Ladies, it’s time! There is no need for me to search for an original opening to the traditional New England winter golf letter. The snow is gone, the birds are singing, and the grass is green. Spring has finally sprung!  I am filled with the excitement, the expectation and the hope that springs eternal at the outset of each golf season, and I hope you are, too.

When I considered taking on the responsibility of serving you as President, I asked myself if I had anything to offer the organization in that capacity—any vision for SNEWGA’s future. My sense was, and is, that SNEWGA has got a little creaky in the joints, and our job is to reinvigorate it—modernize it, if you will. One important element, and in keeping with our aim of promoting women’s golf, is fostering golf with junior girls. Towards that end, we support the LPGA Girls Golf program through Nicole Damarjian at Willow Brook Golf Course, and First Tee of Connecticut.  We have added a donation form in the back of the directory. I hope those of you who believe, as I do, that these junior golf initiatives are an important part of our mission, will use this form to contribute to one or both programs. 

And part of modernizing our beloved organization is changing the eligibility requirements for some of our tournaments. This has been an issue that has raised considerable passionate interest in the past few years, and I think that’s wonderful—passion is a good thing! I think it’s terrific that we can still get passionate about the Grand Old Game. I am happy to tell you that the Executive Committee, by an overwhelming margin, decided to remove the upper age restrictions from the Seniors and Super Seniors Championships.  Starting this year, any member 50 and over can play in Seniors, and any member 63 and over can play in Super Seniors. This brings us into agreement with every other women’s golf organization that I polled (and I polled a lot—from CWGA to New Zealand!), agrees with what the majority of our members want, is fair, and ultimately, I believe, is what’s best for SNEWGA. Many of you took time to express your views to members of the board, and I thank you. Your opinions were an integral part of our decision-making process.

Now, for those of you who weren’t able to attend our Spring Meeting, here is my recap: 

• Three lucky attendees will be treating their friends to rounds of golf

• Not even in Florida, Myra 

• Bev invites you all to share her new Sky Caddie

• Donna’s Stars were exhorted to reach for them (with props)!

• We now know that eClubhouse has nothing to do with Annette Funicello . . .

• Jim Farrell knows a nonconforming club when he sees one!

• Jackie will watch future Final Fours from home . . .

• Ron Drapeau, alas, brought no samples, but he is on first-name basis with a certain “Arnold ,” and I don’t mean the Governor of California . . .

• Lisa Fern-Boros is distributing free CDs!

• Marianne needs no props to explain Spring Cup

• There’s a free bar-be-que at Hartford Golf Course, and we’re all invited (with very pleasant strings attached) 

Maybe you just had to be there . . . and I hope many of you who missed this meeting (which, forever in my memory, will be known as the “Wagnerian” one—go ahead, ask me) will be there in the Fall. Not only is it important (I think the Stars get points!), but it is also fun.

 We have lots of tournaments scheduled for this year, so . . .

Go Forth and Golf!

Laurie

Laurie Masciandaro

Oh, I don’t want to forget—we now know what some First Tee associates do in their spare time. If you don’t know, ask someone who was at the meeting. It’s priceless!