Portland Golf Club
  124 W   200 S     Portland, IN 47371         Pro Shop:  260-726-4646 
       email:   portlandgc@embarqmail.com            Facebook:   Portland Golf Club in Indiana

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September 1  It has been a while since I gave you the PGC news and a lot has happened.  The following events finished up with the following results.
Men's Match Play --  Jerry Abbott   Winner      Adam Gray  Runner-UP
Ladies Club Championship --  Diane Coldren  Winner     Ramonda Fisher  Net Winner
Men's Club Championship --  Brad Burkett  Winner    Curt Compton  1st Flight Winner
                                     Fred DeHoff  2nd Flight Winner    Chris Hearn  3rd Flight Winner

We are also finished with the Ladies' and Men's Leagues 

The ladies played a point system for low net, low gross, and how well they played to their handicap each week.

Total Gross Points Winner -- Diane Coldren
Total Net Points Winner -- Barb Freel
Total On Target Points Winner -- Barb Freel

Overal League Points
1st   Barb Freel
2nd Diane Coldren
3rd Connie Roberts
4th Susie Meinerding

The Men played four different formats over the course of the 12 week league.

1st  Larry Chittum and Curt Compton
2nd Pat Cavanaugh and John Cain
3rd Mike Snyder and Tim Knapke
4th Orie Poole and Bill Hampson
5th Mark Tatman and Brian Watson
6th Bob Bell and Duane Sautbine
7th Kirk Mowrer and Larry Myers

(Full results for all of the above can be found on the appropriate results page)

As most of you know, the month of September is known as Outing Month here at the Portland Golf Club.  We have 9 outings this month with several small groups added in at times.  Please check the calender outside of the Pro Shop or the PGC home page for a listing of all of these including when the course will be open for regular play.  We appreciate your understanding during these times.

A very big THANK YOU  to Brian Watson, Brian Klarer, Bill Blowers, Adam Gray, and Nathan McClung for keeping the course in top shape during this summer of rain, heat, and humidity.  Dave and I have been to several other courses this summer where the weather has taken a toll on their entire course.  We appreciate the efforts made by our grounds crew and all of you golfers for helping keep our course in outstanding condition.
 

July 1                July already!!      Way too much rain in June!!
Our Jr. Golf Program this year was a huge success.  We had a record number 41 junior golfers in the program, who were all very enthusiastic and very well behaved.  We would like to say thank you to our instructors:  Bill and Joy Fenters, Butch and Adam Gray, John Cain, and Brad Burkett.  A big thank you to Sally Haviza for getting the treats, trophies, prizes, food for our final day meal, and running the registration table.
Also, we want to say a special THANK YOU to Walmart.  This is the 3rd year that Walmart has sponsored our Jr. Program.  Without their help, the kids would not receive many of the treats and prizes during the program.  Thank you Jim Fennig and Walmart for helping the youth of our area.

Ladies League is well underway.  We should have results of the first week or two any time now.

Men's league is 1/3 over.  Check the league results page to see how your team fared during the first four weeks.

Jerry Abbott is now preparing for our July Men's Tournament.  The May and June events were a big success.  The July tournament is set for the 11th at 12:30.  Let Jerry know if you are playing or sign up in the pro shop ASAP. 

Thank you for your help and understanding during the rains we have experienced this summer.  We do not want to keep carts off the course and we know it is a pain not to be able to take carts everywhere on the course.  Your patience during these times is very much appreciated.

Outings this month:  July 5  Pregnancy Care 7:30 a.m.  (course not closed), 
July 9 The Mayor's Benefit Outing  12:00  (course closed and all carts in by 11:00),
July 17  JCHS Outing,  July 31 Compton Memorial Tournament  12:30 Tee Timed)

June 1 Thank you to all the teams who played in this year's Spring League.  We got in all six dates for the first time in a few years.   All of the weekly results can be found on the Men's League Results page.  These results, along. with money amounts won. are in the lounge area at the club.

Reminder to all of the teams signed up for Summer League, it starts tomorrow June 2.  The format for the league is on the Men's League Schedule page.  The pairings are in the pro shop and can be found on the Men's League Results page.

The women's league starts next Wednesday June 9.  Please sign up as soon as possible.

We have a lot of outings this month: Sat. June 5  Police Reserves at 12:00 -- Wed. June 9 JC Hospital  12:30 -- Sat. June 12 Coldwater American Legion (time to be announced) -- Wed. June 16 Walmart 11:00 -- Sat. June 19 Meeker B/G Club 8:00 -- June 26 Neurological Center (time to be annouced) -- Wed. June 30 Rally for a Cure 9:00 and Ft. Recovery Equity 1:00
 

May 22  5" of rain in the past 3 days.  We are under water.  No play at all today and no cart play on Sunday.  We may be able to allow walking play sometime on Sunday.

The Meeker Outing has been rescheduled for June 19 at 8:00.  If you were not signed up and would like to play, contact Jack Houck at the Boys/Girls club.

We only have one more week of Men's Spring League.  If you are planning to play in Summer league, please sign up by Thursday May 27. 

We have outings in June on every Saturday.  Please call the pro shop for hours of open play.

May 6  Thanks to everyone for their understanding during our Green's Aeration that took place on Tuesday May 4.  Both Brians worked a long day to get all 18 greens and our 3 practice greens plugged that day.  We have one more day to finish this process.
On Monday May 10, will be be sanding the greens.  The course will be open for play, but you will have to skip a hole or two where work is currently being done.

We have the Men's Match play starting later this month.  As of today, we have 24 signed up.  When we reach 32, the field will be full, so sign up now.

Summer league starts on June 2.  Last day to sign up is May 27.  We need teams!!!

Our first Men's Tournament was held over this past weekend.  Thanks to Jerry Abbott for putting together a fun day.  You can see the results on the Men's Tourney Results page.

We are half way through the spring league.  Results for each week can be seen on the 
Men's League Results page.

Please keep checking the PGC web site for all upcoming events and tourney results.
We do have several events coming up in the next few weeks and we will keep you informed of course closings or parts of days when the course will be closed for a outing.
 

April 28 We have lots of things going on in May.  We are now signing up for Men's Match Play and Men's Summer League

Saturday May 1  Bachelor Party at 2:30 with about 50 players. 
                Shotgun off front.
Sunday   May 2  Club Tournament (Scramble)  12:30 
                Contact Jerry Abbott
Monday   May 3  Green's Aeration (pulling plugs) 
                We will try to keep 9 holes open
Sunday   May 9  Mother's Day
Saturday May 15 Lion's Club Outing 1:00 
                Check with pro shop for regular play
Thursday May 20 Men's Match Play Begins
Saturday May 22 Meeker Boys/Girls Club Outing  8:00 
                course closed until 1:00
Sunday   May 23 Couples Twilight   5:00
Thursday May 27 Last day for Men's Summer League Sign-Up
                JCHS Golf  4:30
Saturday May 29 Memorial Weekend
Sunday   May 30 Menorial Weekend
Monday   May 31 Memorial Day
 

April 18 Men's Spring League starts on Wednesday April 21.  We have 12 teams signed up.  Please remember the format for Spring League - You will be paired with a different team each week, but you are playing against the entire field. 
Click here to see all the pairings and information for the Spring League.

If you have not contacted Jerry Abbott about playing in the first Men's tournament, please do so as soon as possible.  It is scheduled for Sunday May 2 at 12:00.  It will be a scramble format, so we need players of all abilities to fill out the teams.

Ladies, your opening day meeting is Thursday April 22 at 6:00 at Debi's house.

The sign up sheet for this year's Men's Match Play is in the Pro Shop.  First 32 to sign up will be in the tournament!

Outings for May are on May 1 starting at 2:30, May 15 starting at 1:00, and May 22 starting at 8:00.  Please check with the pro shop for course availability on those dates.
 

March 31 We are going to do our best to have carts on the course today at noon.  We still have some very wet spots, so please stay on all carts paths and obey ropes, stakes, and signs.  We want you to be able to play now, but we also want the course to be in good condition for the rest of the year.  Your help will be greatly appreciated.

March 29 Another 1" of rain on Sunday has really saturated the course again.  If we have a couple of decent drying days, we hope to have carts on the course Wednesday afternoon. 

Just a reminder that we are now a 100% Titleist golf ball pro shop.  Our shipment of Pinnacle, Solo, NXT, NXT Tour, Pro V1, and Pro V1X balls are here.  No matter what type of ball you play, one of these Titleist balls will fill your need in a golf ball.  If you are not sure which brand you need, let us know and we can help you out.

We have a SALE table of shirts.  Come on out and see what we have. 

Men - Spring League Sign up is now underway.  Please have you and your partner signed up by Sunday April 18.  Check the Mens League Schedule for more information on the Spring League.

Another reminder about the BlueGolf System.  We have to mark you as INACTIVE if we do not have your payment by April 14. 

March 24 It is that time of year when one day we will be able to let carts on the course and the next possibly not.  We are in one of those stretches where we can NOT allow carts on the course due to the .8" of rain we had on Sunday and Monday.  Sadly, the weather forecast for Thursday is calling for up to 1.5" with possible snow flurries over night.  Please keep checking with us on the status of the course.

In the meantime, stop out and see us.  We are currently signing up for Spring League and Jerry is finalizing the Men's Tournament Schedule for this year.  Remember that we need for you to sign up for your BlueGolf Handicap by April 14 or you will be marked as inactive.

March 18 We are now open with carts.  $15 for nine holes and $24 for 18 holes.   We still have ares of the course that are soft.  Please follow all signs and please stay out of all roped off areas.  We hope to be able to change pin placements and mow greens very soon.  We appreciate you coming out and taking care of the course while you play.

March 17   Happy St. Patrick's Day and good news.  We are now open for walking play.
The entire 18 holes can now be walked.  $8 for 9 holes and $12 for 18 holes.  Each day the ground is becoming firmer, so we are hoping to get carts on the course as soon as tomorrow.

March 11  Our greens are still very, very soft.  We need for the freeze line to thaw to let the water drain down deeper and start the firming of the surface.  Therefore, we can NOT yet let walkers on the course or have the range opened until the ground becomes firm enough.

Dave and Charlie are in the pro shop everyday from 10:00 to 3:00 or later.  We are accepting membership payments (remember that we do offer a 3 month payment plan, if this will help you become a member).  Due to the change over to the BlueGolf system for our handicaps, association dues for everyone is $30 this year.  Please pay this, as soon as possible, as the deletion date this year has been moved up to April 15.

The Women's Association plans are almost complete.  They should all be on the Ladies Events page the beginning of next week.

March 5 We need to change our hours of operation over the next three days.  We will be open on Saturday March 6 from 10:00-2:00; Sunday March 7 from 10:00-2:00; Monday March 8 we will be closed as we have a meeting in Indianapolis to attend on the BlueGolf System.

The weather is calling for temps close to 50 the next few days with some rain early next week.  This will melt most of the snow and start thawing the ground.  If it stays warm, we will get some good drying days and can open shortly after that.  Naturally, it will still be a while before we can get carts on the course, but that is just around the corner.

March 1 Dave and Charlie would like for everyone to come out and say "Hi" and help us get the 2010 golf season underway.  As long as the  course is not playable, our hours will be from 10:00 to 3:00 or so.  When the course becomes playable, we will naturally expand our hours. 

Please remember that we are not offering a 10 round play pass this year (those left over from last year will be honored), so a membership might be the way to go for the 2010 season, especially with the extra benefits you receive for being a member.   You can check the Rates page to see all offerings for this year.  We will still offer a 10 round cart pass as well as the full season cart pass.  Please also remember that we offer a payment plan for yearly memberships and/or the yearly cart program.  We are also offering $100 off an adult membership for anyone 35 years of age or younger.  Please see us for more information on all of our programs.

You can begin signing up for Men's Spring League anytime now.  Get with your partner and sign up early.  The format will be the same as last year, but you can see all of the dates and other info on the Men's League Schedule page.  We hope to see a great turnout again this year.

The PGC pro shop has become a 100% Titleist ball shop.  In other words, we will only carry the various types of Titleist golf balls.  You will also see that we will not have in stock a large selection of clubs from the many, many club companies out there today.
However, we can order anything that you might need and have it for you in a very short amount of time.  Please give us a chance to help you with all of your golfing needs.

Charlie can take care of most of your golf club repair and regripping needs.  Now is the time to get you clubs regripped while the snow is still on the ground.  Please take a look at the Golf Club Repair page for more information or give Charlie a call at the pro shop.

We are learning more and more about the new BlueGolf handicap system.  We should have everything up and running by the middle of the month, at the latest.  To join either our Men's or Women's Assocations this year with be $30.  This will allow you to play in all Association events (other tournament or league fees will apply) and give you an official handicap for the 2010 golf season. 

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON 
AND OFTEN
HERE AT THE PORTLAND GOLF CLUB!





















February 16   In the January 1 newsletter (below), we mentioned that the Indiana Golf Association (of which the Portland Golf Club is a member) was changing from the GHIN handicap system to the BlueGolf system.  This system will allow you to do so much more with the scores you post and with keeping track of your golf statistics.  This system will not be operational for us until sometime late this month, but we are receiving more and more information that might be helpful in your understanding of the new system.  Below are the Frequently Asked Questions, about BlueGolf, that are found on the IGA web site.  I have duplicated them here for your viewing.  Please keep checking back here for more updates.

Please remember that Dave and Charlie will be back in the Pro Shop on March 1.  Stop in to say Hi and we should be able to give you more information at that time. 

BlueGolf FAQ

What is BlueGolf?
BlueGolf is a complete golf management program being used by the Indiana Golf Association – Indiana PGA. Since 2007, the IGA-PGA has used the BlueGolf platform for tournament administration and online registration. Beginning in January 2010, the IGA-PGA has now added handicap services to the BlueGolf platform to provide a complete solution for members. In addition, the IGA-PGA and BlueGolf will provide www.IndianaGolf.org with the most complete directory of Indiana golf courses available on the internet. 

What does this change mean for members?
IGA-PGA members will see a change in the way they post scores both at a club’s handicap kiosk and online. While the look of the handicap kiosk will change, many of the same features remain. Because the new club kiosk runs in a web browser, scores posted through the kiosk will be available immediately at any other computer with internet access. This will provide members with a real-time record of their scores. To access your handicap record online or post a new score, the login process will change slightly. There will now be one login portal available on www.IndianaGolf.org, for both handicap records and tournament registration. The user name will be a member’s IGA-PGA number and the password will be set by the player once the player has logged in for the first time – when logging in for the first time, the member’s password will be set to their last name.

What features are available in my new and improved member account?
For the first time, all IGA-PGA services are now available in one member account. Once a member logs into their account, they will have access to their member information, handicap services, and online tournament registration. In addition, members will have access to all of BlueGolf’s Game Tracker. This feature includes the ability to track hole-by-hole scores and shots (e.g. fairways hit) for every round. Members will also be able to track their friends’ handicaps and can receive an update of their friends’ handicaps in every revision email.

Where do I go to login for handicap or tournament services?
There is now one login area located on the right-hand side of all pages on the www.IndianaGolf.org web site. Use your IGA-PGA number and password to login (first time login password will be your last name, and then you may change it to something personal after logging in). This one login will access your member record, which includes all handicap information, statistics, and the ability to register for IGA-PGA tournaments. 

Will I still be able to access my historic score and revision information?
Yes! Your score and revision history have been transferred from GHIN to the new handicap platform.

How do I post a score online?
There are two ways to access your member account to post a score online. The first option is to click the “Post Score” button on the Indiana Golf "Handicapping" page. You will be asked to login and will be taken directly to the score posting page of your member account. The second option is to login to your member account using the login box on the right-hand side of all Indiana Golf pages of the website. Once you are in your member account, click the “Handicap” tab and then the post score link under that tab.

How do I register online for IGA-PGA tournaments?
Online registration for IGA-PGA events has not changed. Login to your member account and click the “Tournaments” tab. You will see all of the tournaments for which you are eligible. Check the box next to the tournament you wish to register for and click the register button below. You may also register directly from the tournament schedule page.

How are handicap revisions calculated?
Handicap revisions will now take place on the 1st and 15th of every month beginning March 1st, 2010. Revisions will happen automatically since scores posted at the club and online will now be available instantly.

Why should an email address and mailing address be added to my record?
All players with an email address will receive an email update every time their handicap is revised. In addition, all players with a mailing address or email address may receive publications and notifications from the Indiana Golf Office. Simply login to your member account to update your information.

Can I have my IGA-PGA handicap record linked with my handicap record in another state?
Yes. The IGA-PGA and BlueGolf are members of the International Golf Network (IGN). The IGN allows members to have their handicap records linked through state and regional golf associations throughout the country. Please contact the Indiana Golf Office to have your record linked to another club.

Where do I access the IGA-PGA’s course directory?
Click on the “Indiana Courses” link on www.IndianaGolf.org.
 
 

January 1      Happy New Year to All from everyone
                           at the Portland Golf Club

Dave and Charlie will be back in the pro shop on March 1.  If you need to contact us before then, please give us a call. 

 Dave's cell: 765-730-2885     Charlie's cell:  317-508-0953

   Some pages of the 2010 PGC website are not complete at this time.  Tournaments, league information, and outing dates may not be officially finalized until sometime in March.  We will, however, update pages as the information is completed.  Please keep checking back here for all Portland Golf Club news.

     For those of you who have not yet joined for the 2010 season, you still can save money by joining on or before January 15.  Click on to the Rates page for more information.  We do offer a payment plan to help make it easier for you to become a member of the Portland Golf Club.  We are also offering a Young Adult Membership for the 2010 season:  $100 off the membership rate for the first 35 single or men/wife memberships for anyone 35 years old and younger.   Check with the pro shop for more information about all of these programs.  We will NOT be offering a 10 round play pass this year, so here is extra incentive for becoming a member. 

Please keep our member benefits package in mind :
*Unlimited golf for the 2010 season 
*Bring a guest, up to 4 times, for cart fees only
*Range balls $3.00 per bag or Range Membership for $100 (save $50)
*10% discount on all merchandise (excluding balls and gloves)
*$100 off your membership for sponsoring a new member
*Play up to 4 times at Hickory Hills for cart fees only 

    As many of you already know, Jerry Abbott was approached about heading up the Men's Association Tournaments for 2010 and has accepted this position.  Jerry is already hard at work talking with people and putting together a nice variety of tournaments for the 2010 season.  Thank you, Jerry, for helping us out with this part of the Portland Golf Club.  If Jerry has not contacted you about your ideas for 2010, let us know and we will have Jerry get ahold of you.

     The Indiana Golf Association is changing our handicap provider.  We will be attending a workshop this spring to learn more about the BLUE GOLF system that will be implemented.  Unfortunately, as with a lot of things, there is a rate increase associated with the use of this system.  Remember that anyone can join the Men's or Women's Golf Associations here at the Portland Golf Club.  You do not need to be a full member to join.  By joining, you will have an accurate handicap and can play in all PGC events. 

Here is more information about BlueGolf
from the Indiana Golf Association Web site: 

  In January, the Indiana Golf Office will transition to a new handicap vendor, BlueGolf. The IGA-PGA is committed to providing the most innovative services available to IGA-PGA individual members and member clubs. The IGA, PGA, IWGA and BlueGolf are excited to bring you many new and enhanced services for the 2010 season including those outlined below. Visit www.indianagolf.org for future announcements regarding additional new services for members, including mobile support for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.
     All current members’ handicap information (number, handicap, score history and email) will be transferred over from GHIN automatically for a seamless transition. However, members will now post scores directly to this web site, indianagolf.org, a service which will not be available until March 1, 2010. More information on posting will follow. 

  The Portland Golf Club is now on Facebook. This is still a learning process for us, but we hope to be able to reach more people through this avenue.  For you veteran Facebook members, please check us out and let us know how we can improve our Facebook page.