From the NCGA President by Lee Gidney T
Making the NCGA More Meaningful
he National Golf Founda- tion estimates there are more than 550,000 “core” golfers in Northern California, yet the membership of the NCGA hovers around 150,000. If we believe the NGF’s estimate, there are 400,000 golfers who are not NCGA members. Yes, there are other competing golf associations in the region, and some golfers may belong to other state or regional associations. But the majority of core golfers do not belong to any golf association. So the question is: How can we change that? We believe we provide many valuable and wide-ranging benefits to our members. The most popular is a handicap, plus competitive opportuni- ties for every skill level and gender. Our tournament department also supports programs at the collegiate and high school levels, as well as the national championship program of the USGA. The Member Outing program offers unique playing op- portunities at private clubs and fine resorts. NCGA Golf magazine is the preeminent publication in the region and puts together the most compre- hensive course directory of facilities in Northern California. We also work with other entities in the California Alliance for Golf, to assure that golfers and golf courses are recognized by governmental agencies for their contribution to recreation and the local economy. The Associa- tion is engaged in an array of activi- ties that provide direct and indirect benefits to its members and, truth be told, all golfers. The NCGA Foundation, the
charitable arm of the NCGA, has developed the phenomenally success- ful Youth on Course program, which is branching out to Southern Cali- fornia, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona. Since its incep- tion seven years ago, this program for youngsters ages 18 and under has
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NCGA.ORG / SPRING 2015
allowed 20,000-plus boys and girls to play more than 350,000 rounds at a cost of no more than $5 at more than 130 participating courses in North- ern California. Youth on Course has also developed internship and caddie initiatives as well as a growing col- lege scholarship program to support deserving young golfers. Finally, NCGA members can play
in golf ’s greatest zip code for as little as $70. Members enjoy discounts of as much as 75% off at Poppy Hills in Pebble Beach and Poppy Ridge in Livermore. The NCGA is especially proud of its renovation of Poppy Hills, which has garnered national acclaim for its aesthetic charms, playability and challenge as well as its attention to water conservation and environmental stewardship. It currently serves, along with Pebble Beach, as a host course for the Nature Valley First Tee Open Champions Tour event in September. All of this begs the question:
why are so many golfers not members of the NCGA? We are dedicated to finding out. Our mission statement is to support and promote golf. Are we doing that? What can we do better? We want to know. To answer that, your Association is engaging in an all-out effort to understand what we can do to best fulfill our mission statement. We want to determine what will
make NCGA membership so valuable and accessible that it will appeal to all golfers in our region. If our staff or one of our researchers contacts you, please share your thoughts. If you play with friends who are not members of the NCGA, ask them what would en- tice them join and then pass along the answer. We are in this together. With your assistance, we can make a great game even better. Visit
NCGA.org and look for the “Contact Us” page under the “About Us” drop-down menu. We value your feedback.
NCGA GOLF
The official publication of the Northern California Golf Association Volume 35, Number 2
Editorial & Business Office Northern California Golf Association 3200 Lopez Road, Pebble Beach, CA 93953 P: (831) 625-4653; F: (831) 625-0150
NCGA.org;
ncgainfo@ncga.org
Editorial Staff Scott Seward – Editor & Publisher
Kevin Merfeld, Richard J. Cerame, Jerry Stewart, Laurie Lee
Advertising Managers Tom Black, Jim Whittemore
Contributing Writers Tom Dellner, James R. Hansen, Ron Kroichick, Frank LaRosa, Brian Murphy, Jeff Ritter, Alan Shipnuck
Contributing Photographers Joann Dost, Aaron Olson, L.C. Lambrecht, Terry VanderHeiden
NCGA Staff Vaughn Kezirian – Executive Director, NCGA Adam Heieck – Executive Director, NCGA Foundation
Alex Anderson, Toivo Betancourt, Jim Brady, Jeff Burgess, Richard J. Cerame, Kelly Cimino, Ben Coronado, Jim Cowan, Ryan Dunham, Ryan Farb, Mark Fitch, Aana Fitzgerald, Lenny Fudenna, Martin Fuentes, Svetlana Gavrilenko, Jason Gilbert, Evelyn Gomez, Otis Goodwin, Jeremy Gray, Ryan Gregg, Aaron Hartesveld, Maryjane Hatch, Joe Huston, Rick Leoncio, Michael Lowe, Kevin Merfeld, Helen Nicolayev, Lindsey Novitzke, Malinda Oliver, Jean Quismundo, Rick Rangel, Kristina Saich, Sam Staton, Scott Seward, Jerry Stewart
NCGA Board of Directors Lee Gidney (President), John A. Ronca (Vice President), Patrick N. Quinn (Secretary/Treasurer), Brian D. Morse (Immediate Past President)
Stacey Baba, Brad Bell, Thomas E. Bone, Thomas H. Carter, John A. Dodsworth, Gary Fox, Robert J. Goldstein, Samuel A. Gross, Susan Morse, Michael J. O’Donnell, David L. Pearson, Gail A. Rogers, Michael W. Weeks, Richard M. Wise, Paul F. Yost Jr.
Golf Courses Owned by the Northern California Golf Association Poppy Hills Golf Course P: (831) 622-8239; F: (831) 626-5421
PoppyHillsGolf.com;
info@poppyhillsgolf.com 3200 Lopez Rd. Pebble Beach, CA 93953
Poppy Ridge Golf Course P: (925) 456-8202; F: (925) 455-2020
PoppyRidgeGolf.com;
info@poppyridgegolf.com 4280 Greenville Rd. Livermore, CA 94550
NCGA Golf (ISSN-1524-4385) is published quarterly by the Northern California Golf Association, 3200 Lopez Road, Pebble Beach, 93953. All rights reserved, including right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Members pay an annual subscription fee of $1. Printed in U.S.A. Please send change of address notice on Member Change form (available at your club). Periodical postage paid at Pebble Beach, CA and additional mailing offices. Advertising contained herein does not constitute endorsement by the Northern California Golf Association. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NCGA Golf, P. O. Box NCGA, Pebble Beach, CA. 93953-1157.
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