Pebble Creek Golf Professional Bradley Hughes has been brain-storming about making organized golf more active and more enjoyable at our course. Here are some of his early ideas:
Fun is the key. I believe the more simple events are the more fun and interactive they are--and the better turnout we will receive. Some ideas in place for next season:
1) Pre-Super Bowl event- 34 teams. One golfing team assigned for each NFC and AFC team. Each team is nominated as the Buffalo Bills or The Carolina Panthers, etc. Members will play a team event yet to be decided. Players who wear their designated team colors or jerseys will receive a free mulligan. Football themed events/prizes throughout the course of the day such as longest drive whilst wearing a football helmet and also hitting a drive through the field goals on a designated hole.. Lots of fun and interaction and something different,
2) Play with the Pro golf day. Starting in March, every Thursday at approx 12.30-1.00pm will be Play with the Pro Thursday. Groups decided some weeks by a deck of cards, others by selecting your own groupings. The more players, the more prizes. Pro plays with a different group each Thursday to get to play golf alongside the members also. Format will vary. Side games between groups encouraged. Winner of each Play with the Pro Thursday event will also be presented a pewter mug which will be kept behind the bar at The Clubhouse grille. Winner of each weekly event can use the pewter mug for the upcoming week and ask any fellow competitor when in attendance in the Grille to buy them a free drink on one occasion for that week or until they relinquish the winner's mug.
3) Outside Players. Perhaps schedule high profile events at the club, such as a Pebble Creek Invitational for area golfers on a handicap of 2 or 3 and less, and a Pebble Creek Open for all golfers of all standards. This would reach out to a larger area of people in the area and promote our club to its fullest extent,
4) Another possibility: Setting up an e-Bay account in the name of Pebble Creek. This will be a selling tool for members to rid their garage of unwanted clubs.
5) Interclub Match Play. Pebble Creek players versus other golf clubs in the area. Probably a seven (7) man team to compete against seven members of another club in a home and away format for bragging rights!
Official Entry Forms: Concept already is in place for filling out form and pre-paying by an entry closing date before the event. In the past, we have blocked off tee times for 50 players and then only have 15 turn up to play. We lose ground by not being able to fill the tee times blocked off for the event . Having an early closing date allows us to have scorecards and groups in place and not have our shop staff, who are serving our customers on the day of the event, also doing the setup at the last minute.
Handicap Events: I am also of the belief that a handicap is a handicap. If you are a 24 handicap you need to play with all those 24 strokes. I believe use of a percentage of handicaps is an injustice and leans in the favor of the lower handicap player on most occasions.
Feedback is appreciated.
--Bradley Hughes, Pebble Creek professional
