Hello Friends,

Happy Masters Weekend everyone! I hope this note finds you preparing to watch/play inordinate amounts of golf in the coming days. Consider this permission to at least partially ignore the concerns of everyday life until a champion is crowned on Sunday. 😊

I’d like to call your attention to 3 tournaments.

1. Season-long Match Play Tournament ($20 entry)
Scott Marinski begins his defense of this coveted title. See below for all the particulars, but the short version is: sign up, play a seeding round in April, we establish the bracket, first round in May, second round in June, and so on until there’s a champion.

2. Ryder Cup – April 20th/21st ($0 entry) 
There’s still a few days left to sign up for one of the most popular tournaments at the club and just a few spots left. See previous email for specific details and feel free to call Gerald in the pro shop with any questions. The deadline for sign-ups is Thursday April 18th.

3. Men’s Member-Guest – June 22nd/23rd (Entry TBD – roughly $150-200 per person)
Sign-ups are open for this year’s Men’s Member-Guest tournament. I’m announcing this now because I know it takes time to sort playing partners and travel arrangements etc. if necessary. There are 24 spots available, 4 flights of 6 teams who play each other in 9-hole matches before a showdown of flight winners.
(Note: Per the Tryon Country Club by-laws, the initial registration phase is open to Regular members only. On Monday, April 15th, registration for remaining spots in the tournament are open to Regular and Non-Resident members.)

Enjoy the tournament (Let’s go Shane and Rory 😊) and see you on the course!

All the best,

Simon

Season Long Match Play Tournament – how it works.

1. Sign up with Gerald in the pro shop. (That will give us a list of entrants)
2. Play a “seeding” round any time between April 1^st and April 30^th. Simply let Gerald know you are playing your seeding round for the Match Play tournament, and he will give you an official scorecard.
   1. You must declare this before the round, otherwise it will not count
3. Once seeding rounds have been played, we will create a bracket and post it on the board outside TCC. (For example if we have 32 players, they will be seeded 1-32, where 1 plays 32, 2 plays 31 and so on).
4. Once the bracket has been established, players are responsible for scheduling their own matches – we will play one round per month. For example, the first round matches will be played in May, second round in June, third in July etc.
   1. Players are responsible for scheduling their own matches within the allotted month. Gerald will provide official scorecards for matches – simply let him know you are playing a match.
   2. This is a net event.
   3. This is a knockout tournament.
5. We will have a special event for the grand finale, where spectators will be invited to watch and support the last golfers standing.

Match Play Format Explained

A round in match play golf will see two golfers competing head to head against each other and not against the rest of the field. Rather than trying to post the lowest score for the round golfers are here trying to win (or not lose) more holes than their opponent.

Each golfer hits his own ball throughout the round and after each hole, scores of both golfers for the hole are compared. The golfer with the lowest score is said to have won that hole. If both scores are identical then no points (or holes won) are awarded for that hole.

A winner is declared during the round when his lead is such that his opponent can no longer close the gap mathematically. Or in other words, a winner is declared when his opponent can no longer tie or win the match even if he were to win all of the remaining holes.

At the start of the round, golfers declare their own handicaps and the difference between those is calculated (Gerald does all this for us! 😊). The golfer with the highest handicap will be awarded an extra stroke on as many holes as that calculated difference number.

For example, player A declares a handicap of 5 and player B declares a 10, for a difference of 5 (10 – 5 = 5). Player B will thus be given a free stroke on holes with difficulty ratings of 1 through 5. If player B were to need 5 strokes for the most difficult hole and player A to need 4 strokes on that same hole, the hole would be halved instead of seeing player B losing that hole thanks to his free stroke.

 

 

 

 

Hi Folks!

Please find below a list of events at the club in 2024 – fan favorites like Moneyball, Ryder Cup, and Fruits of Labor are back!

Special note: The Member/Guest tournament this year will be held on June 22nd/23rd – please plan accordingly and get your ringers/travel arrangements lined up well in advance (😉).

March

• Monday 11th/Tuesday 12th – Aeration: Course Closed
• Tuesday 26th – TWGA Opening Day

April

• Monday 1st – TMGA Opening Day
• Monday, April 1st to Tuesday April 30th – Match Play Seeding Window
• Saturday, April 20th/Sunday, April 21st – Men’s Ryder Cup

May

• Match Play Round 1
• Friday May 3rd  – Couples Golf
• Thursday, May 9th – TWGA Rumbling Bald Tournament
• Saturday, May 18th – Moneyball Tournament
• Monday, May 27th – Memorial Day Scramble and Lunch

June

• Match Play Round 2
• June 5th – Deep Tine Aeration of Greens (Course Opens 12 Noon)
• Saturday, June 8th – 18-hole Tournament, Stableford Scoring
• Saturday June 22nd/Sunday June 23rd – Men’s Member-Guest Tournament

July

• Match Play Round 3
• Thursday, July 4th – July 4th Flag Tournament (Individual low net) and Cookout
• Sunday July 7th – Single Day 18 hole Strokeplay Tournament – Low Net, Low Gross
• Friday July 12th – Couples Golf
• Saturday July 20th/Sunday July 21st – Men’s Member-Member

August

• Match Play Finals
• August 11th – Strokeplay Tournament, 18 holes, Low Net and Gross

September

• Monday, September 2nd – Fruits of Labor Event and Lunch
• Wednesday 4th/Thursday 5th – Greens Aerification (Course and Practice Facility Closed)
• Friday, September 13th – Couples Golf

October

• October 5th/6th – Women’s Club Championship & Men’s Super-Senior Club Championship
• Saturday, October 12th to Sunday, October 13th – Men’s Club Championship & Men’s Senior Club Championship
• Monday, October 28th – TMGA Closing Day
• Thursday, October 29th – TWGA Closing Day

Ryan Wall and Thomas Deck Claim Memorable Member-Guest Victory

This year’s Men’s Member-Guest Tournament was a story of redemption.

After months away from the game through injury, self-confessed struggles to find a once-formidable swing, and a missed opportunity on the previous hole, Ryan Wall sank a slippery 7-foot birdie putt to seal a popular win at the club’s summer spectacle.

Moments before, playing partner Thomas Deck had clipped one more sumptuous iron just left of the pin, and when Mario Mason ran a birdie putt past the hole, the stage was set for Wall to announce his return. “If I’d had the putt, I would have missed it – I had it going right pretty hard,” admitted Deck. But Wall had seen that very putt in an earlier match and made no mistake, securing victory before a slew of eager onlookers parked in carts around the green on the famous par 3 third hole.

It was the dramatic finish befitting a wonderful weekend of golf.

Saturday
It all began Saturday morning when competitors arrived to an unexpected torrent of rain, saturating the golf course and hampering preparation for the 9am shotgun start. Doing nothing to assuage early tournament jitters, some had to forgo a marshy driving range warmup, opting instead for strictly mental preparation.

The format remained unchanged from previous years – four flights of six teams squaring off in five matches over two days, three on Saturday, two on Sunday, and winners of each flight competing in a one-hole shootout to determine this year’s tournament champions.

Flight by Flight
In the championship flight, Jeremy Yoder and Rod Overholt started strongly with a 7 ½ to 2 ½ win over John Bennett and Randy Morgan. Mario Mason and Nathan Kain also started with a win, while Jordan Mulrain fought valiantly to earn a share of the spoils for his team against Dennis Albert and Andrew Tate. Not to be deterred, Bennet and Tate regrouped to score 6 ½ points in each of their next two matches, nestling nicely just a point behind leaders Mason and Kain at the end of day 1. Yoder and Overholt also lurked, still very much in contention.

Ryan Wall and Thomas Deck started in a sprint, taking 8 points from their match with Grant Burns and Rob Bailey, while Travis Aldred and Lee Bradley made their intentions clear with a strong performance against Russ Rabenstein and Steven Wright. Ethan Waldman and Marc Terdik, seasoned participants, found themselves stuck in neutral with three straight ties, and at the end of the day it seemed a two-horse race, with the front-runners scheduled to play in a tantalizing matchup first thing Sunday morning.

The third flight welcomed fan favorite father-son pairing Steve and Dustin Fry back to TCC, where they would face off against the Brothers Beaver (Keith and Doug). Ed Weatherby, match play finalist and perhaps TCC’s hottest golfer, welcomed Bruce Cole into the fold in one of the most competitive groups of the tournament. By day 1, only four points separated the top four teams, with Weatherby and Cole nursing a slender lead over the Beaver duo.

In the final flight, defending champions Dale Musselwhite and Kevin Levine had their work cut out against Mike Axelrod and Dan Shatz. Despite starting with a loss, they roared back to trail the leaders by just two points at the end of day 1, with Jerry and Matt Popisil still in the hunt.

In the background at the clubhouse, Brian Harmon was running away with the British Open – but there would be no such luxury for the leaders of these flights.

At the end of day 1, the competition was delicately poised.

The Guests
I would be remiss not to mention the impressive caliber of golf being played by this year’s field, with some standout guests taking to the course. Jordan Mulrain perhaps put it best when he said, “To be honest, it’s a real treat just to watch these guys hit a golf ball.”

Playing with Randy Morgan, John Bennett boasted a baseball swing on steroids, turning it both ways off the tee, and showing off impeccable distance control with his wedges – not a bad combo, and no surprise he’s fresh off a T-6 at a local mini-tour event.

Rod Overholt, teaming up with Jeremy Yoder, owns a smooth swing so meticulous it’s hard to imagine him ever being out of position on a golf course. His driving 3-wood was the talk of the tournament, a club that seemed custom made for this golf course, where driver is rarely essential on the risk/reward Donald Ross layout.

And finally, Nate Kain, guest of Mario Mason, played some stunning golf over the course of the weekend, playing like he’d been at TCC for years. As an example, his approach to the par 4 13th hole on Sunday almost flew straight in – it landed inches beyond the pin before putting it in reverse, spinning back, grazing the edge, and coming to rest two feet beneath the hole. Another birdie in a beautiful ball-striking display.

Honorable mention: Former long-drive contestant James Nelson hit the golf ball with a noise most jets breaking the sound barrier would be proud of.

Sunday
There was even time for politics this year, as Sunday began with a dramatic fashion statement. Despite his convivial, easygoing personality, John Sankey reminded everyone of his ability to render biting social commentary. He eschewed a collar in favor of an iconic “pizza planet” t-shirt (picture below), a clear commentary on the oppressive nature of golf’s dress codes and his refusal to participate, not just for himself but for those globally who feel the same. The decision not to wear a belt was just rebellious icing on the cake. Well played, John.

On the course, Mason and Kain kept it in cruise control, fighting off Yoder and Overholt to claim the first spot in the playoff, while Axelrod and Schatz continued to make short work of their opponents, tallying an impressive 35 ½ points in the group phase to advance. Despite losing their final match to Keith and Doug Beaver, Weatherby and Cole hung on for dear life to win the third flight, adding to Weatherby’s impressive 2023 resume.

Things were a little less straight forward in the second flight, however. Sunday morning pitted group leaders Wall and Deck against closest adversaries Aldred and Bradley. In a stunning turn of events, Aldred and Bradley pounded the group leaders by 5 points, leapfrogging them in the standings and wrestling back control of their own destiny with just 9 holes to play.

Further drama ensued, however – in the final match of the tournament, the new leaders slumped to defeat against a resurgent Sankey/Reyhan pairing as Wall and Deck thumped Waldman and Terdik, who were perhaps showing signs of fatigue after Saturday festivities that continued well into the night. Wall and Deck reclaimed their place atop the leaderboard and punched the final ticket to the member-guest shootout.

Prize Winners
There were some fantastic prizes up for grabs over the course of the weekend, with top-of-the-line wedges, golf bags, and a brand new TSR hybrid on hand for winners of the closest to the pin challenges and the putting contest.

Ozzie Shuler bested the competition in the putting contest, booking a place in the final on Saturday and sealing the win first thing Sunday morning.

On the 3rd hole, Phillip Little stuck it 10 feet from the pin to win the first CTP challenge, then Randy Morgan guided a beautiful baby draw just 7 feet from the hole on the 8th. On Sunday, Matt Popisil almost made an ace, before his ball came to rest just 3 feet away on the 12th.

The final CTP hole of the tournament, however, was something special. 67-year old Steve Fry, playing from the Blue-Yellow tees with son Dustin, pulled 5-wood on the 17th hole, some 217 yards away. With perhaps the swing of the tournament, Fry pured it, sending it into the sky as his group watch on all aghast. “Is it close?” Fry asked. “I think it is,” one group member responded, “I think it’s very close.” It most certainly was. 2 feet 4 inches to be exact, the closest of any competitor on any of the CTP challenge holes.

The Shootout
This year’s shootout began on the first hole. Kain made a gutsy birdie putt to fend off pars (net birdie) from Weatherby/Cole and Wall/Deck. After trouble off the tee and in the bunker, Axelrod and Schatz were eliminated, but held their heads high after an excellent weekend performance.

The second hole was about missed opportunities. Kain must have thought he’d done it again from 15 feet, but his birdie effort snapped right at the end and cruelly lipped out. When Weatherby and Wall both missed from close range, it was on to the third playoff hole.

And so the stage was set for Ryan Wall and Thomas Deck. Deck, who had played some of the best golf of anyone over the course of the weekend, delivered once more with a strike to 7-feet. As Wall sank the winning putt, the message in the celebratory bellow, clenched fists, and arms raised aloft was clear: he’s back.

Ryder Cup Review – Team Behan Hold Off Late Surge

This weekend saw the return of the Ryder Cup at Tryon Country Club, a contest between two teams of twelve players over two days and four nine-hole formats (Scramble, Best Ball, Alternate Shot, and Singles). Though the weather was damp, spirits remained high as smack talk crackled back and forth on the putting green early Saturday morning in preparation for one of the most popular events at the club.

Team Captains this year were savvy veteran and retired PGA professional Keith Beaver and Simon Behan (which, full disclosure, is me). Teams were drafted, matchups made, and the stage was ready for drama of the highest order.

With wind and rain greeting golfers on the first tee, some speculated that weather conditions might not be conducive to low scores. No one told Bill Bayse and Jerry Perry. After parring the first hole, they rattled off five birdies in a row, a stunning barrage that confounded opponents Ed Weatherby and Ronnie White. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” mused Ed at the turn, “Just not much you can do.”

Not to be outdone, Evan Jones and Scott Marinski made some noise of their own. They poured in birdies from all angles en route to front nine 29 (!), answering the call for Team Behan. Elsewhere, Travis Aldred’s putter stayed hot and Ethan Waldman and Cliff Cameron picked up an important point against Dave Gunter and Roger Dehnel. After one round of play, the teams were tied at three points apiece.

In the afternoon, the sun emerged as the competition heated up. Local legend Hub Arledge teamed up with grandson Evan, scoring a momentum-building victory over low-handicapper Mario Mason and teammate Brian Jernigan. Hub finished the weekend a flawless 4-0, putting himself squarely in the MVP conversation. Captain Keith Beaver and Ethan Waldman held off Aldred and Jones on the final hole to keep things close. At the half-way mark, the score was 7-5 in favor of Team Behan.

Dustin Fry found himself at the heart of this year’s clothing controversy. Captain Beaver’s seemingly simple instructions called for blue shirts on Saturday, white on Sunday. Dustin wore the same shirt both days and on neither occasion managed to comply with attire requirements.

Sunday featured alternate shot, by far the most challenging format of the weekend, and singles, where a trailing team can make up ground quickly. Bill Bayse and Jerry Perry reunited for another win, while Dave Gunter and Ed Weatherby kept the pressure on with a big win against Russ Rabenstein and George Torres. Mason and Cameron battled hard for a ½ point against Jones and Aldred, but by the end of the morning round Team Behan had built a substantial five point lead. The score was 11 ½ to 6 ½ with twelve singles matches still to come.

Team Beaver wasn’t done yet, however. Spurred on by their captain’s big win over the hot Scott Marinski, they mounted an almost inevitable comeback. As rounds finished and players gathered in the gallery with hoppy beverages of all kinds, the score was 15-13 with two matches still on the course. The scenario was simple. If Team Beaver won both, we were going to a playoff. In the end, Ed Weatherby and Dave Gunter both scored victory-sealing points for Team Behan, leaving the final score 17-13.

Another fantastic weekend of golf, reverie, and, most importantly, camaraderie. Thanks to Gerald for another seamless performance and to Brian and his crew for their work on the course, which is back to its best in time for the summer.

Aldred-Waldman Win Men’s Member-Member.

Searing temperatures subsided this weekend as 14 teams competed in the Men’s Member-Member tournament.

Two days of golf kicked off Saturday morning with a 9-hole scramble on the front nine followed by 9 holes of modified alternate shot on the back. That was followed Sunday by 18 holes of best ball to determine champions in both gross and net divisions.

Birdies galore rolled in during the scramble as teams tried to make hay before the more challenging alternate shot format. Travis Aldred and Ethan Waldman started fast behind Aldred’s red-hot putter. He sank putt after putt as they jumped out to leads in both the gross (69) and net (62) competitions.

“They can’t keep this up,” competitors mused. “Surely not”

They did.

On Sunday, Waldman drained a winding 30-foot birdie on the 6th hole and yet another up the hill on the 10th, this one from even further out. Aldred followed a 10-foot par save down the hill on the 14th with a 25-footer for par on 17 to give them a lead they would not relinquish. They finished the tournament a healthy four under par (140 total) over two days and three formats – they were the only team under par on both days.

Father-son team Trey and Conner Dusenbury scored style points with matching hats on Saturday, but it was Sunday they played their best golf. They came from behind to win the net competition, shooting an impressive net 61 in the best ball format – best of the day. John Diekmann and Dale Musselwhite trailed by just half a stroke (62.5) after Saturday’s play, and went on to finish second.

Will Ballard and Brian Jones shot a tournament-best three under par on Sunday – they probably didn’t know how close they came to the front-runners, finishing just two shots back in third place.

Thanks to all 28 players who competed and to Gerald for running the show with aplomb as always.

Quick reminder that we are less than 6 weeks away from the member-guest tournament (July 30th/31st) – more details on that to follow this week. That tournament will be limited to 24 teams (24 carts) so secure your partners and register your teams early!