in this ISSUE
FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT DOC HOLLIDAY FROM THE HEAD PROFESSIONAL BLAKE BERRY HOLE IN ONE UPDATE
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POINTERS FROM THE PROS JOHN LANGLOIS
HANDICAP COMMITTEE
MGA
WGA
LNGA
LADY PUTTERS
EVENT CALENDAR
FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT DOC HOLLIDAY
I I hope that everyone is starting to get ready for the onslaught of holiday visitors at the end of the month. Time seems to get away more quickly now, especially at this time of the year, but having friends and family around during this season is special. There are a couple of topics to cover for this issue: We have initiated a cooperative dialogue with RVCC in hopes of securing a Bulk Water Service Agreement with EPCOR. This benefits both clubs, and the new agreement would have to include Trilogy as well. This has nothing to do with the water you receive at your home, it is only for the effluent and non-potable water the clubs receive for irrigation. We have had good productive meetings so far, and after the first quarter of next year, we will be directly engaging with EPCOR representatives. As we progress through this process, I will keep the membership updated. It is the time of the year that the club begins the process of soliciting candidates that have an interest in serving on the TVGC Board (replacing Board Directors whose terms are expiring in April). The Nominating Committee has been formed and approved by the Board at December 5, 2024 meeting. The committee is as follows: Preston Luman, Chair Bill Jenkins Claudia Pilot Connie Goerich Liz Raaka This committee is now seeking members that have an interest in serving on the Board for a three-year term. The committee manages the nomination process and will make a recommendation to the Board of three members that are deemed best qualified to serve as TVGC Board Directors. Some of the characteristics the committee will be looking for:
Previous Tonto Verde volunteer activity Previous TVGC committee experience Experience with Boards and Committees elsewhere Relevant work experience, including leadership positions Vision for TVGC today and tomorrow Thoughtfulness of responses to an interview process
Any member interested in being considered by the Nominating Committee can contact any committee member followed up by submitting his or hers Resume/Background information to Preston Luman at plumanscmn@gmail.com. Deadline for submitting your information is 1/17/25. Interviews will be set up over the following two weeks. The committee’s recommendation of three candidates will be
FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT DOC HOLLIDAY
presented at the 2/6/25 Board of Directors meeting. This slate of candidates will be sent to the membership for a vote by 2/21/25. The new Board will be announced at the annual TVGC meeting on 4/7/25.
Here’s a recap of the Patio Grand Opening! Check out the video Somin created.
Doc Holliday, TVGC President Doc Holliday
FROM THE HEAD PROFESSIONAL BLAKE BERRY
If you are shopping for holiday gifts and do not want to deal with having to run into town, consider a gift certificate for a golf lesson from one of our local PGA Professionals. Our team of talented pros are eager to help set your loved ones on a path to better golf scores and more enjoyment of the game. If you are looking for those last few stocking stuffers the Golf Shop has plenty of options including Frasier Fir scented accessories, Yeti tumblers and Goodr sunglasses. Registration for the Club’s Match Play Championship just opened on ForeTees. Members will be slotted into a single elimination bracket style tournament (flights of 8 based on handicap index) with up to 3 matches to be played. While the Championship Flights will be played straight up (no handicaps), all other flights will utilize course handicaps with strokes being wheeled off the low player. New this year flexible scheduling will be permitted for the first 2 rounds of the Match Play Club Championships in January. This allows participants who are unable to play on the scheduled dates to work with their opponent to find an agreeable time to square off before the next match date. The scheduled match play dates and deadlines are as follows:
Men
Women
Round 1: Monday 1/6 (Ranch) Complete no later than 1/12
Round 1: Thursday 1/9 (Ranch) Complete no later than 1/15
Round 2: Monday 1/13 (Peaks) Complete no later than 1/21
Round 2: Thursday 1/16 (Peaks) Complete no later than 1/21
Men’s and Women’s Final Matches – Wednesday, 1/22 (Ranch)
FROM THE HEAD PROFESSIONAL BLAKE BERRY
Blake Berry, Head Professional Blake Berry Wishing everyone a wonderful Holiday Season, Random but Noteworthy All Golf Shop credit earned during the 2023-2024 season is set to expire on January 1st. Credit book may be spent on any merchandise, special orders and re-gripping. Stop in the shop today to zero out your balance. All active Golf Members have been billed $50 for their annual Arizona Golf Association Handicap Fee. This charge will be reflected on your December statement. TVGC requires a local handicap if you play in any league, tournament, special event and/or member-run golf groups.
Events Sign Ups Opening in December TVGC Agronomy Facility Tour has spaces still available. This event is on Thursday, December 12th at 9 am at the Maintenance Facility. See ForeTees for more details. MGA Verdes Cup (Peaks) is on January 15th the sign up opens on December 15th at 7 am. This event fills quickly and is a great day of fellowship between Tonto and Rio. Registrants will be placed in a lottery and selected to make a team of 60 MGA members + 2 pros representing Tonto. WGA Tonto-Rio Mixer (Peaks) will be held on January 21st. The sign up for this event opens on December 21st at 7 am. MGA 4 Member is a two-round event on January 27th (Ranch) and January 29th (Peaks). The ForeTees sign up opens on December 27th at 7 am.
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POINTERS FROM THE PROS
HANDICAP COMMITTEE
As a member of the USGA, our Club is required to have a Handicap Committee. One of the goals of our Committee is to encourage all players to strive to post 100% of their post- able rounds. Tonto Verde uses the ForeTees system which looks at a player’s scheduled tee time then looks for a posted score for that tee time’s date. We understand that there are many situations where a golfer may miss a posting. That is why a posting percentage of 80% or better is considered acceptable. Below are situations that we have identified where ForeTees will show that a player missed a posting, along with suggested remedies: Cancel if You Can’t Play: If you’re unable to make your scheduled tee time, please cancel it. If you miss your time, let the Pro Shop (PS) know. 1. Update Round Length: If you change from 9 holes to 18 (or vice versa), inform the PS so they can adjust your booking in ForeTees. 2. Practice Rounds: If you’re playing for practice, mention it when you book. If you decide afterward, tell the PS. These will be considered non-postable rounds (NPR) and won’t count toward your totals. 3. Playing Solo: If you planned to play with others but opt to go alone, let the PS know so it can be marked as an NPR. If you signed up to play solo, it’s automatically marked that way. 4. Belonging to Multiple Clubs: If you’re a member of more than one club, remember to post your Tonto scores as home scores in GHIN. 5. Partial Rounds Per the USGA: For a score to be acceptable, at least 9 holes must be played. If you know you will be playing less than 9 holes, note it when your round is booked. Otherwise, let the PS know after you play, and they will mark it as an NPR. If between 10-17 holes are played, hole-by-hole score entry is required for holes played. The system will then calculate an 18-hole Score Differential. Consider taking a picture of your scorecard to help in posting hole-by-hole. 6. Post the Same Day Round Played: If you forgot to post on the day you played and go to post on the following day, make sure your post is on the correct day. 7. Postable Rounds from Competitions: You will not get a tee time notice from ForeTees. The PS will notify you in their instructions that the round(s) is/are portable. 8. Holes Started but not Finished: See USGA rule 3.3 (a synopsis was published in the October Divot Digest). 9. It’s a good idea to view your Peer Review Report periodically for any unmatched rounds. If you don’t know how to access it, Click Here to view on your phone & Click here to view on your desktop. TVGC Handicap Posting and Compliance Policy Hopefully, you’ll find this information helpful and a handy resource for posting your rounds played.
MGA
MGA Opening Event was enjoyed by 144 players with beautiful weather and lots of good golf. The team of Andy Cox, John Grozak, Paul Infanti, and Tom Spaeth took the top honors with a scorching net score of 54.6. The team of Don Longe, Bill Winchell, Tom Egan, and Wayne Creason finished second with a net score of 57.1 Our annual 6/6/6 Member/Member Event followed. In addition to the 6 Flight winners that you can view on our member website under the “Results” tab, Bob Soto & Keith Betsch won Low Net Overall, Jeff Deal & Steve Pettee won Low Net Scramble, and Dave Peterson & Mark Streed won Low Net Alt. Shot and Craig Rife & John Sacia won Low Net Shamble. A good time was had by all both on the beautiful Ranch Course and then at dinner following the event.
The 2025 MGA Cup results have been updated and are posted on the member website under Golf Club Members/Results. They will be periodically updated throughout the season. We currently have 414 members and now have 27 new MGA members this season. Since our last Divot Digest, we are happy to welcome a new member Christopher Ward. Please welcome him when you have the opportunity. If you are not yet a member of the MGA and would like to join and participate in our events, please let me know.
MGA
UPCOMING EVENTS MGA Game Day event is scheduled Dec 18th. Sign up is open.
We start our MGA New Year 2025 with a Shotgun Golf Event on January 8th at 12:30 on the Ranch course. The event is an ABCD Progressive BB. Sign up as a single and the Golf Shop will make the pairings. Registration is now open and as usual includes the dinner/meeting following golf as well. If you would like to attend the dinner only, sign up under the Lifestyle tab/Event Registration “MGA Food Only Dinner & Meeting.” Tonto Verde MGA is hosting the 2025 Verdes Cup on the Peaks Course January 15th. This is a fun team event with our neighbors at Rio Verde.There is no cap on the number of registrations allowed as the team of 60 MGA Members is selected by the Golf Shop by random lottery. Each player is assigned a partner with a similar handicap and play a match with a Rio Verde 2 man team with similar handicaps. This event is all inclusive and includes dinner in the Tonto Verde Clubhouse immediately following golf. Sign up opens December 15th. More details can be found on the website. The Member 4 Member (M4M) sign up opens December 27th at 7AM.The event is a 2 day event January 27th and January 29th. Sign up with your entire group if possible.Partial groups and individuals can sign up if needed and the Golf Shop will try to complete the teams. There is a dinner/meeting following golf on Wednesday January 29th and all participants are automatically registered for the dinner also, unless you opt out by contacting Cindi Reuvers at least 72 hours prior to the dinner. Registration for the MGA 2025 Premier Desert Classic 3-Day Invitational is open. Seventy-two spots are available and if full you are encouraged to register on the “wait list” as historically some of the early registrants develop a conflict and drop off the list. The event is on March 20th, 21st and 22nd and includes a practice round with your guest.
Jon Lynch, MGA Communication Jon Lynch
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WGA
The MEMBER-MEMBER tournament was held on November 12th and 14th, attracting 128 participants. Mickey Shield and Georgine Hoffman were the Low Net Overall Champions, finishing with a net eclectic score of 61. Congratulations to all the winners!
INTERCLUB NEWS: Sonoran, Cactus, and Roadrunner teams have started matches. TV’s Roadrunner League hosted 7 visiting teams on Monday, December 9th, on the Ranch course. Results of all team matches will be posted on the website. UPCOMING EVENTS: WGA MEETING/DINNER & GAME Jan 7th at 12 PM SG One-Day Guest Day Thank you to Barb Fortier and her committee for organizing this event on Dec 10th. Match Play registration starts Dec 9th. Play dates are Jan 9th, 16th, and 22nd, with optional completion dates for the first two rounds. Final matches are required to be played on Jan 22nd. WGA 4 Member sign-up starts Jan 11th with tournament dates of Feb 11th & 13th. Tonto Rio Mixer with a James Bond theme is set for Jan 21st at 12:30 pm SG, and dinner to follow. Signup begins Dec 21st. Sign-up is open to 60 players each from Tonto Verde and Rio Verde. The format is a 4 person team two ball net game with a secret twist. Hohokam Classic sign-up starts Jan 2nd. Lori McCormick and her committee are completing plans for the “Barbie, If you dream it, You can be it” themed event. Please WELCOME new WGA members Jena Taylor, Okoboji, IA; Lorri Cisler, Green Bay, WI; Pam Bowen, Durango, CO, Anne Ward, Mendota Heights, MN; and Penny Arneson, rejoining this season. WGA members count is currently 216. The WGA is filling a basket with wine, gift cards and other treats for the TontoCares fundraiser silent auction to benefit VerdeCares. Jena Taylor and Christie Gorsline are collecting your donations.
Viki Wilds, WGA Communication Viki Wilds
LNGA
December started with the LNGA Annual Holiday Party. The Party was a spirited event, with most, if not all, Niners dressed as their favorite holiday character. A huge shout out to Kris Hanousek and Patty Milliken for orchestrating the event. It was a great way to start our holiday season.
As we close out the schedule for 2024 on December 17th, we look forward to the upcoming events in 2025. We will be starting with a Niners Guest Day event called “Putts, Pearls & Polka Dots.”More information will follow in the Niners News. At the last academy, our LNGA students were taught chipping and pitching. Everyone agrees that these informative/hands-on academies are very beneficial and much appreciated. Due to the upcoming holidays, the LNGA Academy will not be held in December but will resume in January. The topic will be full-swing irons and wedges. The dates are January 15th and January 29th, and they will be held at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Volunteers are still needed!!! We need committee members to help plan and decorate for the following events: East vs. West (02/18) and the WGA/LNGA scramble (02/25). If you are interested, please contact MaryBeth Sorensen at mbsorensen1@gmail.com. This is a great way to meet and make new friends! Reminders: SENIOR SANTA GIFTS FOR VERDE CARES We are dontating gifts for seniors in Fountain Hills and the Verdes this Christmas Season. If you would like to donate a throw, a blanket, a neck pillow or a 100-300 piece puzzle, you can drop them off at Cindy Wetherbee’s home at 26911 Agua Verde Drive.The deadline for dropping off the gifts is Monday, December 16th. Upcoming Events Game day on December 17th at 9:30 AM Interclub at DC Ranch on January 6th at 1 PM LNGA Academy on January 15th and January 29th. Both classes are the same.
Carol Noonan Communication Carol Noonan
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LADY PUTTERS
Tonto Verde Lady Putters are fortunate to be having some beautiful weather for the start of their 2024-25 season. A new leadership group headed by President Kristen McLinden (3rd from left) is eagerly constructing a program of events for this season which will include themes from the Paris Olympics 2024, a Valentine’s/Winter Party dubbed “Love on the Green” in February and a joint Rio Verde-Tonto Verde event in March.
Despite many residents traveling for Thanksgiving, 39 members participated in challenges on December 4. A record number of holes-in-one was achieved and five members were awarded pins for making five holes-in-one this season. Congratulations to the following ladies: Patty Milliken, Julie Theiler, Debbie Berringer, Janice Steinbrecher, and Judy Richelson!
Lady Putters would like to remind the community that a supply of putters is available at the putting course for the enjoyment of everyone, including guests and children. However, this supply has decreased over time. We invite any members of the community who have spare or unused putters (left-handed and right-handed) or any junior-sized putters to consider donating them to the community bag. It is never too late to join Lady Putters. The cost is $40 per season. All you need to do is register with the Pro-Shop or contact President Kristen McLinden at 612.616.9106. You will see TV Ladies putting every Wednesday morning at 10 am. Sign-in begins at 10 am and putting at 10:30 am. During December, putting will be followed by a delicious lunch and in January-March, lunch will be available every other week. Members must register for putting on a weekly basis so that teams can be assigned by our golf professional, Jacob Trimble and if you have registered but are unable to play, please let the pro shop staff know 24 hours ahead so that teams and hole assignments can be adjusted before play.
Judith Potter, Lady Putters Communication Judith Potter
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DEC/JAN 2024 2025 Monday Tuesday Friday Saturday Sunday Wednesday Thursday
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16 Monday Maintenance Ranch Closed until noon WGA Roadrunner interclub Monday Maintenance Peaks Closed until noon WGA Cactus League
MGA Eclectic Round 2 Lady Putters Game Day
Ladies TTs
LNGA Game Day WGA Guest Day
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MGA Game Day Lady Putters Game Day
Ladies TTs
LNGA Game Day WGA Game Day
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Christmas Eve
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Monday Maintenance Peaks Closed until noon
Ladies TTs
8 am Board Meeting
Ladies TTs
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Monday Maintenance Ranch Closed until 10 AM Men’s Match Play Club Championship
LNGA Game Day WGA Game Day
MGA Game Day Lady Putters Game Day
Women’s Match Play Club Championship Ladies TTs
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