Long Island Chapter News

Better Than Ever in 2011

The EWGA's (Executive Women's Golf Association) mission is connecting women to learn, play and enjoy golf for business and for fun. 

Join us for another year as we embody the spirit of EWGA.

Connect  - Learn -  Play - Belong

Michele Chotkowski

2011 Communications Chair

We have a few changes in the programs this year that I feel you will be really happy with.  This month we will have our Winter White Wonderland Hi Tee at the Garden City Hotel, followed next month with a Chinese New Year Celebration.
 

In March we are trying something different but exciting for our Tee Off.  Instead of a sit-down dinner for our Tee Off we are going to have an "expo" type format.  You will have the opportunity to enter contests, meet sponsors, visit committee tables and much more.  This will keep the cost down and will allow for more networking and socializing amongst the members.  Details about the Tee Off will be rolled out in the next few months. 
 
Hang in there, the golf season is around the corner.

by Chris Sedlacek

Now matter how you choose to measure time , the Chapter Championship is ~ 6 months away , or ~26 weeks away or ~182 days away or ~ 4,368 hours away or ~262,080 minutes away! While that may seem like a long ways off with lots of time to practice, as we all know, time flies by very quickly. Before you know it, the email announcement for the Chapter Championship will be sitting in your email in box. By the time the email arrives, you'll have about 6 weeks to get ready. Don't wait for the email announcement to come out - use these cold, winter weeks to get your Chapter Championship game & strategy in place. Get your Golf Game On!

What is the Chapter Championship?
The EWGA Championship is the largest women's amateur golf tournament in the world. The Championship creates an opportunity for personal growth in a competitive yet fun environment and provides members at all skill levels the opportunity to compete in tournament golf. Members may compete in the Stroke Play Competition or Inter-Chapter Team Scramble. Start forming your scramble teams now!

Who can participate?
ANY EWGA LI Member with an official USGA Handicap Index CAN PLAY. And yes - that also includes someone with a high handicap. Members of all skill levels are encouraged to compete - so give the Championship a try and put your game to the test!! Many members hold off because they think they aren't good enough. Don't put it off another year - This could be your year!
 

What's the format?
The Championship, by design, offers two different competitive formats: Stroke Play and Inter-Chapter Team Scramble Competition. You select the competitive format that best fits your game, personality and skill level. You can choose Stroke Play Division where eligible participants are flighted based on their handicap index or Four-women Team Scramble that consists of 4 participants from the same Chapter. Stroke Play Division Players are grouped into one of five flights at each level of Championship competition based on their official USGA Handicap Index in effect as of mid-June.  Both Low Gross and Low Net winners in each flight will advance to the next level of competition. Last year, flights were determined based on the index ranges below. This year, these ranges may change slightly for 2011 based on the official Chapter Championship manual which we will receive in the next few weeks.

Handicap Index Flight
0.0 - 12.0 Championship
12.1 - 19.0 First Flight
19.1 - 25.0 Second Flight
25.1 - 32.0 Third Flight
32.1 - 40.4 Fourth Flight  

When is the Chapter Championship?
We are currently "targeting" Thursday, July 14th as the potential date. Stay tuned for details!

How do I get ready?
Start practicing! It's a little difficult to start playing with lots of snow on the ground, but there are several indoor heated driving ranges you can go to. Sky Drive on Route 110 in Farmingdale or Spring Rock on Denton Avenue in Garden City Park. Make a commitment to go to the driving range at least once a week. Set up putting practice on your living room carpet. Get on your treadmill, start doing yoga or pilates or any type of exercise to get your body moving. Pull out those golf books you've been meaning to read that contain all of those great "how to" golf tips.

I would also recommend wearing your favorite golf hat everywhere you go to remind you that golf season will soon be here, especially when you're shoveling snow! (only kidding) 

Get your Golf Game on! Countdown to the Chapter Championship! 15,724,800 seconds to go!  15,723,799 seconds........

by Maureen

Mahoney 

It is my great pleasure to join the Board of the Long Island Chapter as your new League Chairperson.  I know many of you through my years of volunteering with the Wind Watch and Travel Leagues, mentoring the Harbor Links and Heartland members, and participating in leagues, outings and competitive golf events.    

With deep snow blanketing Long Island, golf season seems a long way off, but planning for 2011 is already well underway.  We will once again be offering 13 leagues to provide ample playing opportunities to players of all skill levels, with some new contests and formats to add to the fun.  I am fortunate to have a wonderful committee of talented, dedicated volunteers who make this enormous undertaking possible.  If you have been enjoying the leagues and would like to give something back, please consider joining our committee.  I can be reached at maureenmahoney.ewga@gmail.com 

I hope to see many of you at the Tee Off Dinner in March, and I look forward to another great season.

We have a great year planned for all our members.  Remember to renew your membership so that you can take advantage of many of our events, leagues and golf outings our Board has designed, especially for you.

There are few EWGA housekeeping issues that need to be addressed, so that you can focus on golf and networking in the coming year.

Renew your membership today

• Many EWGA members are due to renew early in year.  If you are one of these members, you have been sent renewal notices by mail.  Please renew today!
• You may also call in your renewal toll free at 800-407-1477 Ext. 10.  Make sure to tell them you are a renewing member give them your member number, so they reissue it to you.

Dual Chapter Members

• Beginning in 2011, the fee to join a secondary Chapter is $35 (rather than $30 as it was in the past years).  This information will be included on the EWGA website and renewal forms, and we wanted to make sure you were aware of the change. 
• Members are only billed for their primary Chapter each year, and must select and add any additional Chapters as part of their renewal process.

Visit the National website

• All members should take a few minutes to visit and familiarize yourself with the National website.  You never know what savings you might find.
• If you have any difficulty with the www.ewga.com website, please email member@myewga.com for assistance. 

Save the Date

• This year's Tee-Off Dinner will be held on Tuesday, March 15^th.  More details will follow.  This event is your opportunity to:
• sign up for leagues (they fill up quickly)
• bring friends you think would benefit from joining our chapter
• learn about all the fun activities planned for the year

Posting in the Off Season
  
 A reminder from the Rules and Handicap Chair...

Just because it's blizzarding in New York on a regular basis - doesn't necessarily mean you can't play golf.  You just need to find a flight to someplace warm!  Now, that might be easier said than done, since the La Nina pattern is bringing record cold to the south, but the most recent weather forecast for Orlando has the temperatures hitting 70 degrees next week!!! 

If you are among the lucky ones who do get a chance to play, just remember, you do need to post your golf scores for handicap purposes when playing in a warm location that doesn't go to an inactive season.  So, don't post those rounds you play with pink balls in the snow here in New York (ha ha), but make sure you post the rounds from Florida, Myrtle Beach, Puerto Rico, Nassau (Bahamas), etc. 

Stay warm, enjoy the rest of the winter and pray for a heat wave and sunny skies!

We will be gathering at one of the few classic Chinese restaurants around, a Huntington institution, Albert's Mandarin Gourmet for an extraordinary New Year's gourmet dinner and special entertainment presentation -- a mixed martial arts performance by Tiger Shulmann students, and of course, the procession of the Dancing Lion!

Our 2011 Tee-Off Event is designed to provide you with more opportunities to get maximum value from your membership. Learn what's in store for the new golf season - leagues, education, outings and competitive events, as well as business and social networking events, and exclusive sponsor benefits. Enjoy a super-sized, interactive reception with prizes galore!

Watch your email for registration information and more details.