handicap, the average would be closer to 20 and less than 10% would carry
handicaps under 10. The average score sits at about 97.
These are stats that I couldn’t find. My conjectures after that are based upon
the stats I have provided from credible sources and good old fashion deduction,
not guestimations from Spanky’s pie hole after 11 Bud drafts. If under 10% of
all golfers are under 10 handicaps and after our established vs. non handicapper
curve is applied, far less than half of 1% are actually a zero. Dave was a 1 at
the time he shot his age. Is there any way of determining what percentage of 69
year olds have 1 handicaps? Nope. Here’s my guess. I image only .2% of golfers
age 69 are a 1 or lower. That’s not 2 out of 100, that’s 2 out of 1000 old folks
aged 69 can boast a 1 or better. Now, a 1 handicap at RCC averages 74 and
change, so Dave had to best his average score by 5+ shots. Is that easy to do?
Let’s investigate further.
By
investigating how easy it is to shoot 5 stokes better than your average score,
we will find out if Fay took a little too much time to shoot his age. I selected
Tom W. Peters, a 14 handicap, as well as other randomly selected members and
looked through his score histories. Tom averages an 88.3, and has shot 5 strokes
better only once this season way back on April 25th,
an 83.
What conclusions did I reach? How
rare was the feat and did it take him too long to do it?
Easy
answers first. It took Fay an appropriate amount of time to fire his target
score. The average golfer at RCC bests his average score by 5 shots 3x every 50
recorded rounds. It took Dave 68 recorded rounds to do it once, but he now has
two rounds under five strokes better than the norm in 73 attempts. Let’s not
bust his huevos over a couple rounds here or there. Dave has always been a
little late. He didn’t start playing the game until his mid thirties and it
takes him 7 minutes longer on average to finish a beer than Mark Lloyd.
Lastly, how rare is this accomplishment? Obviously, this
is not an easy number to come up with. We have accomplished that two out of one
thousand golfers aged 69 have a handicap of 1 or less. Now you have to shoot
five strokes lower than your average score, which, as noted, occurs under 6% of
the time. Sixty nine year old golfers have just
over a one in 10,000 chance of shooting their age.
Dave did it twice in 71 chances. Shake the man’s hand, and then kick me in the
nuts for looking all this crap up.
DAVE FAY SHOOTS HIS AGE!!
The rumors are true!! Dave Fay's summer long
quest to shoot his age has come to an end.
And, no, he didn't die!
Dave triumphantly shot a 68 today at Rome CC in cool and rainy conditions.
He went out in 35 and came home strong with a back nine 33 to post his
legendary score. Dave, needing only 69 to match his age, decided to do one
better (just in case someone actually checked his birth certificate).
CONGRATULATIONS DAVE!! WE ARE VERY
PROUD OF YOU!!!!
FITSIK, LLOYD, AND CIESLEWITZ ENJOY
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORIES
Pete Fitsik added another Rome Country Club
major to his collection has he won wire to wire in this weekend's club
championship. Firing net 72 and 74 for a 146 total, Pete nipped Eddie
Evans by one in the handicap division. Mr. Fitsik also won this year's
Member-Member with partner Denny Parry. Pete looks to continue his hot
streak in club events later this month in the 3rd annual Cupp Cup.
Finishing third at 149 in the handicap division was Ed Graziano.
Mark Lloyd won another club championship as he
fired a blistering 75 on Sunday to beat out both Jerry Closinski and Tom Peters
by two shots. Lloyd was five shots back going into the final round but his
rare birdie on the infamous second hole turned the momentum of the tournament to
his favor. By the time he reached the seventeenth tee, his original five
shot deficit had turned into a four shot lead! He had gained nine shots on
the field. Great playing, Mark!
Anne Cieslewitz won her second club
championship title by recording her best round of the year. Anne posted a
tidy 93 (net 62) to win the crown back from runner-up Janet Hall. Nancy
Roberts, Karen Potter, and DJ Darois also fought bravely this weekend.
2010 Men's Open Division
1. Mark Lloyd - 157
T2. Tom M. Peters - 159
T2. Jerry Closinski - 159
4. Mark Powonsky - 161
2010 Men's Handicap Division
1. Pete Fitsik - 146
2. Ed Evans - 147
3. Ed Graziano - 149
T4. Jeff Potter - 156
T4. John Pollex - 156
6. Eric Maya - 157
2010 Women's Division
Low Gross - Anne Cieslewitz - 93
Low Net - 1. Anne Cieslewitz - 62
2. Janet Hall - 71
ROME CC's LAUREN STEATES WINS HER FIRST
ROME CITY AMATEUR
Rome Country Club's Lauren Steates won her
first Rome City Women's Amateur crown in August. The event was rain
shortened to eighteen holes but Lauren blew away the field, firing a 71 at
Shamrock. Her brilliant round put her four shots clear of her nearest
pursuer. Day two was scheduled at Lauren's home course, Rome Country Club,
but 4.2 inches of rain fell throughout the day, making the final round
impossible to complete. Lauren looks to defend her title in August of 2011
as well as compete in the New York State Am and Mid-Am being held at Rome CC in
July of 2011. In addition, rumors of her applying to play in the Rome City
Men's Amateur have been swirling. Romecountryclub.com can neither confirm
nor deny these reports. Stay tuned!
THOUGHTS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAR...
Episode #1
by Josh Cupp
Dave Fay’s quest….
Will he or won’t he? If so, when?
Why hasn’t he yet? Has he really shot 70 a handful of times? If you flip the
“When Will Dave Fay Shoot His Age Pool” over are there scores of people that
chose “never?”
Let’s analyze all these questions.
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Will he or won’t he? Ok, when you
live in a town where driving around frantically on Super Bowl
Sunday looking for gin mills with squares left is a sport,
wagering is an art. You have to be able to size up stats,
probability, then take personal feelings out and sprinkle logic
in if you want to win bets around here. You cannot take all Big
East teams in NCAA pools and we all know that no one circles the
Bills on their tickets on Sunday AMs. He hasn’t yet…this we
know. Roughly 60% of our golfing season is complete…so Vegas
would say maybe Dave will come up short of his goal of shooting
81, sorry, 69, I thought he was older than that. He does have 43
great grandkids. We know this as they often have birthday
parties. Isn’t grandkid b-day party really Dave Fay speak for
trunk-slam? But I digress. He will shoot his age. Of the Big
Four (JClo, Peters, W4, and Fay) at RCC, out of a combined 128
recorded rounds, 70 has only been bested twice on the home
track. I don’t think that shooting his age is in his helmet at
this point, it’s just really difficult to do. All I know is he
didn’t shoot his age from June 21st-30th
and I am $20 poorer for it. Rest assured, Dave will shoot his
age and it will not be on a day when his grandson has a piano
recital, if you know what I mean.
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When? Well,
if I knew when I’d have bought a different square. Right? I
would definitely think sooner than later. Warmer weather lends
to longer drives and wedges into several greens. When we start
digging into the closet for more layers come mid September, I
think the chance begins to diminish. I will look into my crystal
ball and say August 23rd.
It’s a Monday, so a hot date with Frenchy for a early nine
before Coalyard’s league coupled with a stellar league
performance will leave W4 Lloyd with a full wallet as Mark has
that particular square. It is fitting since Lloyd needs only
$217.74 more in RCC earnings to defeat Pete Fitsik’s single
season earnings record that has stood since 1982.
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Why hasn’t he yet? Best answer is
that it is simply tough to do. Ummm, he’s also kind of old. I
think he has a wooden hip or something like that. Let’s be
honest, Dave can get a touch, shall we say, mental. Mr. Shankie
has a habit of visiting Dave from time to time, and even one of
those low and righters can render Mr. Fay helpless. Let’s not
forget how close he has come already.
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Dave has shot 70
at least four times at RCC this season. I get that stat from the
board on the mirror at the bar. GHIN system concurs with this
total. Close but no cigar.
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Lastly, have a
bunch of folks taken “never” for when Fay will shoot his age?
That’s easy to answer. Rumor has it that several folks don’t
think Dave is up to the feat and requested anonymity so that
their wagers be posted on the back of the board. Answering this
question is as simple as flipping the board over. I am typing
this exciting blog from home so I cannot really check at this
juncture. So the urban legend will have to be answered at
another time. Sorry.
THE NEW YORK STATE WOMEN'S AM AND MID-AM ARE
COMING TO RCC!
Hot off the digital presses is the news that
Rome Country Club will host the 82nd annual New York State Women's Amateur and
the 3rd Annual Mid-Amateur July 11-14, 2011. This will mark the thirty
year anniversary of the first time Rome Country Club hosted the best amateur
women of New York State. Way back in 1981 a rising young star by the name
of Dottie Pepper won the state title on our course at the age of fifteen.
She later went on to win seventeen times on the LPGA Tour, highlighted by two
majors. Come check out the action and maybe you will catch a glimpse of
another future star.
NANCY ROBERTS JOINS BOB PAWLAK AS TEAM
WES ASSISTANT CAPTAINS
Over her thirteenth drink at Legend's on
Wednesday, July 21st, Nancy Roberts agreed to join Team Wes for this fall's Cupp
Cup. Team Captain Wes knew he had to sign Nancy to change his luck going
into the 2010 matches. "After last year's disappointment, I had to make a
few changes. This is a very important one," stated Wes at the press
conference this morning. Nancy will join Bob Pawlak as the two assistant
captains for Team Wes. As of press time, Team Josh does not have an
Assistant Captain on the roster.
The only sticking point in Nancy's contract is
her title. Whether it is "Assistant Captain" or "Assistant to the Captain"
has yet to be worked out. This year's Cupp Cup is September 25th and 26th.
FITSIK AND PARRY TAKE HOME THE 2010
MEMBER-MEMBER TITLE
A nice turnout of twenty-two teams competed for
the 2010 Rome Country Club Member-Member championship on June 26th. When
the final putt was holed, one team stood above the rest... Pete Fitsik and Denny
Parry. Interestingly enough, the last team assembled this year won the
title just like 2009's last second entry of Castro & Ferrucci. The 2010
winners were thrown together as Denny Parry was filling in for injured Rome CC
member Ron Artigiani. Ron, in the hospital for back trouble, was not able
to compete. Multiple sources have stated that he threw his back out
reaching for his wallet. This rumor was not confirmed nor denied at the
time of publication.
Fitsik and Parry shot a blistering 63 in the
club's first taste of the Pinehurst format. An amazing five teams tied for
second at 64: John Domagal & Dave French, Mark Powonsky & John Pollex, Jeff
Gifford & Eric Maya, Steve Pickett & Kevin Coe, and finally Paul Katchmar & Joey
Katchmar. Front nine leaders Don Cieslewitz & Ed Evans faltered on the
back nine to finish alone in 7th place (27 on the front, 38 on the back).
TERRY PAZDUR AND COMPANY WIN THE B&B
Terry Pazdur and his team of degenerates
overcame the odds and pulled off an upset victory in Saturday's B&B Scramble.
Posting a sparkling thirteen under 59, the team without an A player won by two
shots. Firing a 61 was the team I Love Peters (Tom M. Peters, Tom W.
Peters, Pat Smith, and Ira Lyon). Finishing in a tie for third at 62 were
the teams of Jim Tims and the Slim Jims, Edible Evans and the Fancy Pants, and
the Thirsty Owl Quaffing Clan.
Ted Cupp won the Billy Bristol "Best Putter in
Rome" Putting Contest this year. Teddy's team also scored the only skin of
the day by holing out an eagle on the par four seventeenth hole. Teammate
Jon Cupp's perfect eight iron earned the team a cool $640 in cash money.
The B&B is an annual memorial tournament to
honor two of the club's greatest members and friends, Billy Bristol and Jeff
Baker. All proceeds from the event are donated annually to the American
Diabetes Foundation and the Johns Hopkins Pancreatic Cancer Foundation.
MARK LLOYD SCORES ANOTHER VICTORY
One of the hottest golfers on
the planet is Rome Country Club's very own Mark Lloyd. Fresh off a handful
of lucrative victories in weekend quota events, Mark highlighted his tremendous
start to the 2010 golf season with a win in the Golf Pool Party this weekend.
Mark's teammates, Charlie Premo, Wayne Cacciatori, and Petite Don Cieslewitz,
all contributed to a record shattering fourteen under par 58. Petite Don,
who has played in a record setting 83 straight pool parties, was heard saying on
the first tee (also for the 83rd straight time), "We really have no chance.
We are just here to have fun."
REMAX LONG DRIVING QUALIFIER A SMASHING
SUCCESS!
Rome Country Club again held the local
qualifier for the REMAX Long Drive Championship on May 2nd. There were
thirty-six total entries with some amazingly long drives! After the four
hour event, John (Drew) Romancky and Patrick Mulhearn tied for first with 352
yard drives. These moonshots were fun to watch. Romancky won the
playoff which earned him a bye into the second round of Regionals. Other
qualifiers in the Open Division were Scott Thompson (337) and Mark Hajnos (335).
Local entrant Ed Marsh finished a respectable seventh with a drive of 316.
In the Senior division, Rome Country Club member Larry Natale was the lone
qualifier . He smoked one 333 yards for the victory. Fellow RCC
member, Paul Katchmar, finished second in the division with a drive of 272
yards.
CUPP
CUP RELEASES NEW LOGOS FOR 2010
New logos
have been designed by Dustin Livingston for the next installment of the Cupp
Cup. Mr. Livingston created the official Cupp Cup logo as well as logos
for both Team Josh and Team Wes. Check them out below.
Click
here to go to the official page of the Cupp Cup!
TEAM
JOSH TAKES THE 2009 CUPP CUP!
Team Josh
marched its way to victory as they took the 2009 Cupp Cup by the score of 14-10.
By doing so they evened the overall series at one a piece.
Click here to go to
the official page of the Cupp Cup!
2009
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP ENDS WITH A BANG!
JClo flips cart, makes a sand angel in #14 trap.
The 2009
Rome Country Club Championship ended memorably this Labor Day weekend.
Jerry Closinski (three-time defending champion), flipped a golf cart over into the
sand trap on #14. Honest. Don't worry, Jerry, and more importantly
the cart, were unharmed. Jerry's only comment was, "Yes, I did rake the
trap after."
Oh, by
the way, Eamon Dempsey beat Tom Peters on the final hole of the twenty-seven
hole final match to take home his first club championship. Mr. Dempsey, at
the age of eighteen, is the third youngest champion in the club's history.
In the
handicap division, Eric Maya won four consecutive matches to take home the
title. He outlasted upstart Jake Smith in extra holes in the final match.
In the
Ladies' draw, Janet Hall regained her club champion crown as she won the low
gross title. Anne Cieslewitz won the low net with a blistering 65.
And Wes
didn't get a hole-in-one in the shoot-out. I hope this is too small to
read. See you next year!
JAMIE
HARPER MAKES A $200 PUTT
Jamie
Harper won a three way putt-off to win the 2nd Golf Pool Party event of the
year. Three times tied for first in this eight team field with matching
61s. However, it was Jamie's pressure packed six footer that won the 1st
place prize as he ousted Bobby Pawlak and Johnny P in the putt-off.
Ironically, on the same putting green that Johnny P was crowned the "Best Putter
in Rome" just six weeks previously, Johnny P lost to part-time golfer and
full-time drinker Bobby Pawlak in the battle for second place. The final
Golf Pool Party is scheduled for October 3rd. Oh, by the way, JClo was
bombed.
FAY-CLO
UNSEATED AS MEMBER-MEMBER CHAMPIONS
Upstarts
Rich Ferrucci and Rick Castro teamed up to take the 2009 Member-Member
Championship on June 27th. Their partnership was put together just some
fifteen hours before tee time over a few cold ones at the Rome CC bar. Who
would have thought that they would contend, let alone win? Ferrucci and
Castro shot a best ball 63. This score of nine under par seems to be the
magic number of late as it has been the score to beat the past two years.
Finishing
one shot back with a 64 was the team of Jeff Potter and Larry Kalk. Rumor
has it that Potter fired a 78 on his own ball - but this was self-reported after
an hour open bar so this cannot be confirmed or denied. I guess we will
just have to take Jeff's word on this one.
Third
place went to Charlie Premo/Robert Taylor with a score of 65. Tails, one
of the newest members at Rome CC, also took home Closest to the Pin on #14.
Carl Guiliano and Tom W. Peters finished fourth, losing a match of cards with
the third place team.
The
defending champions, Dave Fay and Jerry Closinski, fought bravely but only could
get it to six under par. They made the turn at a healthy four under but
just couldn't keep the momentum going on the back side. They finished
alone in fifth. Something tells me that they will be back next year.
Finally
rounding out sixth and seventh places respectively were the teams of Nick
Facciolo/Denny Parry and Dave French/Lauren Steates. Both teams shot 67
but Facciolo/Parry won the match of cards for sixth place money. If anyone
would like to buy Denny's gift certificate for a cut rate, he is still taking
"cash only" offers.
The last
prize of the day went to Judy Smith. Judy won the Longest Drive on hole
#7. Yes, Judy is much longer, and cooler might I add, than all the dudes
at Rome CC.
LINKS
AT ERIE VILLAGE ADDED TO THE RECIPROCAL LIST
Rome CC
has added a thirteenth course to its reciprocal list. The Links at Erie
Village has joined onto our growing family. For more information on this
course in East Syracuse, check out their website,
golferielinks.com.
MAITE
BREAKS THROUGH FOR HER FIRST POOL PARTY WIN!
2009's
first Golf Pool Party was a memorable won as Maite Ortiz de Pinedo led her team
(Johnny P, Morgan Bishop, and Bucky Bartolotti) to victory in her first Golf
Pool Party start. A record turnout of 45 players teed it up Saturday, May
30th. It would be remiss to not mention the controversy on #17 that stole
the show. The infamous "worst putt rule" was put back in effect on #17.
However, DVD evidence and a misinterpreted rule dropped the team of Dave Fay,
Jim Sgroi, Jamie Harper, and Larry Grau from a tie for 1st place into a tie for
2nd with the team of Josh/Wes, Lauren Steates, Whitney Cook, and Nancy Roberts.
Also of interest, there were no skins out so the pot of $220 will carry over to
the 2nd Pool Party in July. Sign up early kids!
REMAX
WORLD LONG DRIVE QUALIFIER COMING TO ROME CC
The Remax
World Long Drive Championship will hold its central New York qualifier at Rome
Country Club on Sunday, May 10th. The competition will take place from 2
pm until 6 pm. These long hitters, both professionals and amateurs, will
be attempting to get to the world finals in Las Vegas. The finals are
aired on ESPN and ESPN2. This event will be worth watching so if you don't
fancy yourself a contender, come on out anyway. We are also looking for a
handful of volunteers to help us crown our local champion. If you are
interested, just ask Josh or Wes (you get a cool hard hat, too).
PAWLAK
RE-UPS AS ASSISTANT CAPTAIN FOR TEAM WES IN 2009
Bob
Pawlak has just resigned with Team Wes as an official Assistant Captain for the
2009 Cupp Cup. The dust had barely settled after this year's heart stopper
when Captain Wes and Bob Pawlak agreed to reunite for the '09 version.
Unofficial sources have claimed that Pawlak demanded a can of Bud Light as his
signing bonus. The two captains were victorious this past October 25th and
26th in the first ever Cupp Cup.
Click here to go to
the official page of the Cupp Cup!
TEAM
WES TAKES THE INAUGURAL CUPP CUP IN SUDDEN DEATH
WOW!
All sixteen players involved in the first ever Cupp Cup are still catching their
breath! Click here to go to
the official page of the Cupp Cup!
J CLO
CAPTURES THE ROME GRAND SLAM BY WINNING HIS THIRD CONSECUTIVE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
In a year
even Tiger Woods would be jealous of, Jerry
Closinski won his third consecutive club championship this Labor Day weekend,
giving him the 2008 Rome Grand Slam. J Clo also won the 2008 Rome Country
Club Member-Member and the 2008 Rome City Men's Amateur earlier in the year.
It wasn't
easy, however. J Clo needed 19 holes to defeat the two seed, Tom Peters.
Tom also finished second in last year's club championship. Rounding out
the top four in the Men's Open division were Ross Maracchion, third place, and
Dave Fay, fourth place.
In the
Open Division's Consolation Flight, RFA golfer Eamon Dempsey beat Paul Katchmar
one up in the finals.
The Men's
Handicap Division was won by Brad Badolato. Tom Peters finished second
while Ken Caldwell captured third and Jim Sutton rounded out the top four.
In
Women's Open action, Anne Cieslewitz took home her first championship as she
beat newcomer Nancy Roberts in the finals. Nic Darois finished third while
DJ Darois was fourth.
J CLO
BREAKS THROUGH TO CAPTURE HIS FIRST CITY TITLE
Sergio Garcia now officially the best golfer in the world to never win a major
Jerry
Closinski continued his highjacking of romecountryclub.com's "Member News" page
as he added another title to his collection. Jerry won his first Rome City
Amateur title this past August weekend, posting impressive rounds of 73 and 72
for a 145 two day total. Eighteen year old Doug DeCarlo, a
Mohawk Valley Junior Golf Tour standout,
finished as the runner-up one shot back.
J Clo put
himself into position after his opening round on the fabled Rome Country Club
layout. A smooth 73 gave him the first round lead heading into
McConnellsville. However, a less than perfect start left Jerry some
serious work left heading into the final three holes of the championship.
As Jerry looked both ways crossing the street to get to the sixteenth tee box,
he may have seen a few cars zip by, but I am sure he did not see any signs of
the "story book ending" that was about to take place.
Jerry
calmly birdied the difficult sixteen hole and made an eight footer to save par
on the seventeenth. As he stood on the final hole of the championship, he
found himself even with Doug DeCarlo. Jerry chased his second shot on the
uphill par five to within ten yards of the green. Before he got to play
his third shot, DeCarlo had stiffed his approach, all but guaranteeing a birdie.
Thus, J Clo needed to get up and down to force extra golf. Jerry decided
he was already hungry and did not want to put the tournament dinner off any
longer, so he holed out his pitch shot for an eagle three and put an exclamation
point on an unbelievable ending to the 45th Rome City Amateur.
Congratulations, Jerry!
FAY-CLO
WINS THEIR THIRD MEMBER-MEMBER IN FOUR YEARS
When speaking to the press after their second place finish in the 2007
Member-Member, Jerry Closinski stated, "If we won every year, it wouldn't be
that fun." His dejected partner, Dave Fay, interrupted... "Oh, yes it
would."
A year
later Dave Fay was back to having a blast as he and Jerry won their third
Member-Member in four years this past weekend. Fay-Clo shot a nine under
par 63 in route to a two shot victory over the Mike and Judy Smith team.
Last year's champions, Paul and Joey Katchmar, were not in the field to defend
their title.
In the
Women's Division, Nancy Roberts and DJ Darois celebrated a two shot victory by
posting a 69. Toni Domagal and Carolee Watson finished second with a 71.
ROUGH
UNIT LOWERED!
The rough
unit at Rome Country Club has been lowered from 2.5 inches to 2 inches this week
in an effort to make the course more user friendly. This may not seem like
big news to some, but to those who tackle the thick rough at Rome CC, this is a
major change is course playability and difficulty. Rome Country Club,
unlike most central New York golf courses, is fully irrigated - including
roughs. So, when the hot summer months come and most courses have burned
out rough, Rome CC's feels like a small jungle. The half of an inch
lowering should help lower handicaps and wrist injuries this summer.
B&B
SCRAMBLE YIELDS REPEAT CHAMPIONS
Jeff,
Don, and the Love Birds captured this year's Baker & Bristol Memorial Scramble.
They are the first champions to defend their title in the five year history of
the event. Jeff Potter, Petite Don Cieslewitz, Dave Fay, and Dan Duncan
made the putts when it counted and outlasted a strong field of twenty-six teams.
The event is held annually at Rome Country Club is a memorial and fundraiser in
the remembrance of Jeff Baker and Billy Bristol - two great friends of Rome
Country Club. Proceeds from the event are donated to cancer and diabetes
research.
ANOTHER RECIPROCAL! OSWEGO COUNTRY CLUB
The
private Oswego Country Club has accepted our invitation to share reciprocal
playing rights for the 2008 season. This makes twelve (12) great
reciprocals for us. Oswego is a really fun layout with amazingly fast
greens. I should send all of our members up there this summer so when you
all come back, no one will complain that OUR greens are too fast! It is
also worth noting that your favorite CEO, Wes, was the runner-up in the New York
State Boys' Championship that was held at Oswego CC way back in 1994. (I
choked and lost on 18! Crap!)
Oswego Country Club
IVES
HILL COUNTRY CLUB ADDED AS A NEW RECIPROCAL!
Ives Hill
Country Club in Watertown, New York joins the already impressive list of
reciprocal courses for Rome Country Club members. Ives Hill is a
semi-private club that has just remodeled its clubhouse in the summer of 2007.
The original nine holes date back to 1897! Members, take a trip up to
Watertown this season and be impressed!
CLOSINSKI, VOISINE, & HALL TAKE THE 2007 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
Although
the format changed, the results didn't. Perennial favorites Jerry
Closinski, Bob Voisine, and Janet Hall each won their respective divisions of
the 2007 Club Championship despite the format change to match play. In an
effort to increase participation and buzz, the club champions were not decided
by stroke play for the first time in the 78 year history of the club.
In the
Open Division, Jerry Closinski defended his '06 title by beating Eamon Dempsey
in the semis and then outlasting upstart Tom Peters on the final hole to win the
championship. In the Handicap Division, Bob Voisine needed two playoff
holes to win as he beat out runner-up Gene Gehman. In the Women's
Division, Janet Hall won another championship as she beat DJ Darois in her first
club championship.
The 2008
Rome Country Club Championship will also be a match play format.
KATCHMAR SQUARED WINS THE 2007 MEMBER-MEMBER
Back-to-back defending champions Jerry Closinski and Dave Fay were upset this
past weekend as upstarts Paul Katchmar and son Joey Katchmar hung on for a one
shot victory. Three teams had it seven under through the first eleven
holes, but only the Katchmars would add another birdie and finish with a 64.
When speaking to the press Jerry Closinski stated, "If we won every year, it
wouldn't be that fun." His dejected partner, Dave Fay, interjected...
"Oh,
yes it would."
Paul
Katchmar looks to ride the momentum of this best ball victory into this coming
weekend's Rome City Men's Amateur. No one has ever won both "majors"
back-to-back.
BRAD,
PHIL, & HERBIE WIN THE SUMMER GOLF POOL PARTY
Brad
Badolato, Phil Uvanni, and Herbie Clark staged a dramatic come-from-behind
victory this weekend at the Summer Golf Pool Party. Three shots behind
Team Quiet Mike at the turn, the eventual winners birdied their last three holes
to win the mid-summer classic by one. Team Quiet Mike (Wes, Morgan, DQ,
and Quiet Mike) sprinted out to a 29 on the front nine but ran out of gas and
fired a 36 on the back - settling for second place. This was Herbie's
second consecutive Pool Party victory. In a related but unconfirmed
report, the winning trio was rumored to not have bought a round of drinks to
celebrate their win. If this allegation is true, it would be the first
time in thirty years such a travesty has taken place.
FOXFIRE GOLF COURSE IN
BALDWINSVILLE IS NOW A RECIPROCAL
Rome Country Club has added
Foxfire Golf Course to its impressive list of reciprocals. To date, Rome
CC members have eleven additional golf courses to which they have privileges.
Foxfire is located in Baldwinsville and is a great test of golf. Numerous
high school and amateur events are held there annually. Check out their
website,
foxfire247.com.
ANOTHER ORLANDO TRIP WITHOUT AN ARREST!
Seven of
Rome's most infamous characters (and a very suspicious Kentuckian) traveled down
to Orlando for four days and no one ended up in the clink! Ted, Wes, Tim
Hogan, Bucky Bartolotti, Tony Petrelli, Herbie Clark, and rookie Morgan Bishop
met up with Farmer Dale down in the sunshine state. The eight travelers
tested their skills on some of O-Town's best golf courses. Ted Cupp was
again MVP as he posted a 3-2 overall record and tied a winter trip single round
record of a net 64 (Shayne Wild, 2004). Below are some of the photos from
the trip we are allowed to release to the public and that have not been seized
by the cops.
CLUBHOUSE REMODELING TAKES CENTER STAGE DURING OFF-SEASON
The Rome Country Club
clubhouse will have a much different look for the '07 season. Remodeling
of both locker rooms as well as the bar area has taken over center stage during
this off-season. The women's locker room was first on the hit list
as it was completely gutted and overhauled. New carpet, spacious wood
lockers, and beautiful wicker furniture highlight the makeover. You have
to see it to believe it. The bar area was next on the list as a 42 inch
plasma high definition flat panel television was installed. Complete
with a 5.1 LG stereo surround sound speaker system, this new addition
will be tough to miss. Now we will never get these guys to go home!
Finally, the men's locker room is the last of the remodeling trilogy.
The entire shower area has been retiled while new wash basins and lighting
systems are waiting for you.
h o m e
